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FY27 Commandant's Career-Level Education Board Is Now Open

MARADMIN 273/26·June 12, 2026·4 min read·Official source
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The Marine Corps just announced the FY27 Commandant's Career-Level Education Board (CCLEB), which convenes 4 August 2026. This board selects company grade officers for resident PME (EWS, Captains Career Courses), graduate education (NPS, AFIT, civilian institutions, Olmsted), and programs like the Foreign Area Officer (FAO) track. The questionnaire is already open. The hard deadline for almost everything is 20 July 2026.

Do this: Check your eligibility now, open the CEB questionnaire, and get everything submitted by 20 July 2026.

Who it affects

Active component company grade officers whose tour control factor (TCF) completes by 30 September 2027. Officers with a TCF completing by 31 December 2027 may also screen with PMOS monitor approval.

You are NOT eligible if any of these apply:

  • You're in training PMOS or departing to PMOS training
  • You're a Captain in-zone or above zone for major on the CY26/FY28 Major Promotion Selection Board
  • You're already enrolled in or have completed a program from a previous CCLEB selection
  • You haven't finished your utilization tour for a previously attended program
  • You completed the Expeditionary Warfare School Blended Seminar Program (EWSBSP) — you can still apply for graduate education programs, but not resident PME
  • You have an approved lateral move in CY26
  • You have an approved separation or retirement date
  • You are a restricted officer

Reserve note: This board is primarily an active component process. Reserve company grade officers should contact their PMOS monitor and MMOA-3 to confirm whether they have a path to screen.

What you need to do

  1. Confirm your TCF dates with your PMOS monitor.
  2. Open and complete the CEB questionnaire before 20 July.
  3. Gather any required supporting documents (DLAB scores for FAO/Olmsted, GRE scores for ACSP, GPA documentation for SDSU, letters to the board where required).
  4. Ensure a current official photograph is in your OMPF no later than 10 business days before 4 August (i.e., by approximately 21 July). "Current" means taken within 365 days of the board convene date.
  5. Submit all applications, board correspondence, exception to policy (ETP) requests, and remove-by requests (RBR) by 20 July.

On the photo and body composition rules: Effective 1 April 2026, boards can see your OMPF photo. Get a current one in your file. The Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) standard is now in effect per MARADMIN 066/26, but the Digital Boardroom currently has no way to pull WHtR data directly. The board will not hold it against you if a current WHtR measurement isn't in your record. Prior height/weight entries and fitness reports with WHtR comments will still be visible.

Key dates

DateMilestone
Now (message release)Eligibility roster published; CEB questionnaire opens
20 July 2026ETPs due; questionnaire closes; applications and board correspondence due; RBRs due
24 July 2026Non-compliance list published
31 July 2026Final eligibility list published
4 August 2026CEB convenes

Available programs at a glance

Resident PME

  • Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS)
  • PMOS-specific Captains Career Courses

Graduate Education

  • Naval Postgraduate School (NPS): multiple curricula available. See https://nps.edu/web/usmc/students/prospective for details. Note: 4402 PMOS is not eligible. 1706 PMOS is limited to curriculum 8866. 0370 PMOS only for 8870.
  • Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT): curricula 8820 (75XX PMOS only) and 8831. See https://www.afit.edu/EN/programs.cfm?a=view&D=1 (8820) and https://www.afit.edu/EN/programs.cfm?a=view&D=44 (8831).
  • Civilian Institutions: Education (8802, earns a master's in 24 months, utilization tour at Marine Corps Education Command) and History (8878, master's in 24 months, utilization tour as History Instructor at USNA). MCU funds up to $19,500/year; officer pays anything above that. No cap at SDSU.
  • SDSU (curriculum 4505): limited to 4502 PMOS, minimum undergrad GPA of 2.9 required, master's in Mass Communication.
  • Advanced Civilian Schools Program (ACSP): up to 12 months, officer pays tuition and fees, regular pay and allowances continue, no utilization tour required. Current GRE scores required.
  • Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Program: must have fewer than 11 years commissioned service by June 2027. Submit current Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score and a letter to the board via the questionnaire, saved as edipi_FAO_lastname.
  • Olmsted Scholar Program (OSP): maximum 13 years 6 months total federal service as of 1 April 2027. Minimum DLAB score of 95. Limited to specific PMOSs (02xx, 03xx, 0402, 0602, 0802, 1302, 17xx, 1803, 3002, 4502, 5803, 60xx, 66xx, 7204, 7209, 7315, 7318, 75xx). Two-phase selection: board nominates up to eight, then the Olmsted Foundation interviews and selects.

