Mission
The School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) educates select Armed Forces, Interagency and Allied members to become critical and creative thinkers, agile and adaptive leaders, and skilled practitioners in doctrine and operational art. The goal of SAMS is to enable senior leaders to drive the operations process to achieve favorable strategic, operational, and tactical outcomes.
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SAMS Programs
Advanced Military Studies Program (AMSP)
AMSP is a graduate-level education program intended to develop effective planners who engage and enable senior leaders understanding of the operational environment further enabling them to visualize and describe viable solutions to complex operational problems.
AMSP graduates are:
- Critical and creative thinkers grounded in operational theory, doctrine, and history.
- Can identify problems and propose viable solutions.
- Can clearly communicate orally, graphically, and in writing.
- Strong leaders who collaborate effectively.
- Posses the courage to lead from above, across the staff, and below.
- Physically and mentally tough.
- Are humble professionals who are more than they seem.
AMSP is an 11-month program designed for majors, junior lieutenant colonels and select senior warrant officers across all services, international officers, and interagency/army civilian professionals with a desire to improve both themselves and their profession. SAMS has one AMSP cohort per year which begins in June and graduates the following May. Each cohort consist of eight seminars and each seminar has 14-16 students led by a senior lieutenant colonel or colonel and PhD. Graduates receive a 6S Skill Identifier and receive a Master of Arts in Military Operations. Upon graduation, officers generally serve a 12-month utilization tour in a critical battle staff position at the division, corps, Army Service Component Command, or their service/career equivalent.
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Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program (ASLSP)
ASLSP is a 24-month senior level War College program designed to develop theater-level senior leaders and general staff officers for positions of significant responsibility, including strategic thinkers and planners to serve in combatant commands, Joint Task Forces (JTF) and other four -star headquarters. An ASLSP cohort is composed of 17 joint, interagency, and international officers (United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany). Select ASLSP graduates will remain a second year to serve as seminar leaders for AMSP. During the first year, students experience a curriculum shaped by the JPME-II required learning area designed to provide a comprehensive, multifaceted focus across the spectrum of joint operations during peace, crisis, and war. SLSP students spend approximately seven weeks conducting field studies at defense organizations and military headquarters in addition to visiting all the US combatant command headquarters. ASLSP graduates are awarded MEL-1 Credit, a 6S skill Identifier, and receive a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies. US Military students also receive JPME-II credit.
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Advanced Strategic Planning and Policy Program (ASP3)
ASP3 selects and develops field grade officers as strategic leaders through a combination of practical experience, senior level professional military education, and a doctoral degree from a university in a field of study related to strategy to produce broadly networked leaders with strategic acumen, skills, and credentials. During the first summer, SAMS selects 10-12 officers. In the fall, SAMS orients them on applying to doctoral programs and guides their selection of potential advisors, programs, and universities. Students will accept admission to a university in the spring. During the second summer, students study strategy and doctoral student skills at SAMS, and then matriculate at a university in the fall. After two years at a university, officers will have completed doctoral coursework, language exams, and comprehensive exams. The remaining seven years in the program will consist of battalion or brigade command, a dissertation sabbatical, and assignments in key strategic planning or policy positions. The precise sequence of these assignments will depend upon an officer’s professional timeline, command selection, branch, functional area, and university department requirements.
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