The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) is a nationally accredited, award-winning directorate of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). Established in March 2010, CDSE serves as the premier provider of security education, training, and certification for the Department of Defense (DOD), other federal agencies, and industry under the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). CDSE is responsible for administering the Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) Certification Program to support security workforce professionalization by formally recognizing the understanding of foundational concepts, principles, and practices required across the DOD security community. CDSE education, training, and certification programs provide development, delivery, and exchange of security knowledge to ensure a high-performing, ready workforce capable of addressing our Nation's security challenges.
Effective Oct 1, 2020, The Office of Personnel Management, National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) which was headquartered in Washington, DC, was transferred to the newly formed Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. The National Training Center (NTC) located in Slippery Rock, PA, which served as the NBIB's' training center for personnel throughout the government who conduct background investigations, was merged into the Center for Development of Security Excellence and renamed the Background Investigations (BI) Training Division. It remains a separate campus in Slippery Rock, PA, but currently resides under the DCSA Security Academy.
The CDSE is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE), SPēD Certification Program certifications are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and over 30 courses and curricula hosted by CDSE are approved for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit toward CompTIA certification renewals. The Background Investigations Training Division, formerly, the National Training Center, is accredited by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA).
Follow the guidance at the CDSE
My Digital Badges webpage to request a CDSE ACE Digital Badge. Once you have accepted a digital badge and set up your profile, you will be able to send an official transcript directly from the Credly webpage to the institution of your choice. For instructions on how to send a transcript, please follow the guidance at the
My Transcripts webpage for more information.