April 7, 2022
Dear Campus Community,
As we take important steps to shape the future of our College through a new strategic plan, we have likewise been exploring innovative ways to reimagine our educational offerings. Today, I write to share some exciting news that will help us to realize this ambition.
I am pleased to officially announce that Gettysburg College, in collaboration with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI), will launch a new online master’s program in American history. The program’s fall courses will begin in September 2022.
Widely endorsed by the College Faculty, our new academic offering is designed for and open to all K-12 educators, district supervisors, librarians, museum professionals, and National Park Service employees who are affiliated with the Gilder Lehrman Institute. The GLI has a network of 29,000 affiliated schools in all 50 states. It has delivered an MA in American history since 2014.
The 30-credit online degree program is fully accredited. Master’s candidates are required to complete 10 three-credit courses. Tuition for the program is deliberately low ($7,500 for the entirety of the master’s program), ensuring our institutional reach extends to as many educators across the nation as possible.
The GLI was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder Jr.—a Visionary Gettysburgian and 1997 honorary degree recipient—and Lewis E. Lehrman, who established the Lincoln Prize in 1990 with Prof. Gabor Boritt, Director Emeritus of our Civil War Institute. The GLI hosts an annual summer conference on our campus, and both Gilder and Lehrman generously contributed to create the Gilder Lehrman National Endowment for the Humanities Chair of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, now occupied by Prof. Jim Downs.
We are honored to expand our deep and longstanding relationship with the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Recognizing that more than 60,000 K-12 teachers in the U.S. are supported by this program—and these teachers engage with nearly 8 million students every year—our new master’s program presents us with a unique opportunity to advance Gettysburg’s mission and to strengthen American democracy for the better.
Sincerely,
Bob Iuliano
President