The Executive Leaders Program (ELP) is a graduate-level, non-degree educational experience designed for senior leaders responsible for advancing the homeland security and homeland defense missions of the United States. This is a strategy and policy education program focused on critical thinking, offering participants the rare opportunity to engage in candid, cross-sector conversations with peers and senior decision-makers across government, military, and the private sector. Through facilitated dialogue and peer exchange, participants gain a broader, more global perspective on national security and the evolving risks facing the nation.

ELP is not a leadership development program, it is a Leaders Program, intended for those already serving in key decision-making roles across the federal government, state and local agencies, tribal nations, territorial governments, the military, and the private sector. Together, participants examine homeland security challenges through a multidisciplinary lens, considering foreign and domestic threats, across domains ranging from cyber and critical infrastructure to public health, disinformation, and artificial intelligence. Special emphasis is placed on homeland defense, intergovernmental complexity, and the evolving nature of risk in a globally connected world.

Participants gain insights from respected faculty and national experts, while also learning from one another through sustained dialogue, case studies, and collaborative problem-solving. The program fosters deep connections and trust across organizations and jurisdictions, which are essential outcomes for enhancing coordination in the real world.

All participant costs (tuition, course materials, travel, lodging on campus, etc.) for the ELP in Monterey, CA and Potomac, MD are covered for public-sector participants. Private sector participants must pay for travel and lodging, but do not have to pay for tuition and course materials.

Program Objectives

• Provide strategic frameworks and policy tools to develop innovative approaches that strengthen the national security of the United States.
• Enhance participants’ capacity to assess and respond to complex and emerging threats with clarity, consistency, and foresight.
• Deepen understanding of homeland security and homeland defense issues, evolving risks, and intergovernmental policy debates.
• Build enduring networks that improve collaboration across local, state, tribal, territorial, federal, military, and private sector domains.

Curriculum Highlights

The Executive Leaders Program emphasizes the strategic, policy, and organizational dimensions of homeland security and homeland defense, grounded in critical thinking and cross-sector dialogue. Seminar sessions are led by nationally recognized experts, senior government officials, and thought leaders. Discussions and course content are structured around foundational issues in homeland security, emerging threats, and how to put knowledge into action.

Participants engage through seminar-style discussions, fireside chats with current and former senior officials, interactive exercises, and collaborative case studies. Signature activities such as “Walk and Talk” and “What’s On Your Mind” sessions encourage reflection, peer learning, and shared leadership development. The curriculum is designed to broaden each participant’s understanding of the evolving homeland security landscape and equip them with practical insights to enhance strategy and decision-making within their own organizations.

Learning Structure

• Each cohort consists of 25-30 senior-level leaders selected through a competitive national application process.
• Participants attend three in-person sessions at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, and the William F. Bolger Center in Potomac, MD which are typically scheduled quarterly. A combined virtual session with the Emergence Program is planned, contingent upon CHDS scheduling availability.
• Instruction is seminar-style and dialogue-driven, combining presentations by expert faculty and interactive discussion with peers and guest speakers.
• Designed for experienced executives, the program respects the time demands of senior leaders while maintaining academic rigor appropriate for a graduate-level educational environment.

Timeline

Nine-month program with (3) one-week in-residence sessions. Students lodge on the NPS campus during the Monterey in-residence sessions and lodge at the William F. Bolger Center during the Potomac in-residence.

Eligibility Criteria

The following are the minimum applicant qualifications:

• Full-time, senior-level, local, state, tribal, territorial, federal or military leaders in a homeland security or public safety agency or private sector leaders with significant homeland security/public safety responsibilities.
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to public service and lifelong learning.
• Exhibit the ability to contribute meaningfully to strategic-level dialogue across sectors and disciplines.
• Commit to attending and actively participating in all in-residence and virtual sessions if accepted.

Guidance for Military Applicants:
Service members selected for the Executive Leaders Program represent the very best of military leadership. Military participants are typically senior commissioned officers and senior enlisted personnel who have demonstrated exceptional performance across a broad spectrum of national security and homeland defense missions. Successful applicants often bring command experience or key leadership roles in complex, high-stakes environments such as combat operations, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, logistics, or major disaster and crisis management. Whether serving in operational units or mission support specialties, these individuals have made substantive contributions to joint, interagency, and international initiatives, policy development, and strategic-level planning efforts.

Military ELP participants are also distinguished by their ability to communicate with clarity and credibility across senior leadership circles, including General and Flag Officers, intergovernmental leaders, and civilian executives. Most hold advanced academic or professional degrees and exhibit a strong capacity for critical thinking, systems-level problem solving, and adaptive leadership. Many have completed, or are highly competitive for, Senior Service Colleges or other advanced PME programs, reflecting their trajectory toward senior strategic leadership. Their records consistently demonstrate integrity, initiative, and influence, positioning them to contribute meaningfully to the ELP cohort and to the broader national preparedness enterprise.

DHS Employees: Read this before starting an application.
All DHS components require their employees to apply through their training and education department. Individuals must complete both the DHS and CHDS applications electronically. Do not wait on a DHS nomination to complete the CHDS application. If you are a DHS employee, see the list of the points of contact for each component.

FBI Employees: Read this before starting an application.
The FBI requires their employees to apply through the Executive Leadership Experiences (ELE) program for nomination and selection before submitting an official application on the NPS-CHDS website. If you are an FBI Employee, please view the ELE UNET SharePoint Site, or reach out to ELE@fbi.gov with any questions. 

Private Sector Applicants: Please note the following before starting an application.
Private sector organizations are required to pay the travel and per diem costs of participants accepted to either the CHDS Executive Leaders Program or the Emergence Program. There is no charge for tuition. Private sector individuals who are accepted into either of the two CHDS programs will be asked to confirm their organization’s financial support as part of the acceptance process.