Marine Corps Careers - Marine Corps Times

Officer professional military education: Marine Corps

The Corps’ officer PME program is designed to develop strategic war fighters and commanders. Courses can be completed in residence or through distance learning — both options fulfill PME requirements.

Completion of PME is not required for promotion by selection boards, but it may make a Marine more competitive for promotion.

Requirements are divided into stages among ranks, starting with pre-commissioning PME for cadets and midshipmen.

According to Marine administrative message 375/04, Marine officer requirements are as follows:

Primary-level education (first lieutenant and captain)

• Expeditionary Warfare School

Marine captains attend EWS, which provides them with training in command and control, Marine Air Ground Task Force operations ashore and naval expeditionary operations. The training is designed to prepare them to command or serve as a primary staff officer in their military occupational specialty, use capabilities within their element of the MAGTF and understand other MAGTF elements.

• Non-Resident education programs:

• Amphibious Warfare School Distance Education Program

• Expeditionary Warfare School Distance Education Program

• Army Type II Captains Career Courses:

• Armor Captains Career Course

• Aviation Captains Career Course

• Chemical Captains Career Course

• Combined Logistics Captains Career Course

       • Engineer Captains Career Course

• Field Artillery Captains Career Course

• Infantry Captains Career Course

• Military Police Captains Career Course

Intermediate-level education (major)

• Intermediate-level colleges:

       • Marine Corps Command and Staff College

       • Air Command and Staff College

• Army Command and General Staff College

• College of Naval Command and Staff

• Non-Resident education programs:

• USMC Command and Staff College Distance Education Program

• College of Naval Command and Staff Non-Resident Program

• Army Command and General Staff College Non-Resident Program

• Air Command and Staff College Non-Resident Program

• Intermediate Joint PME institutions:

       • Joint Advanced Warfighting School

       • Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Intermediate

•Advanced Intermediate Courses (must be an intermediate-level college graduate):

       • USMC School of Advanced Warfighting

       • Army School of Advanced Military Studies

       • Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

• Foreign colleges:

• Argentine Command and Staff College

• Australian Command and Staff College

• Brazilian Command and Staff College

• French Command and Staff College

• Korean Command and Staff College

       • Norwegian Command and Staff College

• Spanish Naval War College

Senior-level education (lieutenant colonel and colonel)

• Senior-level colleges:

• Marine Corps War College

• Air War College

•Army War College

• College of Naval Warfare

• Non-Resident Education Programs:

• Air War College Non-Resident Studies Program

• Army War College Corresponding Studies Program

• Senior Joint PME institutions:

       • Industrial College of the Armed Forces

• National War College

• Joint Advanced Warfighting School

• Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Senior

• Foreign colleges:

• Argentine National Defense College

• Australian College of Defense and Strategic Studies

• Indian National Defense College

• Inter-American Defense College

• Japan National Institute for Defense

• NATO Defense College

• Norwegian Defense College

       • Pakistan National Defense College

• Royal College of Defense Studies

For more information on Officer PME, visit Marine Corps Training and Education Command’s Marine Corps University Web site or MarAdmin 375/04.