Military Careers - Military Times

Enlisted professional military education: Marine Corps

The Marine Corps’ professional military education program is designed to educate Marines incrementally throughout their careers. The program consists of resident instruction, distance education, professional reading, and other avenues of professional self-study.

Though Marines ranking lance corporal and below are not required to complete a specific PME for promotion, correspondence courses available through the Marine Corps Institute are highly encouraged. Lance Corporals who complete the MCI courses designed for their grade will earn a maximum of 100 points toward their promotion score.

Though the same holds true for corporals, an additional formal school called the Corporals’ Course is specifically designed to teach leadership and basic Marine Corps knowledge to the Corps’ most junior noncommissioned officers, though it is not specifically required for promotion.

The Sergeants’ Course, however, and participation in the appropriate distance education courses, is mandatory for Marines who intend to be promoted to staff sergeant.

Staff sergeants must complete the Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy distance education courses to be considered PME complete in grade and, in most cases, the completion of this distance education course is a prerequisite for the resident course at the SNCO Academies in Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C.

When a Marine achieves the rank of gunnery sergeant, he or she is expected participate in the SNCO Academy’s advanced course, which is designed to develop Marines’ ability to manage unit training responsibilities and company-level combat.

For Marines above the rank of gunnery sergeant, participation in regional senior enlisted seminars held annually is required for them to be considered PME complete in grade. However, attendance at these seminars is not required for master sergeants and first sergeants to remain eligible for promotion.