Exploring The War College's Role In Starfleet Academy

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 2 – “Beta Test”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, surprisingly, introduces a second school called the War College. Directed by Alex Kurtzman, and written by Noga Landau and Jane Maggs, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 2, “Beta Test,” follows up Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) bringing Starfleet Academy to San Francisco on Earth.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, episode 2 kicks off with Captain Ake addressing the first command class of Starfleet Academy to study on Earth since The Burn 120 years ago. Starfleet Academy’s fall semester begins by hosting tense negotiations between the United Federation of Planets and the President of Betazed (Anthony Natale).

However, Starfleet Academy’s cadets aren’t alone at their scenic new San Francisco campus. Starfleet Academy shares the USS Athena with the students of the War College, which is both an new and old idea in Star Trek.

Star Trek’s War College & Differences From Starfleet Academy Explained

The War College is the university that took Starfleet Academy’s place in the Federation. When The Burn happened, which destroyed all dilithium in the galaxy and made warp travel impossible, the Federation broke apart. United Earth expelled Starfleet and the Federation, closing down Starfleet Academy.

The Federation created the War College to fulfill a different purpose in the post-Burn galaxy. Whereas Starfleet Academy trained explorers, the War College trained cadets to defend the Federation from its enemies. Exploration was no longer the main principle of Starfleet; instead, protecting itself from external threats became the Federation’s top priority.

Although Starfleet Academy has been reopened, the Federation still trains cadets whose main mission is combat instead of higher scientific pursuits. Thus, the War College, which is overseen by its Chancellor, Commander Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja), now exists side-by-side with Starfleet Academy.

The War College and Starfleet Academy are now sister schools and friendly rivals.

The War College and Starfleet Academy are now sister schools and friendly rivals, but their cadets are training to become Starfleet Officers to serve the Federation. Interestingly, Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner), the daughter of Betazed’s President, chose to enroll in the War College instead of Starfleet Academy, despite her mutual romantic interest in Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta).

War College Calls Back To A Star Trek: Enterprise Idea

The War College seems new to Star Trek, but it’s derived from a concept in Star Trek: The Role Playing Game. Published by FASA Corporation from 1982 to 1989, Star Trek: The Role Playing Game introduced the Starfleet War College, which specialized in training cadets in tactical operations and combat.

The black-suited War College cadets also evoke the MACOs in Star Trek: Enterprise. In the 22nd century, the MACOs (Military Assault Command Operations) were a combat division of Starfleet, essentially heavily armed space marines.

In Star Trek Beyond‘s alternate Kelvin Timeline, Balthazar Edison (Idris Elba), was a former MACO-turned-Starfleet Captain before he mutated into the villainous Krall.

The MACOs were assigned to the NX-01 Enterprise to assist Captain Jonathan Archer’s (Scott Bakula) mission to the Expanse to find and exact revenge on the Xindi for attacking Earth.

In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s post-Burn 32nd century, the Federation is rebuilding as former member worlds like Betazed rejoin, and exploration is once again Starfleet’s primary mission.

Yet the galaxy continues to be a dangerous place in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and there are fears of another Burn, making Starfleet combat officers trained at the War College still necessary.