Graduate Certificate - Civil War Studies

The graduate certificate in Civil War Studies is designed for students interested in the antebellum period, the Civil War years and Reconstruction era, and the social, cultural, economic, and political developments in the North and South. You will explore the operational command structure and campaign planning in relation to the evolution of tactical command and control at the various levels of the war. Special emphasis in this online program is placed on the analysis and synthesis of historical interpretations as presented in the writings of prominent and influential historians.

Many university faculty members teaching our courses are published historians or military leaders who bring unique perspectives and relevant research into the classroom. You’ll also connect and interact online with other students who share your enthusiasm for history.

Certificate Objectives

Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student will be able to:

• Place events of the antebellum period, the Civil War, and Reconstruction into the broader scope of American history by assessing the similarities and differences in social, cultural, economic, and political developments in the north and south.
• Discern and assess the political, economic, cultural, social, and military aspects of the Civil War to specifically include their impact on causative factors, conduct of the war, and post-war aftermath.
• Examine the operational contributions of Union and Confederate military leaders by critiquing selected land battles of the war as examples of the strategies and tactics involved.
• Compare and contrast the national, theater, and operational command structures of the Union and Confederacy in relation to leadership styles of key military leaders on both sides and the evolution of command and control during the war.
• Identify, assess, and explain the diverse historical assessments and interpretations of the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras as presented in the writings of prominent and influential historians.