{"id":1724,"date":"2023-01-13T23:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T23:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/?post_type=stories&p=1724"},"modified":"2024-11-07T23:29:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T23:29:26","slug":"making-history","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/test-www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/news\/making-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Making History"},"content":{"rendered":"
Eastern\u2019s new \u201conline-only\u201d master\u2019s degree in history is attracting national interest.<\/span><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

H<\/span>istory 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This November, EWU\u2019s Department of History introduced an online-only master\u2019s degree program, one of just a handful available nationwide. Already more than 100 graduate students from across the country have enrolled. \u201cIt\u2019s been a tremendous success,\u201d says Larry Cebula, an EWU professor of history and one of the founders of the online program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
EWU’s Larry Cebula<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The robust online enrollment numbers weren\u2019t a surprise, says Cebula, given the ongoing interest of students looking to the past for their professional futures.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cA master\u2019s in history has always been a really valuable degree,\u201d he says, adding that Eastern MA recipients, among other desirable jobs, are working as archivists (including at Spokane\u2019s Museum of Arts and Culture), serving in state government and doing historic preservation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Theresa Mitchell, a Massachusetts resident who works in environmental non-profit management and as a writer specializing in historical nonfiction, is among the program\u2019s first class of students.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cI want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of \u2018merely\u2019 writing about the past, as would a journalist.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitchell says she searched for a year before discovering EWU\u2019s online master\u2019s degree program. She describes it as a \u201cgreat fit,\u201d and praises the diverse points-of-view she encounters. \u201cThe caliber of my fellow students inspires me to do my best,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cI want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of \u2018merely\u2019 writing about the past, as would a journalist.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One unique feature of the EWU\u2019s online offering is its compressed classes. Typically graduate classes in history run over a 10-week period, but those for Eastern\u2019s degree are only six weeks long. The shorter term, however, doesn\u2019t mean less demanding requirements, Cebula says. \u201cThis is not less, this is more. These students work really hard.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For students like Mitchell, the hard work is part of the attraction. \u201cThe curriculum perfectly suits my learning objectives. The coursework is challenging and I\u2019m grateful for intelligent, kind and compassionate professors invested in their students\u2019 success.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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