College of Naval Warfare
Prestige, professional development, and advancement.
The selective, residential program at the College of Naval Warfare attracts educated officers with outstanding career performance records. Services and federal agencies nominate senior military and civilian professionals for admission based on their potential for greater leadership responsibility.
College of Naval Warfare Program
Strategic and academic preparation
At our Newport campus, you’ll fulfill your Joint Professional Military Education Phase II credit requirement, and you can also earn a master’s degree. The 10-month program is split into three trimesters, spanning both classroom-style and real-world learning opportunities—and you’ll prepare for higher responsibilities as a senior officer or for executive-level civilian leadership.
Core Curriculum
You will focus on four core subject areas: national security decision making, strategy and policy, joint military operations, and Leadership in the Profession of Arms.
View CoreElective Courses
Enrich your education with electives that fit your career interests. Choose from more than 120 courses, from Anthropology of War to Science, Technology, and Strategy.
Learn MoreAcademic Opportunities
Broaden your understanding of war (and peace) by pursuing group or independent research, and learn from military thought-leaders by attending our conferences and seminars.
Learn MoreIncoming Students
More Information
Next Steps:
Prepare for your arrival at the College of Naval Warfare-and see what others have done after graduating.
Featured Faculty
Robert Dirga
Cmdr. Dirga is a naval intelligence officer and former submarine officer with a career focus on the Asia-Pacific region. He has served on ships and staffs at every level of command within the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. His areas of concentration include Chinese and North Korean military and government analysis, operational intelligence, and operational and strategic planning.
Bradley S. Hawksworth
Brad Hawksworth was commissioned into the U.S. Navy via ROTC and served 24 years as a Surface Warfare Officer. He has deployed to the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Caribbean, Middle East, and Western Pacific. Ashore, he served as an instructor at Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic and at Surface Warfare Officer School, and finished his career as the Officer in Charge of the Department of Naval Science at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2020. He is a Doctoral Candidate in International Relations and holds an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership. He is currently a professor in the College of Distance Education.