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Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Department of Defense has chosen Arizona State University to establish a graduate program focusing on military strategy, war, and national security leadership, beginning this fall in Washington, D.C.
- The program aims to train 24 active-duty military personnel or government officials per year, with admissions based on nominations from the Department of Defense rather than standard university processes.
- The curriculum includes practical experiences such as war game simulations and battlefield visits, emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of military ethics, history, and political philosophy.
- The announcement has sparked criticism from some ASU student groups, who argue that the program contributes to militarization and prioritizes governmental and corporate interests over student welfare.
The U.S. Department of Defense recently selected Arizona State University to train students in war, military strategy, and national security leadership through a new graduate program.
Scheduled to begin this fall in Washington, D.C., the program is expected to offer up to 24 degrees annually and will prepare active-duty military members or government personnel in national security efforts and strategic planning, the university reported in a news release.
The contract is reportedly valued at approximately $10 million over three years, according to ASU’s The State Press.
The program will initially admit up to 24 participants annually. Candidates will not apply through the standard university admissions process. Instead, they will be nominated and approved by the Department of Defense.
A university spokesperson told the school newspaper that students will engage in a war game simulation that integrates the University’s Decision Theater and artificial intelligence.
Students will also study and visit historical battlefields as part of the program, which is hosted by ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.
Reached for comment, SCETL Director Richard Avramenko told The College Fix that universities play a vital role in educating military and government leaders.
“Universities have a civic duty to help form the next generation of American leaders with intellectual depth and moral clarity. War involves profound questions of justice, human nature, and the common good,” he told The Fix via email.
“At the Civics School, we believe the study of great texts, political philosophy, and history will equip officers to think about why we fight and the higher principles we are trying to preserve,” he said.
When asked about the nature of the program, he said it provides hands-on learning through seminars, intensive war games, battlefield staff rides, and ASU’s high-tech decision theatre.
ASU media relations and the National Association of Scholars both did not respond to requests for comment from The College Fix.
However, the announcement has generated criticism and skepticism from some student organizations and spectators. On social media, critics question whether a public university should play a larger role in military training for the government.
In a joint instagram post shared by various ASU organizations, several students expressed their disapproval of the new program and the university’s president, Michael Crow.
“ASU’s new degree program is designed to feed more and more of our people into the war machine and to protect billionaire interests” the caption of the post reads. “This is just the latest in President Michael Crow’s pro-genocide agenda … Crow has consistently placed the interests of Israel before those of the students.”
In bold lettering, one slide of the post reads, “WE must fight back!”
The Secretary of War’s Strategic Thinkers Program originally launched at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the 2019-20 academic year.
ASU’s efforts to secure the program have been underway for approximately two years, following a federal request for information in 2024 and a formal solicitation for proposals earlier this year, according to The State Press.
In a request for the program sent to the Arizona Board of Regents, the school wrote, “By preparing senior military officers to become more effective strategic leaders, the program advances a more secure and just world, which embodies the university’s commitment to addressing critical social issues through research and education.”
The new program is part of a broader trend among universities seeking closer collaboration with national security efforts and strategic policy.
For example, Purdue University has expanded to include a new online Master of Science in strategy in security and defense technologies, according to a news release from the school.
In addition to completing flexible, hands-on coursework, students in the master’s program also engage in real-world simulations and applied projects relevant to their career goals.
