The Beginnings
Before World War II, American scholarship in the profession of arms matured in each of the military services more or less independently. Requirements for further studies for leaders of the Nation's land, sea, and air forces were met as they arose-and with distinction-by postgraduate colleges set up by and for the respective services. The 20th century imposed a growing need for closer ties between force and diplomacy, between America's military services and the industrial plant that arms them, and particularly among our military centers of higher learning and research. This need prompted the formation of joint schools after World War II. Two new colleges, the National War College (NWC) and the Armed Forces Staff College, now Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), were created. A third institution's name was changed to emphasize its joint nature. Thus, the Army Industrial College, established in 1924, officially became the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).

Five Colleges and Schools
In 1976, ICAF and NWC were brought into one joint educational institution when the National Defense University became a historic pooling of our defense community's intellectual resources. They were joined in 1981 by JFSC and a year later by the Department of Defense Computer Institute, now the Information Resources Management College (IRMC). In 2002, the School for National Security Executive Education (SNSEE) expanded its International Counter Terrorism Fellows (ICTF) program into interagency education and became the fifth NDU teaching component. Although these five colleges and schools lie at the heart of the University's educational mission, the last two decades have seen marked growth and many innovations in the University's own support and research functions. The University has doubled the elective courses offered by its Colleges, upgraded its faculty's credentials, and, in 1984, expanded its research programs by creating the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS).

Research Centers
Since 1994, the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (originally called the Center for Counterproliferation Research) has helped the Department of Defense and other U.S. Government agencies to understand the security implications of WMD proliferation, fashion effective responses, and educate their emerging leaders on these challenges. The mission of the Interagency Transformation, Education and Analysis (ITEA) Program, established in 1997, is to improve coordination among U.S. Government executive branch departments and agencies and serves as the natural focal point for innovation in education, research, and gaming that addresses interagency planning and response to complex crises at home and abroad. The Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs was established at NDU in 2000. The mission of the Center is to serve as a national focal point and resource center for multidisciplinary research and analytic exchanges on the national goals and strategic posture of the People's Republic of China and the ability of that nation to develop, field, and deploy an effective military instrument in support of its national strategic objectives. The Center for Technology and National Security was established in 2001 to study the implications of technological innovation for U.S. national security policy and military planning.

Degree Granting and Accreditation
Following the Congressional legislation known as the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) and the House Armed Services Committee Skelton Panel Report (1989), the University decided to seek authority to grant master's degrees to graduates of the Industrial College and the National War College. The United States Department of Education conducted an extensive review of both programs and, in 1992, so recommended to Congress. On November 30, 1993, President William Clinton signed legislation providing the president of NDU the authority to confer the degree of Master of Science in National Resource Strategy upon graduates of the Industrial College, and the Master of Science in National Security Strategy upon graduates of the National War College. Degrees were conferred for the first time at graduation ceremonies on June 15, 1994. In 2006, the School for National Security Executive Education initiated the process to obtain Master's degree-granting authority for an M.A. in Strategic Security Studies. In December 2006, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity unanimously recommended to the Secretary of Education that degree authority be granted. Initiation of congressional authorization began in spring 2007. The University is accredited with the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association. Initial accreditation was granted on February 20, 1997. In accordance with the Middle States Association policy, those degrees awarded from academic year 1994-1995 forward are accredited.

Over the last decade, the university's mission has grown dramatically. It now provides not only the nation's premier joint military education, but also conducts outreach programs across every continent, and serves as a primary research and policy development institution for the Department of Defense. As the University moves into the new century, it continues to expand and refine its approach to education, research, and outreach in order to provide the nation's leaders the tools necessary to successfully sustain our nation's position within the world community.