While you can study history at nearly any college campus across the country, you might not know that you can also get a degree in history online. History majors do a lot of research into various topics and write papers that show what others said about specific topics and their own thoughts, which can help you with the research and writing that you need to do on the job. No matter what era of history interests you, you can study the topic online.
Types of Online History Degrees
History majors typically need to study a wide range of eras as an undergraduate. You’ll need to take classes on ancient history and world history before deciding on a concentration. The concentrations available to you vary based on the program you enter, but you can usually concentrate on American history, European history or Asian history. Other concentrations may include Jewish history, religious history, historic preservation or art history. Historic preservation deals specifically with different types of buildings found throughout history and the techniques that experts use to renovate and restore those buildings.
Do Online Students Qualify for Financial Aid?
Getting your degree in history online might make you worry that you won’t get as much financial as you would as a traditional student. As long as you agree to take a full course load, you qualify for financial aid. The federal government offers grants for online students, but you’ll also have the chance to borrow money in the form of a student loan. Some online schools may also offer private student loans. Also known as alternative student loans, these loans come with higher interest rates and you may find that you need to start paying back the money immediately after graduating or leaving your history program.
Online Course Types
Online history courses typically consists of an online learning system. Blackboard is the most common, but your school might use a different system. In addition to the textbooks that you need for the class, you’ll also find that your professors place readings online and links to work that you need to read for the week. After doing that week’s reading, you can post your answer to a discussion question on the class’s internal forum and respond to postings from other students. Most online history classes also include quizzes and tests that you can take through the online system.
Avoiding Diploma Mills
When you decide to get your degree in history online, you need to learn more about diploma mills. The Federal Trade Commission defines a diploma mill as a school that charges one set rate for the entire program, schools that let you earn your degree in a fraction of the time that it should take and programs that let you use your job or other experiences to gain course credit. Diploma mills often lack accreditation, but the U.S. Department of Education lets you search for schools and look at the accreditation of each one before you apply for admission.
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History is the study of people, objects, events and activities that took place in previous years. No matter where you are in your education, you can take classes online. If you want to get your degree in history online, make sure that you understand the dangers of diploma mills and that the program you choose has accreditation.
