National WWII Museum and Arizona State University Have Teamed Up to Offer a World War II Master's Degree Program

Since it opened in 2000, the National World War II Museum in New Orleans has been educating the public on one of history's most influential wars. Now, the institution is looking to train the next generation of World War II scholars. Starting January 2019, in collaboration with Arizona State University, the museum will offer an online master's degree program in World War II Studies, the first degree of its kind in the U.S.

The fully accredited graduate degree program will be led by historians from Arizona State University and the National WWII Museum's Institute for the Study of War and Democracy. Over the 30-hour course, students will learn about the war's military campaigns, its depiction in film and literature, the Holocaust, and the war's far-reaching impact on world politics. Students are free to complete coursework on their own time, with the only mandatory meetings being weekly online interactions with faculty and student discussion groups.

While technically offered through ASU, the program will take advantage of the World War II Museum's many resources. Course developers pulled from the museum's 250,000 WWII artifacts and 10,000 personal accounts from people who lived through the war.

The program is designed for anyone looking to become a World War II expert, whether they are interested teaching, researching, or writing on the subject one day, or just want to expand their knowledge of it. Noncredit courses will also be offered through Arizona State University's Continuing and Professional Education program for students looking for a more casual learning experience.

Prospective students can apply for the program through ASU Online, with the window to submit their information closing December 1.