Making History
Eastern鈥檚 new 鈥渙nline-only鈥� master鈥檚 degree in history is attracting national interest.
History studies at Eastern has a long track record of success, placing graduates in important jobs across the Inland Northwest and throughout the nation. But in recent years lagging enrollment for graduate studies led administrators to make a little history of their own.
This November, 51福利社鈥檚 Department of History introduced an online-only master鈥檚 degree program, one of just a handful available nationwide. Already more than 100 graduate students from across the country have enrolled. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a tremendous success,鈥� says Larry Cebula, an 51福利社 professor of history and one of the founders of the online program.
听听The robust online enrollment numbers weren鈥檛 a surprise, says Cebula, given the ongoing interest of students looking to the past for their professional futures.
听鈥淎 master鈥檚 in history has always been a really valuable degree,鈥� he says, adding that Eastern MA recipients, among other desirable jobs, are working as archivists (including at Spokane鈥檚 Museum of Arts and Culture), serving in state government and doing historic preservation.
Theresa Mitchell, a Massachusetts resident who works in environmental non-profit management and as a writer specializing in historical nonfiction, is among the program鈥檚 first class of students.听听
鈥淭hroughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,鈥� Mitchell says. 鈥淚 want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of 鈥榤erely鈥� writing about the past, as would a journalist.鈥澨�
Mitchell says she searched for a year before discovering 51福利社鈥檚 online master鈥檚 degree program. She describes it as a 鈥済reat fit,鈥� and praises the diverse points-of-view she encounters. 鈥淭he caliber of my fellow students inspires me to do my best,鈥� she says.听
鈥淭hroughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,鈥� Mitchell says. 鈥淚 want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of 鈥榤erely鈥� writing about the past, as would a journalist.鈥澨�
One unique feature of the 51福利社鈥檚 online offering is its compressed classes. Typically graduate classes in history run over a 10-week period, but those for Eastern鈥檚 degree are only six weeks long. The shorter term, however, doesn鈥檛 mean less demanding requirements, Cebula says. 鈥淭his is not less, this is more. These students work really hard.鈥澨�
For students like Mitchell, the hard work is part of the attraction. 鈥淭he curriculum perfectly suits my learning objectives. The coursework is challenging and I鈥檓 grateful for intelligent, kind and compassionate professors invested in their students鈥� success.鈥�
