Acquisition Corps eligibility—are you ready for acquisition and logistics excellence?

Defense AT&L, Jan-Feb, 2005

As the DoD transforms, the expectations and opportunities for acquisition professionals will increase by order of magnitude. To prepare for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, acquisition professionals should demonstrate exceptional analytical and decision-making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. Earning membership into the Acquisition Corps is a critical step in preparation for acquisition leadership. Per the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), Acquisition Corps eligibility requires meeting all of the following standards:

* Minimum grade of Major or GS-13

* Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) Level II Certification

* A bachelor's degree at an accredited educational institution

* Four years of acquisition experience

* At least 24 semester credit hours (or the equivalent) of study from an accredited college or university in the following disciplines: accounting, business finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, and organization and management; or at least 24 semester credit hours (or the equivalent) from an accredited college in the individual's career field and 12 semester credit hours (or the equivalent) from such an institution from among the disciplines listed here, or equivalent training as prescribed by the secretary to ensure proficiency in those disciplines.

Acquisition Corps eligibility is a prerequisite for serving in a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP). CAPs are positions of significant responsibility, primarily involving supervisory or management duties in the DoD acquisition system. CAPs vary in scope and span of control, but must be filled by corps members. For more information on acquisition corps eligibility and certification, browse the AT & L Knowledge Sharing System (AKSS) Web site at <http://deskbook.dau.mil/jsp/DawiaTraining.jsp>.