This 6-week residential course is delivered from July to August each year.
Pre-RCDS prepares international students for participation on the Royal College of Defence Studies course in London. Students will familiarise themselves with a wide range of advanced topics such as strategic thinking and leadership, politics and ideology, current affairs and social issues, all delivered in the RCDS seminar and lecture format.
Pre-RCDS students are trained in academic essay writing and given guidance on all aspects of postgraduate study in the UK. During the course, leading experts in areas such as defence, strategy, politics and law are invited to deliver lectures, and representatives from RCDS visit in order to assist students with issues relating to their move to London.
· Strategic thinking and leadership skills
· Research and critical thinking skills
· A wider understanding of international relations and current affairs
· Academic writing to RCDS specifications
· How to conduct a seminar using the RCDS format
Pre-RCDS is attended by a large number of international students going on to study at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. Students who undertake Pre-RCDS develop the skills necessary to participate successfully at RCDS and are prepared for the strategic and academic rigours they will face.
The evidence is that Officers who attend the Pre-RCDS course enjoy a better level of success at the Royal College of Defence Studies than those who do not.
Participants are expected to have IELTS 6 – 6.5 or equivalent