Study the American Founding in Historic Philadelphia

New! Select MAHG courses are now available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Learn the American Founding surrounded by the places where history was made

Philadelphia. The most populous city and busiest port of colonial British North America. Meeting place for the Continental Congresses and the place at which American independence was declared. Crossroads of the American Revolution. Birthplace of the Constitution of the United States.

In addition to our regular summer offerings at our main campus in Ashland, Ohio, we are pleased to announce new course offerings in historic Philadelphia. Four courses, each focused on various aspects of the American Founding, will be offered in June 2012. Like our traditional courses, Philadelphia courses are week-long intensive seminars offered for 2 semester credit hours. Each is open to both degree-seeking MAHG students and to non-degree continuing education students.

Summer 2012 Philadelphia Schedule

Session One: Sunday, June 17, 2012 to Friday, June 22, 2012

AHG 501A: The American Revolution — Core

This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British Empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social, and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation.

Instructors:
  Robert M.S. McDonald (U.S. Military Academy)
  Scott Yenor (Boise State University)

AHG 502A: The American Founding — Core

This course is an intensive study of the Constitutional Convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of The Federalist and the anti-federalist papers.

Instructor:
  Jeffrey Sikkenga (Ashland University)

Guest Lecturer:
  Gordon Lloyd (Pepperdine University)

Session Two: Sunday, June 24, 2012 to Friday, June 29, 2012

AHG 502B: The American Founding — Core

This course is an intensive study of the Constitutional Convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of The Federalist and the anti-federalist papers.

Instructor:
  Christopher Burkett (Ashland University)

Guest Lecturer:
  Gordon Lloyd (Pepperdine University)

AHG 660B: Topics in American History and Government: The Ratification Debate — Elective

This course examines the debate over ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787-1788. Once the Philadelphia convention adjourned September 17 and forwarded the finished Constitution to the states, an intense national debate, lasting more than a year, got underway. This class will focus on the debates engendered by the new Constitution, examine the arguments developed for and against the document by its advocates and critics, trace the patterns and the process of ratification, and consider the historical, theoretical and philosophical backgrounds to those debates. Finally, the course will examine the ratification contests as they took place both in the newspapers and in the individual state ratifying conventions.

Instructors:
  Jeremy D. Bailey (University of Houston)
  Todd Estes (Oakland University)

Registration

Current Ashland University MAHG or MED-ACT Students

Students who have been formally admitted as a degree-seeking or non-degree student in the MAHG or MED-ACT programs at Ashland University may register at any time via our registration website.

Those Not Currently Enrolled at Ashland University

Interested in attending MAHG courses in Philadelphia for continuing education, personal interest, or for transfer to another university, but not currently a degree-seeking or non-degree student in the MAHG program? Here is the process to register:

• Apply for graduate admission to Ashland University as a degree-seeking or non-degree student. You must submit a completed application, official transcripts from each institution at which you have previously earned a degree (your bachelor's degree and any previous graduate degrees you may have earned), and a $30 application fee. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and applicants are generally notified of their status within two to four weeks of the receipt of all required materials. Applicants must meet university admission requirements.
• Upon official acceptance to the university, you may register for courses at our registration website. Your admission is valid for courses at Philadelphia and at the main campus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have more questions? Check out our Philadelphia FAQ.