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U.S. Naval Officers
Selection for the Navy's fully funded graduate education program is based on outstanding professional performance, promotion potential and a strong academic background. Officers interested in this program should contact their assignment officers to determine professional qualification status. All applications for APC calculation should be initiated here. Upon determination of academic qualification (by NPS), individuals are eligible for assignment. Officers who are professionally qualified but lack academic qualifications should contact us for information on ways to improve their academic backgrounds.
U.S. Army Officers
Army officers applying to NPS should request an Academic Profile Code (APC) review online for the purpose of prescreening prior to applying to Army Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS), or following Expanded Graduate School Program (EGSP) selection and slating, for an advanced academic degree program offered at NPS. Requesting an APC review in advance of applying to an ACS training agency will assist in the selection process and will expedite the formal NPS admissions process after an officer has been selected by the Army. Officers interested in fully funded education at NPS should provide their training agencies (branch, functional area, USMA, etc.) copies of all college transcripts, current (less than five years old) Graduate Records Examination (GRE) and/or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores and a copy of their NPS conditional acceptance letter (APC review results) when submitting their ACS applications.
Army officers applying for admission to the Department of National Security Affairs must include scores from the Graduate Record Examination, taken within five years of the date of application.
U.S. Air Force Officers
Selection for the Air Force's fully funded graduate education program (assigned to AFIT as a full-time student wherein all tuition costs are paid by the Air Force) is based upon professional performance, promotion potential, and academic background. Interested Air Force officers must contact their assignment team at Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) to determine professional qualification status and potential AFIT-sponsored graduate education opportunities available in their career fields. Air Force officers wishing to apply for an AFIT-sponsored graduate program must make their desires known to AFPC and follow AFPC application procedures (generally update your Airman Development Plan (ADP) and submit Air Force Form 3849 to your assignments officer).
To determine eligibility for an NPS curriculum, Air Force officers should apply online, requesting an Academic Profile Code (APC) review for the purpose of prescreening from the NPS Admissions Office prior to applying to AFPC. Officers should submit a copy of their NPS conditional acceptance letters along with their AF Form 3849 application to AFPC and also maintain a copy in their personal records for future use if selected.
Air Force officers applying for admission to the Department of National Security Affairs must include scores from the Graduate Record Examination, taken within five years of the date of application.
U.S. Marine Corps Officers
NPS opportunities for Marine Corps officers fall under two categories: 1) Special Education Program (SEP) and 2) Regional Area Officer/Foreign Area Officer (RAO/FAO). SEP candidates should refer to MCO 1520.9G. RAO/FAO should applicants should refer to MCO 1520.11E.
The Marine Corps holds selection boards for both programs that are announced annually by a MARADMIN message. Marine officers interested in these programs should consult the latest MARADMIN for board details and contact HQMC, MMOA-5 if they have questions. Prospective applicants should also discuss the timing of NPS attendance with the Career Counseling Branch at HQMC. All MC officers must apply to NPS for academic eligibility as well as applying to HQMC per the MARADMIN.
U.S. Coast Guard Officers
Each year, a message is promulgated by the USCG canvassing USCG program managers, yours included, to nominate officers for graduate education. If you are interested, read the Education and Training Manual on the USCG intranet and speak with your program manager.
International Students
Military officers and government civilian employees from other countries may be admitted to most curricula. The procedures for application are available from the Security Assistance Office or Defense Attaché Office of the U.S. Embassy, the MLO, MAAG, OMC or ODC, as appropriate. Correspondence must be processed through official channels; requests from individual prospective students should not be sent directly to the School.
All candidates must satisfy the curriculum academic standards, as described in this catalog. International candidates from non-English speaking countries will also be required to validate their fluency in English through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum TOEFL score required for direct entry to NPS is 83 IBT (Internet Based Test and 560 Written Test. (For candidates applying for entry into the Department of National Security Affairs, an IBT score of 90 is recommended.) If a candidate fails to achieve the 83 IBT or 560 Written score, but does achieve a score of 65 IBT or 500 Written or higher, he/she is eligible to attend the TOEFL Preparatory Academic Writing Course, MASL P177022 (16 weeks) at the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
The only countries exempted from TOEFL testing are those countries who are exempted from all ECL testing requirements as determined by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) MSG 081457 Nov 06 (Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom).
When applying for a TOEFL exam, the NPS identification code is 4831. This code should be included on the registration application so a copy of the results can be sent directly to NPS. TOEFL test results are valid for two years from the test date and must be valid when the student reports to NPS. Questions regarding available programs or admission procedures should be directed here.