University Catalog

This catalog provides a comprehensive overview of the variety of programs and classes SNHU offers both online and on campus, and provides information about our history and mission, our services and outreach, and the many opportunities we provide students for meeting their life and career goals

When Your Blue Is My White: A Developmental Approach to the Study of Ambiguous Color Perception

The main objective of this study was to investigate ambiguous color perception by analyzing subjects' interpretations of three well-known ambiguous images—‘the dress,’ ‘the shoe,’ and ‘the jacket.’ Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether age influences perceptual differences and to uncover potential underlying perceptual patterns across the images

The Democratic Party Leadership and the Economic Policies of the Reconstruction State

After the Civil War, the federal government enacted a series of measures to aid in the reconstruction of the nation. Much of the secondary source literature explains Reconstruction as an effort primarily attributed to the Republican Party. As such, it gives little attention to the national Democratic Party’s role in the development of the Reconstruction State. Because the abolition of slavery redefined the concepts of freedom and citizenship to include the right to compete in a free-labor market—a development that augmented the number of social groups that would compete to have agency over the national government—, this paper utilizes a lens of political-economic history to address the gap in the research literature regarding the national Democratic Party. Referencing the Congressional Record in addition to the speeches, debates, and writings of national party leaders, this paper analyzes the national Democratic Party leadership’s attitude toward the economic issues that confronted the Reconstruction State during the 1870s. It argues that leaders of the national Democratic Party generally favored economic policies that supported big business and monied interests, reflecting an economic conservatism that put them at odds with farmers, laborers, and the rank-and-file members of their party. The favoritism showed toward business and monied interests revealed the national Democratic Party leadership’s support for the economic policies of the Reconstruction State and suggests that sectional politics did not have a strong bearing on the economic decisions made by party leaders.Master ArtsHistoryCollege of Online and Continuing Educatio

Out of Slavery African Americans in Towns & Cities Along the Eastern Seaboard

Utilizing primary and secondary sources alongside raw data from databases covering slave ships, slave sales, and demographic information, this research paper alongside its accompanying Omeka exhibit tells the stories of African American communities in small towns situated throughout the Eastern Seaboard and their contribution to their respective societies through economic and settlement development along with cultural contributions. These contributions include but are not limited to the creation of businesses, participation in social organizations, the servicing of their local communities, participation in social justice movements, Accompanying the thesis is an Omeka exhibit providing photographs to provide visualization. The intention of the Omeka exhibit is to provide a visual representation of the research paper. The Omeka exhibit also holds images relating to individuals that are mentioned within the research portion of the paper. The scope covers states along the “Eastern Seaboard” which would include the following states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia, & Florida. The scale of the project included researching families in towns and cities, conducting genealogical research to confirm familial relationships, and using census records, newspaper clippings, and books written on local history to better understand their contributions to their communities and their roles in the history of said communities.Master ArtsHistoryCollege of Online and Continuing Educatio

Examining the Role of Brazilian-Japanese Immigrants in Japan and How They Contribute to Increasing Multiculturalism and Diversity

Following 1603, the two centuries of the Edo Period in Japan and the global isolation and internal growth it came with were the catalyst for modern-day Japan's traditions and cultures, homogeneous population, and notoriously restrictive immigration policies. Today, Japan’s population remains largely homogenous, with approximately 98% of its citizens being Japanese and the majority of other ethnic sub-groups in the country being of East Asian or South Asian descent (Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2023). Amongst Japan’s ethnic subgroups, despite their geographic locations, Japan and Brazil have had stable diplomatic relations since 1895, making Brazilian-Japanese a prominent and long-lasting, yet underlooked, minority group in Japan (Gov.br, 2025). As the world rapidly changes and advances, it is vital to identify and amplify diverse voices that have otherwise gone unrecognized to further global cooperation toward mutual goals. This research paper addresses how Brazilian-Japanese immigrants contribute to increasing multiculturalism by discussing the historical background of Brazilian and Japanese workforce recruitment and its outcomes and how that influenced the status of the Japanese population in Brazil and its reverse, as well as analyzing current bilateral Brazilian-Japanese relations to note how two culturally and geographically different countries, albeit influential powerhouses within their regions, have long been making strides towards a partnership in furthering collective goals. The implications for the future that both countries' current histories, relations, and attitudes imply will also be analyzed to emphasize the importance of fostering peaceful governance worldwide

