300 Fifth Ave. SW, Marshall Hall
Washington, D.C. 20319

National Defense University is a graduate level university, offering an educational and research environment to future military leaders in the armed services, State Department, various U.S. agencies, and other nations for high level policy, command, and staff responsibilities through a joint military degree program.

National Defense University's students can pursue areas of study through its five schools, which include the Industrial college of Armed Forces, Information Resources Management college, Joint Forces Staff College, National War College, and School for National Security Executive Education. The university's research centers create policy analyses and provide research and other support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commanders from major military commands and other government agencies.

Quick Facts

The average age of a National Security University student is 42 years old. The average rank is senior lieutenant colonel/Navy commander and junior colonel/Navy captain with 20 years of service or equivalent.

Sixty-six percent of students are military officers representing all U.S. military branches, and the remainder are from United States government agencies, industry, or international students.

The Industrial College of Armed Forces enrolls 320 students and the National War College enrolls 224 students. The Joint Forces Staff College enrolls 1,500 students, who complete the 10-week Joint and Combined Warfighting School and 32 complete the 10 month Joint Advanced Warfighting School annually.

Each year, through the Information Resources Management College, 3,000 students attend Chief Information Officer, Advanced Management Program, and a number of short intensive learning courses.

The School for National Security Executive Education has 32 full-time Counterterrorism Fellows and 300 part-time seats every year.

National Defense University has more than 1,000 students attending on any given day.

National Defense University's academic programs include national security strategy and policy, national resource management, information strategy, warfare, and resource management, joint and multinational campaign planning and warfighting, acquisition, and interagency.

National Defense University has a one year fellowship, where a select group of senior officers who have demonstrated leadership potential within their own military from more than 60 countries, study and conduct research at the university. About 15 international officers attend the program each year and more than 140 international students take other courses.

The university holds more than 500 conferences, symposia, and workshops every year. The university has 20,000 visitors, and 350 conference presentations and 120 faculty and staff publications.

National Defense University Press is award-winning and publishes a quarterly national security journal for the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, titled Joint Force Quarterly.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.