# Higher Command and Staff Course > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Higher_Command_and_Staff_Course > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Higher_Command_and_Staff_Course.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Command_and_Staff_Course > Source revision: 1294122486 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The **Higher Command and Staff Course** is a staff course for senior military officers of the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) armed forces and allies.[1] It is taught at the [Defence Academy of the United Kingdom](/source/Defence_Academy_of_the_United_Kingdom) in [Shrivenham](/source/Shrivenham), [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire), [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom). The course is provided by the [Joint Services Command and Staff College](/source/Joint_Services_Command_and_Staff_College) of the [British Armed Forces](/source/British_Armed_Forces) initially for 24 [colonels](/source/Colonel) or equivalent aged 41 to 44 years (and a few [lieutenant-colonels](/source/Lieutenant-colonel) and [brigadiers](/source/Brigadier)): 15 from the army, 1 or 2 from the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy), 1 or 2 from the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force), and 4 from overseas (such as the [United States of America](/source/United_States_of_America), [Germany](/source/Germany), [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands), and [Australia](/source/Australia)), and some civilians (from the [Ministry of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(United_Kingdom))). In 1994 it was increased to 30 officers, and was part of the new [Joint Service Command and Staff College](/source/Joint_Service_Command_and_Staff_College), having originally been at the [Staff College, Camberley](/source/Staff_College%2C_Camberley). The course lasts 17 weeks and concentrates on joint operations. Led by the Colonel Higher Command and Staff Course, from 1988, there are 9 phases including out of area and future battlefield. The course culminates in an army-group level ADP backed wargaming exercise. Those attending the annual course, and those on the [Directing Staff](/source/Directing_Staff) receive the letters "HCSC" in the service List. The course is designed to prepare selected officers for higher command of field formations and for senior operational staff appointments in national and international HQs. There is an average of 240 pages of background reading per day. The Higher Command and Staff Course resembles the 1938 Higher Command Course, [Aldershot](/source/Aldershot), which was for lieutenant-colonels and above. The HCSC is intended: - to provide a sound theoretical grounding in the principles of the conduct of war at the operational level (i.e. [corps](/source/Corps), [army](/source/Army)); - to indicate the factors which have moulded national armies and are now shaping modern concepts of warfare; - to provide the strategic and political framework within which operations, in co-operation with allied formations, may be conducted; - by an analysis of historical examples and exercises, to provide an insight into the key factors which require continuous assessment during the conduct of operations; - to provide an understanding of how to plan and shape the battlefield at the operational level in order to meet the strategic aim; - to provide an insight into the role of technology in the shaping of modern armies, with a proper regard for the financial implications, with an update on present and projected weapon and equipment capabilities; - to provide an understanding of the principles of leadership and command appropriate to the operational level of command and senior staff appointments in peace and war. ## See also - [Joint Services Command and Staff College](/source/Joint_Services_Command_and_Staff_College) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Shamir, Eitan (2011). [*Transforming Command: The Pursuit of Mission Command in the U.S., British, and Israeli Armies*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3-1WLAB7spUC&dq=Higher+Command+and+Staff+Course&pg=PA117). Stanford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8047-7203-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8047-7203-7). ## Further reading - Beevor, Inside the British Army v t e Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) Headquarters: Main Building, Whitehall Armed Forces Service branches Naval Service Royal Navy Royal Marines British Army Royal Air Force By nation Scotland Wales the Irish Defence Council Political Secretary of State for Defence Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry Minister of State (Minister for the House of Lords) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for the Armed Forces) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Veterans and People) Military Chief of the Defence Staff Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Chief of the General Staff Chief of the Air Staff Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command Chief of Defence People Civil Service Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence Chief Scientific Adviser Director-General Finance Director-General Head Office and Commissioning Services Director-General Nuclear Director-General Security Policy Lead Non-Executive Board Member Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the People Committee Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Audit Committee Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Equipment and Support Board Service boards Admiralty Board (Navy Board) Army Board Air Force Board Service and CSOC Headquarters Royal Navy Army Command Air Command Cyber & Specialist Operations Command Space Command Arm's-length bodies Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) Top-level budget agencies managed on an arm's-length basis Defence Business Services (DBS) Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) Defence Digital Defence Nuclear Organisation Ministry of Defence Police Regulatory organisations Defence Safety Authority Single Source Regulations Office Intelligence Defence Intelligence (under Cyber & Specialist Operations Command) Defence Secretariat 19 (defunct) Non-departmental public bodies National Army Museum National Museum of the Royal Navy Royal Air Force Museum Public corporations Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) Sheffield Forgemasters Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Higher Command and Staff Course](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Command_and_Staff_Course) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Command_and_Staff_Course?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.