Is This Anyway to Elect a President?

Our political system is unique in many ways. We have a system of a bicameral legislature (House and Senate) with a chief executive (President) who may be of the opposite party of either the House or Senate or both. Also, in our system the winner of the popular vote will not be guaranteed the office of the presidency if their opponent receives 270 or more Electoral College votes.

What is also unique about our political system is the length of the campaign for the office of President. A first term President starts running for re-election two years into their term. A challenger may be seeking the nomination of their party for an even longer period of time. The campaign for President is much too long. 

Finally, do we end up with the best possible candidates running for the presidency? I do not think so. Just because someone can withstand and survive the grueling process of running for this office should not be a reason for thinking that they will be an effective leader if elected. Is there a better way to, hopefully, end up with candidates that might turn out to be competent presidents? I think so.

Why not a University of Presidential Candidates?  Any one interested in running for the presidency would be required to "enroll" in the U. of P. C. (again presidential Candidates, not Political Correctness).  They would take classes for a period of at least two years prior to the presidential year in which they would be running. They would learn about the nuts and bolts of governing if they were to win. There would be classes on all aspects of presidential governing. Classes on the Cabinet, foreign policy, selection of Supreme Court justices, dealing with Congress, and the role of the military in advising the president for example. The classes would consist of lectures and meetings with former Cabinet members from all departments, former Joints Chief of staff, and retired Supreme Court justices as examples.

The presidential candidates would take exams in each of these classes. They would be graded. Is it so outrageous a proposal to have a University of Presidential Candidates?  We require someone who wants to be a cosmetologist in California to go to school and take a licensing exam to be certified. What can a cosmetologist do to you that would be so life changing if they messed up? Given the enormous power of the presidency in comparison, is it so far-fetched to suggest a school for presidential candidates? Might that be a first step in a better way to elect a competent President?