MA War and Strategy at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Master of Arts program in war and strategy is designed to serve the Department of Defense's Strategic Thinkers Program, a premier graduate-level initiative that prepares select mid-career officers and civilians for senior leadership in national security and defense strategy. The program immerses military leaders in the evolving trends of war and strategy, with particular emphasis on their impact on effective decision-making and the execution of military operations.

What you will study

32 credit hours including the required capstone course (CEL 571) Required Core (18 credit hours) CEL 521 War and Strategy in Theory and Practice (4) CEL 522 Foundations of Military Coalitions (4) CEL 523 War and Strategy in Great Power and Competition (4) CEL 524 Contemporary Challenges in War and Strategy (4) CEL 570 War and Strategy Wargames (2) Electives (12 credit hours) Culminating Experience (2 credit hours) CEL 571 Capstone Course War and Strategy Staff Ride (2) Additional Curriculum Information Elective courses include CEL, GSC and IAL coursework.

Career pathways

Graduates of this program are among the most competitive and capable officers in the U.S. military, with most slated for brigade-level command or equivalent key leadership positions.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Only Department of War, STP applicants approved by the Assistant Secretary of War for Readiness may apply for this degree program. Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = ''A'') in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = ''A'') in an applicable master's degree program.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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