In fulfillment of its role in the JPME and Marine Corps PME policy, MCWAR is dedicated to educating its students for the challenges of a complex and dynamic security environment and preparing them to assume senior leadership positions within their service or agency. The College’s curriculum is crafted to maximize the advantages of small- group seminars, employing the Socratic-method and active adult learning techniques to generate debate, challenge student assumptions, and otherwise foster academic excellence. The diversity of the students' backgrounds enables the seminar group, under faculty direction, to maximize collaborative learning as members share their knowledge and experience. Trips, practical application exercises, wargames and writing and speaking opportunities allow the students to hone the skills they will need as strategic leaders by challenging them to think critically about current national security policy and strategy issues, develop viable alternatives, and articulate those alternatives in a clear and meaningful way. Finally, the curriculum exposes students to the foremost experts from national agencies, national military commands and the civilian academic world.