For assistance with Research Topics contact:
Sarah Matei, MLS; Academic Research Reference Librarian
or Amanda Oakley, MLIS; Virtual Reference Librarian
*If applying to both NDU and NPS, applicant must submit TWO SEPERATE PORTFOLIOS/APPLICATIONS with the corresponding documents. One portfolio for both schools will not be accepted.
In 2010, the United States Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, in partnership with the National Defense University (NDU), began offering a fully accredited program for special operations personnel from all services. The 10-month, full-time, in-residence program at Fort Bragg is highly selective and renowned for its rigor and research focus.
The program mirrors the Master's degree offered by NDU’s College of International Security Affairs (CISA) at Fort McNair. CISA educates joint warfighters, national security leaders, and partners and allies in the theory and application of irregular warfare, building highly skilled irregular warfare strategists. CISA graduates are prepared to confront irregular threats in the current era of great power competition, countering both state and non-state adversaries in all domains, including the information environment, and across the continuum of competition and war.
The NDU Master's Degree in Strategic Security Studies with a concentration in irregular warfare is offered to eligible Non-Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, Officers from all Special Operations Branches and support personnel assigned to a Special Operations Unit, regardless of MOS. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must be top performers and have extraordinary potential for future service. All students incur a service obligation upon degree completion. Army Officers and Warrant Officers incur a three-for-one-active-duty service obligation (ADSO) IAW 350-100 and Noncommissioned Officers incur a service remaining requirements (SRR) IAW AR 614-200.
Interested Soldiers should reach out by email to the USAJFKSWCS Education Office: louanna.o.castleman.civ@socom.mil
Must be on assignment to and/or slated to return to a Special Operations organization.
Must not have a graduate degree paid for by the U.S. Army (excluding Tuition Assistance and GI Bill).
Must have a undergraduate degree from a REGIONALLY accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Candidates lacking a 2.5 GPA may pursue a waiver.
Must meet Army height and weight standards.
Must not be pending any adverse actions at any time during this process.
Must be able to complete program without interruption.
Attending Assessment and Selection will be allowed on a case-by-case basis during the Spring term only.
Eligible Officers who have an Active-Duty Date of Rank (ADOR) to Captain that fall within the zones below are eligible to apply.
Above Zone: 01 SEP 2017 and earlier
In Zone: 02 SEP 2017 THRU 01 SEP 2018
Below Zone: 02 SEP 2018 THRU 30 SEP 2020
For Captains in the zone of consideration for Major, final selection are deemed conditional and are determinate upon release of the Major Promotion Selection Board (PSB) results. This does not apply to KD qualified Captains.
The JSOMA program awards credit for the Advanced Operations Course (AOC) for Officer applicants. AOC credit only applies to Officers selected by the MAJ PSB. They are still required to complete the Intermediate Level Common Core Course separately to achieve MEL-4.
Special Forces Warrant Officers (180A) must be in pay grade of W2 with three years time in grade at the time of submission, or CW4 with less than two years time in grade when classes begin.
Must have a minimum of 36 months of documented service on an ODA and possess the requisite operational experience to serve in assignments at Battalion levels and above.
Must be recommended by their Group Commander/Deputy Commander (if in a TDA assignment, MOS 180As must also be recommended by the first O-6 in their current chain of command).
Must have completed the Special Forces Warrant Officer Advance Course (SFWOAC).
Must have completed appropriate Noncommissioned Officer educational programs for grade and years of service.
IAW AR 621-1, NCOs mst have no less than 6 years and no more than 13 years time in service (TIS) as of the report date to the academic institution. NCOs with more than 13 years TIS can request a waiver.
Must be indefinite or have sufficient enlistment remaining equal to or greater than three times the length of the requested schooling.
Must be in the grade of E-6 or above.
Upon graduation from the NDU program, the follow-on assignment for CMF 18, 37, and 38 NCO's will be to a designated Army Education Requirements billet (code 98).
Document List
Documents MUST be submitted in your portfolio in this order. Documents should be named with the corresponding document number. For document download, click on the link. For further instructions, see "Packet Portfolio Instructions" below.
APPLICATION FOR 2025 IS NOW OPEN
Eligible ARSOF ILE Resident-Select Officers may apply to attend an 18-month master's degree program at the Naval Postgraduate School within the Department of Defense Analysis in Monterey, California. NPS is a regionally accredited institution offering curriculums that provide transformative graduate education experiences through interdisciplinary, academically rigorous course offerings and cutting-edge research, all sharply focused on solving complex operational, strategic, and global security challenges for decisive advantages regardless of domain. Graduates earn a Master of Science in Defense Analysis in one of three specialty tracks: Applied Design for Innovation (697), Information Strategy and Political Warfare (698), or Irregular Warfare (699).
