A selection of Army acquisition Officer education and training programs
Army Acquisition Transition Course (AATC)
This nine week course is held in Huntsville, Alabama at The Army Acquisition School (TAAS). It is designed to provide a broad spectrum of knowledge pertaining to the acquisition process, program management and contracting.
Naval Postgraduate School’s Advanced Education Program (Initial Officer Education) Army Acquisition officers attend Naval Postgraduate School’s Masters of Science in Program 522,816, and 815 through the Advanced Civil Schooling fully funded education program.
Each of these programs result in a minimum Acquisition Functional Area (AFA) training of: Contracting (Professional), and Program Management (Practitioner).
Follow on training includes:
Military Education Level 4/Advanced Operations Course Intermediate Qualification Course (IQC): The three-week FA51 IQC is the Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) functional-area specific follow-on to the core intermediate Level Education (ILE).
Advanced Civil Schooling Program
The ACS program provides opportunities for Functional Area 51 Officers to pursue advanced degree programs at civilian universities or the Naval Postgraduate School on a full-time basis. Participants are chosen through a bi-annual selection panel. The dates are announced through Acquisition Management Branch at Human Resources Command.
Eligibility:
Army Acquisition Officers
Announcement Dates:
ACS 26-02 Officers (Summer Moving Cycle)
Announcement Opening: June 2025
Announcement Closing: August 2025
Program Start: April 1, 2026 to September 30, 2026
ACS 27-01 Officers (Winter Moving Cycle)
Announcement Opening: December 2025
Announcement Closing: March 2026
Program Start: October 1, 2026 to March 30, 2027
Pre-Command Courses
Acquisition Pre-Command Course: A resident one – week course held at Pentagon in Washington, DC mandatory for centrally selected to acquisition command positions within the US Army Acquisition Corps.
Program Manager’s Course (PMT 4010): A technically focused resident held at the Defense Acquisition University in Fort Belvoir, Virginia mandatory for centrally selected to program management command positions within the US Army Acquisition Corps.
Contracting Pre-Command Course : A technically focused resident two week course held at The Army Acquisition School (TAAS) in Huntsville, Alabama mandatory for centrally selected to contracting command positions within the US Army Acquisition Corps.
TWI is a year-long work-experience program intended to give top-performing officers extended exposure to industry management techniques, best practices and technological innovations, as well as a view from the “other side of the fence.”
Eligibility:
Majors and Lieutenant Colonels.
Announcement Dates:
Announcement Opening: June
Announcement Closing: August
Applicant Selection Notification Date: End of September
Applicant Industry Slating: Dec-Jan
Program Start Date: June – Sep
For more information on the TWI program and how to apply, please visit: the TWI Program Page and the AIM website.
