MCO 1553.4 - Professional Military Education (Pme)

Scope

MCO 1553.4 governs the Marine Corps Professional Military Education (PME) program. The current revision on MCPEL is MCO 1553.4B, published 2008-01-25, and the source PDF is on file from the 2026-04-28 archive snapshot. The opening section states the purpose.

This Order articulates the Marine Corps Professional Military Education (PME) program and updates policy and responsibilities for coordinating the PME of Marines.

Audience

• Marines planning enlisted PME completion for promotion eligibility.
• Officers pursuing JPME Phase I and Phase II through Marine Corps and cross-service institutions.
• Leaders tracking section PME status against promotion zones.
• S-1 and admin sections managing PME records, reached through the portal admin PME routes.

Content scope

Repo evidence names no chapter structure. Portal pages route these PME topics to the order: Marine Corps University at Quantico, Expeditionary Warfare School, Command and Staff College, Marine Corps War College, the SNCO Academy, resident, blended, and non-resident options, and JPME Phase I and Phase II credentialing.

Operative content

• The Marine Corps University page uses this order as its source policy, with source chapter Professional Military Education and source section Marine Corps University.
• The leader readiness page tracks required PME by rank. Lance corporals through corporals complete junior MarineNet and MCI courses. Sergeants complete NCO PME before the board. Staff sergeants complete the SNCO course. Gunnery sergeants and above attend senior PME schools. Officers follow JPME and resident school cycles.
• The leader readiness page states a Marine in the promotion zone with incomplete PME is locked out of promotion.

Connection to higher policy

The portal JPME page lists CJCS Instruction 1800.01, Officer Professional Military Education Policy, and 10 USC 661 through 665, Joint Officer Management, beside this order.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine and lower policy

Portal reference lists pair the order with MCO 1553.1, The Marine Corps Training and Education System, and MCO 1500.55. Marine Corps University, under Training and Education Command, delivers the resident schools. MarineNet carries distance PME courses.

Status

The current revision on MCPEL is MCO 1553.4B, status Current, published 2008-01-25, article 900248. This registry slug covers the base number, and the external link opens the 1553.4B PDF. The 2008 publication date is old for a program with active MARADMIN traffic on enlisted and officer PME requirements. Verify current PME requirements against recent MARADMINs before citing revision-level detail from the order.