Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis

Eligibility Requirements

• Meet one of the following criteria:
  • Prior college courses, completed with a grade of C or better, from regionally or nationally accredited institutions of higher learning, or the equivalent from a foreign institution, as evaluated by a NACES approved agency.
  • ACE-reviewed military or professional training for which college credits are recommended.*
  • Other military or professional training reviewed by Norwich University for which college credit has been assessed, or is stipulated in a MOU.
  • Credit recommended based on scores on standardized tests such as CLEP.
  • High school diploma or equivalent GED.
• Military service as soldier, member of the National Guard, sailor, airman or Marine in the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), its subordinate and sub-unified commands, or NATO Special Operations Forces.
• For service members, the program is tailored to those who have successfully completed one of the following: the U.S. Army’s Civil Affairs Qualification Course (38), Military Information Support Operations (37), Special Forces (18), Warrant Officer (180), MOS courses, or related occupations.
• If English is not your first language, proof of English language proficiency is required. This can be demonstrated in one of three ways:
  • TOEFL - a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 80 (Internet-based test) on the TOEFL is required unless otherwise noted in specific articulation agreements.**
  • IELTS – a minimum composite score of 6.5 is required.**
  • Successful completion of an associate’s degree from an accredited U.S. higher education institution.

*Prospective students who have completed military or professional training that has not been ACE reviewed may petition to Chair of Continuing Studies to have their training reviewed and assessed for transfer credit.

Please Note: All eligibility requirements are expected to be met unless noted in specific articulation agreements or memoranda of understanding (MOUs).

SPECIAL NOTE TO NORWICH UNIVERSITY RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS:

• If you are a residential undergraduate student at Norwich University, you may enroll in CGCS courses only with written permission of the Dean of the College of Graduate of Continuing Studies, your undergraduate advisor, and your major undergraduate department chair and/or dean via the petition to enroll at CGCS form on the registrar's webpage.

Admissions Process

To apply, you must submit the following no less than four weeks prior to your desired start date:

• Application form
• Resume is required if applying for transfer credit.
• Official military training transcripts (Joint Services Transcript/CCAF), sent to the address below.
• Official transcripts of all courses taken at regionally accredited colleges, sent to the address below.
• If entering with no military or college credit, applicants must show proof of high school completion via diploma or GED.

Transcript Links

• Army/Navy/Marine/Joint Services Transcript
  • Transcript Requests
• Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Transcript Requests
  • Air Force Transcript Requests

Mail transcripts to: 
Norwich University 
College of Graduate and Continuing Studies 
P.O. Box 367 
Northfield, VT 05663

For electronic delivery, we accept transcripts delivered from Parchment, National Clearing House, and other services if sent to cgcsamt@norwich.edu via password protection.

To contact an admissions advisor:

Norwich's Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis (SSDA) curriculum includes four areas of instruction - general education, program-specific electives, field studies and a capstone project. Courses are taught by a faculty of defense strategy experts from around the world, and the program culminates in a series of independent research projects that focus on a country or region of your selection, taking into account the historical, economic and sociocultural influences at play in order to recommend methods of improving conditions in the region. This research is not simply relevant to your work in the field, but is also applicable to the military’s body of knowledge of regions around the world. For a Norwich bachelor's degree, you must earn at least 120 semester credits, including transfer credits.

To view additional program details such as course offerings, requirements, and curriculum maps for the Strategic Studies & Defense Analysis program, visit the Norwich University Course Catalog using this link.

Major

The Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis program is an investment in your future that we can help you manage from a financial perspective. We work with military personnel each day to help them maximize their benefits.

There are many ways to get financial assistance and many strategies that can help you achieve your goals. Whatever your individual situation, we can guide you through the financial planning process.

Tuition at a Glance
Credit Hours: 30-120
Credits per Term: 3-12
Cost Per Credit Hour: $250 (active military)
Additional fees & discounts may apply.

Financial Aid Resources
Paying for your Education

Military Tuition Assistance

Military Scholarships and Aid

Norwich has a number of agreements in place with the military that can result in saving you time and money earning your degree. These partnerships expedite the evaluation of military training and previous coursework to allow maximum transfer credits into Norwich’s programs.

United States Service Academy Programs

As a graduate of a United States Service Academy, you will receive an exclusive pathway to a Master’s Degree. By combining your coursework and cadet training, graduates have the potential to receive as many as 12 credits to transfer into one of our many Master’s programs.

Army Transfer Credit

Norwich University offers college transfer credit based on your Army military experience and education, prior learning, workplace learning, professional courses and industry certification, and more. 

Defense Acquisition University (DAU)

Through the strategic partnership between the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and Norwich University, you can receive transfer credits for courses you have taken at DAU, bringing you closer to achieving your master’s degree. Qualified students may transfer six graduate credits toward either the project management concentration in the business administration or cybersecurity master's programs or the supply chain management and logistics concentration in the business administration program.

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC)

In order to allow for a smooth transition into Norwich’s online programs, Norwich signed an agreement with The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), which has awarded 15,000 Associate of Arts (AA) in Foreign Language Degrees, including to active and reserve U.S. Armed Forces. The DLIFLC will accept Norwich University courses applicable to their AA degree general education requirements, as well as Norwich will accept the full DLIFLC and partial credit fulfillments toward the requirements of a Norwich University bachelor’s degree program.

Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS)

Norwich University partnered with Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) so that service members can receive the maximum amount of credit transfer for training and military occupational specialties (MOS) into Norwich’s online Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis (SSDA) bachelor’s degree completion program. This process not only maximizes transfer credit, but it also reduces the total time and cost for service members to complete their degree program.

Joint Special Operations University (JSOU)

Norwich University is proud to have partnered with Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) so that joint Special Operations Force (SOF) operators have the opportunity to use previous training and education as transfer credit to enroll into one of Norwich’s online degree completion programs.

U.S. Navy Diver (EOD/ND)

To support US Navy Sailors completing Explosive Ordnance Disposal and US Navy Diver (EOD/ND) training, Norwich’s memorandum of agreement with the Navy Expeditionary Company Command (NECC)supports Sailors’ academic careers by guiding the application, evaluation, and enrollment process into the online Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis (SSDA) bachelor’s program.

U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA)

The memorandum of agreement with the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) provides SEA graduates with the opportunity to enter into a Norwich online bachelor’s degree program with limited transfer credit lost.