Program Overview
Discover our 100% online B.A. in History & Political Science
The online Bachelor of Arts in History & Political Science program equips you with a broad range of knowledge and the opportunity to deepen your expertise in your subject area of interest. This accredited online program is excellent for students who wish to continue their studies at law or graduate school, prepare for teaching opportunities, or engage in public service.
Our accredited YourPace online B.A. in History & Political Science program gives you a comprehensive understanding of the diverse and complex forces that form our world. This interdisciplinary program promotes analytical proficiency in global relations by exploring the historical and political emergence of democratic and non-democratic political structures. Coursework gives you a thorough understanding of U.S. and international history as well as the complexities of governments today. Elective courses offer an opportunity for you to gain a deeper understanding of the area that interests you most - history or political science.
History-focused coursework prepares you for a broad array of careers in private, public, and government sectors. Political Science-focused coursework gives you valuable skills in research, analysis, and critical reasoning. This degree is designed to promote strong critical-reasoning and communication skills for professionals.
What Is Competency-Based Education?
Designed to leverage your previous knowledge, college coursework, and work experience, competency-based education enables you to earn your degree at your pace as you demonstrate mastery of relevant academic content.
How our YourPace online programs save you time and money:
- Prove your knowledge, move ahead—the faster you advance, the more you save
- Flat tuition rate per 8-week session, no matter how many courses you complete
- With no weekly deadlines, you control the speed of completion
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
As a graduate of this YourPace online program, you will be able to:
- Pursue an array of careers in the private and public sectors
- Generate ideas for creative problem-solving
- Improve your critical-reasoning and communication skills
- Analyze and critique multifaceted evidence
Through our online history courses, you will:
- Examine past events and solve present-day problems
- Identify bias in contemporary and historical sources
Through our online political science courses, you will:
- Apply logic and reasoning to identify alternative solutions or approaches to problems
- Utilize critical-thinking skills to assess political ideas and events
History & Political Science career opportunities include:
- Government Affairs Staff
- Legislative Aide
- Researcher
- Reporter or Journalist
- Public Relations
- Political Campaign Staff
- Communications Manager
- Legal Assistant
- Intelligence Analyst
- Business Manager
Also available:
UMPI is ranked among the Top 10 Regional Colleges in the North for graduates with the least debt. – U.S. News & World Report, 2019.
Tuition
Learn more about our affordable tuition
The B.A. in History & Political Science online program offers highly affordable tuition with a flat rate regardless of how many courses you complete each session. No hidden fees or extra textbook costs. The faster you finish, the more you save!
Calendar
Dates you need to know
There are six opportunities throughout the year to start your B.A. in History & Political Science online program. Find the start date below that works best for you and apply before the application deadline. Please note, application and document deadlines are the same. UMPI must receive all documents including official transcripts by the document deadline to be considered. Transcripts can often take 10 or more business days from the request date to be received by UMPI, please plan accordingly.
Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Last Class Day |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring 1 '22 | 01/18/22 | 01/03/22 | 01/03/22 | 01/12/22 | 01/13/22 | 03/11/22 |
Spring 2 '22 | 03/14/22 | 02/28/22 | 02/28/22 | 03/08/22 | 03/09/22 | 05/06/22 |
Summer 1 '22 | 05/09/22 | 04/25/22 | 04/25/22 | 05/03/22 | 05/04/22 | 07/01/22 |
Summer 2 '22 | 07/05/22 | 06/20/22 | 06/20/22 | 06/29/22 | 06/30/22 | 08/26/22 |
Fall 1 '22 | 08/29/22 | 08/09/22 | 08/11/22 | 08/23/22 | 08/24/22 | 10/21/22 |
Fall 2 '22 | 10/24/22 | 10/04/22 | 10/06/22 | 10/18/22 | 10/19/22 | 12/16/22 |
Spring 1 '23 | 01/17/23 | 12/27/22 | 12/29/22 | 01/10/23 | 01/11/23 | 03/10/23 |
Spring 2 '23 | 03/13/23 | 02/21/23 | 02/23/23 | 03/07/23 | 03/08/23 | 05/05/23 |
Summer 1 '23 | 05/08/23 | 04/19/23 | 04/20/23 | 05/02/23 | 05/03/23 | 06/30/23 |
Summer 2 '23 | 07/03/23 | 06/14/23 | 06/15/23 | 06/27/23 | 06/28/23 | 08/25/23 |
Admissions
Requirements for this online history and political science program
We’ve made the admission process simple and streamlined so it’s easier for you to get started. Students who wish to earn their B.A. in History & Political Science YourPace online degree from UMPI should have the equivalent of a high school diploma and possess some prior college credit and/or work experience.
View full admission requirements [+]
- Submit your free application online
- Provide high school transcript, high school equivalency test (HiSet), or GED
- Provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Transcripts are only considered official if they are sent directly to UMPI from the granting institution or their electronic ordering service. Student-submitted transcripts will not be reviewed.
