Joint Special Operations University

Vision

USSOCOM's "Think-Do Tank" - Center for Special Operations Thinking.

Mission

JSOU prepares SOF professionals to address strategic and operational challenges, arming them with the ability to think through problems with knowledge, insight, and foresight.

We sharpen the edge of SOF's Advantage:

The next-generation SOF professional

SOF Truths

Humans are more important than hardware.

Quality is better than Quantity.

Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.

Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.

Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.

Preparing SOF for Compound Security Competition

Recent Publications

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Operating on the Margins: SOF in the Gray Zone
Published on 4/15/2023
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Back to the future: Designing the role of NATO Special Operations Forces in the 21st Century (Atlantica article)
Authored by:
Gabriele Pierini and Lt. Col. Leonardo Doddi
Published on 3/29/2023
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Moral Injury: Implications for U.S. SOF and Ethical Resiliency
Authored by:
Dr. John Edgar Caterson, Marc-Charles Ingerson, David Wood, Matthew Kazumi Ikenoyama
Published on 3/15/2023
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Browse Our Courses

JSOU provides education to SOF and to the people who enable the SOF mission in a joint environment. In addition to the regular courses taught at MacDill Air Force Base (AFB), JSOU routinely conducts both regular and tailored off-station activities for SOF units worldwide by means of remote on-site instruction, DL courses, and via video teleinstruction (VTI).

Special Events

Check out our special event offerings.

Learn Our History

In September 2000, under the leadership of then USSOCOM Commander, Army General Peter Schoomaker, JSOU was established as an institution of higher learning.

International Education

The Joint Special Operations University's (JSOU) international education curriculum directly supports the theater special operations commands' (TSOCs) theater campaign support plans.

Campus Orientation Video

Watch a short, but informative video regarding initial contact with JSOU facilities.

Factbook

To accomplish its mission, JSOU employs an extremely diverse workforce, all of whom are hired or assigned to a variety of staffing programs. Click here to learn more.

Student Handbook

An exhaustive resource for all JSOU students - full of FAQs, base information, expectations, and more.

FAQs

Check out our most common questions from the community.

Transcript Request

Request your JSOU transcripts.

Replacement Certificates

Need a replacement certificate? We've got you covered.


Upcoming Courses

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Introduction to Special Operations Acquisition Course
Starts in 6 days
Special Operations Chaplaincy Crisis Care and Counseling
Starts in 6 days
Joint SOF Logistics Course
Starts in 6 days
Joint Special Operations Forces Pre-Command Course
Starts in 6 days
SOF Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Staff Course
Starts in 6 days
Cyberspace and Special Operations Forces
Starts in 13 days
SOF Creative Problem Solving – Fundamentals Online
Starts in 13 days
Special Operations Forces-Security Cooperation
Starts in 13 days
Special Operations, Compound Security and Integrated Statecraft (Pilot)
Starts in 20 days
Assessments, Monitoring, and Evaluation (Pilot)
Starts in 27 days
Special Operations Forces- Influence and Operations in the Information Environment (Pilot)
Starts in 29 days
Special Operations Forces - Information Advantage and Intelligence Integration (Pilot)
Starts in 29 days

Newest Non-Resident Fellows

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Upcoming Events