The Master of Arts in Constitutional Government, Civics & Law (MACGCL) at Utah Valley University is offered by the Center for Constitutional Studies through the School of Education.
The MACGCL program was created specifically to help K-12 educators better understand and teach the ideas and practices critical to the perpetuation of constitutional government, ordered liberty, and the rule of law. However, this program can benefit anyone interested in studying the American constitutional order in a graduate degree program.
The program focuses on the foundations of the American political system through close readings of key texts in American constitutional and political history. It equips students with an understanding of the American Founding and the development of the constitutional system through the lens of history, political science, philosophy, and the law. Graduates will strengthen their ability to read carefully, think critically, and engage in civil discourse through speech and writing.
The MACGCL program can be completed in as few as 14 months. The program offers face-to-face and livestream (synchronous) classes during the summer semester and evening livestream (synchronous) and online (asynchronous) classes during the fall and spring semesters. All students in the "National Cohort" will follow the teaching track. Most of the students in the "Utah Cohort" will also follow the teaching track, though six seats are reserved for aspiring scholars in a research track. The program accepts at most 30 students in each of the two cohorts.
The Utah Cohort is geared towards educators from Utah, as well as individuals from around the country who may be interested in the research track. During their first Summer, students of this cohort meet for two weeks of in person classes on UVU's Orem Campus before switching to a primarily livestreamed experience. Students are also able to travel to Pembroke College in Oxford for a research trip or study abroad experience.
Financial aid opportunities may be available for tuition and the study abroad. Out-of-state research track students will qualify for in-state tuition rates, as this program is an online+ program.
The National Cohort is geared towards making the MACGCL program accessible to active K-12 teachers from around the United States, who may find the travel demands of the Utah cohort difficult to meet. Generous support from the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History ensures non-resident students only pay resident tuition rates.
Students in the National Cohort are only required to meet for one week of in-person class instead of two, with financial support offered for travel costs. This cohort will have the option of taking up to two courses on-site at a historic location their second summer. No research track is offered.
Students admitted to the MACGCL Utah Cohort are encouraged to study abroad at the University of Oxford in England.
Teaching track students take two classes taught by UVU faculty at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. These courses are complemented by excursions and experiences which provide students with an opportunity to connect with their studies on another level. Research track students are able to conduct research in Oxford's historic libraries with the support of a personal mentor, matched to the research topic of their thesis.
These study abroad experiences are facilitated through the partnership between UVU's Center for Constitutional Studies and the Quill Project in Pembroke College, University of Oxford. Quill is a digital humanities project which examines the making of constitutions, treaties, and legislation. Its flagship project examined the work of the 1787 convention that created the U.S. Constitution.
The Oxford experience is not required for graduation. Students may complete their courses locally.
The MACGCL National Cohort will be given a similar opportunity to take up to 2 courses on-site at a location historic to the United States in their second summer. As this domestic study experience is still in development, details will be provided once plans are finalized.
Graduates of the Master of Arts in Constitutional Government, Civics, and Law can pursue careers in a variety of fields, including:
MACGCL is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