- International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES- or AICE-endorsed agency and sent from the agency directly to UMPI; evaluations often take a few weeks to process and must be received by the appropriate document deadline
- International students are required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting a TOEFL (71 IBT / 197 CBT / 530 PBT minimums) or IELTS (6.0 minimum) score. Students can obtain a waiver for this requirement if they come from an English-speaking country or have successfully completed a credit-bearing, college-level written/spoken English course (ESL courses do not fulfill this requirement). Documentation of English proficiency must be received by the appropriate document deadline.
Submit documents electronically to: [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Application Processing CenterPO Box 412
Bangor, ME 04402-0412
Fax: 207-581-5456
Courses
A look at the online B.A. in History & Political Science curriculum
To earn your B.A. in History & Political Science, you need to complete 120-121 credit hours of coursework. Each course is built around a series of competencies. Once you have mastered the series, you complete the course. This program includes general education courses, history core competencies, political science core competencies, and general electives. Using our personalized learning model, we look at your past college credit, prior learning, and work experience to create your custom degree plan.
Students must complete a minimum of 40 credits hours of general education courses.
Students must complete 48 credit hours of History concentration courses. Students must also choose 6 credit hours of a foreign language—either Spanish or French.
POS 101: American Government
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines the constitutional foundations and principles of American government. Treatment focuses on federalism; civil liberties and civil rights; interest groups, political parties and elections; and Congress, the Presidency, and the supreme court.
POS 211: Introduction to Political Thought
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines major texts in the history of political thought and the questions they raise about the design of the political and social order.
FRE 101: Elementary French 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Basic listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills with an emphasis on spoken French. Culture is an important component of the course. Recommended for students with no prior French language experience.
SPA 101: Elementary Spanish 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Basic skills in Spanish with emphasis on speaking and listening comprehension. Spanish and Latin American Culture form the background.
FRE 102: Elementary French 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Continuation of Fre 101. Emphasis on French and French culture. Recommended for students with prior French language experience (i.e., high school coursework or lower level French language college credit). Prerequisite: French 101
SPA-102: Elementary Spanish 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Continuation of Spanish 101 with emphasis on past and future tenses and more advanced conversational skills.
HTY 301: Medieval Europe
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines major political, social, and economic developments in Europe from fifth century to the sixteenth century. Topics include the fall of Rome, manorialism, feudalism, and the transition to early modern Europe. Fills history concentration requirements for European and pre-modern history.
HTY 454: Slavery in United States
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines the origins and consolidation of slavery in the United States from the colonial period through its demise in 1865. Themes and topics include indentured servitude, the idea of race, the economics of slavery, slave culture and slave resistance, and slavery’s role in causing the Civil War.
HTY 315: Greece, Rome, and the Early Church
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Surveys ancient civilizations including Greece and Rome, and the development of the Early Church. This course will emphasize the development of urban-based cultures, religion, philosophy, gender and sexuality. This course fills history concentration requirement and other departmental requirement for pre modern history 3.
HTY 350: U.S. Environmental History
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines relationships between environment and culture. Considers Native American land use as well as the impact on natural resources of colonization, westward expansion, and industrialization. Analyzes conservation and environmental movements. Fills history concentration requirements for United States history.
HTY 400: Discovering and Interpreting Local History
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Local history places local events in the context of larger occurrences and recreates the history of the ordinary person. This course investigates local history sources and considers the ways in which local records may be used to illuminate large historical themes.
HTY 456: Films of the Cold War
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines popular films as artifacts which both reflected and reinforced Cold War ideologies. Topics include film noir, gender roles, fear of communism, fear of atomic attack, and U.S. foreign policy during several distinct phases of the Cold War.
HTY 401: Oral History
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Provides understanding and training in oral history to create first-hand accounts of events as remembered by the people who experienced them. Includes crafting of questions for oral interviews and interpretation of oral interviews conducted with free web-based recording and transcription programs. Prerequisite(s): A 100-level History course or permission of instructor.
HTY 115: World Civilization 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
A survey of world civilization from the dawn of civilization through the 16th century. An emphasis will be placed on the political, social, intellectual, and economic cultures of China, India, MesoAmerica, the Middle East and Subsaharan Africa. Prerequisite: A passing score on the reading placement test or successful completion of Eng 100 or a non-degree seeking student.
HTY 116: World Civilization 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
A survey of world history from the voyages of exploration by the Europeans through the present. Prerequisite: A passing score on the reading placement test or successful completion of Eng 100 or a non-degree seeking student.
HTY 161: U.S. History 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Surveys broad themes and developments in United States history from the pre-contact period through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Prerequisite: A passing score on the reading placement test or successful completion of Eng 100 or a non-degree seeking student.
