The general information below applies to most of our courses. Application links are located on each of our course description pages and will be removed after the period has ended.
Please contact the Perry Center’s admissions office at [email protected]
CIVILIAN CANDIDATES
The majority of civilian candidates are identified in partnership with the ministries of the host-nation’s government, including the police and security forces. Government and non-government civilian candidates may also apply directly to the Perry Center.
MILITARY CANDIDATES
All military participants are selected by the US Security Cooperation Office (SCO) / US Military Liaison Office (MLO) in partnership with the host-nation’s Ministry of Defense. Military candidates must submit their application through these channels. The preferred rank for resident courses is Lieutenant Colonel/Commander (O-5) or Colonel/Captain (O-6). Senior non-commissioned officers in leadership positions are also invited to apply. US military officers or their training office should contact the Perry Center Registrar office directly.
PERRY CENTER ALUMNI (CIVILIAN AND MILITARY)
Graduates of Perry Center courses may apply for a new course; however, preference will be given to first-time applicants who have not previously attended a resident course.
Most in-person courses cannot be repeated.
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
All candidates must possess a university degree or equivalent practical experience. Military and police personnel must have completed a command and staff course or equivalent. Exceptions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please make sure to review specific course pages for any additional requirements, educational or otherwise.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Resident courses are conducted in either Spanish or English, with no interpretation. Courses conducted in Spanish that require reading and analyzing graduate-level English capabilities will be marked accordingly in the course description. Except for courses entirely in English, English writing and speaking skills are not required.
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
You must submit your application through our online portal. The link to the application will be on our web site in the Documents/Links section of the course to which you are applying. Please be aware of application deadlines.
DOCUMENTS AND ATTACHMENTS
The initial application packet consists of:
If an applicant is pre-selected to attend or placed on the waiting list, they will be instructed to complete an online course registration form and upload copies of the following documents:
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
One (1) letter of recommendation is mandatory for virtual and in-residence courses. The letter must be from your supervisor/chain of command, and it must specifically indicate, should you be selected to participate, what you would be contributing to the course, and what benefits you and/or your organization would derive from your attendance. A second letter is optional, and it should address the same points.
All letters of recommendation should be addressed to the Director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies and must be dated no more than 60 days prior to applying.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Completed application and related documentation for all non-US citizens seeking a scholarship must be submitted by stated deadlines to be considered. The same deadlines apply for individuals (US citizens and non-US citizens) who are applying in a self-funded capacity. Late applications will not be considered.
APPLICATION RECEIPT AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS
Applicants will receive an automated acknowledgement after each application/submission is received. Approximately 90 days before the course start date, the Perry Center Admissions Office will inform all candidates via email whether their application was 1) pre-selected, 2) waitlisted or 3) not selected.
Attendance to a Perry Center course is subject to the successful compliance with all administrative and security requirements.
Many factors are considered during the evaluation process including the candidate’s professional and academic background, the number of previous courses a person has attended, and the interval between courses, both at the Perry Center and at other Regional Centers including the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC), the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI-APCSS), the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), and the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (TSC).
Since each course receives many more qualified applicants than there are seats, it is not possible to provide a detailed explanation as to why any individual candidate was not selected.
