By Vincent DiFonzo, Staff Writer
On Sept. 22, classes began for Gettysburg’s first graduate program. Partnering with the Gilder Lehrman Institute (GLI), the college now offers a fully-virtual master’s degree in American history.
Previously partnered with Pace University, the GLI decided to begin a new partnership with Gettysburg College due to their belief that the College has a stronger connection to American history.
The 30-credit program is aimed at providing an affordable and flexible way for K-12 history teachers to earn their master’s degree without interrupting their day job. In addition to teachers, the program is also open to National Park Service employees, librarians, museum workers, and district supervisors.
Lectures are virtual and asynchronous in order to give students in these occupations the most flexibility possible to advance their careers by both working and gaining their master’s degree with Gettysburg College.
Perhaps the largest benefit to K-12 teachers and other educators that enroll in this program is the cost, according to an article from the Gilder Lehrman Institute. The program is among the cheapest post-graduate programs in the United States. At $750 per 3 credit course and 30 credits to graduate, the total tuition for the program comes out to $7,500.
Six courses are offered this semester. “Presidential Leadership at Historic Crossroads: From the Founding to Current Challenges” and “The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr” are two notable choices.
Professors from top institutions, including the University of Virginia and the University of Chicago, have been recruited to teach these courses.
This semester, the program enrolled students from 49 states and four different countries–the United States, Italy, Bangladesh, and Taiwan. According to the Gettysburg College website, it is estimated that over 80,000 people, from teachers to their students in all corners of the world, will benefit from what this program is offering.
