One-of-a-kind Scotland experience transforms online education
History graduate students and faculty pose for a photo at Inchcolm Abbey, the best-preserved group of monastic buildings in Scotland. Photo courtesy of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies.
From high school history teachers to attorneys, online history MA students with a range of backgrounds gained hands-on experience with the new hybrid Scotland study abroad program at Arizona State University’s School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies.
The Scotland Archive Experience, created in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, overcomes typical geographic barriers of online programs to provide critical educational and research opportunities for students.
“The Scotland study abroad trip provided an invaluable opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in historical research,” said James Ayer, a student in the program. “Engaging directly with primary sources deepened my understanding of Scottish history, enhancing both my personal and academic growth.”
In the inaugural summer 2024 session, 12 students completed asynchronous coursework before and after the trip and spent two weeks working in various archives in the heart of Old Town, Edinburgh, for an opportunity unmatched by other R1 institutions or online graduate degree programs. Their research explored intersections between Scotland's past and the world, including topics like the Temperance movement, Atlantic World abolitionism, gender and WWII. In the archives, students analyzed unpublished manuscripts, personal letters, diaries, newspapers and more — a first for some to work with physical documents instead of online archives.
“I gained valuable practice working as a historian and was able to sharpen my critical thinking and decision making skills,” said Jessica Barker. “The trip made me realize that I wanted to shift career paths and focus more on being a historian, doing research working in higher ed or a museum.”
Forty percent of program participants were high school history teachers, and 50 percent received at least partial funding for the experience. One student fully funded their travels through different scholarships.
Funding was in part provided through the Laura Harris Hales Graduate Student Research Scholarship Award, an endowed scholarship named for a School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies alumna, author and podcaster who died in 2022 from pancreatic cancer. The award provides funding to ease the financial burden for online graduate history students seeking to pursue research and professional development opportunities.
Looking forward, program leads Katy Kole de Peralta, associate clinical professor of global history, and James Dupey, associate clinical professor of history, plan to continue and expand the program.
“The Scotland archive experience is the future of graduate education at ASU,” Dupey said. “It embraces the university mission of access, academic excellence and public service by offering a transformative educational opportunity.”