History-Capstone Option

Online Master of Arts in History-Capstone Option (MA)

Save @ APU

$0 Application Fee
$0 Transfer Credit Evaluation

0 Entrance Exams
No GRE/GMAT Required

About This Program

Discover the major historical events, people, and cultures that fundamentally shaped today’s world through the master’s in history program at American Public University (APU).

This online history master’s degree studies how history has been interpreted rather than the facts themselves. Through research and discussion, you learn how societies progressed through time.

This online history master’s degree allows you to focus on specific areas of concentration including American, Ancient and Classical, European, Global, and Public History. Through research and discussion, you learn how societies progressed through time.

This history master’s program sharpens your writing, communication, research, and analytic skills, while improving your ability to present compelling arguments. The university’s online library offers thousands of academic texts and materials. Your learning is further enriched by faculty who are authors and historians, actively conducting research.

What You Will Do

  1. Demonstrate broad knowledge of people and events in history to reveal how global complexity impacts human experiences
  2. Distinguish the historical schools of thought that have shaped scholarly understanding of history
  3. Apply persuasive arguments that are reasoned and based on suitable evidence
  4. Assess the past using digital and archival primary and secondary sources
  5. Produce original contributions to the body of knowledge using advanced historical methods

View Program Outcome Assessment Results

Degree at a Glance

Number of Credits
36
Cost Per Credit
{{{GraduateTuition}}} | {{{GradPreferredMilitaryRate}}}*
{{{GraduateVeteranGrant}}}** | {{{GradOpportunityGrant}}}***
Courses Start Monthly
Online
  • Want to Learn More?

    Step One: Introduce Yourself
    Validation message here
    Validation message here
    Validation message here
    Validation message here
    Validation message here
    Validation message here

Program Requirements Printable Catalog Version

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program:

Covers the United States from the Colonial period through the 20th century. Topics cover foreign policy and military operations, the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Constitution, and pop culture, as well as the domestic political, economic, and social components of the U.S.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast historical context of 18th century British and colonial American political and constitutional philosophies, social norms and societal structure, economics, religious concepts, and foreign and diplomatic policy.
  • Discern and assess the political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of the Civil War including the causes and the conflict's aftermath.
  • Explain changes in American society such as industrialization, immigration, and urbanization; isolationism and collective security; World War I; changing values; stock market crash; the Great Depression, and the cultural, social, political, military, and economic growth to the present.
  • Critique the history of expressive and material culture; historical contexts of various artistic movements; cultural imperialism; cultural appropriation, creativity, and identity; and expressions of social difference and deviance in the United States.
  • Discern the origins, content, and judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court's evolving decisions on issues such as States’ rights, civil rights, the Commerce Clause, due process in criminal and other proceedings, and protected freedoms.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3506

|
This course is a comprehensive seminar in U.S. history designed to provide a foundation in U.S. historical theory, trends, and concepts for the further study of specialized and topical history at the graduate level. Students should be expected to read and write intensely on both broadly and narrowly addressed topics of history. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of U.S. history for serious history students and professionals.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3261

|
This course is a comparative study to demonstrate the importance of the historical context of any great military event. Context includes all aspects of a society or culture and in this case, 18th century British and colonial American political and constitutional philosophies, social norms and societal structure, economics, religious concepts, and foreign and diplomatic policy. Students examine issues such as divergent historiographical opinions on the degree of American constitutional conservatism versus political and social radicalism, and the nature of the soldiery of the continental Army.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2656

|
This course is a study of the political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of the Civil War as a seminal event in our nation’s history. Students explore the causes of the war, how a nation coped with the struggle across multiple dimensions, and how we dealt with the conflict's aftermath. Special emphasis is on the continuing debate that the impact of the Civil War had on both the North and the South.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4661

|
This course will examine the political and social history of the thirteen colonies, including their European background, settlement and expansion, beginnings of culture, and the imperial context. Additionally, students will study the social consequences of colonization, migration, and war in America from 1500-1775, including the interaction of British colonists with competing European cultures (French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish), with Native Americans, and with African and Afro-American slaves. The course will also include consideration of the pan-Atlantic context of Early America, cross-cultural contacts, family and gender, labor systems, religious observations, crime, and other themes explored in recent social and cultural theory. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3511

