General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University is one of the leading universities of Sri Lanka. It is the only university offering graduate courses in Defense Studies in the South Asian region. It was initially established as the "General Sir John Kotelawala Defense Academy" by an Act of Parliament in 1981 and was subsequently elevated to University status in 1988. The university is dedicated to ensure a high quality educational experience and research across many disciplines in the field of Defense.

Programs and Courses

The university offers various graduate and undergraduate courses ranging from Defense Studies to Engineering, Law and Medicine.

Faculty of Defense and Strategic Studies

The Faculty consists of two departments; the Department of Defense Studies and the Department of Strategic Studies.

Faculty of Engineering

The University offers courses in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Marine Engineering & Sciences and Information Technology & Mathematics through its Faculty of Engineering.

Faculty of Graduate Studies

The Faculty conducts external post graduate degree programs, diploma and certificate courses in Information Technology and Languages for the Officers of the three Services and the Police.

Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law, through its courses, is engaged in providing legal education to Officer Cadets which would eventually pave way in qualifying them as legal advisers for the three forces.

Faculty of Management, Social Sciences & Humanities

The Faculty consists of three departments; Management & Finance, Social Sciences, Languages.

Faculty of Medicine

The University’s Faculty of Medicine is the only military institution providing medical education in Sri Lanka. It offers the MBBS program.

Admission Procedure 2025 - 2026

The applicants are to take an IQ test, 2 interviews and an Officer level of quality Examination that can determine the actual physical and mental strength of the applicants. Those that arrive the necessary standard are interviewed by the selection committee appointed through the Secretary, Ministry of Defense.
In order to get admission in the university, the foreign candidates must possess qualifications equivalent to the G.C.E (A/L) Examination or qualifications required for admission in any university in their own country. Candidates should have passed SAT and TOEFL or any other qualification recognized by the University.

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