Tarleton State University set to launch College of Leadership and Military Studies Sept. 1.
TSU Media Relations
Special to Beneath the Surface News
Tarleton State University will introduce its eighth academic college Sept. 1 when the Leadership and Military College becomes the College of Leadership and Military Studies, building on the university’s military legacy of over 100 years.
Col. Doug Simon, dean and commandant of cadets at Tarleton State since 2022, will lead the college.
A veteran of Operations Joint Forge and Iraqi Freedom, Col. Simon was awarded the Bronze Star for combat service.
In addition to the current bachelor’s degree in leadership and strategic studies, plans for the new college include a Center of Leadership and Strategic Studies and a Master of Science degree in leadership and strategic studies.
Applications are to be presented for approval by The Texas A&M System this summer. The leadership center will be proposed to begin operations in fall 2025, with the master’s program in leadership and strategic studies launching in spring 2026.
These academic and co-curricular experiences will provide cadets and students with opportunities to explore an exciting field of study and pave the way for rewarding careers in the Armed Forces and defense-related agencies or industries.
“As a first time in college student, my pathway for upward social mobility rested with education and the military,” said Col. Simon.
“I currently do both, serving as an educator with 25 years of experience and in the military with 35 years of service.
"My experience has taught me that higher education and the military are powerful forces in how they can transform lives, and the college and its constituent elements are designed to foster that transformation so that our cadets and students can become tomorrow’s leaders.”
The College of Leadership and Military Studies is one element of a larger vision mapped out by President Dr. James Hurley to achieve the Senior Military College designation for Tarleton State.
Earlier this year, the university attained the silver-level Military Friendly® Campus designation, signifying its investment in initiatives that improve the lives of veterans.
“The creation of the college is not only a recognition of the university’s rich military history, but it also projects what the future holds with achieving Senior Military College designation, an elite status that only six universities in the United States currently enjoy,” Col. Simon said.
“To achieve Senior Military College designation would position Tarleton State as an incredibly distinctive university offering a unique education while fostering enduring tangible life outcomes.”
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