|
This course examines the changes in American society at the end of the 19th century as it confronted the issues of industrialization, immigration, and urbanization. It explores the open conflict between the advocates of isolationism and collective security and studies the impact of World War I. It also studies the changing values of the 1920s, the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and the cultural, social, political, military, and economic growth of the United States from World War II to the present.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3512

|
This course is a study in the history of African-Americans in the United States, with emphasis on the social forces underlying transitions from West Africa to the New World, from slavery to freedom, and from rural to urban life. Topics include the Atlantic slave trade, American slave societies, maroon communities, free blacks in the antebellum United States, Reconstruction and free labor, colonization, emigration, and urban migrations.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 3513

|
This course is a study of the historical experience of women in America from the colonial period through modern times. Topics include the evolution of women's work, education, legal and political status, religious experience and sex roles as well as age, class, race, sexual preference and region as significant variables in women's experience.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2659

|
This course is an analysis of the conditions existing in the United States in the first half of the 19th century. The course focuses on the political, cultural/social, economic, security, leadership, and other issues that played roles in starting and shaping the Civil War. Students will analyze the issues in the context of war and peace to determine whether or not such conflicts as civil wars can be avoided prior to their inception.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Choose 6 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 4662

|
This course will explore the history of the trans-Mississippi West from the 16th century to the present. Included will be the numerous historical issues associated with the region, including cultural contact and conflict, economic development, visions and meanings of the West, human interaction with nature and the environment, relationship between western states and the federal government, tourism, the growth of the sunbelt cities, and the shifting nature of race, class, gender, and power in the region. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3507

|
This course explores the history of expressive and material cultures around the world, with emphasis on industrialized nations. Topics include aesthetics, social identification, and production, consumption, and reception of cultural forms. Using literature, films, pictures, and music, students study theories of popular culture and aesthetic hierarchy; explicate historical contexts of artistic movements; discuss cultural imperialism; address problems of cultural appropriation, creativity, and identity; and examine cultural expressions of social difference and deviance. Topics also include the social history of culture in the age of mass society, including popular arts and the culture of consumption.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3277

|
This course is a global history of the Second World War. Emphasis is on the theaters of war and related events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America in relation to their impact on the national and military objectives. In this context, students compare and contrast the economies, industry, society, and culture of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany as major participants during the war. The role of diplomacy and strategy, the impact of war upon society, and the fighting on land, at sea, and in the air are also examined in terms of modern warfare.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 3079

|
This seminar explores past and recent historiographical approaches within the history of science. Students examine a wide variety of topics primarily from the 17th through the 21st centuries, to include the fields of physical sciences, natural history, and medicine. Emphasis is placed on deciphering various theoretical approaches; the pros and cons of different research questions, subjects, and sources of evidence; and what makes the history of science valuable to our understanding of global change.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3084

|
HIST680: This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. These are open to graduate students as an elective, or to fulfill concentration requirements. September 2019 Summer D: Roman Military This course charts the rise and fall of history's greatest imperial power. Special attention will be paid to the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome's subjugation of the eastern Mediterranean, Julius Caesar's campaigns, the transformation from republic to empire, and the debate over how and why the Empire collapsed. Attention will also be paid to some of history's greatest soldiers: Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar. September 2022 Summer D: HIST680—the Hittites This course surveys the political, military, social, and religious history of the Hittites, 2000-1190 BCE. The Hittites were one of the superpowers of the Bronze Age and in this course we will see how they fit into the larger world of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. Hittitology is a growing and relatively new field. This presents challenges due to scarcity of materials but also allows us to see how new disciplines approach new bodies of evidence, when fresh discoveries are made regularly. The course will cover the Early Bronze Age Anatolia, the Old Assyrian Colony Period, the Old and New Kingdoms, and the Collapse of the Bronze Age.

