Self-Paced Courses

Self-Paced Courses offer graduate-level instruction in American history—led by the nation’s top historians

The Gilder Lehrman Institute’s fifty Self-Paced Courses, drawn from our MA in American History, allow you to study 500 years of American history with eminent historians—from your own home, in your own time, and at your own pace! Courses can be used by educators to obtain professional development credit, with certificates available upon completion.

Browse Courses

Each Self-Paced Course includes

  • Video lectures by a leading historian
  • MP3 audio recordings of each lecture
  • Primary sources and in-depth readings
  • Short quizzes to review your knowledge
  • [Optional for teachers] A certificate of completion confirming 3 to 15 professional development contact hours

Cost

  • Standard Price: $39.99
  • Affiliate School Teacher and Affiliate Librarian Price: $29.99

Does my state or district accept Self-Paced Courses for professional development credit?

Over the past 25 years, educators in all 50 states have received approval for Gilder Lehrman professional development programs. This includes Self-Paced Courses, Summer PD, the MA in American History, and on-site PD.

In addition, the Gilder Lehrman Institute is a fully approved professional development provider in Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, Texas, Washington, and the Clark County School District in Nevada.

If you are unsure whether you will receive PD credit for completing the Self-Paced Courses, we encourage you to reach out to your district. If you do require official PD approval from your state or district, please reach out to us and we would be happy to submit all required documentation to complete the approval process. 

To learn more—or to discuss a district partnership or statewide registration—please contact us at selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org.