You’ve lived your life by the clock. You’ve shown up for duty in all kinds of conditions, and sometimes, danger is part of the job. But you signed up to serve, and you’ve understood and accepted the risks.

Now, it’s time to figure out your next step. How will you translate your valuable skills and your keen understanding of military culture to the job market in a way that supports your family? You're in the military—should you also join the population of military students? You’re a veteran—or you may soon be retiring or separating—but should you also be a veteran student? You got your BA, but you’ve heard that if you want to work in national security or government service as a civilian, a master’s degree is your leg up. How will you pay for this? Veteran student loans, GI Bill®, maybe another group? How can you locate military friendly colleges?

If you’re looking for a graduate degree program in which you can use your military background, American University—and the School of International Service (SIS)—can answer your questions and check all your boxes. Here are five great reasons why.

1. American University and the School of International Service are highly ranked, respected names in higher education.

   SIS graduate programs have long been ranked #8 among schools of international relations globally by Foreign Policy magazine. And American University ranks highly among best schools for veterans: AU ranked in the Top 75 (#69), nationally, for Best Colleges for Veterans (US News and World Report, 2023-24); and it ranked in the Top 10 (#4) among best colleges for veterans in Washington, DC, area (Niche.com).

2. SIS is a military-connected community, not just a school.

   At SIS, we know that the military culture is a unique one, and we know that finding people who understand the lifestyle, the sacrifices, and the choices you’ve made will enable you to be successful as a graduate student. No one should be an island, and at SIS, you’ll have a community connecting you to military resources in addition to the larger SIS community. AU has a complete set of resources for military-connected students. On our campus, you’ll find both a veteran’s services support network and a veteran’s lounge, so you’re sure to connect with other veteran students.

3. At SIS, we want your experience in our classrooms.

   Every class you take as a graduate student depends on the experiences of its students to help define it. A class with military-connected students is imbued with a richness of understanding, whether gained from duty stations abroad or from the process of maintaining a constant state of mission readiness. When you step into an SIS graduate class, we don’t want you to leave your experience at the door; we want you to share lessons learned from safeguarding the nation’s security. We want those lived experiences to help inform discussions and raise the bar for everyone.

   “SIS is an excellent place to think hard about force and war. One big reason is the student body, a mix of military veterans and civilians pursuing careers in national defense,” says SIS professor Joshua Rovner, an expert in intelligence, military strategy, and American foreign policy who writes regularly for War On The Rocks. “Military students bring a wealth of experience to the classroom, which is vital for those seeking to make a practical impact. They also tend to be curious—they want to know how their careers fit into a bigger story about international politics. Classroom discussions are best when military and civilian students get past the pleasantries and start digging for answers. Their conversations benefit everyone.”

4. You can study whatever you like.

   We know that many of our military-connected students want to leverage their experiences into graduate degrees in US foreign policy, national security, cybersecurity, global security, or another area of security studies. You can do that at SIS, and we’ve got faculty here to encourage you.

   So, you can study security, but you can also study other areas of international relations. Some of our military-connected students find that their time in service leaves them wanting to get at the root causes of conflict—to help avert conflict before it erupts. They might want to turn their experience into a degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. Or someone may have come to believe that alleviating poverty is a way to meet basic human needs before desperation ignites violence. They may be inspired to work in International Development. And some servicemembers and veterans believe that climate change is the most severe threat to American security interests, and they want to study and work in Global Environmental Policy.

   The graduate degree options at SIS are as varied as our servicemembers and veterans are.

5. SIS is connected to organizations specifically set up to help you pay for graduate school.

   As a servicemember, veteran, or qualified dependent, there are numerous resources to help you figure out financing and pay for graduate school. There are specific scholarships for veteran students and scholarships for military students. Organizations and programs like the Yellow Ribbon Program and the Pat Tillman Foundation know that the experiences and values of service and commitment from US military families are priceless.

   Says Rebecca Coughlin, SIS Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment Management, “Our partnership with the Pat Tillman Scholars Program has been established because we know the value that our military students add to our learning environment. We want to bring more military-connected students into our community, and we do our best to work with partners to help reduce the financial barriers to pursuing graduate school.”

   There are numerous resources to help you figure out the best way to use your GI Bill® benefits. You can look at AU’s veterans resources site for help, and you can always turn to the Veteran’s Affairs website.

   In whatever way you choose you pursue your goals as a civilian, you know that your military service will inform and improve your performance. Also, please know that American University and the School of International Service are grateful and appreciative of that service, and we thank you.