Course ID: 3085

|
This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Covers the broad sweep of European history and provides a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Topics include Greek civilization through the 4th century B.C., the fall of the Roman empire, the development of the Ottoman culture, and the Crusades.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:>/p>

  • Explain and critique Ancient Greece's political, economic, social, and intellectual movements.
  • Explain and critique Roman history from its beginnings until the Age of Constantine including the political and social developments in the Republic and the early empire.
  • Examine and appraise great Byzantium leaders, the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, the recapture of Constantinople from the crusaders, and the impact of Byzantium culture on Western intellect.
  • Explain and assess European social, political, economic, and religious institutions and cultural and intellectual phenomena in the light of the changing historical environment from the end of the Ancient World to the Renaissance.
  • Explain and assess the medieval church and rise of the Renaissance papacy; growth of humanism, including painters, architects, and sculptors; city-states and monarchies of the Holy Roman Empire; religious upheavals of Protestantism; Anabaptists; the Catholic Reformation.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3075

|
This course is a study of Greek civilization from its beginnings to the collapse of the independent city-states in the 4th century BC. Emphasis is on ancient Greece’s constitutional, political, economic, social, diplomatic, military, artistic, philosophical and intellectual dynamics. Key topics include the Greek way of land and naval warfare, maritime trade and the economy, Peloponnesian and Persian Wars, the "Age of Pericles" and the Classical Age of Athens, the rise and fall of Spartan power, the rise of Athenian democracy, and the impact of Ancient Greece on the evolving Western Civilization.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3076

|
This course is a study of Roman civilization from its beginnings to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. The course emphasizes ancient Rome's constitutional, political, economic, social, diplomatic, military, naval, maritime, artistic, architectural, engineering, legal, philosophical and intellectual dynamics. Key topics include the Roman way of land and naval warfare, maritime trade and the economy, Punic and Gallic Wars, imperial expansion, transition from Republic to Empire, the Imperial system, Republic and Imperial constitutions, and the impact of Ancient Rome on the evolving Western Civilization.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3524

|
This course covers the period from the eighth century B.C. colonization of the Mediterranean and the founding of the Byzantium seaport in 667 B.C. through the First and Second Golden Ages, to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks. The roles of great Byzantium leaders such as Constantine the Great, the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, the recapture of Constantinople from the crusaders, and the impact of Byzantium culture on Western intellect are studied.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3515

|
This course is a study of European social, political, economic and religious institutions and cultural and intellectual phenomena in the light of the changing historical environment from the end of the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Students examine major milestones from roughly 300 to 1500 AD. Special emphasis includes the importance of the Crusades, development of the Mediterranean as an important venue for the exchange of goods and ideas, and changes in medieval military organization, strategy and technology.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3517

|
This course examines the history of the Renaissance as a European wide movement emanating from the Italian peninsula; the crisis of the church medieval and the rise of the Renaissance papacy; Humanism, with special emphasis on the great painters, architects, and sculptors; the Renaissance city-states, Machiavelli, and the Renaissance monarchies of France, England, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire; the continuing crisis of the church medieval and the religious upheavals of Protestantism; the work of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists; the Catholic Reformation; the age of civil and religious wars.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4516

|
This course is a comprehensive seminar in European history designed to provide a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of European history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations and empires. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of European history for serious history students and professionals.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3259

|
This course is a study of warfare in the ancient world with emphasis on the great empires of the Near East and the Mediterranean, particularly the Greeks and Romans. Student examine the origins of warfare in the Neolithic period to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. Special emphasis will be placed on the military history of Mesopotamia and the Near East (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian and Persian), Egypt (Old, Middle and New Kingdom), Greece (Mycenaean, Archaic, Hellenic and Hellenistic) and Rome(Republican and Imperial). The phalanx, the legion, Greek Fire and the importance of roads are discussed in detail.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4377

|
This course investigates the roots of the Ottoman people, the development of their empire, the spread of their culture and their impact on early modern Europe. Students examine the reasons why the Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful empires in the history of the world. Starting in a corner of Anatolia with Byzantine and Seljuk lands in the 13th century, the emphasis is on how the Ottomans managed to expand their authority until they controlled territory on three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa until its demise after World War I.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Choose 6 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 4663

|
This course will analyze various aspects of African Civilizations including the conflicts and historical development of various pre-colonial African kingdoms to the rise the Slave Trade. In addition, emphasis will focus on the development of the plantation economy in the West, changes in the conduct of the slave trade and its impact on African economic, social, and political history. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
04/29/24 - 10/04/24 10/07/24 - 12/01/24 Fall 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 4665

|
This course will explore the Middle East by examining its history, politics, and culture while keeping an eye on the wide variety of individual experience of those living in the Middle East. Included in this process, students will focus on how Middle Eastern peoples have adapted to their physical environment as nomads, city dwellers, empire builders, and developed agriculture. In addition, this course will examine the rise of Islam, the Arabic conquests, early empires and their continuities with the Pre-Islamic past. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3079

