The follow-up Modern History master’s degree program is focused on acquiring the essential knowledge and skills for independent research in the field, primarily within a specialization of the history of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The degree program significantly deepens the student’s overview of modern history and teaches the student to perceive the principal trends of contemporary socio-political development at a contextual level and with a historical perspective. In terms of topics, the degree program mainly concentrates on explaining and interpreting modern European and world history while taking account of the general developmental context. From a methodological and methodical perspective, a wide range of research methods and procedures are applied during the study, which corresponds to current knowledge and research profiles of the figures teaching the subjects, while stress is also placed on ensuring a contemporary postmodern approach to historical and political issues of modern history, and an attempt is made to approach the key issues of the 19^th and 20^th centuries using a contemporaneous sociocultural lens to perceive the political and social events of the time. For the same reason, particular stress is placed on equipping the student with theoretical and methodological tools. The compulsory part of the degree program is divided into 3 interrelated themed blocks, which provide students with a thorough overview of selected issues in the history of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and of the issue of war and ethnic conflicts and the phenomenon of totalitarian and authoritarian movements in modern history, and which will bring students a methodology of the subject which will form an integral and vital element of the degree program in the follow-up master’s study.

Graduates of the follow-up Modern History master’s degree program will acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the political, economic, social, and cultural course of the history of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, of wars, totalitarianism, and the clash of cultures and civilizations. They will leave with their competencies added to by a range of appropriate elective subjects which are divided up both geographically and thematically, again focused on modern history (19^th and 20^th centuries). Graduates are equipped with the necessary factual, methodological and methodical knowledge and skills (including the ability to acquire information electronically) to be able to interpret historical events independently and on the basis of historically relevant arguments, critically interpret historical sources and literature and independently process and solve problems regarding history. Graduates will also be ready to continue in doctorate studies of history or a related subject at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň or another university in the Czech Republic or abroad.

The admissions procedure takes place in the form of an oral interview to ascertain the candidate has a suitable background (current education, study results, language skills, etc.) and is motivated to study.