Application Process
Foundational Courses - Advanced (Sustainment Courses) - Conferences & Seminars - Restrictions
There are two distinct application processes – one for civilian candidates (government, non-government, police, etc.) and a separate process for military candidates (active duty uniformed services, including Defense Forces). Please review the explanation of these two processes below before proceeding. If questions remain concerning your applicant status, please review this page on the definition of a "Civilian Candidate" and a "Military Candidate".
Applications may be submitted by fax, e-mail attachments, courier, or regular mail. Please submit your application by one method only. Original documents are not required, though legible copies are. The receipt of all submitted documents will be acknowledged via e-mail.
If a document is eligible or an application packet is incomplete the Registrar’s office will send one email describing the problems. It remains the responsibility of the candidate to complete the application, complying with the guidance provided by this website and the Registrar’s office.
An acknowledgement of receipt will generally take less than five working days, except if you submit it on the day before or the date of the application deadline, in which case the wait period for acknowledgement may be as long as two weeks. Do not send additional queries or call to confirm receipt, as this will simply delay the processing of all applications. If you have not received an acknowledgement of receipt after 14 days, please contact the registrar’s office. If the original message was not received your re-submitted documents will be accepted without penalty.
It is the obligation of the candidate to provide a minimum of one valid email address and to ensure the completeness, legibility and arrival of their application. Applications completed after the close of the application period may not be considered during the selection process.
Do not send any attachments via e-mail in .zip format, as the server's firewall will delete your message and we will never know you attempted to contact us. It is not acceptable to cut-and-paste the application form into the body of an e-mail. Electronic media (CDs, videos, etc.) are not accepted as part of an application, nor are additional documents beyond the limit of ten pages. Do not submit your application bound in a notebook, folder, binder or anything connecting the pages to each other.
All Letters of Recommendation should be addressed to the Director of the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, Dr. Richard D. Downie.
» General Guidance for Foundational Course Candidates
Application forms are course-specific. The “Application Instructions” are located on the “Foundational Courses” page. Your completed application, including all required documentation, must be received within the application period identified on the application form. The civilian candidate application period is generally twelve weeks in length, ending five-six months before the course begins. The military candidate application form for Foundational Courses is not posted on this website, and may only be obtained by contacting the Military Liaison Office or Military Group of the United States, generally located at the US Embassy in your country.
The application deadline for United States citizens is generally four-six weeks before the course begins. United States citizens are not eligible for scholarships.
Because of the large number of applicants per course, not all qualified applicants can be selected. If you are not selected to attend, you may contact the Registrar’s office and request that your documents be used for a future application. The Registrar’s office will provide guidance about which documents may be used again and which must be updated. Non-selected applications are not automatically submitted for consideration for future courses.
Please also consult the “Candidate Profile” for each course prior to submitting your application, as many courses in Spanish have English reading requirements.
« Back to the top» General Guidance for Advanced (Sustainment) Course Candidates
Advanced (Sustainment) courses are designed primarily to enhance and continue the education of CHDS Alumni. Non-CHDS Alumni may apply. However, the priority for selection remains the expanding membership of CHDS Alumni. Civilian participants from countries outside the Western Hemisphere may submit applications directly to CHDS, but will primarily be identified through CHDS’ four partner Regional Centers (link to the other links page here (the other regional centers)).
All CHDS alumni – including civilian and military candidates – must use the same application form for advanced/sustainment courses. The series of advanced/sustainment courses are the only CHDS courses where military candidates may apply directly to CHDS. Military candidates from countries outside the Western Hemisphere must be identified through CHDS’ partner Regional Centers.