|
This seminar explores past and recent historiographical approaches within the history of science. Students examine a wide variety of topics primarily from the 17th through the 21st centuries, to include the fields of physical sciences, natural history, and medicine. Emphasis is placed on deciphering various theoretical approaches; the pros and cons of different research questions, subjects, and sources of evidence; and what makes the history of science valuable to our understanding of global change.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3508

|
This course explores the historical development and central beliefs and practices of each of the major world religions. Students employ a multi-disciplinary approach to religious study (e.g., the use of literary criticism, anthropology, psychology, phenomenology and other tools) to examine the importance of religious thought and expression within each religion. The scope of the course is international, and each religious movement is approached from both a chronological and geographical perspective.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3084

|
HIST680: This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. These are open to graduate students as an elective, or to fulfill concentration requirements. September 2019 Summer D: Roman Military This course charts the rise and fall of history's greatest imperial power. Special attention will be paid to the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome's subjugation of the eastern Mediterranean, Julius Caesar's campaigns, the transformation from republic to empire, and the debate over how and why the Empire collapsed. Attention will also be paid to some of history's greatest soldiers: Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar. September 2022 Summer D: HIST680—the Hittites This course surveys the political, military, social, and religious history of the Hittites, 2000-1190 BCE. The Hittites were one of the superpowers of the Bronze Age and in this course we will see how they fit into the larger world of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. Hittitology is a growing and relatively new field. This presents challenges due to scarcity of materials but also allows us to see how new disciplines approach new bodies of evidence, when fresh discoveries are made regularly. The course will cover the Early Bronze Age Anatolia, the Old Assyrian Colony Period, the Old and New Kingdoms, and the Collapse of the Bronze Age.

Course ID: 3085

|
This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Explores developments in Europe dating back to the death of Louis XIV. Looks at the political, philosophical, scientific, and social changes that laid the foundation for early Europe to key developments that led to the major European wars of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Distinguish the major social, political, and cultural changes of the Enlightenment in Europe from the death of Louis XIV to the fall of Napoleon.
  • Investigate the intellectual, social, and economic history including the industrial revolutions, the age of ideologies, the new imperialism, and the coming of the Great War.
  • Discern the origins of World War I in Europe and assess the combatants, strategy and tactics, technological innovation; war in France; war at sea; the peace settlement; and the occupation.
  • Compare and contrast the economies, industry, society, and culture of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany during World War II.
  • Assess modern European history since the Congress of Vienna including social, economic, cultural and political experiences common to Europe and how developments differentiated from those in most other parts of the world.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3516

|
This course is a study of the major social, political and cultural changes in Europe from the death of Louis XIV to the fall of Napoleon. Topics include the intellectual history of the Enlightenment, the causes of the Revolution, the development of radical ideologies, social and political instability, the French impact on Europe, and the achievements of Napoleon as civil administrator, military strategist, and commander.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3077

|
This course investigates the intellectual, social, and economic history of Europe from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the onset of the Great War in 1914. The major focus is on the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Age of Ideologies, and the new imperialism prior to the World War I. While emphasizing the intellectual history of Europe, the course also investigates the social and economic structure of 18th and 19th century Europe.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3277

|
This course is a global history of the Second World War. Emphasis is on the theaters of war and related events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America in relation to their impact on the national and military objectives. In this context, students compare and contrast the economies, industry, society, and culture of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany as major participants during the war. The role of diplomacy and strategy, the impact of war upon society, and the fighting on land, at sea, and in the air are also examined in terms of modern warfare.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 3490

|
This course analyzes modern European history emphasizing its political, intellectual, social, and cultural history from the end on the nineteenth century to the near present day. Key concepts that may be covered are nation-building, empire-building, state-building, the development of ideologies, industrialization, urbanization, ethnic nationalism, and globalization.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4516

|
This course is a comprehensive seminar in European history designed to provide a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of European history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations and empires. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of European history for serious history students and professionals.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3083

|
This course offers a study of the origins and history of the Holocaust within National Socialist Germany and throughout Eastern Europe. Students examine the organizations involved at the grass roots level as well as the escalation of events from open murder to the implementation of concentration and death camps. Topics include the birth of National Socialism through the final days of the Holocaust, including the political, social, economic and scientific contributions during the Third Reich.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4377

