Department of Acquisition, Finance, and Manpower

Website

www.nps.edu/web/DAFM

Chair

Simona Tick, Ph.D.

Code MN, Ingersoll Hall, Room 229

(831) 656-1101

sltick@nps.edu

Program Officer

Madeleine Fuentes, CDR, USN

Code MN, Ingersoll Hall, Room 220

(831) 656-7793, DSN 756-7793

madeleine.fuentes1@nps.edu

The Department of Acquisition, Finance, and Manpower includes:

Acquisition Sciences Group (Contract Management and Systems Acquisition Management Academic Areas) 

Financial Management Academic Area

Manpower and Economics Academic Area 

Vision

To be the leader in Acquisition, Finance, and Manpower education, research, and innovation within the national security enterprise.

Mission

To support national warfighting priorities through innovative research and education of U.S. and allied military officers and defense civilians in defense acquisition, finance, and manpower sciences. 

Means

We pursue our vision and perform our mission through graduate education, research, and professional service.

• In Education: Through resident and distance learning degree and non-degree programs, we develop students' abilities to analyze, think critically, and take intelligent actions so they can more effectively carry out their future professional responsibilities to manage organizations, resources, people, and programs in complex, sometimes life-threatening environments.
• In Research: Conduct research, using the scholarships of discovery, application, integration, or teaching, that supports defense enterprise decision-making, problem solving, and policy setting; improves business management processes and practices; contributes knowledge to academic disciplines via dissemination in high-quality refereed research journals or suitable practitioner-oriented journals; and advances the development of graduate education.
• In Professional Service: Provide professional expertise that advances knowledge and business management within AFM, NPS, the Department of Navy, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies, as well as in our professional and academic organizations.

Areas of Excellence

Master of Science Degree Programs

The Department of Acquisition Finance and Manpower (AFM) awards Master of Science degrees in Defense Contracting Management (815), Contracting Management (835), Defense Program (816), Program Management (836), Defense Financial Management (837), the Master of Science in Management (847), and Logistics Information Technology (870). The 816 and 836 degrees are accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Center (GAC).

Distance Learning Programs: “Reaching out to Serve Defense Community Needs"

AFM is a leader in developing and providing off-campus education for the Defense community. AFM has developed faculty, facilities and capabilities to deliver graduate programs using Web-enhanced modes of instruction. Currently, AFM offers two unique distance learning degrees to serve Defense community needs.

Master of Science in Acquisition - Program Management: Developed to respond to the need for professional education for the Defense Acquisition workforce, the MSA-PM integrates Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) functional training requirements within the context of a graduate-level degree program and provides fulfillment credit for Warfighting Acquisition University (WAU) training courses required for PM Practitioner level. The MSA-PM degree is PMI accredited and integrates opportunities for students to earn the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential.

Master of Science in Acquisition - Contract Management: Developed to respond to the need for professional education for the Defense Acquisition workforce, the MSA-CM integrates Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) functional training requirements within the context of a graduate-level degree program and provides fulfillment credit for WAU training courses required for Contracting Professional level.

Management Development Programs “Continuing Education for Professional Success”

AFM provides Continuing Education in the form of Executive and Management Development programs by AFM faculty with both academic and professional experience in their respective discipline areas. Programs are provided in residence using Web-enhanced modes of instruction, and by faculty travelling to both national and international locations. AFM offers unique programs to serve the Defense community and broader public sector needs.

Advanced Acquisition Program (AAP): The AAP provides graduate education while integrating DAWIA training to DoD's acquisition workforce, including Army, Navy and Air Force acquisition commands.

Acquisition Management Distance Learning Program (AMDLP): AFM provides this educational outreach program to the Defense acquisition community, offering acquisition management courses to Defense agencies across the country.

Defense Specialty Curricula: “Education Responsive to Sponsor Requirements, focused on the delivery of warfighting capabilities at the speed and scale of relevance”

AFM provides graduate management education in curricular areas of direct relevance to military educational needs. All curricula have a senior leader from one of the services who sponsors the program. Sponsors are actively involved in the design and review of programs. These reviews, in conjunction with NPS and AFM assessments, result in high quality, unique, and military-relevant programs. Collectively, the curricula encompass all aspects of Resource Management, including the management of Human Resources, Physical Resources, Financial Resources, and Information Resources. 

Acquisition Management: Develops the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for graduates to assume leadership roles in the acquisition workforce and efficiently manage the resources allocated to the acquisition process.

Manpower Management: Serves the Navy Human Resource community of interest by developing leaders in the design, analysis, and management of Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education systems to maximize fleet readiness.

Financial Management: Designed to prepare military officers for effectively managing financial resources to achieve the goals and objectives of the defense forces. Graduates are prepared for assignment to positions in budgeting, accounting, financial management, cost management, cost analysis, internal control and auditing, and financial analysis.

