What Do You Study in a Master’s in Holocaust Studies? Inside Touro Berlin’s Program

Understanding the Structure of the MA in Holocaust Studies at Touro University Berlin

Studying the Holocaust at graduate level requires more than examining a single historical period. Understanding the Holocaust means exploring the history that preceded it, investigating the mechanisms of persecution and genocide, learning how researchers work with historical evidence, and examining how the Holocaust has subsequently been represented, taught, memorialized and addressed through questions of justice.

The MA in Holocaust Studies at Touro Berlin approaches the field through this broad academic perspective, creating a program that connects history and research with education, memory, representation and remembrance.

The program is completely taught in English, and students do not need to provide a German-language test or certificate. This makes the MA accessible to students and professionals from different international backgrounds who want to pursue specialized Holocaust Studies through Touro Berlin.

But what exactly do students study? From the history of the Jews over time to Holocaust research, film, literature, museums, memorials and post-Holocaust justice, the program provides several perspectives through which students can develop a deeper understanding of one of the most consequential subjects in modern history.

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Studying Holocaust Studies Completely in English

One of the defining characteristics of the program is that it is taught entirely in English.

Students therefore do not need a German test or German-language certificate to study the program, making it possible for international students to pursue this specialized field without German-language proficiency being a prerequisite.

This international academic setting is particularly relevant to Holocaust Studies because the subject itself extends across countries, societies and disciplines. Studying in English creates a common academic language through which students from different backgrounds can examine the historical evidence and engage with questions surrounding memory, representation and education.

At the same time, the program's connection with Touro University Berlin places this international academic experience within a city deeply connected with the history being studied.

History of the Jews Over Time

A serious examination of the Holocaust cannot begin with the Holocaust alone, because understanding the experiences of European Jews requires a broader historical foundation.

The program therefore includes the history of the Jews over time, allowing students to place the Holocaust within a much longer historical context rather than approaching Jewish history exclusively through persecution and genocide.

This broader perspective provides an important foundation for the subjects that follow throughout the MA and allows students to understand the Holocaust as part of a complex historical trajectory.

For students entering the program from different academic backgrounds, establishing this context is an essential part of developing the knowledge required for more specialized Holocaust research.

Holocaust Studies: Examining a Complex Historical Reality

At the center of the program is the academic study of the Holocaust itself.

Holocaust Studies requires students to engage with difficult historical questions while maintaining a rigorous approach to evidence and interpretation. Rather than reducing the Holocaust to a simplified narrative, graduate-level study requires careful consideration of its complex realities and of the people, institutions and societies involved.

This creates the foundation upon which the program's other areas are built, because

research, representation, memorialization and education all depend upon a strong understanding of the historical subject itself.

The objective is not simply to know historical facts, but to develop the academic ability to examine those facts critically and understand how historical knowledge is constructed.

Learning How the Holocaust Is Researched

Another central component of the program is research of the Holocaust.

Historical knowledge depends upon evidence, which means researchers must understand how to identify sources, evaluate them critically and use them responsibly when developing historical interpretations.

Research can involve working with documents, archives, testimonies and existing scholarship while considering the context in which each source was created.

This methodological dimension is especially important for students who may want to continue into academic research, doctoral study, museums, archives, education or other fields where the ability to work critically with historical evidence is essential.

It also changes the student's relationship with history. Instead of simply reading what previous scholars have concluded, students begin developing the tools needed to investigate historical questions themselves.

Methods of Representing the Holocaust

Knowing history and representing history are not the same thing.

Every book, exhibition, memorial, film or educational resource makes decisions about what information to include, how to organize it and how to communicate it to an audience. For a subject as complex and sensitive as the Holocaust, these decisions carry significant responsibility.

The Touro Berlin program therefore examines methods of representations of the Holocaust, encouraging students to consider how historical events and individual experiences are communicated.

Questions of representation are central to contemporary Holocaust Studies because future generations increasingly encounter this history through mediated forms such as museums, memorials, literature, film, archives and educational materials.

Understanding representation therefore means examining not only what is communicated about the Holocaust, but also how it is communicated.

Holocaust in Film, Literature, Museums and Memorials

The MA expands this examination by looking specifically at the Holocaust in film, literature, museums and memorials.

Each medium presents different possibilities and challenges. Literature can provide perspectives on memory and individual experience, while film can bring historical narratives to enormous audiences through visual storytelling. Museums organize historical evidence and objects within carefully constructed exhibitions, while memorials create physical spaces where societies remember victims and confront the past.

Studying these different forms allows students to consider how the same history can be interpreted and communicated in very different ways.

This part of the curriculum also connects Holocaust Studies with questions that remain highly relevant today: How should difficult history be presented? What responsibilities do museums and filmmakers have? How does the design of a memorial influence remembrance? How do representations change as historical distance increases?

These are not questions with simple answers, which is precisely why they belong within graduate-level study.

