Online Master of Arts in History (MA)
Discover how our world has been shaped by landmark events. This master’s degree program at American Public University (APU) sharpens your research and critical-thinking skills through courses that engage you in the objective analysis of historical archives, including primary source documents.
Program Overview
This online master’s in history program provides an in-depth examination of the pivotal events that have influenced cultures, nations, and international relations for centuries. Courses also explore how researchers’ interpretations of defining moments throughout human history provide insight into the things that shape our world today.
Students select degree concentrations to focus their studies and complete a comprehensive exam on key concepts as their capstone. Those who wish to complete a thesis for personal or professional reasons have the option to petition for that to be their final program requirement.1 Students in the Public History concentration complete a practicum that engages them in experiential learning.
APU’s curriculum aligns with the objectives of the American Historical Association’s Tuning Project, an initiative designed to emphasize core competencies across university-level history programs. Online courses are taught by faculty members who share insights from their experience as scholars, and authors, as well as public historians. Students develop advanced critical-thinking skills as they discuss the context surrounding critical junctures in history.
Master’s in History Program Concentrations
This master’s program includes concentration tracks that allow students to explore specific subject areas in greater detail. Each track provides a deep understanding of the history of various parts of the world.
Students interested in the Public History concentration get experiential learning through a hands-on practicum; all other concentrations are offered through the comprehensive exam option, and these students can also petition to do the thesis track.
Select a concentration to learn more.
About the Concentration
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.
Program 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.
About the Concentration
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.
Program Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- 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.
About the Concentration
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.
Program 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.
About the Concentration
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.
Program 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.
About the Concentration
Whether in archives, museums, cultural resources, historical editing, or heritage tourism, public history is the presentation and interpretation of the past to the public. Public historians should not merely learn the technical aspects of a given field; they should also be versed in the historiography and methodologies of contemporary scholarship so that they can apply skills and knowledge in the public realm. In that regard, even if they work in a variety of professional venues usually outside the academy, public historians share roles as researchers and interpreters of history with their academy colleagues. Public historians are found in archives, museums, historic preservation agencies, historic sites, cultural resource firms, national parks and forests, editorial positions, and historical agencies.
Program Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Categorize and assess important historical developments in public history and identify the intellectual, ethical, and professional issues that public historians confront.
- Evaluate and verify current institutional collection policy and practices based on standard archival and records practice.
- Establish and reconstruct the processing of a collection: arrangement and description, preservation and digitization, and develop the skills necessary to successfully undertake applied research.
- Test and apply the use of oral history techniques and methodology to demonstrate how oral history supports a diverse resource base and audience across interdisciplinary fields.
- Distinguish and prioritize issues such as the relationship of collections and landscapes to identify the intersection of commerce and culture; and the influence of museums and exhibitions in preserving a view of the past and developing an image of progress.
- Prescribe and test the selection criteria for strategies for preservation, metadata to support digital preservation, maintaining the integrity and authenticity of digital materials, management of digitization and digital preservation programs, risk management, and disaster recovery.
- Manage and improve field experience and practicum in applied public history.
Students who select the Public History concentration will complete a practicum as their final program requirement. All other concentration tracks include a comprehensive exam as the final program requirement.6
About the Public History Practicum
The practicum provides an opportunity for students to participate in local community history projects. Learners may report to museums, archives, national parks, libraries,
or other institutions.11 From cultural resource management to historic preservation initiatives, students will gain hands-on experience as they explore how their education applies to various real-world settings.
Previous students have completed practicums that involved:
- Creating an oral history project focused on the Revolutionary War in Loudoun County, Virginia that resulted in a book
- Developing a walking tour of the Underground Railroad in Ohio
- Digitizing historic records for a sugar plantation in Hawaii
APU’s History MA Program Provides a Career-Relevant Education
This online history degree program offers insight into pivotal moments in time. Courses examine the major themes throughout the history of both ancient and modern civilizations.
You will:
- Demonstrate broad knowledge of people and events in history to reveal how global complexity impacts human experiences
- Distinguish the historical schools of thought that have shaped scholarly understanding of history
- Apply persuasive arguments that are reasoned and based on suitable evidence
- Assess the past using digital and archival primary and secondary sources
- Produce original contributions to the body of knowledge using advanced historical methods
This master’s degree program prepares learners with a wealth of skills through class discussions and written assignments that incorporate historical research. Students develop the ability to present compelling arguments as they dissect the major themes that permeate ancient and modern history.
