Pepperdine University Named Department of War Senior Service College Fellowship Program Partner

Pepperdine University’s Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation has been approved to deliver a Senior Service College (SSC) Fellowship program for the 2027–28 academic year and beyond, in partnership with the United States Department of War. 

The SSC fellowship at Pepperdine will develop principled, courageous leaders of character who are prepared to command with confidence in times of crisis and war. The program will provide a rigorous 10-month educational experience and will deepen fellows’ understanding of critical geopolitical regions, military command, and leadership in war. Through advanced academic study, professional writing, dialogue with leading academic and policy experts, and opportunities to exercise critical thinking and judgment, fellows will prepare to lead amid disruption, innovation, and rapidly changing global conditions. 

Dr. Kiron Skinner

“At Pepperdine, we believe higher education exists to prepare students for exceptional lives of purpose, service, and leadership, and those who serve in the Armed Forces are doing just that,” said Jim Gash (JD ’93), president of Pepperdine. “We are deeply honored that the Pentagon has selected Pepperdine to host senior military leaders through its Senior Service College Fellowship, and we are committed to providing the highest standard of academic excellence as they prepare for even greater responsibility.” 

The fellowship will be led by the Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation, along with its founding director, Dr. Kiron Skinner, the Taube Family Chair of International Relations and Politics at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. Skinner is a renowned scholar, diplomat, cybersecurity expert, and former State Department and Pentagon official.

“America’s national security depends on senior military leaders who can look beyond the immediate crisis and think strategically about the changing character of war,” said Skinner. “This fellowship will engage accomplished leaders in applied history, emerging technologies, and the geopolitical realities shaping the global security environment, preparing them to translate theory into sound strategy, strengthen deterrence, and prevail against those who threaten our nation.”

Across all host universities, fellows selected are talented military officers and rising leaders in the Department of War, typically lieutenant colonels or colonels with more than 20 years of related experience. 

Academic study will consist of core courses, electives, and a strategic research project, typically concluding with a final monograph on a key aspect of national security. Under this framework, strategic leadership, national security policy, international relations, emerging technology, military history, public policy, and other elements or levers of national power, such as business, economics, and strategic communications, will be examined.

“At the direction of Secretary Hegseth, the Department of War is partnering with world-class American universities that share our commitment to the warrior ethos, meritocracy, intellectual freedom, and excellence. We are proud to collaborate with Pepperdine University and its prestigious Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation to establish a challenging new Senior Service College Fellowship Program for our military officers,”  said Anthony J. Tata, under secretary of war for personnel and readiness. “Together, we will ensure that our warfighters have the strategic edge required to successfully meet mission objectives and achieve peace through strength.”

Pepperdine student veterans in front of the Malibu campus

Pepperdine has been serving former members of the Armed Forces and their families since its founding nearly 90 years ago. Currently, the University is actively engaged in supporting more than 500 enrolled veterans, service members, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, and their dependents. Since World War II, Pepperdine has attributed its growth, in part, to service members who were seeking the higher education and training needed to pursue new professions, as well as an experience at an institution that values faith and academic excellence.