Tactical Command and Staff College

The Tactical Command and Staff College (Taistelukoulu) is located in Santahamina, Helsinki. It was formerly known as Master's Degree Programme of the National Defence University (NDU), and prior to the establishment of the NDU it was called the Branch School or Combat School.  It is the degree programme responsible for the implementation and development of the Master of Military Sciences degree. The Tactical Command and Staff College is responsible for the officer education and guidance of the Master’s students and it provides degree-related guidance to the military education establishments (service, branch and functional area schools).

The Master's Degree in Military Sciences is a university degree comprising 120 ECTS in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard and Officer Pilot programmes and the Executive Assistance programme.

The goal of the Master of Military Sciences degree is to provide the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard with the highly trained officers needed for emergency and normal conditions, who are capable of extensively combining and applying theory and practice and continuing to further develop their skills. The military sciences focus of the master’s degree is on the tactical level. 

The name of the Master's Degree Programme was changed into the Tactical Command and Staff College on 1st June 2025. This name change combines the traditions of a traditional military college with a modern Master of Military Sciences degree. The original founding date of the Branch School was 10 October 1927, which will also be the anniversary of the Tactical Command and Staff College. The honorary march of the Tactical Command and Staff College is Taistelkaatte and its colour is the colour of the historical Branch School.