The official version

This is MARADMIN 273/26. Referenced orders include MCO 1524.1 (Graduate Education Program), MCO 1553.4B (PME), MCO 1540.33 (International Affairs Program), and MCO 1300.8 (Personnel Assignment Policy).

POC: Maj Delaney T. Dumanovsky, MMOA-3. Email: SMB_MMOA_GRAD_EDU@USMC.MIL. Phone: (703) 784-9285.

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Resources & references

The documents this bulletin points to, with a plain-English note on why each matters. Links marked CAC required need a government login.

  • Marine Corps Graduate Education Program (MCO 1524.1)Reference

    This order governs the Marine Corps Graduate Education Program, which covers several of the degree programs the CCLEB can select officers to attend. It is the foundational policy for understanding eligibility and obligations tied to graduate education opportunities listed in this MARADMIN.

  • Professional Military Education order (MCO 1553.4B)Reference

    This order establishes Marine Corps PME policy, covering programs like EWS and Captains Career Courses that the CCLEB selects officers for. It defines the standards and requirements governing resident PME opportunities announced here.

  • International Affairs Program order (MCO 1540.33)Reference

    This order governs the International Affairs Program, which is among the special programs the CCLEB considers for selection. Officers interested in foreign area officer or related international opportunities should be familiar with it.

  • Marine Corps Personnel Assignment Policy (MCO 1300.8 w/Ch-2)Reference

    This order governs how Marines are assigned to billets and programs, including tour control factors that determine CCLEB eligibility. Understanding it helps officers interpret the tour-completion eligibility windows described in this MARADMIN.

  • Marine Corps Separation and Retirement Manual, MARCORSEPMAN (MCO 1900.16 Ch 2)Reference

    This manual covers separation and retirement policy. Officers with an approved separation or retirement date are ineligible for CCLEB selection, making this the relevant authority for that disqualifying criterion.

  • Officer PME Blended Seminar Program FY26-27 Seat Quota Assignments (MARADMIN 158/26)MARADMIN

    This MARADMIN addresses seat quotas for the Expeditionary Warfare School Blended Seminar Program. Officers already enrolled in or who have completed the EWSBSP under this message are subject to specific CCLEB eligibility restrictions described here.

  • Requirement Update on Official Photographs for Non-Promotion Selection Boards, Change 1 (MARADMIN 127/26)MARADMIN

    This MARADMIN established that HQMC-sponsored non-promotion boards, including the CCLEB, now have access to official OMPF photographs. Marines should ensure a current photo is in their OMPF no later than 10 business days before the board convenes.

  • Changes to Marine Corps PFT and Body Composition Evaluation Process, Change 1 (MARADMIN 066/26)MARADMIN

    This MARADMIN modified the body composition standard from Height and Weight to a Waist-to-Height Ratio requirement. The CCLEB board will consider prior Height and Weight records and fitness reports containing WHtR comments when a current WHtR measurement is unavailable.

  • NPS Prospective USMC Students Page

    This page from the Naval Postgraduate School covers admissions requirements and application steps for Marine Officers pursuing master's, doctoral, or dual degree programs at NPS. If you have a "Note 1" on the CCLEB or CPIB Eligibility Rosters, this is where you find the catalog links, Academic Profile Code information, and the online application.

  • AFIT Aeronautical Engineering Program (Curricula 8820) Page

    This page describes AFIT's fully-accredited, in-residence Master of Science program in Aeronautical Engineering, including admission requirements, degree requirements, and faculty research areas. A Reserve Marine with an engineering background who is interested in pursuing graduate education in aeronautics through military sponsorship would find the program details and application information here.

  • AFIT Engineering Management Program (Curricula 8831) Page

    This document describes AFIT's Master's degree in Engineering Management (Curricula 8831), a resident program specifically tailored to the US Marine Corps Environmental Engineering Management community. A reservist with a STEM background who wants to blend technical and managerial skills in a defense environment should open it to review admission requirements, curriculum details, and how to apply.

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