Overview

The Space Nuclear Command, Control & Communications (NC3) Certificate is comprised of four courses. Upon successful completion of the course work, students will be awarded a certificate of completion in keeping with standard practices of the Naval Postgraduate School. The Space NC3 Certificate supports objectives corresponding to required space, ground and classified elements of USAF Global Strike Command’s strategic Nuclear education components. This certificate is a distance learning, asynchronous education program that covers satellite technology and communication fundamentals relevant to U.S. strategic nuclear operations, deterrence and assurance.

The Space Nuclear Command, Control & Communications Certificate is a 12-month, part-time program, with one course offered per quarter for four consecutive quarters, delivered asynchronously using web-based instruction with classified content instruction using SIPRNet. The web-based courses are paced week-to-week by the instructors, but students have great flexibility to do coursework at times of their choosing during each week.

The US NC3 system is extraordinarily complex and wholly unique. The Space Nuclear Command, Control & Communications (NC3) Certificate is designed to give students a basic foundation to understand Space capabilities and their integration into the U.S. NC3 architecture involving networks, sensors and communication fundamentals relevant to U.S. strategic nuclear operations, deterrence and assurance. The students will understand various nuclear systems and communication nodes to the technical level. Upon completion students will understand the NC3 system basic modes of operation in various scenarios (such as peace time vs conflict). Students will be equipped to make informed recommendations regarding future NC3 system updates based on accepted design principles, past lessons learned, evolving deterrence needs, and new technology.

The Space NC3 Certificate program can be delivered virtually anywhere to any qualified applicant who has access to both Internet and SIPRNet systems.

Security clearance: Secret

Courses Required

Included in degrees & certificates

• 738

Eligibility

The following are eligible for this offering:

• Naval Officers
• Naval Enlisted
• Non-Naval Officers
• Non-Naval Enlisted
• DON Civilians
• DOD Civilians
• Defense Contractors
• Non-DOD Federal Employees

Requirements for Entry

• A baccalaureate degree with above-average grades
• Completion of college-level Algebra 2 and college-level physics with a C or better average
• Secret security clearance

Application Information

Applications are handled by the NPS Admissions Office. Please visit the admissions website or contact them at admissions@nps.edu.

Tuition & Service Obligation

For information regarding tuition, please contact the NPS Tuition office at tuition@nps.edu, or contact this offering’s POC at SSAGCertificatePrograms@nps.edu.

For information regarding service obligation, please visit the Admissions Office’s Eligibility/Service Obligation page.

Other Information

Commencing Spring 2025
Deadline for application is January 2025

The Naval Postgraduate School’s Space Systems Academic Group is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for its distance learning Space Nuclear Command, Control & Communications (NC3) Certificate. The Space Nuclear Command, Control & Communications Certificate program primarily targets cross-service military officers and government civilians who are a part of the US strategic nuclear triad or associated NC3 systems/programs or are in NC3 strategic decision-making organizations such as STRATCOM. Other federal civilians and defense contractor civilians may be granted entry when seats are available and they meet NPS Admissions criteria. The Space NC3 certificate program is designed to give students a basic foundation to understand Space capabilities and their integration into the U.S. NC3 architecture involving networks, sensors and communication fundamentals relevant to U.S. strategic nuclear operations, deterrence and assurance. The students will understand various nuclear systems and communication nodes to the technical level. Upon completion students will understand the NC3 system basic modes of operation in various scenarios (such as peace time vs conflict). Students will be equipped to make informed recommendations regarding future NC3 system updates based on accepted design principles, past lessons learned, evolving deterrence needs, and new technology.

Tuition

NPS Mission-funded Tuition

NPS is mission-funded to provide tuition-free graduate education to active duty Navy and Marine Corps officers.

Sponsor-reimbursed Tuition

The open enrollment tuition price is $2,600. Seats not filled by active duty Navy and Marine Corps officers will be made available for open enrollment to other uniformed officers, Department of the Navy and other federal government civilians, and defense contractor civilians under the sponsorship of their organization. Please contact the offering POC for current tuition pricing.