The Royal Naval Division (RND) has secured new external accreditation for the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Maritime) (ICSC(M)).
Marking a significant milestone in professional military education (PME), Maritime Reserve officers completing ICSC(M) will now receive formal academic recognition for their learning.
Historically, reserve officers undertaking ICSC(M) completed almost 40 percent of the full course but did not receive any external accreditation on completion. This longstanding disparity was recognised by the RND as both an inequity and a missed opportunity to formally acknowledge the professional development achieved alongside their regular counterparts.
To address this, RND engaged closely with Navy Command Headquarters and Project Selbourne to explore options for securing suitable academic recognition for the reserve-delivered course. Led by Capita Plc, Project Selborne is a 12-year project launched in 2021 to transform Royal Navy training to be more agile, flexible, and learner-centric, reducing the need for traditional, static instruction. This collaboration resulted in approved funding to identify and pursue appropriate external accreditation.
Extensive work was then undertaken with the Institute of Leadership and Management and City and Guilds to assess the level of accreditation that could be achieved. A focus on the course aims, learning objectives, leadership outcomes, and assessment requirements of ICSC(M) (Reserves), ensured alignment with recognised academic standards.
Successful completion of ICSC(M) (Reserves) now qualifies course members for a 15-credit Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management. The qualification reflects the advanced nature of the course, recognising the strategic thinking, leadership development and professional competence demonstrated by Maritime Reserve officers.
The accreditation will be funded through Project Selbourne and will be available free of charge to all reserve course members who successfully complete ICSC(M) (Reserves) from May 2026 onwards.
Director Royal Naval Division Lieutenant Colonel Julian Moran RM said:
“This is a significant step forward for our maritime reserves. For too long, reserve officers have delivered demanding academic and professional outputs on ICSC(M) without receiving formal recognition. This accreditation not only addresses that disparity, but also demonstrates the quality, relevance, and rigour of reserve PME.”
This accreditation reinforces the Defence Academy’s commitment to recognising excellence across the Whole Force. It also strengthens the attractiveness of reserve service by providing transferable, externally recognised qualifications that support both military effectiveness and civilian career development.
The Royal Naval Division will continue to work with Navy Command, Project Selbourne, and external partners to ensure that reserve education pathways remain robust, relevant, and aligned with defence priorities.