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Eligibility and Course Registration

New & Prospective Student Information

What is DAU?

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is a corporate university that was established by the Department of Defense (DoD). It is an educational activity that serves as a strategic tool in providing a global learning environment to develop qualified acquisition, requirements and contingency professionals who deliver and sustain effective and affordable warfighting capabilities. For additional information, please visit the About Us section of the website.

What are the eligibility guidelines to register for DAU training?

  • All Service and DoD employees are eligible to complete DAU training. As it relates to DAU ILT/VILT courses, the Services and DoD non-MILDEP agencies, through their Defense Acquisition Career Management offices (DACMs), have quotas in our classes. The DACMs establish priorities for their own military and civilian members, depending on such issues as whether a student is in an acquisition coded billet.
  • All Non-DoD federal agency and Defense Industry Employees (Contractors) are eligible to complete DAU training. As it relates to DAU ILT/VILT courses, employees may attend DAU courses at no cost on a space available basis. There are some non-DoD and Defense Industry quotas in DAU courses; however designated quotas are not in every class at every location. Non-DoD and Industry applicants should understand that DoD and MILDEP employees have precedence over all Non-DoD federal agency and Defense Industry employees except when there are specific quotas for these categories. This is particularly important in the case where a federal agency or defense industry employee is placed on a wait list, because all DoD and MILDEP employees are assigned a higher priority on the wait list even when they are added after the Non-DoD and defense Industry have been assigned a wait status.
  • International students (Contractor/Foreign Nationals) are eligible to complete DAU training and may apply as Defense Industry employees if they work for a US defense Industry corporation, for example, employees working for they are foreign nationals who are in the foreign military sales program, or they are civilians employed by the Ministry of Defense.    

    NOTE: Individuals who DO NOT meet the eligibility requirements above are not authorized to register for DAU training.    

    Individuals who DO meet the eligibility requirements and require a student account and/or access to the Virtual Campus may want to review our Foreign National FAQs prior to submitting the DAU SAAR.

Do I need to be a DoD employee to register?

No – DAU training services are extended, on a space-available basis, to other United States government affiliations, including Non-DoD federal agencies, members of the defense industry (DoD contractors), and international students (Foreign National, Foreign Military Sales, NATO).

It is important to note that DoD components have quotas in our courses. These quotas enable the Acquisition Training Office (ATO) of each military service and non-MILDEP agency to establish training priorities for their own workforce members, depending on several factors (e.g., if the employee is in an acquisition-coded billet or their position holds unique training requirements). In some cases, there are Non-DoD federal and defense industry quotas; however, designated quotas are not available in every course at every location. Non-DoD applicants should understand that DoD and MILDEP employees have precedence over all non-DoD federal and defense industry employees (unless there are specific quotas in these categories). This is particularly important in the case where a federal agency or defense industry employee is placed on a wait list; DoD and MILDEP employees will always be processed off of the wait list first.

Is there any specific guidance for Foreign National (FN), Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and NATO employees who need to complete DAU training?

FN, FMS, and NATO employees may apply as Defense Industry employees if they work for a US defense Industry corporation, they are foreign nationals who are in the foreign military sales program, or they are civilians employed by the Ministry of Defense of countries.

  • You must have a DoD CAC or a DAUID to submit the DAU SAAR.
  • If you do not have a DAUID, you must submit your EIN to the DAU Help Desk through the ticketing system so a DAUID can be created for you.
  • If you do not have an EIN, you must contact the Industry Registrar for further assistance. 
  • Additional information about this process is available on the FLN Account Creation page.

Are there any courses available to the general public?

Not at this time.

Where can I view a list of training products/courses?

The DAU iCatalog is an online resource that provides information about the various foundational learning products that are offered by the university.

Is DAU accredited?

YES - The Defense Acquisition University is accredited by the Commission of Council on Occupational Education. DAU is also an International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) Authorized Provider. For additional information, please visit the About Us section of the website.