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The history of the United States is littered with military chronicles. The study of this particular part of the past is not only interesting. It can also become a meaningful and rewarding career for those who are passionate about military history and how it shaped the country that it is today.
Prospective students who wish to pursue a career in this particular field may want to consider earning a degree in Military History.
A Military History degree program tackles a wide range of topics, including the evolution of warfare and its causes and effects. Most military history programs prepare students to work in the academe, government, publishing, and even in pursuit of a graduate degree.
It opens the door to a wealth of opportunities, allowing students to explore their interests and take on exciting professions that span from military historians, authors, archivists, curators, and analysts, among many others.
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The Lowdown
For students who prefer flexibility and convenience when it comes to advancing their education, military history online programs are the most ideal choice.
Online programs in military history are best for working professionals who need to fit their educational pursuits around their hectic schedules without having to put their career development in the backseat.
Fortunately, many military history programs are fully available online, from undergraduate to graduate degrees.
Most military history programs cover topics such as the world war, military leadership, civil war, military strategy, and so much more. The program requirements vary, often depending on the higher education level that one is aiming to achieve. Online students who pursue specialized interests may also find a curriculum that meets their professional goals.
Methodology
This list features a varied mix of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. While they have their own unique sets of requirements, it is universally important that prospective students choose specific degree programs that are to their benefit and advantage.
The programs in this list were selected based on the following criteria:
- Offered by universities/colleges/institutions that have regional accreditation, or at the very least, are known to have a solid reputation in delivering quality education related to military history,
- Taught by faculty with relevant experience and competency in teaching and research relevant to history,
- Offered by universities/colleges/institutions that have various financial aid options and even special discounts for special sectors, such as members of the armed forces, on top of federal financial aid,
- Delivers courses in online or hybrid formats, which allows students to maximize the time they can dedicate to their coursework and saves them on some costs associated with taking on-campus classes.
Check out our Methodology page for details.
The 10 Best Online Military History Degree Programs
Liberty University
BS in Military Studies – History
Students fascinated by military history may want to consider earning a Bachelor of Science in Military Studies with a concentration in history from Liberty University.
This degree program is available online. It is designed for civilians, veterans, and service members who want to pursue defense-related positions, such as contractors and military officers. The focus of the program is on key military events and topics surrounding American and European history.
- This online degree program equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills that include critical context integral to making good decisions in the middle of military operations.
- Students can also expect to gain ample awareness of military culture and values while being adequately trained to handle large-scale strategic and professional operations.
- This military history program offers four specialization options, including history, where students can gain a deeper understanding of military operations and strategy.
- The military studies concentration helps students become promising military leaders with in-depth knowledge of military doctrine or culture.
What Makes This Program Unique:
Boasting more military history specialists than any other institution of higher education in the country, Liberty University is a good choice for students who want to gain a solid foundation in military history.
Students will have access to award-winning instructors and accomplished military veterans and help them gain a good grasp of military operations and events.
Did You Know?
Liberty University’s Bachelor of Science in Military Studies online program provides students with free electronic textbooks as part of the higher education institution’s commitment to affordable education. This allows students to save an estimated $800 to $2,000 yearly on textbooks.
Arizona State University
Online MA in World War II Studies
Arizona State University offers an Online MA in World War II Studies for students whose interests lie in the cultural, social, economic, and diplomatic impacts of World War II.
This advanced degree program teaches students all about war through both scholarly and firsthand perspectives. They are also encouraged to take a closer look at the geopolitical and cultural aftermath.
- Students will gain ample insights into the lasting effects of the war on society through the combination of lectures, media, and primary sources.
- They will have access to the National World War II Museum, with its vast collection of films, letters, novels, artifacts, monuments, and photographs.
- This military history degree online program expects students to analyze literature, histories, and artifacts to understand one of the worst conflicts in history.
- Students are also expected to draw evidence-based conclusions and evaluate competing perspectives.
- The program also discusses the chronology, origins, and major events of the war, allowing students to examine factors that led to the conflict and the subsequent consequences that are present even today.
What Makes This Program Unique:
On top of the extensive coursework, this program also requires students to complete a capstone portfolio. The portfolio is a significant output that will showcase students’ transferrable skills that can be applied across various industries.
Did You Know?
The Online MA in World War II Studies program features courses such as Memory and Monuments, The Global War, The Lived Experience of World War II, World War II in Film, World War II in Literature, and so much more.
The Citadel
MA in Military History
A public senior military college in South Carolina, The Citadel offers a Master of Arts in Military History degree program, which is suited not only for officers in the US Armed Forces but also for others working in national defense and homeland security, other government agencies, and those in the history education sector.