Information Systems Management: Designed to provide both technical skills and business acumen. This curriculum provides the knowledge to: acquire and manage information systems and infrastructure; address IS engineering and management problems; assimilate new technologies and transform organizations, processes, and strategies to compete in the marketplace or on the battlefield in the constantly changing digital world.

Professional Development Program: The Department of Acquisition Finance and Manpower also administers several non-degree programs consisting of graduate education or professional courses taught in residence or via distance learning modes. These programs support professional development for managers in DoD. Current programs emphasize acquisition and financial management, and include: Advanced Acquisition Program, and Advanced Comptroller Course.

Faculty: “A Unique Blend to Perform AFM's Academic Mission”

The AFM faculty is unique in its composition, combining individuals with varying academic, professional, practitioner, and service backgrounds to provide relevant graduate instruction and research programs.

Academics and Professionals: AFM's faculty are drawn from a wide variety of academic disciplines. A majority of the faculty holds doctoral degrees from the nation's distinguished universities. In addition to the academics, practitioners are an integral part of the faculty. In keeping with the mission, AFM employs highly qualified practitioners on a full-time basis to enhance the relevance and quality of programs. All full-time practitioners have at least a master's degree and have been recognized as accomplished professionals in their fields.

Civilian and Military: A combination of top academic civilian faculty combined with active and retired military officers provides AFM with expertise both within and beyond the Department of Defense. The civilian faculty provides the theoretical and academic expertise enhanced by numerous contacts throughout the Navy and Defense community, while the military faculty provides recent DoD experience, and professional and operational expertise.

Business and Government: The AFM faculty blends backgrounds from both the private and public sectors. More than half of the faculty come with academic and/or professional experience from the business world. More than half come with academic and/or professional experience in the public sector.

Instruction and Research: AFM faculty are expected to excel in teaching as well as conduct significant research that is relevant to the Department of Defense. Faculty members maintain high degree of connectivity with sponsors of instructional and research programs. Almost all faculty work year round, teaching two quarters and conducting research and/or engaging in administrative work for the other two quarters.

Defense Management Research: “Scholarship Analysis Relevant to Defense Problems”

Research Mission: Research is an important component of AFM's mission. The primary goal of AFM's research programs to provide the Navy and DoD with the capability of managing defense organizations, systems, and processes both efficiently and effectively. AFM recognizes the importance of both basic and applied research to the Navy and DoD; and seeks to create a balance of both types of research in its research program. AFM's research programs can be grouped into three functional areas:

Acquisition (Program Management, Contracting, and Systems Acquisition Management)

Financial Management

Manpower Systems and Human Resources 

Research Relevance: In-depth knowledge of military problems allows the faculty to provide assistance to DoD decision makers. Expertise in private sector business practices enables the faculty to assist DoD organizations in adopting best business practices. Research in military-relevant issues additionally allows the faculty to develop unique and relevant instructional material for education of military officers.

DoD sponsorship of AFM research comes from several commands and areas, such as: ASN(RDA), ONR, OSD, SPAWAR, NAVSUP, AIRPAC, DAU, NETSAFA, NPRST, PERSEREC, USMC, N82, Manpower, Acquisition, and Logistics.

Research Excellence: AFM faculty include nationally and internationally recognized experts in simulation modeling, supply chain management, work motivation, knowledge management, military manpower, public sector management, change management, public budgeting, managerial communications, conflict management, acquisition, defense economics, information technology and other defense-relevant fields.

Research Centers and Programs

Acquisition Research Program: Established in 2002, Naval Postgraduate School's Acquisition Research Program provides leadership in innovation, creative problem solving and an on-going dialogue, contributing to the evolution of Department of Defense acquisition strategies. Objectives of the NPS Acquisition Research Program include: Establishing NPS acquisition research as an integral part of policy-making for Departments of Defense and Navy officials. Creating a stream of relevant information concerning the performance of DoD acquisition policies with viable recommendations for continuous process improvement, preparing the workforce to participate in the continued evolution of the defense acquisition process, collaborating with other universities, think tanks, industry and Government in acquisition research.

Programs Offered

The Department of Acquisition Finance and Manpower (AFM) has responsibility for graduate academic programs and awards graduate degrees in defense management. AFM offers specialized Master of Science degree programs focused on defense management fields, and non-degree professional development programs. These programs are:

Master of Science Degree Programs

• MS in Defense Program Management, 815 (In-residence)
• MS in Defense Contract Management, 816 (In-residence)
• MS in Defense Financial Management, 837 (In-residence)
• MSM in Manpower Systems Analysis, 847 (In-residence)
• MS in Systems Acquisition Management Logisitics Information Technology, 870 (In-residence)
• MS in Acquisition - Program Management, 835 (Distance learning)
• MS in Acquisition - Contract Management, 836 (Distance learning)
• MS in Financial Management, 857 (Distance learning)

Graduate Certificate Programs

• Advanced Acquisition Studies
• DoD Financial Management
• Basic Contract Management
• Advanced Contract Management
• Cost-Benefit Analysis and Program Evaluation
• Data Analytics for Defense Management
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)