Advice Requested on What Course To Take with APU

Hi All!

I'm very close to being done with my 18 hours in history. After this semester at WNMU, I'll only need 6 more credits. (That's separate from the credits I need to finish the MAIS.) This summer I plan on taking HIST 512 - Inter-American Relations with WNMU. It's one of those intensive 4 week summer courses. I need to have an additional 3 credits by the fall so I can teach a dual enrollment community college class to my high school juniors.

Last summer I took two classes at WNMU, Railroad History & World Politics. One was 8 week and the other was 4. They overlapped. I will NEVER do that again, unless it's my punishment in hell or something, because that's sure what it felt like. Because all of the courses at WNMU pretty much overlap the 4 week session, I'm looking at taking a course with APU.

APU is offering HIST 520 - Graduate Seminar in US History starting in May. It is 16 week, but because it's a full semester course, I'm wondering if the overlap of the 4 week WNMU course will really be an issue. I'm considering this course because the course I'll be teaching next year is a US History survey course (Hist 121-122).

The other course I'm considering at APU is HIST 670 - History & Culture of Latin America. This course is 8 weeks, and will NOT overlap the WNMU course. I'm considering this course because of that fact, and because I'm thinking it could relate a bit to the topic of the WNMU course.

Given these two courses, I'm not sure which one I should go with. Can anyone here offer commentary about these two APU courses? What was involved?

Thanks!
-Matt

 

I think a lot depends on how much knowledge you already have in the various courses you are considering.

If you do not have any in-depth knowledge or know how intense these courses are then I suggest that taking the non-overlapping courses might be the best stategy.

Or you could flip a coin

 

I am taking MILH 510 Studies in US Military History. It really looks keen ( oh did I just say that..LOL) I am looking forward to it. I am in the Military History Program at AMU as well as the PhD program at UNISA. Yeah, I am glutton for punishment. I am taking one course at a time. Slowly, I mean slowly I will finish. The PhD will be finished LONG before this program will be finished. I figure that with a background in Military History, I could teach other classes as well.

 

I teach both 8 week and 16 week emergency management courses at APU/AMU. The work-load is less in the 16 week classes because they require the same amount of work as the 8 week classes, but they seem to drag on forever.

 

I've taken 3 political science classes with APU. Each of those was 8 weeks. They were great. I've noticed most of the polysci classes are 8 weeks, while the history classes are 16 week. Some of the history classes that were 8 weeks are now 16 weeks. I guess they're just adjusting things or something.

If the US class were in an 8 week format, I'd definitely take that. I'm just concerned that I'll be so bogged down with the WNMU 4 weeker that I won't be able to focus much on the APU class. I wouldn't want two huge assignments to be due in the classes at the same time.

-Matt

 

I haven't taken either of those classes at AMU/APU. As for overlapping a 4-week WNMU class with a 16-week AMU course, it depends on when it overlaps. In my opinion, the end of the 16-week semesters get a little crazy with a final paper usually due and maybe even a final exam. The beginning of the semester if much less hectic as it's more reading, discussion posts and getting a base of knowledge for the rest of the class. HIST 520 (Graduate Seminar in US History) is on my list of required courses I still have to take (5 to go then maybe some extras) but I'm taking the summer off to recharge.

 

The point of overlap is part of my concern. I must have 18 hours before fall, so I'd have to start the course in May. That would put the last part of the 16 weeker right around the same time as the 4 weeker. Bummer.

-Matt

 

Matt,

I'm currently finishing up the 16-week version of HIST 520. I'm taking it for recertification points and because my school division offered to pay for it. The assignments consist of maybe 100-150 pages of reading per week, plus a minimum of 4 discussion posts. There's also a 15-page research paper due at the end of the course and you can choose any topic in U.S. history.

Honestly this is a class you can either get a lot or a little from, depending on how much time and effort you decide to put in. The discussion posts are basically graded on completion and I'm sure you could do most of them without doing all of the required reading. The books themselves are good and very enjoyable for those who like history.

 

Who was your teacher for HIST 520? Would you recommend them?

 

bazonkers,

The instructor is Dr. Mark Bowles and I think he does a good job.

 

Hi vateacher!

I'm going to send you a PM.

Thanks!
Matt

 

Hey Matt,

Do you have any idea of how you are going to satisfy the exit requirements at WNMU?

 

I'm planning on doing comps. I thought about doing a thesis, but because that would add an additional 3 credits to the program rather than simply replacing a course, I decided otherwise. If I were going to do a thesis, I'd probably rather be in a program that was totally focused on one discipline rather than two.

From what I understand the comps simply involve a bunch of essays for the various classes you've taken. Because I'm only doing this program for the credit hours, I figured that be the best route.

-Matt

 

And here I thought I was the only crazy person considering a MA in Military History after I finish my MA in American History.

 

I know. I know. I just want to learn as much as a can. I realize it is impossible, but it will make me a better historian.