|
This course investigates the roots of the Ottoman people, the development of their empire, the spread of their culture and their impact on early modern Europe. Students examine the reasons why the Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful empires in the history of the world. Starting in a corner of Anatolia with Byzantine and Seljuk lands in the 13th century, the emphasis is on how the Ottomans managed to expand their authority until they controlled territory on three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa until its demise after World War I.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4179

|
This course investigates the political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural history of Russia and the Soviet Union, including the decline of Imperial Russia, the Revolution of 1917, and the collapse of the Soviet Union up to the present. Special attention is given to the characteristics of Imperial Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century, the causes and course of the Russian Revolution, the Soviet system under Stalin; the Great Patriotic War, the post-Stalinist liberalization, the Cold War, the collapse of the USSR, the emergence of the post-Soviet republics, and developments in contemporary Russia.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Choose 6 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 3515

|
This course is a study of European social, political, economic and religious institutions and cultural and intellectual phenomena in the light of the changing historical environment from the end of the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Students examine major milestones from roughly 300 to 1500 AD. Special emphasis includes the importance of the Crusades, development of the Mediterranean as an important venue for the exchange of goods and ideas, and changes in medieval military organization, strategy and technology.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3517

|
This course examines the history of the Renaissance as a European wide movement emanating from the Italian peninsula; the crisis of the church medieval and the rise of the Renaissance papacy; Humanism, with special emphasis on the great painters, architects, and sculptors; the Renaissance city-states, Machiavelli, and the Renaissance monarchies of France, England, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire; the continuing crisis of the church medieval and the religious upheavals of Protestantism; the work of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists; the Catholic Reformation; the age of civil and religious wars.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3808

|
This course examines the origins of World War I; the combatants, strategy and tactics, technological innovation vs. conservatism; the war in France; the war at sea; America's role; the peace settlement; and the occupation. While military aspects of the conflict are studied, the primary focus places the Great War in the context of European and World history, and specific areas include political and diplomatic developments, new developments in weapons technology, economic aspects of the war, and the impact of the war on the culture and social order of the nations involved in the struggle.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3084

|
HIST680: This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. These are open to graduate students as an elective, or to fulfill concentration requirements. September 2019 Summer D: Roman Military This course charts the rise and fall of history's greatest imperial power. Special attention will be paid to the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome's subjugation of the eastern Mediterranean, Julius Caesar's campaigns, the transformation from republic to empire, and the debate over how and why the Empire collapsed. Attention will also be paid to some of history's greatest soldiers: Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar. September 2022 Summer D: HIST680—the Hittites This course surveys the political, military, social, and religious history of the Hittites, 2000-1190 BCE. The Hittites were one of the superpowers of the Bronze Age and in this course we will see how they fit into the larger world of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. Hittitology is a growing and relatively new field. This presents challenges due to scarcity of materials but also allows us to see how new disciplines approach new bodies of evidence, when fresh discoveries are made regularly. The course will cover the Early Bronze Age Anatolia, the Old Assyrian Colony Period, the Old and New Kingdoms, and the Collapse of the Bronze Age.

Course ID: 3085

|
This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4493

|
This course is an in-depth study of the politics, political leadership, and diplomacy that defined the Axis and Allied Powers during World War II. Topics address the factors that facilitated their rise to power; the key political structures, relations, and personalities; the inter-Axis relations among political elites versus the Allied powers; and the diplomatic efforts employed by the Axis powers as they postured against the Allies and the rest of the world during the war.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Examines major events, personalities, and accomplishments that occurred all over the world. Topics include the political, philosophical, scientific, and social changes that shaped the history of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Contrast and compare the history, scope, and consequences of the American, French, Mexican, Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Vietnamese, and Iranian revolutions.
  • Analyze the relationships among technology, culture, and politics in a variety of social and historical settings ranging from 19th century factories to 21st century techno dance floors.
  • Explore the recent historiographical approaches within the history of science from the 17th through the 20th centuries from the physical sciences to natural history and medicine.
  • Examine the practice of piracy in ancient times in the 18th century and the rise of modern piracy with high-speed boats and automatic weapons in the 21st century.
  • Distinguish the historical development, central beliefs, and practices of each of the major world religions.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3505

|
This course is a comprehensive seminar in world history designed to provide a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of world history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of world history for serious history students and professionals.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3277

