Baylor in Maastricht Finds New Home in History
The History Department recently took ownership of Baylor’s Maastricht Study Abroad program and is busy recruiting undergraduates to enroll for the Spring 2027 semester. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to live, learn and explore Europe through immersive courses in one of its most vibrant, historic cities. Below, current Baylor in Maastricht Program Director, Dr. Zachary Wingerd, and Senior Lecturer in History, Dr. David Smith, describe the curriculum and cultural experiences available to students who choose to spend a semester in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Drs. Wingerd and Smith, both of you have taught at Maastricht University before as part of Baylor’s Study Abroad program. Can each of you describe the classes you taught in previous semesters and then describe the courses you plan to teach in the coming semesters abroad?
Dr. Wingerd: In previous semesters (springs of 2017 and 2022), I’ve taught classes in both world history and European history—specifically HIS 1307 “World History since 1500” and HIS 4340 “European Monarchs, Merchants, and Monopolies”, a course I created specifically for this program. When I go to Maastricht in the spring of 2027, I’ll be teaching HIS 3336 “Early Modern Europe (1500-1800)”, an overview of the history of Europe from the age of absolutism to the Enlightenment with a special focus on the Dutch Republic as well as HIS 4340 “European Monarchs, Merchants, and Monopolies (1600-1800)”, a study of how European empires, with special attention paid to the Dutch East India Company, transformed global politics, religion, and economics.
Dr. Smith: In previous semesters in Maastricht, I’ve taught classes in US history—HIS1365 “History of the United States since 1877” (the people that American history knows as the English “Pilgrims” went to Leiden in the Netherlands before they went to Plymouth, Massachusetts), and the upper-division US military history class. When I go to Maastricht in the spring of 2028, I’ll be teaching a “Europe from 1914 to 1949” class as a 3000-level, and then a “History of NATO” class as a 4000-level.
Dr. Wingerd, you are the 2026-2027 Program Director for Baylor in Maastricht. Can you provide a broad outline of the courses offered?
Absolutely. In addition to my two history courses, the Center for European Studies (CES), in partnership with Maastricht University, will offer five course options. There will be two Political Science courses that focus on the current issues faced by Europe, one course on 20th century European literature, a Dutch art history class, and, a senior level course that can be taken for History or Political Science credit entitled, “The Foundations of Human Rights”. Students may choose to take one or both of my courses and three or four of the classes offered by CES. As you can see, this experience will be especially valuable for majors and minors in History, Political Science, and International Studies, but the program is open to all Baylor students who want to get to know Europe better.
Drs. Wingerd and Smith, what kind of cultural experiences and field trips are available to students in the Maastricht program?
By participating in the Maastricht program, our students will have the opportunity to attend services in a medieval church and hear a Mass in Latin (and Dutch), as it has been celebrated here for centuries. They’ll experience Carnival. Carnival is a community celebration with religious roots that’s completely different from anything in the United States. For several days the whole city celebrates: no one goes to work. No one goes to school. Baylor students will experience an ancient tradition that has no parallel here. Students will also experience the café culture typical of European cities with lively conversations in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Netherlands also has a robust system of public transportation which everyone uses which is unlike anything most Baylor students experience. Further, the Netherlands is renowned for its bicycling and students can rent bikes by the day or by the month and travel that way throughout the greater Maastricht area.
Speaking of the area, in five minutes you can be in another country and speak French in Belgium or German in Germany. The proximity students in this program have to other countries while in Maastricht is unique among Baylor study abroad programs.
Our students will take field trips to reconstructed Dutch East India ships along the coastline, to battlefields from the French Revolution to WWII, to historic towns and cities; to museums and historic sites around the Netherlands.
What do each of you think Baylor students gain both academically and personally from their experiences in the Maastricht program?
Academically, students gain from studying European history in Europe and going to the places where the history that unfolded over centuries and even millennia actually happened. Personally, Baylor students will make lifelong friendships and memories as they study abroad in this program. Their worldview will be fundamentally changed by being part of this.
What are your favorite Maastricht spots to eat, explore, read, and learn?
The bookstore in a converted Dominican church is a Maastricht highlight. Everyone who goes to Maastricht will wind up having a favorite café that they return to regularly. We each have our own. Catching live jazz every Monday night at Cafe Forum packed with college age students is an experience not to be missed. One favorite place to read and study has to be atop the ancient fortress walls that surround the old city. The walls were attacked by Louis XIV and inspected by Peter the Great! Another would be in the parks along the riverbanks. The central squares of the city are surrounded by restaurants and cafés and to sit outside in one and watch the people go by is always a memorable experience.