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Fall 2026
| HIST 501 O1A: The American Revolution (2) POLSC 501 O1A: The American Revolution (2) This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Instructor: Robert McDonald (United States Military Academy) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 502 O1A: The American Founding (2) POLSC 502 O1A: 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: Brent Aucoin (Judson College) Schedule: Thursdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus |
| HIST 503 O1A: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) POLSC 503 O1A: 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: Emily Krichbaum Schedule: Tuesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 505 O1A: The Progressive Era (2) POLSC 505 O1A: 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: William Atto (University of Dallas) Schedule: Mondays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 506 O1A: 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: Eric Pullin (Carthage College) Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 to 7:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 507 O1A: Lincoln (2) POLSC 507 O1A: 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: Dan Monroe (Millikin University) Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 604 O1A: The Early Republic (2) Having adopted the Constitution, Americans had to make it work. This course examines their efforts to do so, as the Republic took shape amidst foreign dangers, political conflict, westward expansion, and social as well as cultural change. Instructor: Todd Estes (Oakland University) Schedule: Thursdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| POLSC 632 O1A: The American Presidency I - Washington to Lincoln (2) This course examines the evolution of the American presidency from the drafting of the Constitution through the Civil War. The language in Article II of the Constitution, which “vests” the executive power in a President of the United States, is somewhat ambiguous as to the scope and breadth of that power. The presidents who served from Washington through Lincoln removed some of this ambiguity and set many precedents, which are followed to this day. This course focuses on the nation’s early presidents – how they molded the office and influenced the American political order. Instructor: Stephen Knott (United States Naval War College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| POLSC 643 O1A: The Fourteenth Amendment (2) This course will study the Supreme Court's Fourteenth Amendment jurisprudence, focusing on the clauses of the Amendment's first section: citizenship, privileges and immunities, due process, and equal protection. We will explore various judicial debates about these clauses, including those on civil rights, substantive due process, sex and sexuality discrimination, privacy, and parental rights. In doing so, we will integrate these judicial decisions within the broader debates in American political thought regarding liberty, equality, and the purpose of government. Instructor: Adam Carrington (Ashland University) Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 660 O1A: The Vietnam War (2) This course examines the origins, progress, and outcome of the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1975. The class is taught primarily through the close examination of documents with an emphasis on the changes that took place in American culture - political, social, intellectual, and military - as a result. Instructor: Thomas Bruscino (United States Army War College) Schedule: Mondays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 501 O2B: The American Revolution (2) POLSC 501 O2B: The American Revolution (2) This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Instructor: Eric Sands (Berry College) Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 502 O2B: The American Founding (2) 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: Christopher Burkett (Ashland University) Schedule: Mondays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 503 O2B: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) 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: Andrew Lang (Mississippi State University) Schedule: Mondays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 505 O2B: The Progressive Era (2) 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: Jason Jividen (St. Vincent College) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 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 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 507 O2B: Lincoln (2) 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: Peter Myers (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 510 O2A: Great American Texts - The Strange Career of Jim Crow (2) For a book of less than 200 pages, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, by the historian C. Vann Woodward, has had tremendous influence since it first appeared in 1955. Martin Luther King, Jr., called it the “historical bible of the Civil Rights Movement” and cited it in speeches. It remains required reading in college courses across the country. The “Woodward thesis”—the author’s central argument that racial segregation did not emerge immediately after the Civil War—is still debated by historians today. Our close, careful reading of this seminal text has several goals: to understand the origins of Jim Crow, analyze the book as a product of its era (the Civil Rights Movement), trace its still-durable power, and assess the numerous criticisms made about it. In addition to the book itself, we will read relevant essays and primary sources. Instructor: David Krugler (University of Wisconsin-Platteville) Schedule: Tuesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 621 O2A: Race and Equality in America (2) POLSC 621 O2A: Race and Equality in America (2) This course explores the history of black Americans as they strove to secure their dignity as human beings, and rights as American citizens, in the face of racial prejudice. Students will examine the writings of leading black intellectuals and activists about human equality, slavery, self-government, the rule of law, emancipation, colonization, and citizenship. The course will also review laws, constitutional amendments, court cases, and social criticism addressing civil and political rights in America. Instructor: Daniel Williams (Ashland University) Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15 to 7:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| POLSC 643 O2B: Executive Power and the Constitution (2) This course will examine the major questions and controversies about executive power under the Constitution. Special attention will be given to emergencies and the rule of law, the war power, the treaty power, and the power to issue executive orders. Students will read primary documents as well as classic and recent works in the field. Instructor: David Alvis (Wofford College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| POLSC 644 O2A: The Congress (2) This course focuses on the legislative branch of the US government. It examines topics such as the constitutional powers of Congress, the relations between Congress and the other branches of the federal government and the states, and the changing structure and internal politics of Congress. Instructor: Sarah Burns (Rochester Institute of Technology) Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
