National Defense University Course in RESERVE COMPONENT NATIONAL SECURITY
National Defense University

National Defense University

Course in RESERVE COMPONENT NATIONAL SECURITY

Washington, USA

Course

English

Full time

Sep 2026

On-Campus

Key Summary

    About: The Course in Reserve Component National Security explores the strategic roles and policies of reserve components within national defense frameworks. It focuses on critical issues, including organizational management, personnel readiness, and interagency collaboration. The course involves practical applications to enhance understanding of reserve roles in contemporary security challenges.
    Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue various career paths, including positions in military leadership, defense policy analysis, emergency management, and national security consultancy. Opportunities exist within governmental agencies, non-profits, and private sector organizations focused on defense and security operations.

The Reserve Component National Security Course (RCNSC) is a two-week seminar offered to senior officers and non-commissioned officers (E8-E9) of the U.S. Reserve Components, allied officers, and select civilians working in national security. The RCNSC is designed to lay 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, a Capitol Hill visit, and a simulation exercise dealing with national security policy and defense resource management.

RCNSC is held three times a year at the National Defense University.

The future operating environment requires leaders to have the capacity to operate at the Strategic level, in addition to the Operational and Tactical levels. To do so, our leaders must have the training, education, and experience to meet those demands. RCNSC is the venue where services can continue to provide strategic-level education to Reserve and National Guard leaders.

Course Content:

National Security Strategy

Resourcing for National Security Strategy

Regional Briefs

Information Technology and Security

Homeland Security

Political-Military Simulation Exercises

Diplomacy

The Legislative Process

The Legal Aspects of The Long War

Global Economics

Security

Strategic Communication

Interagency Operability

Benefits:

Provides graduates 2 Joint credits toward Joint Qualification.

Provides a foundation for students to serve in a multinational, intergovernmental, or joint national security setting.

Provides lectures from world-class speakers, published professors, leaders in government and military.

Provides interactive panel and seminar discussions with other senior leaders in a non-attribution environment.

Provides interaction with government officials during a Capitol Hill visit.

Provides an immediate, actionable simulation exercise and national security policy scenario that allows students to act on newly acquired knowledge.

Provides opportunities to network with senior leaders.

Similar Programs