Graduates may consider potential career opportunities as:
- Writers/editors, who produce historical content for scholarly purposes and/or for the public
- Public historians/cultural resource managers, who interpret and preserve history for communities and institutions
- Policy analysts/researchers, who provide governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and/or think tanks with historical context
- News analysts, reporters, and/or journalists, who provide historical context for current news and events
This master’s degree program equips students with a broad range of skills. Online courses incorporate weekly discussion forums to foster digital literacy and effective communication. Students also sharpen their critical-thinking skills as they conduct research and present their findings to classmates and faculty.
In addition, students in this online program will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate mastery of historical methods, historiography, and historical research techniques
- Apply ethical reasoning when presenting historical evidence
- Demonstrate effective written, oral, and digital communication of historical arguments
- Evaluate global, cultural, and comparative perspectives in historical study
- Apply critical thinking to assess the influence of politics, economics, and culture on historical events
- Design and complete original historical research projects
- Use digital tools and archives to support historical research and dissemination
- Demonstrate leadership and collaboration in scholarly and educational settings
- Critically analyze primary and secondary sources to interpret historical events
“ I started out as a biology major. After class, I’d walk into my apartment and past my bookshelf full of history books and couldn't stop to read them. It never occurred to me that I could do for a living what I did for fun. I switched my major to history. I’ve been here ever since and enjoyed every minute of it. I think that's what college is really for – to be able to do what you love. ”
Explore APU’s Curriculum for This Master’s in History
This master’s degree program closely examines the influence that research historians have on modern societies’ understanding of the cultures and communities that came before us. Core courses exercise critical-thinking skills as students learn how to suspend their biases to formulate research questions and interpret subsequent findings. The program also reviews different narrative methods historians use to decipher the past.
Concentration tracks complement the core curriculum to provide a well-rounded education. Students explore prominent subject areas as they prepare for their capstone and public history students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by completing a 16-week public history practicum.
Explore Research Opportunities and University Clubs for History Students
APU’s online history program connects learners and educators who share an interest in reconstructing the story of humankind’s past. Extracurricular research projects and student clubs bring this community together outside of the virtual classroom while enriching the learning experience.
Learners may also explore more than 100 student clubs and organizations, including the University’s Historical Studies Honor Society and the Saber and Scroll Society.
Signature Skills: A Learning Revolution
Integrated into our student curriculum, these signature skills teach you how to move through the world with confidence. The road to success is paved with signature skills learned at APUS.
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Encouraging students to use current technologies, critically evaluate emerging tools, and responsibly engage with digital and AI systems.
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Strengthening the ability in all students to analyze information objectively, question assumptions, explore alternatives, and develop skills essential for navigating continual change.
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Helping students thrive in dynamic workplaces by reinforcing adaptability, resilience, innovation, and self-awareness.
Welcome to a learning revolution.
APUS signature skills.
Digital literacy, critical thinking, a growth mindset entwine themselves around the student journey.
They’re in everything we do!
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Meant to inform our approach to you, and your ability to thrive beyond the classroom,
these signature skills teach you how to move through the world with confidence.
The road to success is paved with signature skills learned at APUS.
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Apply to APU’s Master’s Degree Program in History Today
As a pioneer in online learning, American Public University designs its degree programs to accommodate students balancing schoolwork with careers and other obligations. This history program makes it possible to complete your weekly assignments and engage in weekly class discussion remotely, at any time. Courses also start monthly and run for 8 to 16 weeks, so new students can enroll at APU throughout the year.
Review our admission requirements and submit your application today.
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- 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.
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Learn More about Pursuing a Master’s in History
Core courses in APU’s master’s program focus on preparing students for advanced scholarly research. Learners review primary source documents and discuss how historians gather new insights into past civilizations. Coursework engages students in critical-thinking exercises as they conduct historical research. Students also consider the various historiographical schools of thought that have evolved over time.
In addition to core courses, students select concentration tracks that examine specific areas of study, such as American history, global history, and public history.
Throughout the program, learners analyze primary and secondary sources to gather insights into past civilizations and historical events. Students also write research papers and engage in thought-provoking discussions online with classmates and faculty members.
A history degree program offers a broad overview of the past cultures, events, and political leaders that have shaped societies. Students gain historical knowledge about the social, economic, and political factors that influenced different regions throughout centuries.
A military history degree program focuses specifically on armed conflicts, military strategies, and the impact wars have had on politics, society, economics and cultures worldwide. Students discuss global military history and analyze previous warfare tactics to better understand today’s complex landscape.
With more than 200 career-relevant degrees and certificates, APU makes online education accessible and affordable.
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