Defense Acquisition University

The University Charter was created in October 1991 by Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5000.57. Originally a loose consortium of existing training commands, DAU worked to standardize the training courses and establish mechanisms that allowed for centralized management of training funds for the DoD workforce.

In the late 1990s, the consortium arrangement was replaced by a centralized structure, more like that of a corporate university. By 2014, DAU had grown to the point of graduating 181,970 students.[3]

Leadership

Claude Bolton – former head of DAU and former Assistant Secretary of the Army for AT&L

DAU was headed by a Commandant until the year 2000 when it became a civilian institution, and since then the chief executive position has the title "President." DAU's Commandants and Presidents have included William L. Vincent (1991-1993), Claude M. Bolton (1993–1996), Richard A. Black (1996–1997), Leonard Vincent (1997–1999), Frank J. Anderson (1999-2010), Katrina McFarland (2011-2012), and James P. Woolsey (2013–present).[4]

DAU's Headquarters Building on the base of Fort Belvoir near Washington, DC

DAU is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and serves approximately 150,000 members of the defense acquisition workforce in all. DAU also has several other locations across the United States as well an online presence. The Capital and Northeast Region campus is located at Fort Belvoir and provides access and services to The Pentagon and Washington Department of Defense agencies. It is the biggest facility, serving an AT&L workforce of about 33,000 people. Other facilities include DAU Mid-Atlantic, located in California, Maryland (near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station), DAU South, in Huntsville, Alabama (just outside Redstone Arsenal), DAU Midwest, located in Kettering, Ohio (just outside Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), and DAU West in San Diego.[5] Various satellite locations are also located to provide classes for major military commands.

Applicants must have a current affiliation with the United States government in order to attend training courses offered by DAU. The United States Military Services and the DoD have internal registration and quotas for DAU class, while the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) accepts applications and registers most non-DoD students.

U.S. Federal employees and defense contractors may attend DAU courses at no cost when space is available. DAU charges tuition only to certain foreign students.[6]

The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requires Defense Acquisition Workforce members to be certified for the positions they hold. DAU offers training courses for all Defense Acquisition Workforce members in 14 career fields and at three certification levels. [7]

Certifications available:

The American Council on Education (ACE) assigns ACE credits to various DAU courses. DAU coursework can apply toward college and university degrees and certificates at some partner institutions.[8]

DAU instructors are available to consult and assist acquisition organizations in the design and review of processes and internal training when they are not teaching. They can also provide workshops and specific topic instruction in areas of interest or concern tailored to a specific organization.

On July 2011 a hacking incident occurred affecting DAU’s Web-based training site. This incident occurred on a vendor’s network that provided the learning management system's underlying source code[9] and inhibited access to online courses for almost two months. While DAU was not hacked, U.S. Cyber Command (U.S. CYBERCOM) evaluated the risk level to DAU’s system based on the incident that occurred on the vendor’s network, and temporarily suspended online training courses to secure the system and protect students' personal information.

• Military acquisition
• Joint Capabilities Integration Development System
• Federal Acquisition Regulation