Teaching the Holocaust and Memorializing the Past

Historical knowledge only continues when it is communicated to others, making Holocaust education and memorialization another important element of the program.

Teaching the Holocaust involves decisions about historical context, sources, testimony, language and educational methods. Different audiences may also require different approaches, whether the subject is being taught in schools, universities, museums or other educational environments.

Memorialization introduces another set of questions about how societies preserve the memory of historical events and their victims.

The program's focus on teaching the Holocaust and memorializing the past therefore connects academic research with the continuing responsibility of communicating history.

For students interested in becoming educators or working with museums and memorial institutions, this part of the program can be particularly relevant to their professional development.

Understanding Justice After the Holocaust

The history of the Holocaust did not conclude when the Second World War ended.

The program therefore includes Justice after the Holocaust, extending the academic discussion into questions that emerged in the aftermath of persecution and genocide.

Examining justice after the Holocaust encourages students to consider how societies and institutions responded to the crimes that had taken place and how questions of responsibility continued beyond the immediate historical period.

This perspective is important because Holocaust Studies is not only concerned with the processes that led to persecution and genocide. It also examines what followed and how individuals and societies confronted the consequences of those events. Together with research, memory and representation, the study of justice helps students develop a more comprehensive understanding of the Holocaust and its aftermath.

Connecting Research, Education and Remembrance

One of the strengths of studying these areas together is that they are deeply interconnected. Historical research influences what educators can teach. Research also provides the evidence used by museums, authors, filmmakers and memorial institutions. Those representations subsequently influence how wider society understands and remembers the Holocaust.

A student examining a historical document may therefore be working with material that could eventually contribute to academic scholarship, an exhibition, educational resources or a broader discussion about remembrance.

This connection between research, education and memory is fundamental to understanding the structure of Holocaust Studies. Rather than treating these subjects as completely separate academic areas, the program allows students to consider how they interact and influence one another.

Holocaust Studies for Working Professionals

Graduate education does not always have to mean stepping away from an existing professional career. Touro Berlin also encourages professionals to pursue Holocaust Studies as a part-time course of study, allowing interested applicants to speak directly with the university's Admissions Department about this possibility.

This option can be particularly relevant for professionals who want to deepen their academic understanding of Holocaust history while continuing their existing professional responsibilities.

The program's broad academic scope means it may be of interest to people coming from different areas who want to develop deeper knowledge of Holocaust history, research, representation, education and remembrance.

Prospective students interested in the part-time pathway should discuss their individual situation and study options directly with Touro Berlin Admissions.

More Than One Perspective on Holocaust Studies

The program structure demonstrates why Holocaust Studies cannot be reduced to one academic discipline.

History provides essential foundations, but understanding the Holocaust also involves research methodology, representation, education, memory, cultural expression and questions of justice. Film, literature, museums and memorials introduce additional ways of examining how historical knowledge reaches contemporary audiences.

Touro Berlin's curriculum also includes several other aspects of Holocaust Studies, allowing the program to approach the subject from multiple directions rather than through a single perspective.

This multidisciplinary character can help students understand both the historical realities of the Holocaust and the continuing questions surrounding how that history is researched, communicated and remembered.

From Learning History to Contributing to Its Preservation

For students entering the MA, the program can represent a transition from learning about history toward understanding how historical knowledge is created and preserved.

Research teaches students to work critically with evidence. The study of representation encourages them to question how history reaches different audiences. Holocaust education explores how knowledge can be passed to future generations, while the examination of museums and memorials demonstrates how societies create physical and cultural spaces for remembrance.

Together, these subjects provide a foundation for students interested in continuing their engagement with Holocaust history through research, education, museums, memorial institutions and other related areas.

The transition is significant because graduate study asks students to become active participants in the academic process rather than simply recipients of established knowledge.

Study Holocaust Studies at Touro University Berlin

The MA in Holocaust Studies at Touro University Berlin brings together historical study, research, representation, education, memorialization and questions of justice within one specialized graduate program.

Completely taught in English, with no German-language test or certificate required, the program provides an international pathway for students who want to examine Holocaust history in greater depth.

Its structure covers the history of the Jews over time, Holocaust Studies, methods of representing the Holocaust, Holocaust research, teaching and memorialization, representations in film and literature, museums and memorials, justice after the Holocaust, and additional aspects of the field.

For professionals, Touro Berlin also encourages the possibility of pursuing Holocaust Studies on a part-time basis, with the Admissions Department available to discuss the appropriate study pathway.

Studying Holocaust history at this level means going beyond knowing what happened. It means developing the tools to research historical evidence, critically examine how the Holocaust is represented, understand how remembrance is constructed and consider how knowledge can responsibly be passed to future generations. At Touro Berlin, these different dimensions come together within an academic program centered on history, research, education and remembrance.

Note: This blog provides educational and editorial content on a variety of topics. The views and interpretations expressed in individual articles do not necessarily reflect the official position of Touro University Berlin or Touro University.