George Mason University’s Learning Initiatives Network (LINK), through the office of Continuing and Professional Education, will lead the creation and delivery of a new financial management academy for the U.S. Navy, drawing on expertise from the Costello College of Business.
The academy will deliver targeted, tailored training to strengthen financial management capabilities across the service and support the Navy’s goal of full audit readiness by 2028, a strategic priority of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
As one of the few universities in the country with a federal accounting focus and located in the National Capital Region, George Mason is uniquely positioned for this work. Through a five-year $48.7-million ceiling IDIQ contract ($53.5 million with options), the academy will equip 10,000 Navy financial management personnel worldwide with the skills needed to manage budgets, support audit requirements, and operate effectively within the Navy’s financial enterprise. The training will emphasize workforce readiness, helping professionals apply financial concepts within the Navy’s real systems, processes, and mission needs.
The effort also creates a pathway to degree completion for undergraduate and graduate programs at George Mason. In addition to workforce training, Navy students will be able to pursue degrees such as a BS in Business with an accounting concentration, an MS in Accounting, or a Master of Business Administration, and even earn a Graduate Certificate in Government Accounting as they progress through their graduate studies—helping fulfill an Office of Management and Budget requirement that financial management personnel complete 24 credit hours of accounting coursework.
“Our support of this effort is another example of how Costello is working to expand academic programs and lifelong learning opportunities for members of our military through workforce development programs and innovative collaborations with the U.S. Navy and the Office of Continuing and Professional Education,” said Cheryl Druehl, interim dean of the Costello College of Business.
“It is an opportunity for us to come in and really help the Navy fulfill a major workforce training need,” said project lead Brett Josephson, associate provost of learning initiatives for the university and associate professor of marketing in the Costello College of Business. “They identified a gap that needs to be filled to meet the department’s strategic priorities, and we are well-qualified to help them meet that need.”
At its core, the academy delivers customized instruction that aligns with the actual processes, challenges, and software used by the Navy, ensuring that learning is directly relevant and immediately applicable. Much of the instruction is delivered virtually, allowing personnel stationed internationally, from ship deployments to shore commands, to participate without interrupting their operational duties.
George Mason is also partnering with leading firms in the government accounting space, including Deloitte and Kearney & Company, to strengthen course design, instructional delivery, and applied learning components of the program.
The Navy’s selection of George Mason reflects the university’s established reputation for translating academic rigor into mission-focused training and for collaborating closely with federal partners to develop solutions that matter. The Navy had a need for a partner who could meet stringent technical requirements while bringing insight into adult learning and workforce development, strengths that the university has demonstrated across both public and private sectors.
“What they need isn’t just information. It is structured, applicable training that can be integrated with what their teams are already doing every day,” Josephson explained. “We are ready to meet them there and help build something impactful.”
Financial transparency and accountability are at the heart of institutional credibility, especially for an organization as large as the Navy. As financial systems grow in complexity, the ability to analyze, report, and defend fiscal decisions becomes more critical. The training delivered by George Mason aims to make those capabilities standard across the Navy workforce.
Participants in the program will leave with a deeper understanding of financial reporting standards, budgeting procedures, audit frameworks, and data interpretation techniques, all grounded in real scenarios reflective of Navy operations. This approach enhances individual competence and strengthens collective readiness, enabling the Navy to achieve its audit goals while fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
The partnership between George Mason and the Navy serves as a compelling example of how universities can support government missions beyond traditional research contracts. By focusing on customized education that yields practical benefits, the university is expanding the role of academic institutions as strategic partners, shaping skilled workforces capable of navigating 21st-century challenges.
This initiative highlights a broader trend in George Mason’s engagement with government and industry, leveraging university expertise to solve complex operational problems, particularly where knowledge gaps intersect with national priorities. In doing so, George Mason continues to embody its mission of advancing solutions for a changing world, aligning academic resources with the urgent needs of communities, organizations, and government partners.
“We have a long history of partnering with the Navy to support their workforce needs, including a custom internship program we launched in 2022 that brought cohorts of Costello students onto real Navy projects,” Josephson said. “We built that program as a service to the nation and to our students, and we’ve been honored to see this partnership deepen as we work together to support national security and help the Navy become more effective and efficient.”