Pepperdine University Named Department of War Senior Service College Fellowship Program Partner
MALIBU, California – Pepperdine University’s Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation has been
approved to deliver the Department of War’s Senior Service College (SSC) Fellowship
program for the 2027-2028 academic year and beyond.
“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 Pepperdine president Jim Gash. "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."
At Pepperdine, the SSC Fellowship program 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.
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.
“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 Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata. “Together, we will ensure that our warfighters have the strategic edge required to successfully meet mission objectives and achieve peace through strength.”
“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 Dr. Kiron 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.”
Pepperdine has been serving veterans and their family members for more than 80 years and is proud of the veterans and family members who currently attend our six schools. Since World War II, Pepperdine has attributed its growth, in part, to service members who sought the higher education needed to pursue new professions, as well as an experience at an institution that values faith and academic excellence.
Today, Pepperdine supports over 500 enrolled veterans, service members, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, and their dependents. Pepperdine is also an enthusiastic participant in the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program), proudly offering tuition support (almost $3 million annually) to Yellow Ribbon-eligible students.
About Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is a private Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in Malibu, California. Rooted in the Christian tradition, Pepperdine is committed to the relentless pursuit of truth through academic and scholarly excellence and to embodying Christian faith and values. With students at the heart of the educational enterprise, the University prepares approximately 9,000 scholars for lives of purpose, service, and leadership across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College, the Pepperdine College of Health Science; and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy.
About The Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation
The Institute for Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation at Pepperdine University was established to bridge the gap between intellectual and policy ideas and decision making in a rapidly evolving global order. Under the leadership of Kiron Skinner, Pepperdine's inaugural Taube Family Chair of International Relations and Politics, the institute achieves this goal through guiding priorities organized around the concepts of a new geography and American grand strategy that are specifically tailored to 21st-century domestic and geopolitical realities. The activities of the institute include convenings such as seminars, conferences, and summits. The institute also publishes research-based and opinion essays in its Journal of Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation. With the launch of this institute, Pepperdine continues to serve as a global leader in higher education, deepening its expertise and scholarship in foreign policy and national security.
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