Naval Command and Staff Program & JPME Phase I

The Naval Command and Staff (NC&S) online program educates students on the fundamentals of U.S. national security policy, military strategy, and the relationship between them. The program is organized into five educational modules and all modules must be completed to earn Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I credit.
 Lt. Cdr. Alex Rose, left, and Cmdr. Grant Bryan, commanding officer of the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), prepare for a condition two damage control drill. Barry is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is underway supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

General Information

Eligibility

Active and reserve officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard must be in the grade of O3 and above. Active and reserve officers in other military services must be in the grade of O4 and above. In addition, defense-related civilian applicants (GS11 and above) are eligible for enrollment. All applicants applying for this program must possess a Baccalaureate Degree.

Location & Duration

Classes are taught using Blackboard, the Learning Management System, and students can take these classes anywhere using a compatible computer or mobile device. The duration of this program typically lasts 40 weeks.

Learning Format

Courses are primarily taught using online discussion boards, group projects, individual essays, and other assignments.

Outcome

Students that complete the Online Program are awarded JPME Phase I credit.

Program Structure

NC&S Program

Module 1: Fundamentals of Strategy

Required | Core Course
Disciplines of history, political science, and international relations, along with military factors from the profession of arms are integrated into a coherent approach that provides students with a conceptual frame of reference to analyze and formulate military strategies to address them.

Module 2: The Security Environment

Required | Core Course
Students will learn what it means to be a professional serving in today’s rapidly evolving national and international security environment. They will be introduced to the moral and ethical dimensions of being a professional serving in the defense of our nation.

Module 3: Operational Art

Required | Core Course
This block provides the student a disciplined, cognitive foundation for solving military problems: Operational Art. This is a conceptual approach towards creating conditions that, together, will achieve designated objectives.

Module 4: Joint Capabilities

Required | Core Course
Students will learn the proper employment of naval and joint capabilities at the operational level of war. Initial sessions introduce the warfighting organizational options, capabilities, doctrine, and planning considerations when employing all the Services and Special Operations Forces in a joint/multinational effort at the operational level of war.

Module 5: Joint Planning Process

Required | Core Course
Students will address the topics and processes necessary for understanding and planning today’s military security challenges. The intent of the sessions in this block is to synthesize all previous instruction into practical application.

Incoming Students

Contact Information

Manager, Online Programs

More Information

The Online Program is offered four times per year; interested applicants must submit an online application for review to determine if the student meets the eligibility requirements.

Students of U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) 2017 graduating class participate in a commencement ceremony at NWC in Newport, Rhode Island.
Students of U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) 2017 graduating class participate in a commencement ceremony at NWC in Newport, Rhode Island. The graduating class of 2017 included 423 resident students of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, federal civilian employees and 105 international students. Additionally, 1,079 students completed coursework through NWC’s College of Distance Education programs. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jaima Fogg/Released)