North Georgia College & State University has two new feathers in its cap.

In January, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved a Master of Arts in history for the state university and military college. Students may pursue a master’s degree in world history or military history.

The graduate-level history program makes the university one of only 20 universities in North America that offers a master’s degree in world history, according to Timothy May, a professor of Middle Eastern and Central Eurasian history at North Georgia.

The university also joins a handful of schools in the region to offer a master’s degree in military history.
The Dahlonega university also received approval to go forward with its online International Affairs master’s degree program. Dlynn Armstrong-Williams, North Georgia’s director of the Center for Global Engagement, said the International Affairs graduate degree is geared toward members of the military serving overseas.

She said the school’s first online-only degree program can steer students to military careers, the U.S. Department of State, international business or nonprofit humanitarian organizations.

May said few schools offer graduate-level world or military history degrees because the subjects often are relegated to college freshman courses. He said North Georgia’s new program will offer students a broader, more in-depth interpretation of history.

“It’s been a strong point of (our) history program for years,” May said of the world history program. “It permits them to view the world not in nice, neat packages.”

The graduate programs will provide students opportunities to learn the impact of wars on society through courses such as British or American military history. World history students can explore the interconnection of the world through topics such as trade by studying the Silk Road that once snaked across Asia to bring exotic goods to Europe.

With a greater understanding of humanity’s collective history, May said the history master’s degrees could open doors for students pursuing careers in the military or in federal or state government.

He said the military history degree is a great option for students pursuing a military career. The U.S. Army requires a soldier to hold at least a master’s degree to surpass the rank of major, he said.