Training at IMF Headquarters (HQ) in Washington, D.C. is offered in four languages-Arabic, English, French, and Spanish. Much of the HQ curriculum is devoted to relatively long courses that involve many IMF staff and would be impractical to offer at the Regional Training Centers. These include the Institute's six-week course on Financial Programming and Policies, the relatively new four- and five-week courses on Macroeconomic Diagnostics and Macroeconomic Management and Fiscal Policy, and several three- to six-week courses on macroeconomic statistics.

Beginning in May 2009, for most courses held at the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., agencies sponsoring participants will be required to contribute to the travel, accommodation and living costs of participants. These contributions will be based on the length of the course and the country income level as defined by the World Bank classification. Information on these charges can be found on the following page Country Contribution.

(Information on the contribution policy can be accessed on the Policy for Country Contributions for Capacity Building link.)

Selection Process: Courses are either by application or invitation. For courses by invitation, candidates are nominated by government agencies upon the request of the responsible IMF department.