MASTAHG Course of Study

The Master of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government (MASTAHG) requires a total of 33 semester credit hours. Coursework is divided between 9 hours of coursework in the latest educational theory and 24 hours of content study in American history and government. Additionally, all students must pass a written qualifying examination to demonstrate mastery of the key historical concepts mastered in the student’s history and government coursework.

Each history and government course in the program (those courses with an HIST/POLSC prefix) is offered for two (2) semester credit hours. These courses are offered in two formats:

  • As residential weeklong summer courses during the months of June and July at our Ashland, Ohio campus.
  • As synchronous online webinar courses offered on various schedules throughout the academic year.

Each course in the education core is offered for three (3) semester credit hours. These courses are offered in the following formats:

  • As traditional on-campus courses offered at the main campus and at Ashland’s regional centers located around Ohio.
  • As hybrid courses which meet partly at the main campus or one of the regional centers and partly online.
  • As fully-online courses with no on-campus attendance requirement.

Students may complete the degree in two to three years, depending upon their desired course load. A typical course load during the fall and spring semesters is to take one to two courses at a time. During the summer semester, students may take no more than one HIST/POLSC-prefix course at a time, but may take one HIST/POLSC course and one education course simultaneously. Students should consult with their program advisor to discuss their semester-by-semester load. Students may take up to ten (10) years from the date of their first course to complete the degree.

The Education Core (9 hours)

The Education Core is composed of three strands: Curriculum Foundations, Inquiry, and Diversity. MASTAHG candidates are free to choose the course that best meets their professional needs in each category.

CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONS

Choose one.

Course Number Course Title Hrs
EDCI 522 Foundations of Educational Technology 3
EDCI 523 Literacy Theory and Curriculum 3
EDFN 521 Theory and Practice of Curriculum Development 3

INQUIRY

Choose one.

Course Number Course Title Hrs
EDFN 504 Action Research for Educational Improvement 3
EDFN 506 Qualitative Research 3
EDFN 507 Understanding Statistical Research for Classroom Professionals 3

DIVERSITY

Choose one.

Course Number Course Title Hrs
EDFN 533 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners 3
EDFN 510 The World in Your Classroom: Multicultural and Global Education 3
EDIS 550 Social and Educational Perspectives of Disability 3

Note: Not all education courses offered every semester. Schedules are subject to change each semester.

The American History and Government Core

The full 12 semester credit hour core is required for all degree students.

Course Number Course Title Hrs Prerequisites
HIST/POLSC 501 The American Revolution 2 None
HIST/POLSC 502 The American Founding 2 None
HIST/POLSC 503 Sectionalism and Civil War 2 None
HIST/POLSC 505 The Progressive Era 2 None
HIST/POLSC 506 Rise of Modern America, 1914-1945 2 None
HIST/POLSC 507 Lincoln 2 None
HIST/POLSC 693 Qualifying Examination 0 Permission

Elective Courses

Choose 12 hours from the following courses.

Course Number  Course Title  Hours  Prerequisites
HIST/POLSC 510 Great American Texts 2 None
HIST/POLSC 601  Sources of the American Regime  2  None
HIST/POLSC 602  European Discovery and Settlement  2  None
HIST/POLSC 603  Colonial America  2  None
HIST/POLSC 604  The Early Republic  2  None
HIST/POLSC 605  The Age of Enterprise  2  None
HIST/POLSC 607  America during the Cold War  2  None
HIST/POLSC 608 Civil War and Reconstruction  2  None
HIST/POLSC 609 World War II  2  None
HIST/POLSC 610  American Foreign Policy  2  None
HIST/POLSC 611  The American Way of War  2  None
HIST/POLSC 613 Postwar America, 1945 to 1973  2  None
HIST/POLSC 614 Contemporary America, 1974 to present  2  None
HIST/POLSC 620  The Reform Tradition in America  2  None
HIST/POLSC 621  Race and Equality in America  2  None
HIST/POLSC 622  Religion in American History and Politics  2  None
HIST/POLSC 623  Gender and Equality in America  2  None
HIST/POLSC 624 American Society and Culture  2  None
HIST/POLSC 630  American Statesmen  2  None
HIST/POLSC 631  American Political Rhetoric  2  None
HIST/POLSC 632  The American Presidency I, Washington to Lincoln  2  None
HIST/POLSC 633  The American Presidency II, Johnson to Present  2  None
HIST/POLSC 640  The Congress  2  None
HIST/POLSC 641  The Supreme Court  2  None
HIST/POLSC 642  Political Parties  2  None
HIST/POLSC 643 Constitutional Rights and Powers  2  None
HIST/POLSC 660  Topics in American History and Government  2  None

Qualifying Examination

All MASTAHG students must pass the qualifying examination. Students may take the exam upon completion of all 24 hours of core and elective AHG-prefix courses.  At the time the student registers for his or her final AHG-prefix courses the student should contact his or her academic advisor to schedule and prepare for the qualifying examination.

The qualifying examination is composed of essay response questions based upon the core and elective courses taken by the student as part of their curriculum. Students may repeat the examination once. If the student fails to successfully pass the exam after their second attempt, the student may face dismissal from the program.

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