What’s New in MAHG? | Teaching American History

Our Master of Arts in American History & Government is well-known to teachers in the TAH community. If you’ve been to our seminars, you’ve probably met someone who’s at least taken some graduate classes. If asked, they likely touted their experience with the MAHG degree. For many years now, our MAHG students’ advocacy is the best form of advertising we have.

We’re excited to share some upcoming changes to the MAHG program. It’s our hope that these changes will make MAHG accessible to more people than ever before while maintaining our commitment to excellence and MAHG’s transformative qualities.

MAHG is changing in two ways.

• The total number of credit hours required to complete the degree has been reduced from 32 hours to 30 hours.
• The total number of classes required to be taken on campus during the summer has been reduced from 8 classes to 6 classes.

Why these changes?

The graduate studies landscape was quite different when we started the MAHG degree over 20 years ago. Online programs were a rarity, and most history or political science degrees were inaccessible to teachers who wanted to continue teaching while they obtained their degree. A program designed for teachers that only offered classes during the summer proved to be very popular. For six weeks each summer, teachers and professors gathered from around the country to learn together in intensive, week-long classes.

As it would turn out, cloistering with dedicated teachers who are eager to learn and happy to share ideas proved to be more transformative than we could have anticipated. Teachers in our programs have raved to us about how much they benefited from this experience, both professionally and personally.

Technology and culture have both shifted since our origin.

The first major change we made to MAHG was the addition of online classes in 2012, when video conferencing became a viable option. We were firm in our conviction that the best way to learn about American History and Government is to read and discuss primary documents. And those discussions should happen face-to-face in real time.

At the same time, coming together virtually couldn’t replicate that transformative experience that happens on campus during the summers. So online classes could account for up to half of the degree, but the remaining classes had to be taken on campus.

Over time, additional options for online graduate programs have emerged. Teachers also face time constraints from districts eager to offer dual enrollment classes and rising travel costs. While we are steadfast in our belief that our face-to-face summer courses are an essential part of the learning experience, we also want to strike a balance between the experience we want to offer and the needs and expectations of our students.

What does this mean for students?

Lowering the number of credits to 30 makes the MAHG degree more affordable. Lowering the number of on-campus classes to 6 makes it easier to finish in a concise time frame and is more compatible with people who are unable to spend a month away from home for a couple of summers.

Consider the typical schedule for a student who begins their studies during the summer semester:

The above example follows our recommended pacing. This keeps you progressing toward your degree without having to put everything else in your life on hold. But one feature of our program that many teachers appreciate is our flexibility. So if you require a faster or slower pace, we’re happy to work with you to find the right timeline that suits your needs.

Want to learn more?

We hope these changes will catch the eye of those looking for, in the words of one of our professors, “a serious program for serious teachers.”

We are having a virtual open house for anyone interested in either MAHG or our other degree and non-degree options. The online open house will be on February 19 at 8pm Eastern, and you can register for it here.

Have questions for us?  Email us at [email protected]!