- The program is entirely online and has a total of 30 credit hours.
- Students get to choose their courses from the program’s wide-ranging curriculum of courses, which covers the whole range of thematic areas related to Military history.
- For their Capstone, students can also choose a Non-Thesis option, a Thesis Option, or a Certificate in Military Leadership Option. Likewise, students are also encouraged to attain proficiency in a foreign language.
What Makes This Program Unique:
As a public college dedicated primarily to military education, the Citadel has a high concentration of historians dedicated to research and education on military history and the dynamics of war and society. Their military education tradition is an assurance of the quality of their degree program.
Did You Know?
The Citadel maintains its own range of scholarships and awards given to students who pass standards of excellence.
Park University
BS in Military History
A private, non-profit institution in Parkville, Missouri, Park University offers a Bachelor of Science in Military History. This interdisciplinary program is an in-depth study of military history and its associated culture, policy, and theoretical aspects.
- The program is available both on-campus and online, consisting of a minimum of 120 credit hours, with the Major courses component comprising 36 credit hours.
- In order to earn the degree, a minimum GPA of 2.75.
- Courses include major thematic areas of Military History, courses dedicated to American Military History, and discussions on military theories, ethics, culture, and technology.
What Makes This Program Unique:
Interdisciplinary Military History degree program (emphasis on research and analysis), suited for a range of careers in fields both in and outside the military (academia, education, nonprofits).
Did You Know?
Park University also offers a BA in History, which is also offered online and on-campus.
University of Maryland Global Campus
AA in Military History
The University of Maryland, through its Global Campus, offers an Associate of Arts in Military History, which is a specialized look at the development of military strategy through the centuries, expressed in specific conflicts throughout history.
- The program can be accessed entirely online, although there are also some courses with available hybrid options.
- The program contains a total of 60 credit hours, with up to 45 credits transferrable. Major courses comprise 25 credit hours.
What Makes This Program Unique:
As an associate degree program, some of its courses fulfill the requirements of the online bachelor’s degree in history offered by UMGC.
Did You Know?
The University of Maryland Global Campus offers a wide range of online degree programs for both undergraduate and graduate levels, spanning a range of major subject areas.
Washington State University Global Campus
BA in History
Through its Global Campus, Washington State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in History program. While it is primarily a general History degree program, it has War and Peace as one of its military history concentration areas.
- This degree program requires a minimum of 120 credit hours, with 40 of these credits having to be 300-400-level courses.
- The War and Peace concentration area comprises a total of 12 credit hours. Likewise, students can choose their courses from among the wide range of possible Elective courses in the curriculum.
- The curriculum includes courses from major thematic areas like European History, United States History, and Global/Non-Western History.
What Makes This Program Unique:
Unlike most of the Bachelor’s Degree programs in this list, this program is primarily a History degree program; hence, there is a slightly different tack taken by the curriculum design with regard to military history and some major conflicts and key historical periods like the Cold War.
Did You Know?
WSU Global Campus offers a wide range of degrees that can be completed entirely online, such as the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a BA in Anthropology, and more.
Norfolk State University
BA in History
Norfolk State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in History degree program with possible paths tailored to content areas relevant to Military History. The program provides students with an intellectual framework that takes a critical look at the progress of human affairs throughout the centuries.
- The degree program has a total of 120 credit hours, with concentration areas in Military History taking up a required total of 36 credit hours.
- The program’s classes are offered either online or on campus in the evening and afternoon.
- This degree program, while being primarily a History degree program, is offered with concentration areas that are tailored for Army and Navy-specific concentration areas, which suits the needs of those looking for education specifically related to Military history.
What Makes This Program Unique:
With its proximity to many historic sites and archives, enrolling in this program gives students the opportunity to gain crucial field experience.
Did You Know?
Prospective students might also be interested in the BA/BS in Interdisciplinary Studies offered by Norfolk State University, which has its own Military Concentration Area designed specifically for military service members, either active or retired.
Columbia Southern University
AS Military Studies
Columbia Southern University is another educational institution that offers a degree in military studies. The AS Military Studies is designed to help prospective students develop analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills that are integral in current and future military service members.
- Students are equipped with foundational military leadership competencies, preparing them for a successful military career.
- The program helps students analyze counter-terrorism strategies within the country and abroad, along with the analysis of military logistics that support combat theater operations and disasters.
- Some of the courses included in the program are Foundations of Military Logistics, Seminar in Military Operations, Military Problem Solving and Leadership, and more.
