The Department of Defense is ending all professional military education, fellowship, and certificate programs with Harvard University, saying the school no longer aligns with military needs and labeling it “woke.”

Current service members already enrolled can finish their studies, but no new participants will be accepted starting in the 2026–27 academic year.

This move is problematic for the military because access to Ivy League and other top-tier academic institutions has long helped cultivate strategic thinking, critical analysis skills, and uniquely global perspectives among officers—advantages that can improve leadership and decision-making in complex security environments.

Cutting these ties risks narrowing educational opportunities for service members and could weaken long-term talent development just as adversaries become more intellectually competitive. Additionally, it may limit military exposure to cutting-edge research and collaborations that can enhance national defense innovation.

"[We] will evaluate all existing graduate programs for active-duty service members at all Ivy League universities and other civilian universities," Hegseth said. "The goal is to determine whether or not they actually deliver cost-effective strategic education for future senior leaders when compared to, say, public universities and our military graduate programs."