HTY 162: U.S. History 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Surveys broad themes and developments in United States history from the Civil War and Reconstruction through the present. Prerequisite: A passing score on the reading placement test or successful completion of Eng 100 or a non-degree seeking student.
HTY 439: The Vietnam Wars
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the origins and consequences of the Vietnam Wars, emphasizing Vietnamese history and culture, French colonization, World War II, and the Cold War. Also analyzes the Vietnam War in U.S. politics and popular culture.
Students must complete 49 credit hours of Political Science concentration courses. Students must also choose 6 credit hours of a foreign language—either Spanish or French.
POS 101: American Government
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines the constitutional foundations and principles of American government. Treatment focuses on federalism; civil liberties and civil rights; interest groups, political parties and elections; and Congress, the Presidency, and the supreme court.
POS 211: Introduction to Political Thought
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines major texts in the history of political thought and the questions they raise about the design of the political and social order.
FRE 101: Elementary French 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Basic listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills with an emphasis on spoken French. Culture is an important component of the course. Recommended for students with no prior French language experience.
SPA 101: Elementary Spanish 1
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Basic skills in Spanish with emphasis on speaking and listening comprehension. Spanish and Latin American Culture form the background.
FRE 102: Elementary French 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Continuation of Fre 101. Emphasis on French and French culture. Recommended for students with prior French language experience (i.e., high school coursework or lower level French language college credit). Prerequisite: French 101
SPA-102: Elementary Spanish 2
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Continuation of Spanish 101 with emphasis on past and future tenses and more advanced conversational skills.
HTY 313: Early Modern Europe
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
A study of European civilization from the late 15th century through the French Revolution, with an emphasis on the rise of the modern state, the pre-industrial economy, society and secularization.
HTY 318: Modern European History
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines significant developments in European history since the French Revolution, including the birth and influence of modern nationalism, key intellectual and ideological trends, and the World Wars.
HTY 456: Films of the Cold War
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines popular films as artifacts which both reflected and reinforced Cold War ideologies. Topics include film noir, gender roles, fear of communism, fear of atomic attack, and U.S. foreign policy during several distinct phases of the Cold War.
POS 343: Marxism
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Treats the development of Marx’s thought from classical German philosophy through historical materialism. Emphasizes the themes of the dialectic method, alienation, the class struggle, the theory of capitalist crises, the revolutionary state, and proletarian internationalism. Includes discussion of contemporary applications and Marxist theory.
POS 301: European Governments
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines the Western European democracies of the UK, Germany and France alongside Central and Eastern European emerging democracies. Explores institutional structures and their social connections through interest groups, political parties, and elections. Examines the political, economic, and military integration of nations through membership in the European Union and NATO.
POS 332: Constitutional Law
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines American constitutional theory treating the separation and division of government powers, and civil rights and civil liberties. Extensive treatment is accorded the implied powers of the federal government. Prerequisite: POS 101 or any law course.
POS 335: Modern Political Thought
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
This course examines in depth several of the most profound and influential political theorists of the modern age including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant and prominent 19th and 20th century critics. Major emphasis will be upon the content of their theories, but also consideration of their relevance to an understanding of contemporary politics.
HTY/POS 347: Russia from Kiev to Peter the Great
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
An in-depth study of the political and economic culture of the unique Russian experience. Emphasis is upon “westernization,” territorial expansion and empire building, the development of absolutism, and the undercurrent of rebellion. This course fills history concentration and other departmental requirements for non-western or European history.
HTY/POS 370: Topics in Non-Western History
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
This is a basic introductory examination of a specialized field in African, Asian, or Latin American History. Specific topic will be listed with the course title when offered. This course fills history concentration and other departmental requirements for non-western history.
HTY 439: The Vietnam Wars
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the origins and consequences of the Vietnam Wars, emphasizing Vietnamese history and culture, French colonization, World War II, and the Cold War. Also analyzes the Vietnam War in U.S. politics and popular culture.
HTY/POS 371: International Relations
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
Examines various types of world conflicts during the modern period. May include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: diplomatic, military, ethnic, racial, class, and religious conflicts.
HTY/POS 377: Modern China
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 3
A survey of the history of China from the nineteenth century to the present. Three important issues are Chinese culture, the cultural conflict with the West, and modernization. This course fills history concentration.
POS 493: Political Science Capstone Seminar
Duration: 8 weeks, Self-paced | Credit Hours: 1
A research-oriented seminar designed to integrate student’s prior knowledge and strengthen lifelong learning. Prerequisite: Senior Level Status
Students must take 31-32 credit hours of general elective courses.
*Time to completion varies by student and is based on several factors including prior college coursework, relevant work experience, amount of time dedicated to studying, and the number of courses completed each session.
**Students with lower than a 1.75 GPA are required to interview with a YourPace Admissions representative.