online military history courses

Online Military History Courses

From the walls of Troy to the streets of Sangin, warfare has been at the centre of human life and death. Those who know nothing of war can understand neither the past nor the present, for, as Trotsky famously said, ‘war is the locomotive of history’.

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Online Military History Courses

Modern military history does more than re-fight old battles, however. It can, for example, teach us much about the cultures and societies that find themselves at war, and indeed about the souls of the men and women who do the fighting.

Our two-year MA in Military History by distance learning programme offers you the opportunity to explore military history, drawing in particular on Birmingham’s expertise in the history of the two World Wars and air power. Subjects to be studied include command and leadership; tactics, operations and the use of technology; ethics and war; and the individual’s experience of war.

This course will stimulate and challenge you to think about the history of warfare in all its aspects, building a skill set over two years of part-time study which will equip you for further research in the field and/or broaden and deepen your understanding of the cruel, complex but endlessly fascinating phenomenon that is war.

Birmingham’s Department of History is ranked the best in the country*, with 87% of its research rated as world leading or internationally excellent in terms of its quality.

This research expertise is evident within our teaching within our programmes drawing on the diverse regional and chronological expertise available in the Department of History.

*Research Excellence Framework 2014

Why study this course?

  • Research expertise – Times Higher Education ranked the Department of History first in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise. The programme is also delivered through a dedicated research centre, the Centre for War Studies.
  • Join an active online community – Studying by distance learning is not a lonely experience within the Department of History. You will get to meet interact with students from all over the world – virtually – which will benefit your learning experience.
  • Flexibility – you will have an exciting opportunity to explore your chosen area of study in depth through your choice of dissertation topic. 
  • Career changing – a qualification from the University of Birmingham can be the springboard to promotion with your current employer, the platform from which to launch a new career or simply a way to become more effective in your current role.
  • Ongoing support – you will be assigned a personal tutor who will guide you through the programme.

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Modules

You will study six core modules before completing your 15,000 word dissertation.

Core modules

You will study six core modules: 

Research Skills: Methodology and Sources

The module will introduce you to the historiography of warfare as well as to a variety of different research methodologies and research sources. A series of case-studies will focus on key research sources (published and unpublished) for the experience of war, including: official histories; the diaries, memoirs, letters and autobiographies of contemporary actors; archival sources, including the National Archives of the United Kingdom; as well as non-documentary kinds of evidence.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Tactics and Operational Art

The module will introduce you to how technological and conceptual change has driven the development of tactics and operational art since the 1500s, examining how armies from different cultural backgrounds have managed these issues and the relationship between innovation and military success. A series of case studies will focus on key examples of tactics and operational art in warfare.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Command and Leadership in War

Questions of command and leadership are central to the history of warfare. The module will introduce you to the evolution of command styles and the role of the leader over time, assessing the importance of the individual’s contribution to military history and placing this in the context of broader structural change. A series of case-studies will focus on key debates about command and leadership in wartime.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Ethics of War

The module will introduce you to concepts of Ius ad Bellum and Ius in Bello (“justice of war” and “justice in war”) and explore how they have been applied in various conflicts over time, addressing issues such as proportionality and the status of non-combatants. It will analyse attempts to impose legal, ethical and moral constraints on warfare and the successes and failures of these attempts. 
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Experience of War

The module will introduce you to ‘war from the bottom up’: how individuals have experienced warfare. It will analyse coping strategies, the construction and maintenance of morale both military and civilian and explore why these have sometimes broken down. Finally, it will introduce you to individuals’ response to war as expressed in art, from poetry to moving pictures.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Dissertation Preparation

This module will also equip you with the skills necessary to both plan and undertake a specialist piece of research at Masters level. It will provide detailed guidance on the techniques necessary for the location of primary and secondary sources relevant to your dissertation research.  You will become familiar with advanced bibliographical aids and with how to search in relevant libraries, archives and data sources. You will also undertake a detailed analytical survey of the secondary literature relevant to your dissertation topic.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay

Dissertation

In addition to your taught modules, you will conduct a piece of independent research with the support of a supervisor, culminating in a 15,000-word dissertation.


Please note that the optional module information listed on the website for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

Fees

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2022 are as follows: £4,905 part-time.

As this is a part-time programme, the above fee is for year one only and tuition fees will also be payable in year two of your programme.

Paying your fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.