OFFICERS in 37A/38S/18A CMF only. Applicants must be top performers and have extraordinary potential for future Army service. Applicants must be able to complete program without interruption. All students incur a service obligation upon degree completion. Officers incur a three-for-one active-duty service obligation (ADSO) IAW 350-100.
Interested Soldiers should contact by email the USAJFKSWCS Education Office
Must be on assignment to and/or slated to return to a Special Operations organization.
Open to certain eligible ARSOF (18A/37A/38S) Officers, Warrant Officers, Noncommissioned Officers, and is subject to availability of funds.
Must not have a graduate degree paid for by the U.S. Army (excluding Tuition Assistance and GI Bill).
Must have a undergraduate degree from a REGIONALLY accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Candidates lacking a 2.5 GPA may pursue a waiver.
Must meet Army height and weight standards.
Must not be pending any adverse actions at any time during this process.
Must be able to complete program without interruption.
Eligible Officers who have an Active-Duty Date of Rank (ADOR) to Captain that fall within the zones below are eligible to apply.
Above Zone: 01 SEP 2017 and earlier
In Zone: 02 SEP 2017 THRU 01 SEP 2018
Below Zone: 02 SEP 2018 THRU 30 SEP 2020
NPS final selection is conditional and are determinate upon release of the Major Promotion Selection Board results.
Special Forces Warrant Officers (180A) must be in pay grade of W2 with three years’ time in grade at the time of submission, or CW4 with less than two years’ time in grade when classes begin.
Must have a minimum of 36 months of documented service on an ODA and possess the requisite operational experience to serve in assignments at Battalion levels and above.
Must be recommended by their Group Commander/Deputy Commander (if in a TDA assignment, MOS 180As must also be recommended by the first O-6 in their current chain of command).
Must have completed the Special Forces Warrant Officer Advance Course (SFWOAC).
Document List
Documents MUST be submitted in your portfolio in this order. Documents should be named with the corresponding document number. For document download, click on the link. For further instructions, see "Packet Portfolio Instructions" below.
Special NPS ONLY Instructions
NPS Conditional Letter of Acceptance
To receive the acceptance letter, candidates must apply online to NPS at http://www.nps.edu/academics/admissions/criteria/activemilitary.html
Click on “Prospective Students” then scroll on the left, under Eligibility and General Information “Officers” “U.S. Army” --select to view the application process.
ARSOF applicants are only permitted to select either the 697, 698 or 699 curriculum, all other curriculum choices shown on acceptance letters are unavailable for ARSOF personnel.
Official Transcripts
Once your application to NPS is received, you will be asked to submit your official transcripts to NPS.
TRANSCRIPTS SENT TO NPS ARE NOT SHARED WITH DR CASTLEMAN. YOU MUST SEND THEM TO DR. CASTLEMAN AND NPS.
All documents, other than official transcripts, must be submitted as a single PDF portfolio.
For the list of documents required, see above. For instructions on naming those documents, official transcript submission, and how to create a PDF portfolio see below.
Transcript Instructions:
To be considered we MUST have your Bachelors transcript. Transcripts must be:
a) You may have your transcripts electronically transferred to Dr. Louanna Castleman at Louanna.o.castleman.civ@socom.mil from the National Student Clearinghouse or by going to your college or university’s website and ordering them there. Transcripts emailed from your personal or work email will not be considered official.
OR
b) You may also bring copies in officially sealed envelopes or have officially sealed transcripts mailed to:
USAJFKSWCS; AOJK – DTE
ATTN: Dr. Louanna Castleman
3004 Ardennes Street Stop A
Fort Liberty, North Carolina 28310
Transcripts transferred from your personal/work email will not be considered official. Do not attach copies of your transcripts in your portfolio. Failure to follow these instructions will result in your portfolio being returned.
Naming Convention: All documents should be named according to the following rules:
PORTFOLIO:
[NDU/NPS]_[Last Name]_[First Name]_[Middle Initial].pdf
Examples:
NDU_Walden_Mark_B.pdf
NPS_Smith_John_nmn.pdf (Put "nmn" if you do not have a middle name)
INDIVIDUAL FILES IN THE PORTFOLIO:
[doc #]_[Last Name_First Name_Middle Initial].pdf (see document list above or the COVER SHEET for [doc #])
Examples:
Research Interest Statement:
Example 2: 6_Smith_John_nmn_pdf
OER & NCOER - most recent first: (add date of document to the name)
3_Walden_Mark_B_20230321.pdf
3_Walden_Mark_B_20210422.pdf
PORTFOLIO CREATION INSTRUCTION: NOTE- Requires Adobe Pro available on government computer
A. Start Acrobat and choose File > Create > PDF Portfolio.
B. Drag files into the Create PDF Portfolio dialog box or click the Add Files
C. Click Create to add the files to the PDF Portfoliomenu.
You can watch the Youtube video in the box below for step-by-step Portfolio creation instruction in Adobe Pro.
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