The first year teaches the basics of academic work. Students learn to formulate historical questions, to work with analogue and digital sources and to research and evaluate research literature. The focus is on the presentation of the results in presentations, thesis papers and coursework. Integrated proseminars and accompanying tutorials support this process, supplemented by a two-day excursion in the summer semester. The degree course prepares students for careers in history education and covers pre-modern epochs up to contemporary history.

In the one-subject Master's degree programme, individual specialisation is possible, even across epochs. In addition to the subject-specific modules, students can choose content from other degree programmes in a related field to deepen their own specialisations and gain practical experience.

Cooperation with partner universities, in particular Central Michigan University (CMU), as part of Erasmus+.

GPT@RUB; Licensed databases (including JStor, Cambridge Histories Online, Brill E-Books, De Gruyter Online/eBooks, Early American Newspapers, Lexikon des Mittelalters, (encyclopaedia of the Middle Ages), HZ, Brills New Pauly); Free cloud (Sciebo); In addition,: Public History (MA single subject): Digital Classroom Lab/Digital History Lab (from 2025)

German Research Foundation (DFG) Collaborative Research Centre "Virtual Living Worlds", Marie Jahoda Centre for International Gender Studies, Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, DFG Research Training Group "Knowledge – Belief – Assertion". Public History Digital Public History, DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1567 "Virtual Living Worlds", research on history in immersive (digital) media

Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) has an Anti-Discrimination Office and local Diversity Officers at its faculties. Every year, a meeting takes place to provide information about facilities, services and student initiatives to promote diversity and protect against discrimination and to identify needs. The institute strives to maintain family-friendly teaching hours. Teaching staff are encouraged to provide information about opportunities to compensate for disadvantages and to offer barrier-free exam formats. The teaching rooms have barrier-free access; All-gender toilets.