Study military history from almost anywhere in the world – with the experts

American troops of the 23rd Infantry advance against German forces. National Archives photo.

(Above) American troops of the 23rd Infantry advance against German forces in WWI (Photo: National Archives)

Explore the greatest military achievements and the most excruciating defeats. Learn lessons from witnessing historic military acts of courage, skill and leadership genius, as well as epic mistakes leading to war. Some of the most distinguished minds in military history today will teach students enrolled in The Citadel Graduate College’s new Master of Arts Degree in Military History. The fully online program is accepting applications now, for the courses that will begin in the fall of 2019.

“The Citadel Graduate College’s new Master of Arts Degree in Military History is designed for working people anywhere – officers in the U.S. Armed Forces, professionals in diplomacy, national defense, homeland security and intelligence, or business leaders wanting a deeper understanding of human conflict,” said David Preston, Ph.D., award-winning author/historian and director of The Citadel’s military history program. “And, who better to teach military history than The Citadel with its distinguished faculty and thousands of graduates serving in U.S. military forces right now around the world?”

Why study military history?

Smithsonian image of the Battle of Zama by Henri-Paul Motte

“The eminent historian John Keegan is entirely correct when he says that ‘the written history of the world is largely a history of warfare.’ We study war not in celebration, but in preparation for it, and in recognition of its immense costs and the profound ways that war has transformed nations and societies,” Preston said.

Dr. David Preston, Director of The Citadel Military History graduate program

Preston, the Westvaco Professor of National Security Studies in The Citadel School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and The Citadel Department of History faculty, created the program.

“Students will examine the full range of conflicts in world history from Greece and Rome to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the broader ways that war is shaped by its social, cultural, economic and political contexts,” said Joelle Neulander, Ph.D., head of The Citadel Department of History.

WWII recruiting poster by McClelland Barclay, 1942. — WWII recruiting poster by McClelland Barclay, 1942

The Citadel Department of History and affiliated fellows from other disciplines on campus bring together acclaimed and experienced scholars in the fields of war and society and military history for this new graduate degree. Students will be led by faculty subject matter experts in areas that include:

The study of war, its conduct, meaning, and consequences
The evolution of warfare and its relationship to modern operational environments, joint warfare, civil-military relations, and strategy
Armed conflict at all levels of warfare: strategic, operational, and tactical
The political, social, economic, environmental, geographic, and cultural contexts of war
Analysis and application of military leadership and decision making throughout history
The human dimension of war and experience of combat
Staff Sgt. Jen Brooks, with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, gives candy to students from the Abdul Karzai Middle School in Khandahar, Afghanistan, Sept. 14, 2004 (Photo: Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Collins Jr.)

The Military History program consists of a 30-hour curriculum lending itself to completion in two years or less. Students may obtain either a Master of Arts Degree in Military History or both a Master of Arts Degree in Military History and a Graduate Certificate in Military Leadership at the same time.

To apply to the program or for more information, please visit this web link, or call (843) 953-5073.