Canadian Defence Academy

The Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) is composed of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), Royal Military College Saint-Jean (RMC Saint-Jean), the Canadian Forces College (CFC), the Non-Commissioned Members Leadership College (NCMLC), and the Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security; with the mandate to uphold distinction in the Profession of Arms.

The CDA is headquartered at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston, in Ontario.

In accordance with its 2003 Charter, CDA exists to champion lifelong learning, and to promote the professional development of members of the CAF. CDA continues to devote efforts to ensure that the CAF Profession of Arms and Professional Development System remain credible and affordable.

CDA enhances the Profession of Arms and contributes to the defence diplomacy objectives of DND/CAF by creating strategic educational opportunities through effective engagements and partnerships nationally and internationally.

Additionally, CDA is the CAF training authority for common professional development training and education.

For example, CDA provides 5,000 students a year with continuing education at RMC. CDA by the intermediary of CFC, a leader in advanced professional development, runs seven advanced courses that graduate over 600 senior military and civilian students, including many internationals.

CDA accomplishes this through programmes, activities, and periodicals such as:

Professional Development
Educational Engagements
Leadership and Profession of Arms Doctrine
Chief Defence Staff Guidance to Commanding Officers
Canadian Military Journal
Canadian Defence Academy Press
Professional Concepts and Leader Development

Canadian Military Journal

The Canadian Military Journal is the capstone in-house professional and intellectual bilingual forum and strategic media asset of DND and the CAF. Its core mandate, by Ministerial direction, is to ‘…enhance the continuing development of the profession of arms in Canada, and, in the transaction of public business, to enhance transparency and to better inform the citizens of Canada and the world about Canadian defence policy, issues, and defence initiatives.’ Published quarterly, through its very existence, it serves as a beacon for the encouragement of open, transparent, and constructive dialogue on defence issues. It has evolved into a prestigious and well-respected, refereed quarterly with an outstanding international reputation and a proven record of accomplishment and commitment to excellence.

Canadian Defence Academy Press

Established in 2005, the CDA Press mission is to publish scholarly publications that contribute to a Canadian body of operational leadership and profession of arms knowledge that supports the generation of effective military leaders.

By contributing to a Canadian body of operational leadership and profession of arms knowledge, CDA Press informs the general public with regards to the significant contribution of DND and the CAF to Canada. Furthermore, the press serves as a vehicle to highlight the challenges inherent in the Canadian military experience and its significance to our society.

The CDA Press, in collaboration with its major feeder organizations and end-state users (i.e. the RMCC and the CFC) is responsible for ensuring that its published volumes meet the current and ever changing needs of DND and the CAF. This in turn will help to ensure that military personnel can better meet the challenges of the future. As such, the CDA Press, through its chairman and the editorial board process, is charged by the Commander of CDA to review and assess manuscripts and prepare for publication those works that meet the highest scholarly and professional standards expected of an academic press.

Inquiries can be addressed to cda.pcld-cpdl@forces.gc.ca

Professional Concepts and Leader Development

The Professional Concepts and Leader Development (PCLD) section strengthens the foundations of CAF leadership and the Profession of Arms by capitalizing on the wealth of experience in our Officers and NCMs and articulating these enduring military principles by conducting research, review, analysis, development, synthesis and evaluation of leadership and professionalism.

PCLD generates research, concept development, and doctrine on military leadership, command and the profession of arms to build and support effective military leaders. It is mandated to publish Duty with Honour: The Profession of Arms in Canada, which serves as the intellectual and doctrinal basis for all personnel and professional development policies in the CAF. In addition to this volume, a second set of doctrine publications have been published as the Leadership series of manuals: Leading People, Leading the Institution, and Conceptual Foundations. These materials are used in training and professional development activities throughout the CAF

Inquiries can be addressed to cda.pcld-cpdl@forces.gc.ca

Educational Engagements

The Educational Engagements section within the Directorate of Professional Development is responsible to:

review and provide academic advice across the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) to include examining and leveraging professional development opportunities with civilian and/or defence academic and research institutions, in order to enable the advancement of the core mission and objectives of the CDA;
conduct targeted research on academic issues pertinent to CAF Professional Development pillars (education, training, experience and self-development), scan and benchmark trends in the wider educational and learning domains;
develop and maintain professional development self-development portals that support continuous professional military education across the CAF Professional Development System; and
provide applicable support, including academic subject matter expertise, to DND/CAF defence diplomacy capacity building initiatives involving, but not limited to, the DND/CAF Global Engagement Strategy, Directorate of Military Training and Cooperation and NATO Defence Education Enhancement Programs.

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2026-01-26

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Canadian Defence Academy

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