Master of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government

Department of History and Political Science

The College of Arts and Sciences

A program designed for secondary school teachers of advanced high school classes--including post-secondary enrollment option, dual-credit, dual-enrollment, or other accelerated academic programs--which combines the study of instructional best practices with the intensive study of American history and government.

Mission Statement

The Master of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government will provide secondary school teachers with an integrated program combining advanced studies in curriculum and instruction with intensive study of American history and government through the analytical use of original documents. By combining educational methods with advanced content studies, the program will give teachers the content field and pedagogical expertise necessary to improve their effectiveness as teachers of college-level skills in the secondary school classroom.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will evaluate important original texts and documents in light of their sources, the reasons they were produced, and important historical and political facts relevant to where, when and why they were produced.

2. Students will analyze texts through identification of arguments, assumptions and relevant facts, through appraisal of the validity of inferences and deductions, and through comparison and contrast of arguments in two or more sources.

3. Students will interpret texts by articulating the meaning of the sources in their historical and political context and the effect and importance of the sources in history.

Interim Dean

Daniel McDonald, College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty

Ashland University Graduate Faculty

John Moser, Professor of History

David Foster, Professor of Political Science

Jeffrey Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science

Christopher Burkett, Associate Professor of Political Science

Gregory McBrayer, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Cara Rogers, Assistant Professor of History

Jason Stevens, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science

Admission Procedures

The following are required for admission to the MASTAHG programs as a degree-seeking student:

1. A completed Ashland University Application for Graduate Admission

2. Official academic transcripts from accredited institutions of higher education documenting all undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded. Additional transcripts may be requested at the discretion of the program chair.

3. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 of a 4.00 scale, or a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.

4. A $30 application fee. The application fee is waived for applicants who have previously applied to another master's degree program at Ashland University.

Transcripts, application fees paid by check or money order, or other correspondence should be mailed to:

Ashland University

Attn: Enrollment Services

401 College Avenue

Ashland, OH 44805

Official Electronic transcripts should be submitted to:

enroll-grad@ashland.edu

Structure

The Master of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government, (MASTAHG), combines study in educational methodology, offered as a series of three- semester hour courses available at the Ashland University Main Campus, at the university's regional centers in Cleveland, Columbus, Elyria, and Massillon, Ohio, or online, with a series of two-semester hour history and political science courses offered as week-long, intensive seminars during the summer semester at the main campus or online throughout the academic year. Student may complete the degree in two to three years, depending upon their desired course load. Students should consult with their program advisor to discuss their semester-by-semester load. Students may take up to ten years to complete the degree.

Program Time Limits

Students must complete all requirements for the Master of Arts with a Specialization in Teaching American History and Government degree within 10 years. This period begins with the date of the earliest course and ends with the last coursework applied toward that degree. In extraordinary circumstances, a time extension may be granted through the approval of the program's faculty committee.

Course Delivery

No more than 9 semester credit hours may be transferred into the program from other universities.

Education courses, those with EDxx prefix, may be taken at the main campus, at a regional center, or online. graduate level HIST/POLSC-prefix courses are offered as intensive week-long summer courses at the main campus and as live online videoconference courses. On-campus room and board are available for a nominal fee for students attending summer courses.

Grade and Course Repeat Policy

No credit toward degree requirements will be awarded for courses in which the student has earned a grade below C+.

Any student receiving a B- or lower grade in a course may choose to retake that same course in an attempt to raise their grade point average. Both grades appear on the student's transcript. However, upon request of the student, only the second grade will be used in calculating the GPA.

Dismissal Policy

Any student who, in the opinion of the chair, is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree is subject to dismissal from the program. Signals of unsatisfactory progress may include, but are not limited to:

• A program GPA of below 3.00 at any time.

• Two grades below B-, either in the same semester or in the different semesters.

• For students on the examination track, failure to pass the qualifying examination in two attempts.

• For students on the thesis or capstone track, failure to complete a satisfactory product within two years of the date of the approval of the student’s proposal.

• Excessive instances in which the student has withdrawn or failed to complete a course on time.

Transfer of Credits

Up to nine (9) semester credit hours may be transferred from other institutions to satisfy degree requirements in the master’s program. To transfer credit hours, the following conditions must apply:

• Credit hours transferred cannot have been used for another degree.

• A student must have earned the credit hours no longer than six years prior to acceptance into the master’s program.

• A student must have earned the credit hours at a regionally-accredited institution.

• The credit hours must be graduate-level credit hours from a course in which the student received at least a B.

• Quarter hours transferred into the university will be converted into semester hours, and all conversions will be rounded down to the nearest semester hour.

Additionally, coursework transferred must be substantially similar to courses offered by Ashland. To be applicable to MASTAHG core and elective requirements, the topics of courses for transfer must be in US history (including state and local history), American government (including state and local government), or US-related political science or politics topics. Non-US history (e.g. European history, world history, etc.), comparative government, or other courses with a focus on other than the aforementioned topics cannot be accepted in transfer. Further, courses for transfer must require readings and written assignments commensurate with a similar course at Ashland. Courses for transfer must also have been graded on an A-to-F scale (or equivalent numerical scale). Courses taken on a Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis may not be transferred. 

All history, political science, or government transfer credit will be applied as elective hours regardless of the topic of the transferred course. Transfer credit may not be applied to graduate level HIST/POLSC-prefix core course requirements. Grades from transferred courses are not included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average.

The student’s academic advisor approves credit transfers. Advisors may request a copy of the course syllabus to verify the course’s required readings and written assignments. To transfer credit, a student should ask the registrar of the institution where the credit was earned to send an official, sealed copy of his or her transcript to Ashland University. The transcript should make clear that the credit hours are graduate credits. Transcripts should be sent to:

MASTAHG Program

Ashbrook Center at Ashland University

401 College Avenue

Ashland, Ohio 44805 

Students who plan to take courses elsewhere for transfer after enrollment at Ashland must contact their advisor in writing for approval prior to beginning such coursework. A copy of the course syllabus must accompany the request. No other guarantees exist that credit hours will be transferable. Prior assurances given verbally by faculty or staff at Ashland University must be regarded as estimates or opinions; they do not commit the University to a course of action.

Any exceptions to this policy, which are granted rarely, must be approved by the program's faculty committee

Qualifying Exam

The qualifying examination is composed of essay response questions based upon the American history and government core and elective courses taken by the student as part of their curriculum. Students may repeat the examination once. Students who fail to successfully pass the exam after a second attempt face dismissal from the program.

At the time the student registers for his or her final semester, the student should contact the program director to schedule and prepare for the qualifying examination.

Course of Study

A total of 33 semester hours of credit are required for the degree.

Courses and Descriptions

See EDFN Courses

See EDIS Courses

See HIST Courses

See POLSC Courses