AIM OF THE COURSE

To prepare selected senior officers of the armed forces, the civil services and those from the allied countries for taking higher responsibility in the direction and management of national security and Strategic .

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

• To enhance course members’ knowledge on higher level national security and defence issues and matters affecting national policy.
• To reinforce course members’ understanding of Tanzanian institutions and society.
• To enhance course members’ understanding of the factors that influence national policy making.
• To develop course members’ strategic vision.
• To improve course members’ personal qualities, individual skills and interpersonal relationship.

COURSE DURATION

The Course is of 47 weeks duration and is distributed into four (04) terms. Each term consists of 12-14 weeks.

STRUCTURE OF THE REGULAR PROGRAMME

The regular academic programme which combines the ‘ndc’ prestigious symbol, Master’s Degree and Diploma in Security and Strategic Studies is conducted in two Semesters of four block terms in 47 weeks. Each semester runs for 18 weeks and punctuated by two field practical trainings which marks the block terms. It is made of 14 Modules organized in three parts: the Foundation Modules, the Core Modules and the Practicum Modules.

The Foundation Modules introduces Course Members in basic analytical tools concerning national security and strategy, and it covers three modules, i.e. Security, Conflict and Research Writing, International Relations: Approaches and Issues and Strategic Studies, Policy Making and War Studies.

The Core Modules covers the basic analytical and practical aspects of the national security environment namely the Domestic Security Environment and the International Security Environment. Three Modules covered under the Domestic Security Environment are the Social Political Studies, Economy Studies and Agriculture and Industry Studies.  The International Security Environment covers three Modules i.e. International Security Studies, Study on Global Issues and Tanzania’s Immediate & Strategic Neighborhood.

The Practical Modules constitute of four field practical training modules that introduce Course Members on hands-on skills and competency issues related to decision making on national security and strategy. The modules include Domestic Security Field Practical Training that punctuates the Foundation Modules and Core Domestic Security Modules; International Security Field Training Practical that camouflage Core International Security Modules; National Security Strategy Capstone that run with Strategies and Structure of National Security and finally Research.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUM

The National Security and Strategic Studies Course duration is one academic year of 47 weeks.  It is the deliberate endeavor of the NDC to enhance the level of interaction amongst the course members hailing from varying backgrounds.  For that purpose, except for the Foundation modules in Term 1, the entire study is structured into a series of ‘individual issues’ for study. The issues are grouped into a total of ten modules.

Strategic planning and decision making are the key words of the course and therefore, the design and structure of the curriculum is largely oriented in that direction.  To enhance the capacity for perspective thinking, the NDC-TZ endeavors to expose the Course Members to a wide spectrum of tangible and intangible inputs that goes into the formulation of National security policies and strategies.  It is an attempt to present National Security as an integrated system, closely examining its multiple facets, its socio-political, economic, technological, diplomatic and military dimensions; their complex relationships and their total inescapable inter-linkages and inter-dependence.

The Course Programme consists of four course terms, two Strategic Exercises, Research, and four field practical trainings.  A total of fourteen modules are conducted in four terms.

ACADEMIC AWARDS, GRADING AND CLASSIFICATION

The College is mandated by law (and NACTVET) to confer academic awards such as masters’ degrees and diplomas and such other awards as may be prescribed by the College Academic Committee with the approval of the NACTVET. Currently the NDC awards a Prestigious Symbol ‘ndc’ and Master’s Degree and Diploma in Security and Strategic Studies for Course Members who have qualified for the award.

GRADUATION

On successful completion of the course, the esteemed course members are awarded with the ‘ndc’ prestigious symbol through a graduation ceremony held in a grand setting. It is usually graced by the Head of the Government or Head of the State