french fri25

Hey thanks for the response. I was looking into the programs at Norwich. It seems a little pricey and there isn't any wiggle room as far as picking what classes you want to take, so that sort of put me off. As you said though, Norwich does have a good reputation, especially due to its affiliation with the military. It's definitely great to hear that you got an internship through your program as well as a job offer and acceptance into a PhD program. That definitely makes it more appealing to me. The biggest thing remains the price though. For a program like AMU at around 13k or Slippery rock at 17k I don't know if Norwich would really be worth it at close to double the money.

Looking into the AMU program, I was certainly interested, especially due to the affordability. I also like the looks of the programs offered. The classes in the history and military history programs cover the topics I am most interested in. What worries me is the reputation of the school itself. As far as within the academic community I don't know how respected AMU is, but the fact that you know of two people who attended that are in PhD programs in SU is certainly a good sign. As far as within the government sector and probably even private employers, anything affiliated with the military is usually perceived in a positive light. But I remain caught up on the fact that it is a "for-profit" school, which tend to get a bad rap, and the fact that it is a fully online school and not a traditional brick and mortar school. So I am still on the fence about this one.

Exactly. Since I've never taken online classes I'm not entirely sure what to expect in regards to class interaction. I would hope there would be a good amount of online discussions.

I am interested in the Colonial American and American Revolutionary periods. I have looked into Norwich's online MA and they do offer degrees in Military History and History as well and I am keeping them in mind. As for the Army, they paid for my bachelors degree. I do not have the option of going active at this time but my unit is scheduled to deploy next year, at which point I would get the GI Bill. So I am keeping this in mind as well.

Thanks for the reply. I had been considering the public history track but ultimately since I would be doing this mostly for personal enrichment I feel as though I would enjoy a regular history track more. My interests include the Colonial American and American Revolutionary periods and so I want to take as many classes as I can involving these time periods. I know exactly what you mean about missing in-class seminars and discussions as I enjoyed them immensely as an undergrad. However, my schedule simply does not allow me to attend on-campus classes at this time. In addition, I feel as though online discussions still allow for a great amount of learning as long as there is good class/instructor participation. However, I must admit that I've never taken an online class so this is all speculation. As for thesis vs. non-thesis options I am only really considering the non-thesis option at this point. As I said, I am not looking to get a PhD in the future and feel as though my enrollment as a part-time student and full-time worker would inhibit my ability to conduct the amount of research required for such a project.

Hey all, I currently have a BS in History with a minor in Military Science. I am an officer in the Army National Guard and work full time at an okay job. It is definitely not my career, however. I have recently been considering going back to school for a MA in History. Although I have been interested in possibly teaching at the high school level, I am mostly interested in pursuing the MA for personal enrichment. Because of this, and because of the fact that my schedule is crazy, I was planning on going to school through an online program. Right now I am looking into Slippery Rock University, which is a smaller college in Pennsylvania. In your opinion, is it worth it to get an MA online? I have only looked into traditional brick & mortar schools that also offer fully online programs. In addition, I have no interest in pursuing a PhD. I have also always been interested in employment at a museum as well but I know how hard that work is to come by. But volunteering is something I think I would enjoy as well. I guess the question is simply, is it worth it? To get a MA from Slippery Rock would cost about $17,000, which isn't too bad compared to many other programs. It is a nice chunk of change though. What do you all think? Would any of you go back to school for a MA simply for personal enrichment, or would it always have to be career-oriented for you?