What Makes Us Unique

Based in the Department of History, the SDSU Center for War and Society brings together scholars, students, and community members to support advanced research, teaching, and public engagement in the larger realm of peace, war, and armed conflict. Our goal is to establish SDSU as a nationally recognized center for the study and teaching of the relationships between societies and the experiences of war.

This aspiration is rooted in our history and the traditions of the region we serve. San Diego County is one of the largest active-duty military and veteran centers in the world, with more than one-hundred thousand active-duty personnel and almost a quarter-million veterans. It is home to storied institutions such as Naval Base San Diego, North Island Naval Air Station, Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Coast Guard Station San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and the USS Midway Museum. San Diego State University reflects this strength, with over 3,000 military affiliated students and national ranking among the nation’s best colleges for veterans. Finally, SDSU is located in a borderland region, intensely engaged with long-term historical questions of territoriality and national security.

The Center for War and Society also works closely with SDSU's new Center for Public and Oral History, making SDSU the only university in the country where one can simultaneously study war and society and public engagement with history through museums, the SDSU Veterans Oral History Project, and many other means. The History Department also hosts a Graduate Certificate Program in Public History, making SDSU a perfect choice for those considering careers in military history museums, historic sites, or as branch-based historians. For more information on Public and Oral History, please contact Professor David Cline, Director of the SDSU Center for Public and Oral History at [email protected].

 

Top image credit: Conning Tower, USS Dorado, Georges Schreiber. Courtesy of A View From the Periscope, Naval History and Heritage Command.