About CSC

 

History

 

The U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College originated as the Field Officer’s Course in Quantico, Virginia in 1920.  Originally mirroring the U.S. Army Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, by 1933 the course evolved to better address the Marine Corps’ missions as an element of the naval service.  The course was suspended that year as the faculty and student body worked together to develop a draft amphibious doctrine for the Marine Corps, and resumed again in 1934.   

In 1941 the Field Officer’s Course was suspended again as its student body was reassigned to train the large number of lieutenants needed for World War II.   A three-month Command and Staff Course was created in 1943 to train Marine Corps and sister service field grade officers in amphibious warfare.  In 1946 the course was lengthened into a one-year comprehensive program on the prewar model.  The name of the school was changed to the present title of the Command and Staff College in 1968.
 

Academics


Command and Staff College courses are taught by a military and civilian faculty divided into four departments: Leadership, Warfighting, War Studies, and Security Studies.  The program consists of eleven core courses and two electives (electives change each year and are not listed).
 
  • Leadership in the Profession of Arms I
  • Evolution of Modern Warfare 
  • National Security Affairs and the International System
  • Joint and Marine Corps Operations
  • The Marine Corps Planning Process
  • Leadership in the Profession of Arms II
  • Origins and Evolution of Contemporary Great Power Competition
  • Evolving National Security Concepts and Operations
  • Complex Operational Problem Solving and Design
  • Master of Military Studies
  • Capstone Planning Exercise (PC-X) 

 

Program Outcomes

 

  1. War and Conflict: Analyze the continuum of competition, conflict, and war and the practice of operational art through the lens of joint warfighting.  
  2. Policy and Doctrine: Analyze national policy and strategy, joint and Marine Corps Doctrine, and their application in the current and future security environment.         
  3. Culture: Understand the effects of culture on military operations and security matters.
  4. Thinking, Solving, and Communicating: Apply critical thinking, and innovative solutions to complex issues with clarity and precision in both oral and written forms.
  5. Change: Anticipate change, recognize opportunity and risk, and lead transitions.    
  6. Leadership in the Profession of Arms: Lead in an ethical manner while serving as commanders and staff officers.
  7. Operations in the Information Environment: Gain an information advantage by applying the power of information and understanding its effects.