From a small program consisting of ten officer students and two navy instructors in 1901, the Naval Postgraduate School came to be. It was known as the Postgraduate Department of the Naval Academy in 1912. When it became apparent that the existing facilities of the Naval Academy at Annapolis can no longer serve the growing needs of the school, congress authorized the purchase of Hotel Del Monte plus 627 acres of surrounding land to serve as the site of the school’s independent campus. It is located at 1 University Circle, Monterey, California.
The Naval Postgraduate School puts emphasis on the study and research programs relevant to the interests of the arms of the Department of Defense, specifically the Navy. Nearly 1,500 students comprised of officers from the five US uniformed services and officers from at least 30 other countries and some civilian employees are presently enrolled in the various programs offered by the school. Majority of the faculty members are civilians and come from different educational institutions. Ninety-nine percent of the faculty members hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degrees in their fields.
Degree programs offered by the Naval Postgraduate School include the Master of Arts, the Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, Engineering Degree, Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Engineering. Since research is one of the major goals of the school, it is conducted in every academic department within its graduate schools. The School of International Graduate Studies has departments under it including National Security Affairs, Center for Civil Military Relations and Defense Resource Management Institute. The Graduate School of Operational and Information Sciences has the Computer Science, Defense Analysis, Information Science and Operations Research Departments. The Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences maintains its eight departments comprised of Applied Mathematics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Astronomical Engineering, Meteorology, Physics, Oceanography, Space Systems and Systems Engineering. The Graduate School of Business and Public Policy completes the Schools and Colleges which comprise the Naval Postgraduate School.