University Catalog

This catalog provides a comprehensive overview of the variety of programs and classes SNHU offers both online and on campus, and provides information about our history and mission, our services and outreach, and the many opportunities we provide students for meeting their life and career goals

Leading for Educational Equity in Complex Political Times: A Case Study of New Hampshire School Superintendents

This dissertation explores how superintendents in New Hampshire lead equity focused educational change in racially or ethnically homogenous communities when the local or national climate is antagonistic to those efforts. Most existing literature exploring equity focused change either presents the approaches building leaders take when leading this work or explores superintendents situated in more urban contexts. By utilizing a holistic multiple-case design case study and semi-structured interviews, the findings reveal several key leadership attributes and personal values leveraged by superintendents leading equity focused organizational change throughout the state. The research study suggests leaders need the courage to hold true to three core values: all means all, humans deserve to be respected and treated well, and it’s about doing the right things. In addition, leadership approaches centered on acting in alignment with beliefs and values, being a reflective practitioner, knowing deeply and understanding the community, empowering others to lead, and engaging a variety of perspectives appears crucial when leading equity focused organizational change. The study offers insights that may help leaders build the skills necessary to facilitate change, school districts identify leaders poised with the values necessary for managing challenging change processes, and higher education institutions guidance on content for leadership courses.Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)Doctor of Education in Educational LeadershipSchool of Educatio

Lack of Research Creates Need for Public Exhibition: A Study Into the Politization of Reopening Burma Road During the Second World War

Both the Chinese and Americans used the idea of reopening the Burma Road as a political tool during the Second World War. China would continually threaten to pull out of the war if they did not receive more supplies. The Americans would continue to put resources into the theater in the aim of reopening the Burma Road, while transporting via an airlift. In doing this it has been uncovered that there is a shocking lack of research that has ever been done on this topic. The written histories on this topic go back to a few secondary sources written just after the war by the U.S. Government. This has not only created a standard narrative, but a hindrance on what can be discussed within this research.Master ArtsHistoryCollege of Online and Continuing Educatio

How to Become a Commercial Pilot

This honors thesis explores the pathway to becoming a commercial airline pilot. It outlines the key requirements for obtaining each pilot certificate, explaining the purpose and limitations of each. The report also details six modules that were completed throughout the process, including their objectives, findings, and outcomes. Becoming a commercial airline pilot demands significant dedication, not only in terms of time and effort, but also in financial investment to fulfill the required flight hours. This thesis documents each critical milestone along the journey to achieving this professional goal

Man, Bacteria, and God: An Analysis of Factors that Compromised Justinian's Conquests

Justinian I is arguably the most renowned emperor of Late Antiquity because of his tumultuous reign that spanned a total of 38 years. He was an ambitious emperor who sought to reconquer the lost territories of the western Roman Empire after it fell in 476 to various barbarian tribes. He had a steadfast start to his reign by waging multiple wars in North Africa, Italy, and with his rival, Persia. At first, it seemed like the empire was growing, but there were many internal problems, and attrition started to set in as the armies were spread thin. This occurred in the 530s, and the problem was exacerbated by the arrival of the bubonic plague into the Mediterranean world in 541-542. The plague had disastrous effects within the capital city of Constantinople and continued to be a drain on the empire even after Justinian’s death. Additionally, starting in the 540s, Justinian – who always had an obsession with theology, especially debates with members of the Church – seemingly started to shift his attention away from his administration into more personal religious disputes. While no empire declines rapidly because of only a few factors, the factors of war, plague, and religion can be seen as the three-headed monster that Justinian could not defeat. Primary sources from the sixth century corroborate the idea that the wars and the plague visibly shook the empire. Fewer primary sources considered the possibility of religion as being a cause of Justinian’s territorial undoing, but there are mentions of his theological obsession. Primary sources were weighed carefully and cross-referenced with an extensive array of secondary sources to ensure that the information presented aligned with leading research. The consistency in the literature shows that a compelling argument can be made for these three factors.Master ArtsHistoryCollege of Online and Continuing Educatio