|
This course is a global history of the Second World War. Emphasis is on the theaters of war and related events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America in relation to their impact on the national and military objectives. In this context, students compare and contrast the economies, industry, society, and culture of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany as major participants during the war. The role of diplomacy and strategy, the impact of war upon society, and the fighting on land, at sea, and in the air are also examined in terms of modern warfare.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 4663

|
This course will analyze various aspects of African Civilizations including the conflicts and historical development of various pre-colonial African kingdoms to the rise the Slave Trade. In addition, emphasis will focus on the development of the plantation economy in the West, changes in the conduct of the slave trade and its impact on African economic, social, and political history. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
04/29/24 - 10/04/24 10/07/24 - 12/01/24 Fall 2024 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 4665

|
This course will explore the Middle East by examining its history, politics, and culture while keeping an eye on the wide variety of individual experience of those living in the Middle East. Included in this process, students will focus on how Middle Eastern peoples have adapted to their physical environment as nomads, city dwellers, empire builders, and developed agriculture. In addition, this course will examine the rise of Islam, the Arabic conquests, early empires and their continuities with the Pre-Islamic past. (Recommended Prerequisites: HIST500 and HIST501)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3227

|
This course compares and contrasts revolutions recognized as monumental in scope and/or consequences they are labeled "great"; specifically, the American, French, Mexican, Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Vietnamese, and Iranian. Students examine their causes and consequences, to include the transformation of economic, social, and political systems of social stratification. Of particular interest is the relationship among the structural and intentional elements, the impact of revolutionary crisis in a society, and various insurgent challenges to the ancient regime.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3079

|
This seminar explores past and recent historiographical approaches within the history of science. Students examine a wide variety of topics primarily from the 17th through the 21st centuries, to include the fields of physical sciences, natural history, and medicine. Emphasis is placed on deciphering various theoretical approaches; the pros and cons of different research questions, subjects, and sources of evidence; and what makes the history of science valuable to our understanding of global change.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3508

|
This course explores the historical development and central beliefs and practices of each of the major world religions. Students employ a multi-disciplinary approach to religious study (e.g., the use of literary criticism, anthropology, psychology, phenomenology and other tools) to examine the importance of religious thought and expression within each religion. The scope of the course is international, and each religious movement is approached from both a chronological and geographical perspective.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3488

|
This course examines the heritage of Latin America from pre-Columbian civilizations (Aztec, Maya, and Inca) and Iberian colonial patterns, through the independence movements of the early 19th century, and the global relationships that oriented the region toward Europe and the United States. Purpose is to distinguish early Latin American history, from the arrival of the first peoples on the American continents through the 19th century, and Latin American culture, economics, and politics.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Choose 6 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 3808

|
This course examines the origins of World War I; the combatants, strategy and tactics, technological innovation vs. conservatism; the war in France; the war at sea; America's role; the peace settlement; and the occupation. While military aspects of the conflict are studied, the primary focus places the Great War in the context of European and World history, and specific areas include political and diplomatic developments, new developments in weapons technology, economic aspects of the war, and the impact of the war on the culture and social order of the nations involved in the struggle.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3259

|
This course is a study of warfare in the ancient world with emphasis on the great empires of the Near East and the Mediterranean, particularly the Greeks and Romans. Student examine the origins of warfare in the Neolithic period to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. Special emphasis will be placed on the military history of Mesopotamia and the Near East (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian and Persian), Egypt (Old, Middle and New Kingdom), Greece (Mycenaean, Archaic, Hellenic and Hellenistic) and Rome(Republican and Imperial). The phalanx, the legion, Greek Fire and the importance of roads are discussed in detail.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4377

|
This course investigates the roots of the Ottoman people, the development of their empire, the spread of their culture and their impact on early modern Europe. Students examine the reasons why the Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful empires in the history of the world. Starting in a corner of Anatolia with Byzantine and Seljuk lands in the 13th century, the emphasis is on how the Ottomans managed to expand their authority until they controlled territory on three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa until its demise after World War I.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 3084

|
HIST680: This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. These are open to graduate students as an elective, or to fulfill concentration requirements. September 2019 Summer D: Roman Military This course charts the rise and fall of history's greatest imperial power. Special attention will be paid to the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome's subjugation of the eastern Mediterranean, Julius Caesar's campaigns, the transformation from republic to empire, and the debate over how and why the Empire collapsed. Attention will also be paid to some of history's greatest soldiers: Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar. September 2022 Summer D: HIST680—the Hittites This course surveys the political, military, social, and religious history of the Hittites, 2000-1190 BCE. The Hittites were one of the superpowers of the Bronze Age and in this course we will see how they fit into the larger world of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. Hittitology is a growing and relatively new field. This presents challenges due to scarcity of materials but also allows us to see how new disciplines approach new bodies of evidence, when fresh discoveries are made regularly. The course will cover the Early Bronze Age Anatolia, the Old Assyrian Colony Period, the Old and New Kingdoms, and the Collapse of the Bronze Age.

