About CDSE
Mission
Provide the Department of Defense with a security center of excellence for the professionalization of the security community and be the premier provider of security education and training for the Department of Defense and industry. The CDSE will furnish unparalleled development, delivery, and exchange of security knowledge to ensure a high-performing workforce capable of addressing our Nation’s security challenges.
Vision
To be the premier provider and center of excellence for security training, professionalization, education, research, and multimedia production for the Department of Defense and the defense industrial base.
Divisions
The Education Division develops education courses and workshops for DoD security professionals who are advancing their professional growth. This division is responsible for the development of education courses for advanced security studies in support of the Security Professional Education Development Certification Program. The Education Division is also responsible for facilitating the evaluation of SETA training and education courses for college credit equivalencies.
The Training Division provides security training to Department of Defense (DoD) and other U.S. Government personnel, employees of U.S. Government contractors, and when sponsored by authorized DoD Components, employees of foreign governments. The Training Division creates, collaborates and facilitates delivery of quality training across the Industrial, Information, Personnel, and Physical security disciplines, as well as other security related areas such as Special Access Programs. Training is delivered through a variety of formats to include resident courses conducted at the DSS facility in Linthicum, MD, mobile courses delivered at activities located within or outside of the United States, and distance learning courses, audio podcasts and performance support tools accessed online via the CDSE website and Learning Management System, STEPP. The training division also operates the Defense Security Service Academy (DSSA); the DSSA provides security training for industrial security professionals within the Defense Security Service.
The Security Professionalization Division is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) Certification Program, including maintaining DoD security skill standards, developing and providing career services for DoD security professionals, and supporting the DoD Security Training Council (DSTC). The Division is also responsible for communication and liaison with DoD security community stakeholders/customers and sponsorship/support of security-themed workshops, conferences, and events.
The Technology Enhanced Learning Division develops and delivers web-deployed products and provides multi-media support. This division supports students and the customer-base through the development of courseware and classroom tools and facilitates agency-wide communication and outreach efforts.
The Research, Analysis and Innovation Division deploys and maintain SETA's knowledge management system, collect and report metrics, work special projects and provide strategic counsel to the office of the SETA Director.
Professional Affiliations
The Center for Development of Security
Excellence (CDSE) is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, a national accrediting agency for non-degree granting, 
and applied associate degree-granting postsecondary occupational institutions. The CDSE also offers credit recommendations for certain courses through its affiliation with the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation
Service (ACE CREDIT).