Civil War U: Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College: Civil War Era Studies program (website)
Dr. Ian Isherwood, Chair: iisherwo@gettysburg.edu  

Fun Fact: Where else can students interested in the Civil War live, study, eat and sleep on a Civil War battlefield, and do so many class projects rooted in the landscape itself?

By Carson Hayek

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Students studying the Civil War at Gettysburg College don’t just examine history in a classroom—they live on one of America’s most significant historical landscapes.

Created in 1998, Gettysburg College’s Civil War Era studies program offers an interdisciplinary minor that covers the Civil War along with the lasting effects it had on the United States and its society.

Students enrolled in the minor study the conflict itself, while also examining broad topics that focus on war and society, according to program chair Dr. Ian Isherwood.

“The minor focuses on providing students with an interdisciplinary understanding of the Civil War Era, while also offering depth and context through course offerings in War and Society,” Isherwood said. “Students have the opportunity not only to do a deep dive into the history of the Civil War, but also to study its enduring legacy.”

The location of Gettysburg also provides students with unique experiences and resources. The college is located near the Gettysburg Battlefield, which allows students to visit historical sites and connect classroom discussions to historical landmarks. “We are very proud here at the college of using Gettysburg as our historical laboratory,” Isherwood said. “Students in our classes not only get to go to a battlefield, but they also live on one.”

“Students usually begin the minor either by taking a CWES-related First-Year Seminar or CWES 205: Introduction to the American Civil War Era.” In following semesters, they take other Civil War Era Studies courses along with other approved electives. Students who complete the program’s requirements graduate with a minor in Civil War Era Studies.

“[I love] the variety of courses that students can take to fulfill the minor,” Isherwood said. “As someone who teaches many of the war and society courses, I enjoy designing courses in comparative historical memory and war in representation.”

The program’s courses normally enroll fewer than 25 students, with some classes in the teens, allowing for individualized instruction. The college has a 9-to-1student-faculty ratio, and students who seek guidance outside of class can visit professors’ office hours.

The Civil War Era Studies program is housed withing Gettysburg College’s renowned Civil War Institute, best known for its annual summer conference and robust internship program. Students enrolled in the academic program have the opportunity to assist with the conference, giving them the opportunity to interact with some of the country’s top academic and public historians. Many also secure paid summer internship positions through the CWI Funded Internship Program that provide them interpretive, archival, preservation, digital history, and museum experiences related to the Civil War at museums, battlefields, historic sites, and preservation organizations across the country.

Alumni have worked in many different fields; however, some have earned doctoral degrees and become college professors, while others have worked as high school teachers. A substantial percentage also work as public historians, interpreting and preserving the nation’s Civil War battlefields and other historic sites, landscapes, and museums for current and future generations of visitors. For many of these students, the Funded Internship Program served as a fundamental stepping stone to full-time employment in the field.

For prospective students, Isherwood recommends visiting campus, sitting in on a Civil War Era Studies class, and taking a tour. Additional information is available through Gettysburg College admissions.

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Carson Hayek, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., is a junior journalism student at St. Bonaventure University.

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For a student’s perspective on Gettysburg College’s Civil War Era Studies program, Emerging Civil War’s Chris Mackowski spoke with Marcy Zimmer. Marcy is a senior this year at Gettysburg College. The interview was recorded in early summer 2026.