The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau as president.[1][2] It is located on the grounds of Fort Lesley McNair in Washington, D.C.
The university's mission is to prepare military and civilian leaders from the U.S. and other countries to better address national and international security challenges through multi-disciplinary educational programs, research, professional exchanges and outreach. The school's master's program is a one-year intensive study program.[1]
Most students are officers and selected civilians in Washington. Students take classes in advanced strategic methods and diplomacy. Several institutes serve the university in developing policies of the government, while also creating simulations and war games to help keep the military current with specific concerns.
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Before 1946, the U.S. Military relied on specially-created programs to meet specific needs. They also made use of smaller training programs elsewhere. The closer integration of military forces and increasing complexity of strategy and technology necessitated the foundation of The National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
To better integrate all the learning of the programs, Congress created the National Defense University in 1976. In 1981, the Joint Forces Staff College was created, followed by the Information Resources Management College the next year. In 1984, the university created the Institute for National Strategic Studies to meet the demand for military research. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, NDU has primarily expanded its research centers, to develop better strategy and a more comprehensive education program.
After the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the House Armed Services Committee Skelton Panel Report, the University decided to seek authority to grant master's degrees. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed into law a bill that allowed NDU to grant the degree of Master of Science in National Resource Strategy upon graduates of the Industrial College, and the Master of Science in National Security Strategy upon graduates of the National War College. The university is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
The National Defense University includes the following components:[1]
It also includes a number of special programs including Capstone, Pinnacle, Keystone, the Joint Reserve Affairs Center, the NATO Staff Officer Orientation Course, the International Student Management Office, the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program, the National Security Education Program, the Interagency Transformation Program, and the Center for Strategic Communications.
The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University.
It is located in Roosevelt Hall in Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. It was officially established on July 1, 1946 as an upgraded replacement for the Army-Navy Staff College, which operated from June 1943 to July 1946.
According to Lieutenant General Leonard T. Gerow, President of the Board which recommended its formation,[3]
| “ | The College is concerned with grand strategy and the utilization of the national resources necessary to implement that strategy... Its graduates will exercise a great influence on the formulation of national and foreign policy in both peace and war. | ” |
Most mid-level and senior military officers take a course of study at the War College in preparation for higher staff and command positions.
The College of International Security Affairs (CISA) is NDU’s focal point for interagency and international security education, promoting a common understanding among agencies, nations, and military services. The College presents qualified students with a Master of Arts (M.A.) Degree in Strategic Security Studies. Four areas of concentrations are currently available within the M.A. – Counterterrorism, Conflict Management of Stability Operations, Homeland Security and Defense, and International Security Studies. The College is home to NDU’s International Counterterrorism Fellowship Program. The ICTF program is the flagship of DoD's Regional Defense Combating Terrorism Fellowship (RDCTF) program – which brings roughly 50 counterterrorism specialists to the College each year from coalition partner countries.
INSS is the primary research institution of National Defense University. Its fellows conduct research regarding national security policy and design and conduct strategic gaming exercises. Because its goals for United States strategy aim for minimal conflict, the staff frequently hosts and visits the military research institutes of other nations, most importantly those of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Japan, and the Russian Federation. The meetings are meant to foster collaboration and understanding.
To provide a forum for the research conducted, INSS also publishes the Joint Forces Quarterly, a magazine that covers the specific issues related to national security and military strategy. Similarly, since the institute's establishment in 1984, the fellows have published hundreds of scholarly papers under the NDU Press imprint as well as other specialized journals and fellows frequently publish in the op-ed section of many papers.
NDU, as part of its mission offers several course programs for further education to selected officers and NCOs. Capstone, Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA), College of International Security Affairs (CISA), International Student Management Office (ISMO), National Security Education Program (NSEP), Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP), Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program (SDCFP), and the NATO Staff Officer Orientation Course (NSOOC).
The College of International Security Affairs
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