Course ID: 3085

|
This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3254

|
This course is a comprehensive analysis of the fighting during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Aleutians, and the Philippines. Students assess the amphibious campaigns in the central Pacific theatre and evaluate the impact of one of the most massive movements of men and arms in history. Primary focus is on land warfare, its strategies, tactics, leaders and lessons learned.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3631

|
The course addresses the development of core research skills for advanced historical study. Through case studies analyses, the evaluation of different types of historical evidence, and the consideration of how valid research questions are formulated and applied, it is designed to refine the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are fundamental to valid historical scholarship.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 3630

|
This course is the study of historical thought from its emergence in the classical world to the present. Students concentrate on how history has been interpreted, rather the facts of history themselves as well as contemplate the fundamental questions about the nature of history, and investigate the relationships between theory and evidence in historical writing. Emphasis is on the narratives historians have used to reconstruct the past, and the major historiographical schools of thought that have developed over time.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session
Select any courses that have not been used to fulfill major requirements. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 3086

|
THIS COURSE WILL REQUIRE A TEST PROCTOR. This course prepares graduate students for the Comprehensive Examination in the Master of Arts in History program. The purpose of this course is to provide a structured weekly review of key concepts, theories, and knowledge skill sets in their degree and particular concentration. Students are required to submit responses to a number of assignments over the course period prior to taking the exam. Students apply historical methodology in preparation for the exam and consult texts, journal articles, print & media reports, and documentaries, as well as collaborate with other students enrolled in the course to help them prepare for the exam. Assignments serve as a means of final preparation for the student and calibration with the course instructor, who will grade the exam. IMPORTANT: You must have COMPLETED all other courses in the program and have a GPA of 3.0 in order to register for this course. As a History student, you must pass this comprehensive exam in order to have your degree conferred. The comprehensive exam must be taken by the course end date or a failing grade will be posted. If you fail your first course attempt to pass the comprehensive exam, you will need to get approval to register for a second attempt of the course and BOTH final course grades will show in your transcript.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
12/25/23 - 05/31/24 06/03/24 - 07/28/24 Spring 2024 Session D 8 Week session
01/29/24 - 06/28/24 07/01/24 - 08/25/24 Summer 2024 Session B 8 Week session
02/26/24 - 08/02/24 08/05/24 - 09/29/24 Summer 2024 Session I 8 Week session
03/25/24 - 08/30/24 09/02/24 - 10/27/24 Summer 2024 Session D 8 Week session

Courses Start Monthly

Next Courses Start Jan 6
Register by Jan 3

Admission Requirements

  • All APU master's degree/graduate certificate programs require a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA®).
  • Please read all graduate admission requirements before applying to this program and be prepared to submit the required documentation.
  • There is no fee to complete the APU admission application for this program. View steps to apply.

CHEA® is a registered trademark of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

Materials Cost

Technology fee: $85 per course 

Need Help?

Selecting the right program to meet your educational goals is a key step in ensuring a successful outcome. If you are unsure of which program to choose, or need more information, please contact an APU admissions coach at 877-755-2787 or [email protected].

Quality Education Should Be Affordable

So you can focus on the opportunities ahead, without the financial burden of more expensive schools who are not as invested in your success. Learn more about paying for school.

Consumer Information

Disclosures

Maryland Residents learn more about costs, completion rates, median debt, and more.

 

1The University reserves the right to accept or deny credits according to policies outlined on our University website. Please see the University's transfer credit policy webpage for complete information.

*Cost Per Credit Hour

The Preferred Military Rate is $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's-level courses. This rate is available to all U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists, and military families, including parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents.

See all military student benefits.

Cost of Attendance

Learn more about American Public University's cost components and full cost of attendance