Certificate Programs

Homeland Defense Fellowship Program

National Defense University's (NDU) College of International Security Affairs (CISA) offers a resident, 14-week Homeland Defense Fellowship (HDF) program consisting of five Masters-level academic courses. Upon completion of the program, students will earn 10 graduate credit hours and be awarded a certificate of completion from NDU CISA. The program is open to military and civilian representatives from the international community as well as from U.S. departments, agencies, and congressional staffs in the Washington D.C. area. Students will participate in seminar discussions and practical   exercises, have access to subject matter experts, and read and write about a wide variety of important national security issues. Finally, in order to enhance student learning, students will make 10 local visits as well as trips to New York and Texas to organizations involved with national security.

The HDF program is a comprehensive adult learning environment designed for students to understand national security more broadly, work across international and interagency boundaries, and think critically about strategic homeland defense and security issues. Topics are addressed at the policy and strategic level to include: combating terrorism, border security, immigration, information sharing, all hazards threats, weapons of mass destruction, interagency cooperation, and critical infrastructure protection. By building a network of practitioners, this program strengthens capacity of both the U.S. and international partners to meet challenges to our national security posed by terrorists and irregular actors.

To learn more about the HDF program, contact Ms. Faith Ssebikindu, at 202-685-3872 or faith.ssebikindu.civ@ndu.edu.

Reserve Component National Security Course (RCNSC)

The National Defense University Reserve Component National Security course (RCNSC) is a 2-week seminar offered to senior officers and non-commissioned officers (E8-E9) of the U.S. Reserve Components, allied officers, and interagency civilians working in national security. The course lays a foundation for students moving on to joint command management and staff responsibilities in a multinational, intergovernmental, or joint national security setting.

The curriculum consists of lectures, panel discussions, seminars, on-site visits and a simulation exercise dealing with national security policy and defense resource management. The presenters are faculty members from the College of International Security Affairs, the National War College, the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, the College of Information and Cyber, and other distinguished speakers.

Quick facts:

· Over 40 years in existence –  Started in 1976, the RCNSC is one of NDU's original missions along with National War College and Eisenhower (formerly ICAF).

· Estimated total number of RCNSC students since 1976: 15,400

· Graduates earn 2 Joint credits toward Joint Qualification.

To learn more about the RCSNC course, visit the course website here: https://rcnsc.ndu.edu/ or contact CDR Josh Arenstein or Colonel Magdalena “Mags” Sunderhaus.