An online master's degree in American history prepares students to become historians. The degree usually lasts a couple of years and requires students to complete about 12 courses along with a year-long independent applied research capstone project or thesis. A comprehensive examination also is typically part of an online master's program. American Military University offers an online history master's degree program that includes a concentration in American history, and the school allows students to tailor the major to meet their individual needs. American history courses cover topics such as America's Indian wars, African-American history, history of American women, the American Revolution and teaching new American history.
To enroll in an online degree program in American history, applicants usually need to have a bachelor's degree, a competitive grade point average and Graduate Record Exam scores that meet the school's minimum requirements. Master's degree history programs mostly accept students who have obtained their undergraduate degrees in history. Some students might have to take extra prerequisite courses before starting an online program if they haven't completed enough undergraduate credit hours in liberal arts and history.
The admission and classwork requirements for an online master's degree in American history are generally the same as those for an on-campus degree program in this liberal arts field. The only difference is that online students can complete their classes more independently and at their own pace from home.
Students who have completed a master's degree in American history online can work in research, project consulting for governments and other cultural organizations or even curating collections for American history museums or historic sites. Other individuals choose to become American history middle and high school instructors, technical consultants, employees in the field of publishing and editing or even historic preservationists.
Employment of historians is expected to grow by 11 percent through 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Master's degree-holders in the history field in 2008 generally earned starting salaries of about $43,112, to the Career Builder website.