FAQ

Our student cohort is composed of working professionals, active-duty/reserve/veteran military personnel, corporate leaders, lawyers, teachers, writers, public history/museum specialists, and general military history enthusiasts. Such diverse backgrounds and life experiences enrich our study of military history.

The average class size is 10 to 15 students.

The MA in Military History degree is 30 credit hours (totaling 10 x three-credit courses). The program is designed to be completed in 2 academic years, by taking 2 courses each semester (2 in the fall, 2 in the spring, 2 in the summer). It is normal for students with full-time jobs or family responsibilities to reduce course load and complete the program in three years.

Students will take 10 courses across different series. All students will complete the Introduction series (MLTH 500: Methods and Historiography, and MLTH 501: Strategic Thinkers and Military Intellectuals). Students will choose three electives in the Foundations series; two electives in the Conflict Studies series; and one War and Society elective. All students will complete a Capstone experience, either by taking MLTH 600 (Capstone Seminar) plus one additional War and Society elective, or by finishing a formal master’s thesis (MLTH 601-602: Master’s Thesis I and II).

Yes, it is completely acceptable for students to take one course per semester. We recognize that some students will only have the time for one course, while balancing professional duties, family life, and graduate study.

The Citadel Graduate College permits up to 12 hours of transfer credit from other accredited higher education institutions, and from PME courses that are recommended for credit by the American Council on Education. Transferable courses must be

equivalent to our MLTH courses in number of credit hours, topical focus, and rigor. Please refer to The Citadel’s policy on transfer credits here.

Our history courses reflect common standards for graduate history education. Most professors assign a book or set of readings for each week, which the students will closely analyze and discuss in the remote graduate seminar via Zoom. Each weekly module typically has a short writing assignment attached. Most classes also include a larger essay or research paper that will allow students to synthesize the knowledge and apply the skills they have developed in the readings discussions

The Citadel faculty replicates traditional history graduate education through a remote graduate seminar conducted via Zoom. This seminar experience enables students to engage in critical analysis, debate, and discussion of key readings. In addition, our faculty regularly invite the authors of books or other distinguished guests to the graduate seminars.

Classes have the optional live graduate seminar via Zoom, but most work is asynchronous with weekly deadlines for discussion forums or writing assignments. Students are able to complete most work within the week at their pace. Lectures and other resources are embedded in the course.

We are 100% online, so there are no residential elements or required meetings. While the graduate seminars via Zoom are online synchronous (usually weekday evenings), we always provide an alternate means of completing that seminar if one cannot attend the occasional meeting. Most students regularly attend the meetings, as they greatly enjoy the seminars and the face-to-face interaction with professors and fellow students.

The Citadel and our faculty routinely work with cadets and active-duty students who are deployed or assigned to temporary duty or field training. We have many students who are deployed and take a break for a term due to professional duties. The online nature allows the program to be completed in your own time wherever you are in the world.

We use the same standards as found in a traditional face-to-face graduate program, and every course is evaluated using an online parity matrix and approved prior to being taught. Online classes are taught by the same professors as in-person classes covering the same set curriculum.

All students in the MA program will complete a capstone project by taking either MLTH 600 (Capstone Seminar) or a full master’s thesis project (MLTH 601-602). In both cases, students will choose a feasible research topic that is of interest to them. We encourage students with a clear subject-matter interest to use every opportunity in the program to research and develop it (example: one could write a historiographical analysis of the subject in the MLTH 500: Methods and Historiography course).

Two basic differences between the Capstone Seminar and the Master’s Thesis are the length and depth of the project and research:

The master’s thesis is recommended for students who have the ability to travel for archival research in the original sources, and therefore need more space to fully develop that research. The final thesis amounts to about 70-75 pages. The thesis route is also recommended for anyone with an eye toward publishing or pursuing a Ph.D. It is recommended that if students are going to pursue the master’s thesis, that they have a particular topic defined by about mid-way through the program and have identified a thesis director among our faculty who will approve a student to register for the thesis courses. The thesis director is typically the faculty member who has the most subject-matter expertise on the topic and best ability to advise.

The Capstone Seminar similarly allows a student to choose a topic of interest and accomplish deep research (usually in published or digitized primary sources). The Capstone paper amounts to about 30 pages. It is a substantial work that can showcase one’s achievements. Along with the Capstone Seminar, a student will take an additional “war and society” course, for a total of 6 hours.

The MA in Military History degree at The Citadel is accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools).

Online students have access to all resources made available to students on campus. Here are links to available resources: Career Center, Student Success Center, Daniel Library, and The Citadel Bookstore.

Yes, we invite and encourage all our students to participate in commencement exercises on The Citadel’s campus each May. We typically have a special departmental reception for our MA students and offer a tour of military history sites in the Charleston area.

All military history faculty are leading scholars in their fields and hold a Ph.D. degree. Our faculty have published many essays and books, including several that have received national and international literary awards. To learn more, please our faculty page.

The CGC no longer requires entrance exam scores as part of student applications.

The following materials are required in addition to a complete application: a letter of intent, a resume or c.v., undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and one letter of recommendation from someone who can assess your ability in a classroom setting. For more information about supplemental materials, please refer to the Admission Requirements on our page or contact us.

To learn more about these opportunities, please visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships page. The Online MA in Military History program also offers the BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68, Military History Graduate Student Award for students engaged in archival or manuscript research for their thesis or capstone seminar projects.