School of History, Classics & Archaeology

US Presidential election – free online course

The battle for the White House is the subject of a free course from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. (Published 19 Oct 2016)

A brand new, free, three-week long online course examines the history of US presidential elections, highlighting key campaigns, and involving a mix of teaching styles including video lectures, online debates and short quizzes.

‘The Making of the US President: A Short History in Five Elections’ is open to anyone and does not require any prior knowledge of the subject.

Professor Robert Mason from the School of History, Classics & Archaeology, who is overseeing the course, said, ‘On 8 November Americans will choose between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to become their next president in what has become one of the most fascinating struggles in US political history. By taking this free course, learners will discover the historical background to the 2016 contest.’

‘The Making of the US President’ is the latest in a series of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and will examine other key moments and figures from the American political past, including Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan.

The course is the latest in a series of 35 MOOCs currently being offered by the University and more than two million people have signed up for Edinburgh MOOCs since their launch in July 2012.

Learners can register for the new courses at edin.ac/president-mooc

Prof Robert Mason

Programme Director

  • School of History, Classics and Archaeology
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details