| HIST 660 O2B: American Immigration History (2) An exploration of immigration to the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including settlement, internal migration, the immigrant experience, native reaction, federal policy, and citizenship. Instructor: Vincent Cannato (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Pack |
Spring 2027
| HIST 501 O1A: The American Revolution (2) POLSC 501 O1A: The American Revolution (2) This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Instructor: Todd Estes (Oakland University) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 502 01A: The American Founding (2) POLSC 502 01A: 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: Brent Aucoin (Judson College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 503 O1A: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) POLSC 503 O1A: 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: Jason Stevens (Ashland University) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 505 O1A: The Progressive Era (2) POLSC 505 O1A: 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: Christopher Burkett (Ashland University) Schedule: Mondays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 506 O1A: 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: Stephen Tootle (College of the Sequoias) Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 to 7:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 507 O1A: Lincoln (2) POLSC 507 O1A: 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: David Tucker Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:15 to 9:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 605 O1A: The Age of Enterprise (2) In the last decades of the 19th century, the United States took decisive steps away from its rural, agrarian past toward its industrial future, assuming its place among world powers. This course examines that movement, covering such topics as business-labor relations, political corruption, immigration, imperialism, the New South, and segregation and racism. Instructor: Dan Williams (Ashland University) Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15 to 7:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| POLSC 633 O1A: The American Presidency II - Johnson to the Present (2) This course is an examination of the political and constitutional development of the office of president from Reconstruction to the present. It focuses on how changing conceptions of the presidency have shaped American political life in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially as America has become a global power. Instructor: Benjamin Slomski (Purdue University Fort Wayne) Schedule: Mondays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| POLSC 642 O1A: Political Parties (2) This course examines the development of American political parties, focusing on the meaning of parties and historic moments in the rise and fall of political parties from the Founding era to the present. Topics may include re-aligning elections, changing coalitions within American parties, and the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties. Instructor: Adam Carrington (Ashland University) Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| POLSC 643 O1A: Separation of Powers and the Supreme Court (2) This course is a study of the structure of the federal government under the U. S. Constitution, from the constitutional convention to the present day. Why did the framers of the Constitution separate the powers of government into legislative, executive, and judicial departments, with the ability to check and balance each other? Moreover, to what extent does the Constitution today still work as it should? For example, does it authorize the executive to act outside the law in times of emergency? What role should administrative agencies play in the government's response to an increasingly complex world? Readings will draw mostly on primary sources and Supreme Court cases. Instructor: Joseph Griffith (Ashland University) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 660 O1A: The Great Depression and the New Deal (2) TBA Instructor: John Moser (University of Tennessee) Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 501 O2B: The American Revolution (2) POLSC 501 O2B: The American Revolution (2) This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Instructor: Eric Sands (Berry College) Schedule: Mondays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 502 O2B: The American Founding (2) 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: Dennis K. Boman Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 to 7:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 503 O2B: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) 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: Dan Monroe (Millikin University) Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 505 O2B: The Progressive Era (2) 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: William Atto (University of Dallas) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 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: Emily Krichbaum Schedule: Mondays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 507 O2B: Lincoln (2) 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: Donna Devlin (Sterling College) Schedule: Wednesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 611 O2A: The American Way of War (2) The course examines how Americans have used military force, focusing on the relationship between civilian and military leaders, characteristic strategic approaches, and the connection between our political principles and our military practices. Instructor: David Krugler (University of Wisconsin-Platteville) Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:15 to 11:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 614 O2A: Contemporary America, 1974-present (2) Examines the United States from the end of Watergate to the present, with emphasis on the rise of the new conservatism, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the search for a new foreign policy. The social, economic, political, and diplomatic development of the country is stressed with a thematic emphasis. Instructor: Melissa Matthes (United States Coast Guard Academy) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| 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 Knott (United States Naval War College) Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
| POLSC 643 O2C: Religious Liberty in America (2) This course explores the history and present condition of religious liberty in America through the study of key thinkers and their writings, first principles, critical historical events, and current controversies. We will explore the development in an American context of doctrines such as liberty of conscience, free exercise, separation of church and state, and religious pluralism. Readings will draw mostly on primary sources and Supreme Court cases. Instructor: Elizabeth Amato (Gardner-Webb University) Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:15 to 9:50 p.m. ET Course Materials: |
Contact Information
Charles Martindell
Graduate Programs Resource Manager, Master of Arts in American History and Government
220 Dwight Schar College of Education