What Makes This Program Unique:
The program is ideal for those pursuing military careers in law enforcement, emergency management, and homeland security. Multiple areas of study are incorporated into the program, including military logistics, military leadership, and homeland security.
Did You Know?
Aiming to provide quality online programs at an affordable rate, the average tuition at Columbia Southern University is less than half the cost of competitors.
Norwich University
MA in Military History
Earning a Master of Arts in Military History program at Norwich University is an ideal choice for those who want to gain a thorough understanding of military history and global conflict. This degree program is completely available online. It is designed as a comprehensive analysis of global military history.
- The program aims to improve graduate students’ proficiency as historians by placing military achievements and conflicts in chronological, geographical, political, and economic contexts.
- Classes in this program are kept small, with each class just accommodating 15 students, giving everyone equal attention and mentoring.
- Most of the students in this program earn the degree in 18 months.
- The program curriculum offers six core courses delivered over 11 weeks, accounting for 36 credit hours.
- Students are expected to develop critical thinking, writing, research, and analytical skills.
What Makes This Program Unique:
Students may take the optional master’s thesis. This is an original research project that can demonstrate their ability to conduct primary-source research and showcase students’ mastery of the historiography germane to the research question. This is an ideal option for students interested in pursuing history studies at the doctoral level.
Did You Know?
Norwich University offers financial aid options to help students lower their overall tuition costs. This includes the Achievement Scholarship, Norwich Alumni Scholarship, and Active Duty Military Scholarship, among others.
American Military University
BA in Military History
The American Military University offers a BA in Military History with a distinctive focus on armed conflict. This program teaches students how the outcomes of armed conflicts have shaped society throughout history.
It emphasizes five historical perspectives, including philosophies and strategies of war, major historical battles and their influence, and leaders and management of militaries and people.
- Students in this program are expected to understand historical facts, values, and ideas throughout history while analyzing primary sources in historical contexts.
- To earn the program, students must complete a total of 120 credits.
- The program is offered entirely online, varying from 8 to 16 weeks.
What Makes This Program Unique:
Students may choose among available concentrations. Some of the courses in the curriculum include The American Revolution, Colonial America, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Early Republic, and more.
Did You Know?
The university has a demonstrated and proud legacy, as it was founded to serve military service members. It is not surprising to find that a considerable number of the faculty are current or former military leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Military History programs different from standard degree programs in History?
A key difference between the two program types lies in their breadth/scope of covered topic areas. History degree programs necessarily include periods of conflict that are inextricably linked to critical periods of human history.
While military history can be considered as a subset/subsection of history degrees, they also take a more in-depth look at the various aspects of military history.
They are essentially deep dives into these various aspects, such as the evolution of military theory and the practice of warfare, key historical figures and key conflicts, and the evolution of military technology throughout the centuries.
These degree programs also use Military history as the lens through which to look at the entirety of human history, looking at the interplay of societies and their militaries, for example, or how technology developed in wartime filters through to civilian aspects.
Is a degree in Military History suitable for non-members of the Armed Forces?
Despite the name, a degree in Military History isn’t the exclusive domain of those who are part of/thinking of getting into the Armed Forces. The study of warfare and all its related aspects attracts a wide following and, in terms of practice, involves professionals in both civilian and military capacities.
A degree in Military History also opens the door to a number of non-military careers, particularly in historical research, political science, and teaching roles for various levels.
What are the most common career paths for Military History graduates?
Online Military History degrees can lead to a wealth of career opportunities that enhance students’ chances of professional development and income capacity. Military history degrees help students prepare to work in various settings, including the government, museums, historical sites, and universities.
In many cases, a bachelor’s degree in Military History may lead to graduate programs in related areas. Master’s and doctorate degrees in military history are good stepping stones to military history careers that usher in better pay and compensation.
Here are some of the military history careers that are commonly pursued by graduates of this program.
- Military historians
- Curators
- Intelligence analysts
- Museum directors
- Military authors
- Professional historians
- Professors
Summary Points
Military History degree programs, whether at the undergraduate or graduate levels, feature curricula that take a specialized, in-depth look at various aspects of the progress of human warfare and armed conflict throughout the centuries, including key conflicts, tactics, and theory, as well as technology.
Degree programs in Military History are highly suited to members of the Armed Forces but are by no means exclusive to those from this field, as they are also suited for those in education roles, as well as anybody seeking education in the history of human conflict.
Despite the specialized focus, a degree in Military History leads to a wide range of careers, which include research and education-related roles for both civilian and military professionals.
Being history degrees, these programs also train students with critical thinking skills, which are required in conducting historical analyses but have broad applicability.
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