Self-Paced Courses

How do I sign up for a course?
The more than 60 courses we currently offer are located on the first page of our online shop. Upon purchase, you will be granted immediate access to your course.

How can I take advantage of the Affiliate price?
All K–12 Educators (teachers, specialists, librarians, district supervisors) can purchase Self-Paced Courses for $29.99. If your school is already an Affiliate School, please sign in to your account to automatically access the Affiliate discount. If you are a K–12 Educator not yet part of the Affiliate School Program, follow the instructions for How to Join on our Affiliate School Program page to sign up.

I just purchased a Self-Paced Course. How do I access it?
You can access your Self-Paced Course a few minutes after purchase by signing in to the Gilder Lehrman website and clicking the MY COURSES link in the navigation bar. If the link does not appear, please email us at support@gilderlehrman.org.

How long does it take to finish a course?
It takes approximately 15 hours to complete each Self-Paced Course, except Hamilton’s America and The Era of Theodore Roosevelt, which take 8 hours. This includes the time it takes to watch all video lectures and pedagogy sessions and complete all course quizzes.

What materials do I need to start a course?
Self-Paced Courses do not require the purchase of any additional books or materials. All course quizzes are based entirely on the lectures, and purchasing supplementary materials is optional.

Does the course have a time limit or an expiration date?
Time limits have been removed from all self-paced courses, and course access does not expire.

Can I retake a quiz?
Yes. There are two ways to do this. If you have taken the quiz fewer than four times, scroll to the bottom of the quiz results page and click “Not passed. Click to try again.” After the fourth attempt, you will need to contact selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org to have your quiz reset. Then, you will have four more attempts available.

How do I obtain my certificate of completion?
After finishing your course by scoring 80 or higher on each quiz, you will find the “Click here to download your certificate” link under the last quiz.

This generalized certificate lists your name, course title, and number of credit hours earned. If the name on your certificate is wrong, or if you require more detailed documentation, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org.

How can I obtain professional development credit hours for completing a course?
Each Self-Paced Course equals 15 contact hours of professional development credit (except Alexander Hamilton’s America and The Era of Theodore Roosevelt, which include 8 contact hours). Most teachers can use either the certificate of completion or a more detailed letter of completion (obtained by emailing us) to receive credit for the course.

If you are a teacher in Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, Texas, or Washington, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org to obtain a letter of completion with our state PD registry number and the required course information, which will ensure you receive professional development credit.

If you are in a state where we are not an officially approved PD vendor, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org, and we can work with your state or district to receive PD documentation and/or approval. 

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’s professional development programs. This includes Self-Paced Courses, Summer PD, the MA in American History program, 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.

We encourage you to contact your district if unsure whether you will receive PD credit for completing the Self-Paced Courses. If you require official PD approval from your state or district, please contact us, and we will be happy to submit all the necessary 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.

Does the course have a time limit or an expiration date?
Time limits have been removed from all self-paced courses, and course access does not expire.

How do I obtain my certificate of completion?
After finishing your course by scoring 80 or higher on each quiz, you will find the “Click here to download your certificate” link under the last quiz.

This generalized certificate lists your name, course title, and number of credit hours earned. If the name on your certificate is wrong, or if you require more detailed documentation, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org.

How can I obtain professional development credit hours for completing a course?
Each Self-Paced Course equals 15 contact hours of professional development credit (except Alexander Hamilton’s America and The Era of Theodore Roosevelt, which include 8 contact hours). Most teachers can use either the certificate of completion or a more detailed letter of completion (obtained by emailing us) to receive credit for the course.

If you are a teacher in Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, Texas, or Washington, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org to obtain a letter of completion with our state PD registry number and the required course information, which will ensure you receive professional development credit.

If you are in a state where we are not an officially approved PD vendor, please email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org, and we can work with your state or district to receive PD documentation and/or approval. 

Can I earn graduate credit for Self-Paced Courses?
We do not offer graduate credit for Self-Paced Courses. Please visit our MA in American History program, which offers 3 graduate credits per course.