Scholarships and studentships

Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available. To discover whether you are eligible for any award across the University, and to start your funding application, please visit the University’s Postgraduate Funding Database.

free online military history courses

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The Citadel’s Master of Arts in Military History is a fully online, 30-hour program. The program provides an advanced historical study of the theory and practice of warfare, the institutions and operations of military forces, and the impact of militaries and warfare on societies. 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. The Dual Program option only requires an additional 2 credit hours for a leadership certificate that compliments and strengthens the graduate degree in Military History.


For ten consecutive years (2012-2021) The Citadel has been named the #1 Public College in the South offering up to a master’s degree (U.S. News & World Report). The Citadel has been named the #1 College for Veterans in the South for 3 consecutive years (2019-2021). The Citadel is home to a large number of historians whose research and teaching focus is military history and war and society. It is a college steeped in military tradition and dedicated to training citizen soldiers and leaders.


Pursue Your Interests. The Master of Arts in Military History at The Citadel enables you to work closely with distinguished historians as you pursue specialized interests.  Gain a comprehensive understanding of the history and evolution of warfare and military institutions in our core courses. Then delve into specific conflicts in our electives, examine the military history of a particular region or era, or explore the relationship between war and society. From strategic thought to operations and tactics, from the Greeks and Romans to the War on Terror, from traditional to innovative methodologies, find your niche.

Advance Your Career. The Master of Arts in Military History is designed to meet the diverse professional development needs of officers in the U.S. Armed Forces; government officials in the fields of diplomacy, national defense, homeland security, and intelligence; public historians at th e federal, state, and local levels; corporate and business leaders; high school history teachers; students planning to pursue a Ph.D. in the fields of war studies or military history; and those who seek to deepen their understanding of human conflict. The curriculum emphasizes reading and researching, analysis and complex thought, and written expression. Our concise curriculum, at 30 hours, lends itself to on-time completion in two years or less.Study With Experts.  The Citadel’s History Department and affiliated fellows bring together award-winning and experienced scholars in the fields of war and society and military history. This large concentration of scholars has designed and leads the Master of Arts in Military History.  A body of affiliated fellows assures broad subject matter expertise and stable relationships with the program. Our large, resident faculty presence assures contact, program continuity, and support for study. Our program exhibits a strong mixture of traditional military history, interdisciplinary study of the theory and practice of war, and innovative approaches to military history and the interplay of war and society.


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What You Will Learn 

  • Think historically about the study of war, its conduct, meaning, and consequences, as a historian.
  • Understand the evolution of warfare and its relationship to modern operational environments, joint warfare, civil-military relations, and strategy.
  • Gain knowledge of armed conflict at all levels of warfare: strategic, operational, and tactical.
  • Appreciate the political, social, economic, environmental, geographic, and cultural contexts of war.
  • Develop skills in historical thinking, analytical research, and clear, persuasive writing.
  • Analyze and apply issues of military leadership and decision making throughout history.
  • Explore the human dimension of war and experience of combat.

Admission Requirements

The Admissions Committee will consider applications to the program on a rolling admissions basis. 
  1. Completion of the online graduate application along with the non-refundable application fee.
  2. Submission of official transcripts* from all degrees earned from previous colleges or universities. Students must be able to demonstrate an earned undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a competitive grade point average. Applicants are expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 and at least a 3.0 in the major.  Students who fail to meet the minimum score requirement may be provisionally accepted into the M.A. degree program provided all other admission requirements have been met. Upon completion of the first nine hours of degree coursework, with a minimum GPA of 3.50, the student is considered fully admitted.
  3. Submission of official scores from a valid (within five years) Millers Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This requirement may be waived for students who already hold a graduate degree. If waived, the applicant must submit a graduate-level writing sample in lieu of submitting the test score.
  4. Submission of one letter of recommendation, ideally from a former professor. A recommendation from a commanding officer or employer will be accepted. The letter should be as specific as possible in analyzing the applicant’s writing, research, and analytical skills and potential for success in the program.  
  5. Resume or C.V.
  6. Submission of a one-page letter of intent that provides concise, complete answers to the following questions:
    1. How has your experience prepared you for graduate study in history?
    2. How will your knowledge, skills, and attitudes contribute to the Military History program’s learning community?
    3. What do you hope to gain from the M.A. in Military History program?

*Transfer Credits

Are you considering whether or not graduate courses that you have already completed at your current or former institution would transfer into The Citadel’s Online MA in Military History Program? If you would like to discuss our transfer credit policy in relation to your graduate work, please contact Dr. David Preston, Director, at prestond1@citadel.edu.

Schedule of Courses through Spring 2022

Citadel Graduate College Policy on Transfer Credit

Citadel Graduate College Information on Fees

Citadel Office of Financial Aid

Online students are welcomed to attend their MA graduation on campus.

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