Master of Arts Programs for History Teachers
Spring 2026 Session 2 - March 9 to May 2
| HIST 501 O2B / POLSC 501 O2B: The American Revolution (2) This course is an intensive study of the principles of the American Founding and the documents that embody them, especially the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. These principles will be illuminated through a close study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and important constitutional controversies that have arisen in American history. Instructor: Robert M. S. McDonald (United States Military Academy) Schedule: Mondays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 502 O2B / POLSC 502 O2B: The American Founding (2) This course is an intensive study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of Federalist and Antifederalist writings. Instructor: Elizabeth L’Arrivee (Rosary College) Schedule: Thursdays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 503 O2B / POLSC 503 O2B: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) A study of the sectional conflict beginning with the nullification crisis. The course will not only examine the political, social and economic developments in the period leading to the civil war, but will emphasize the political thought of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and John C. Calhoun. Instructor: Eric C. Sands (Berry College) Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 505 O2B / POLSC 505 O2B: The Progressive Era (2) The transition to an industrial economy posed many problems for the United States. This course examines those problems and the responses to them that came to be known as progressivism. The course includes the study of World War I as a manifestation of progressive principles. The course emphasizes the political thought of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and their political expression of progressive principles. Instructor: Stephen K. Tootle (College of the Sequoias) Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 pm to 7:50 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 506 O2B / POLSC 506 O2B: The Rise of Modern America, 1914-1945 (2) With the exception of the Civil War era, it is difficult to find another thirty-year period in U.S. history during which the nation underwent such dramatic change. In 1914 the United States was no more than a regional power, with a primarily rural demography and a relatively unobtrusive federal government. Thanks to the experience of two world wars, a major cultural conflict (the 1920s), and a disastrous economic crisis the country was transformed into the global economic and military power that it remains to this day. This course will examine the cultural, economic, military, and diplomatic events and trends of the period 1914-1945. Instructor: David Hadley (National Defense University) Schedule: Thursdays, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 507 O2B / POLSC 507 O2B: Lincoln (2) This course provides an in-depth study of Abraham Lincoln’s political thought and action. Students will study Lincoln’s most important speeches, as well as study various aspects of his political leadership, including his role as the leader of the Republican party and as commander in chief. The course will also provide opportunities for students to analyze Lincoln’s rhetoric and political argumentation. Instructor: Andrew F. Lang (Mississippi State University) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 510 O2A / POLSC 510 O2A: Great American Texts-Frederick Douglass “You have seen how a man was made a slave,” Frederick Douglass tells readers at a pivotal moment in his first autobiography; “you shall see how a slave was made a man.” Long considered masterpieces of American literature, Douglass’s autobiographies also rank among the great works of American political thought. Embedded in Douglass’s several tellings of his singular life story are profound reflections on the nature and specific evil of slavery; the nature, natural foundations, and enabling conditions of human rights and human liberty; and the distinctive meaning and mission of the American Republic. In this course, we undertake an intensive reading of Douglass’s three autobiographies, to the end of elucidating his career-long endeavor to instruct his fellow citizens on the first principles of political philosophy and American political thought. Instructor: Peter C. Myers (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 623 O2A / POLSC 623 O2A: Women in American History and Politics (2) This course explores the history of women in America from the early 19th century to the present, especially the political struggle to gain increased civil and political rights. Using primary source material from leading female intellectuals and activists, this course will consider the myriad ways that women have helped to shape the course of United States history and politics. Instructor: Donna Devlin (Sterling College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 632 O2A / POLSC 632 O2A: The American Presidency I, Washington to Lincoln (2) This course is an examination of the political and development of the office of president from the Founding era through the Civil War. It focuses on how the presidency shaped American political life as the country grew and struggled with rising sectional tensions. Instructor: Elizabeth S. Amato (Gardner-Webb University) Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:15 pm to 9:50 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 643 O2B / POLSC 643 O2B: National Security and the Constitution (2) This course examines the powers granted by the Constitution in the national security arena. We will review the debates in the Constitutional Convention over the war power and the conflict between the Federalists and the Jeffersonians over the interpretation of this power and other security related powers. We will go on to examine the unilateral use of force by early American presidents, including their use of covert operations. Prominent court cases involving war powers and internal security measures will also be examined, especially those growing out of the Civil War and the two world wars. The course will conclude with an examination of the rise of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and include a review of contemporary topics such as the War Powers Act, congressional oversight of the intelligence agencies, and the legality of various government actions during the War on Terror. This course will shed light on the evolution of the so-called “American national security state,” using the language of the Constitution and the principles and practices of the framers as a benchmark to assess the legitimacy of this “state.” Instructor: Stephen F. Knott (United States Naval War College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
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