Continuing Education for Senior Leaders (CESL)

Eligibility

• Army Civilians in permanent appointment to GS 14-15 or equivalent.
• Active duty Military at the rank O-5, O-6, CW4, CW5, SGM, or CSM.
• DoW or other Federal agency leaders in permanent appointment to GS 14-15 or equivalent.

Prerequisites

• Foundation Course (required only for individuals hired after September 30, 2006).
• Enterprise Leadership Course or the discontinued Advanced Course or equivalent.

Funding

• All tuition, travel, and per diem costs are centrally funded by the Army.

Why attend the Continuing Education for Senior Leaders Course?

In today's fast-moving world, strategic leadership is paramount. The Continuing Education for Senior Leaders Course is an intensive, one-week course designed to elevate your leadership. Created for senior leaders (GS-14 to GS-15 or equivalent; E9; W4 to W5; O5 to O6), this course provides a unique opportunity to step back, think, and reflect on the strategic issues facing your organization and the Army.
Engage with peers, university professors, and distinguished guest speakers, including General Officers and senior SES leaders, to gain fresh insights and broaden your understanding of the contemporary operating environment. Through collaborative seminars and group discussions, you will tackle complex leadership challenges, learn to manage strategic change, and emerge as a more agile, adaptable, and effective leader.
Our campus students learn:

• Enhanced Leadership Perspective: It equips leaders with the enterprise-level perspective required to lead effectively in complex and uncertain environments.
• Direct Senior Leader Engagement: Students gain real-world insights through direct discussions with 3-4 visiting General Officers and Senior Executive Service (SES) leaders.
• Proven Return on Investment: The course has an exceptionally high participant satisfaction rate, 86%, and a 90% recommendation rate. Graduates show a measurable increase in their ability to lead institutional changes.
• Networking: The small group structure encourages peer-to-peer learning and helps build valuable cross-organizational relationships.

Course Schedule

Click below to see the list of upcoming offerings.

Continuing Education for Senior Leaders (CESL)
ATRRS Course Number: 1-250-C63 (CP)

Accessing the Course

View our Application Process guide for application instructions. Follow any instructions received in system-generated emails.

Technology Requirements

• Students must have access to a location with high-speed internet access without VPN for the virtual portions of the course. (Some collaborative tools in Blackboard do not function when connected to VPN).
• Computer device with audio/microphone capabilities.
• Webcam is recommended but not required.
• This may require students to have access to a commercial internet capability and personal computer/equipment if Government NIPR network and/or Government provided computer/equipment does not support full participation in the synchronous course activities.

Additional Information

• One year is required between Advanced Course (discontinued) or Enterprise Leadership Course graduation and CESL attendance.
• Two years are recommended between each CESL attendance.
• Course participants must receive a "Go" on all assignments. Course completion certificates are awarded at the resident phase.
• Most permanent Army civilians (to include appropriated funds (AF), non-appropriated funds (NAF), local nationals, and wage grade) are centrally funded for CES training.
• Military members, term, and temporary Army civilians and non-Army employees are funded through their organizations.