It was located in the Thủ Đức District of the capital Saigon (now the eponymous subcity in Ho Chi Minh City).

In 1954, after the Geneva Accords, the management of the school changed from the French to the Vietnamese National Army (VNA).

In October 1961 all of these schools, with the exception of Infantry and Armor, moved from the Thủ Đức area to provide space for the greatly expanded ARVN Reserve Officers Procurement Program.

[1]: 139  The school offered nine months of military instruction to high school-level officer candidates, and graduates received a reserve commission, the rank of aspirant (one level below Second lieutenant), and a four-year active duty obligation.

Thủ Đức turned out several thousand officers annually and was the ARVN's primary source of small-unit leaders.

Increased emphasis was placed all instructor training and the methods of instruction course was revised to emphasize practical application as opposed to the lecture system.

[1]: 141 The mission of the school was to train armor personnel in the use and tactics of all armor-type vehicles found in the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces inventory.