Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College

The Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) is the premier education institution in the SAF. Each year, specially selected officers attend the various courses offered at the College to prepare them to hold senior command and staff appointments in the SAF. Through its curriculum and extra curricula activities, these officers acquire the requisite exposure to the complexities and challenges of leading the SAF into the future.

Commandant's Message

Welcome to the official webpage of the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College. As the Commandant, I am honoured to lead this esteemed institution that has been at the forefront of developing Singapore's military leaders for over half a century.

Our College is committed to providing a world-class education to officers of the Singapore Armed Forces and our international partners. Preserving Singapore’s sovereignty and guarding against emerging military threats necessitates a deep understanding and intelligent application of the art and science of warfare. Our rigorous and comprehensive curriculum, infused with both Western and Oriental schools of thought, will prepare our graduates to lead confidently in the rapidly evolving post-pandemic security landscape.

Our courses aim to bring out the best in the students' leadership, strategic thinking and planning skills. They will be exposed to the latest trends in military technology and capability development. Our strategic studies modules are accredited as Masters-level by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) as part of the strategic partnership between the SAF and NTU since 2010. Students will also gain geopolitical appreciation of the region around Singapore.

Since 1970, the College has progressed steadily towards the vision of our founding leaders. Today, we are a Joint College with a matured system of educating National Service Officers alongside Officers in active service.

Thank you for visiting. To those about to embark in one of our courses or about to visit GKS CSC, we look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely,

COL Goh Wee Tiong
Commandant, GKS CSC

Commandant's Message

Our College is committed to providing a world-class education to officers of the Singapore Armed Forces and our international partners. Preserving Singapore's sovereignty and guarding against emerging military threats necessitates a deep understanding and intelligent application of the art and science of warfare. Our rigorous and comprehensive curriculum, infused with both Western and Oriental schools of thought, will prepare our graduates to lead confidently in the rapidly evolving post-pandemic security landscape.

Thank you for visiting. To those about to embark in one of our courses or about to visit GKS CSC, we look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely,

COL Goh Wee Tiong
Commandant, GKS CSC

The mission of GKS CSC is to develop SAF officers for their roles as senior and mid-level leaders in the Singapore Armed Forces. The College's vision of ‘World Class College, First Class Experience' articulates the aspiration of GKS CSC to be a world-class institution, recognised for its quality of curriculum, conducive learning environment and unmatched facilities to enable students to enjoy a holistic, relevant and nurturing education that can be summarised as an experience that is truly first class.

A Command and Staff College that aspires to be world class must excel at meeting the education and training needs of mid-level SAF officers. It must expose students to the challenges of leadership and management in Singapore and the SAF. With the ever changing global and regional landscape, GKS CSC is an important institution to ensure that mid-level SAF officers are capable of operating and thriving in the full spectrum of the operational continuum, are able to thrive in a dynamic environment by being highly adaptive and are highly resilient. To this end, no effort is spared to ensure that the quality and delivery of the curriculum are of the highest standards to enable all students to have a professionally enriching and enjoyable learning experience that is second to none.

History

GKS CSC traces its proud history to its founding in 1970. Originally named the Singapore Command and Staff College (SCSC), its original campus was in Fort Canning where development took two years. When the campus was finally ready, it was officially opened by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, on 13th February 1970, with then-Colonel Kirpa Ram Vij serving as the College Director. The College saw another three more relocations, to Marina Hill in 1975, then to Seletar Camp in 1982 before finally settling into its campus in SAFTI Military Institute in 1995 where it still resides.

The Singapore Command and Staff College was renamed Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College in 2011 as a fitting tribute to the contributions of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore's first Defence Minister.

Renaming of SCSC to GKS CSC by Deputy Prime Minister and then Minister of Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean in 2011.

The College is constantly evolving to ensure that the training and education of tomorrow's leaders are relevant to the ever-changing world. Where previously the College only conducted the flagship Command and Staff Course, it has expanded to also conduct the Command and Staff Course (Executive) and the Command and Staff Course (National Service). These courses have a duration of 41 weeks, with varying durations spent on campus. Each course caters to the different educational needs of students.

Students of GKS CSC participating at the Q&A section of the Distinguished Speakers' Dialogue (DSD). Mr Sim Feng-Ji, Deputy Secretary (Smart Nation and Digital Government), was sharing his inputs in Aug 2022.

GKS CSC conducts the following courses:

Command and Staff Course [CSC]

The CSC's 41-week curriculum is entirely on-campus. It is a course attended by regular officers from the Singapore Armed Forces, officers from Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and invited International Officers with the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Military Expert 5, Military Expert 6 and their equivalence.

Command and Staff CSC (Executive) [CSC(E)]

The CSC(E) has a 32.5-week Non-residential Phase and a 8.5-week Residential Phase. It is attended by Regular officers from the Singapore Armed Forces with the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Military Expert 5, Military Expert 6 and selected Senior Warrant Officers (SWO).

Command and Staff Course (National Service) [CSC(NS)]

The CSC(NS) is a 41-week course, with a 5-week Residential Phase. It is attended by selected National Service officers with the ranks of Captain(NS), Major(NS) and Lieutenant Colonel(NS) from the Singapore Armed Forces.