Accreditation
Some of the advanced courses offered by CHDS are eligible to receive upper-level college credits from the National Defense University (NDU) through a partnership with the College of International Security Affairs (CISA). When candidates are notified that they have been selected to attend an advanced course, specific instructions will be sent to each participant by the CHDS Registrar’s office. In general, to be eligible to receive these credits from NDU, participants who have graduated from colleges or universities outside the United States will be required to send or bring a copy of their college transcripts that have been translated to English to the CHDS Registrar’s office. There may be a requirement to submit a TOEFL score (Test Of English as a Foreign Language). Candidates selected to attend CHDS’ advanced courses will receive additional guidance and have adequate time to prepare their documentation prior to arrival. CHDS cannot pay from translation of transcripts nor for TOEFL tests, if required. Further updates will be provided as they become available.
« Back to the top» General Guidance for Conference and Seminar Candidates
Application and registration forms for conferences and seminars are event-specific, with varying deadlines and restrictions. Conferences and seminars will have two types of attendees – those that are paid for in part or in full by CHDS, and those that attend at their own expense. Refer to the appropriate sections of this website for additional information on the application process (CHDS pays for your attendance) and/or registration process (you pay for you attendance) for seminars and conferences.
» Application Restrictions for CHDS Graduates
If you are already a CHDS graduate from one or more of the following one- to three-week courses, please note the following restrictions:
SDP and DPRM graduates: You may apply to all other courses, but must wait one year between applications (for example, if you graduate in May, the next course for which you may apply must begin later than May of the following year). SDP graduates applying to an ICCT course will be given a lower priority than first-time candidates.
ICCT graduates: ICCT graduates may not apply to the SDP course, but may apply to all advanced courses. The advanced course must begin at least one year later than the ICCT graduation date.
CDSC and DPRM-English graduates: If you took a course in English, but you may apply to all courses, minus the SDP, after waiting one year.
Washington Security and Defense Seminar graduates: You may apply to all courses without restriction.
Amistad graduates: You may apply to all courses after waiting one year. If you reside in the Washington, DC area you may apply to all courses without restrictions or waiting period.
SED graduates: You may apply to all courses after waiting one year.
Advanced course graduates (includes SSTR, TSSD, TCI, ADP and PHSD): You may apply to attend a different advanced course, but must wait a minimum of two years from your advanced course graduation to apply again. Applications from advanced course graduates for any foundational course (including the SDP, ICCT, and CDSC) will be rejected.
CHDS’ military graduates may apply directly to CHDS, but only for advanced courses.
NOTE: In general, if you have attended multiple courses you may receive a lowered priority for future course applications, as equitably distributing the limited scholarships among our many graduates is one of many considerations taken during the selection phase. For every class we will always have many more candidates than available scholarships, and your understanding and patience is greatly appreciated if we are unable to select you to attend. Attending the same or similar course is never permitted, including those who attended advanced course prior to completion of the accreditation process with the National Defense University.
Conference and Seminar Participants applying to Courses
If you are a candidate for, have registered for, or have previously attended a CHDS conference, seminar, or workshop, you may apply to any course within the guidelines outlined above. Attending a conference or seminar does not impact your candidacy for courses.
If any doubt remains, please contact CHDSRegistrar@ndu.edu for clarification.
» Definitions
Military Candidate
Military candidates are active duty military officers within the Ministry of Defense, Defense Force or similar institution of one’s nation. The preferred rank for military candidates is generally Major, Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel, or the service equivalent. Candidates must be graduates of the Command and General Staff College. Uniformed members of police forces that use rank structures similar to military services (Captain, Major, Colonel, etc.) are considered civilian candidates, as are police officials with non-military titles (such as commissioner, inspector, etc.).
Non-commissioned officers are not eligible to be candidates.
Retired military officers are considered civilian candidates.
Reserve Officers who only serve for brief periods each year (for example, two weeks), are considered civilian candidates, as their primary function is within the civilian sector.
For a list of points of contact at the office of the United States military representatives in your country, please click here.
Civilian Candidate
All civilians (both government and non-government) may apply directly to CHDS. Graduate students may also apply. All candidates must possess a college degree and/or an equivalent amount of relevant work experience.
Police officials and retired military officers are considered civilian candidates.
If further assistance is required, please contact chdsRegistrar@ndu.edu.
