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Officer with Master's degree

Piposterous

"The road to success is always under construction"
pilot
Hello everyone.
I've been an on and off user on this site for a while now. 25January marked my 17th month of being in the OCC application process - I have unfortunately just been caught up with medical obstacles (have had 3 elective surgeries to obtain medical clearance). I am now on track for OCC 223, July 2016 selection board. That being said, I will graduate my Master's degree in May. My question to you all is that is there a benefit for Officers who have a Master's degree beyond the selection process? For example, do Officers who possess a Master's degree move up the ranks more rapidly or have the ability to obtain higher ranks? This is a question I've had for a while and have received many different answers.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Short answer. Nope.

It may end up being a bullet on a fitrep if you just got one during the reporting period...but (spoiler alert) no one cares.

Getting a master's as part of a PME program, e.g. Command and Staff, helps, but in that case it's really the getting selected for the school in the first place that people are looking at.

You may be eligible for some interesting B billets depending on what your advanced degree is, (here's the "but") but most jobs like that don't help your career, at least in terms of promotion potential. If you like being the resident expert at HQMC in subject X, that's great, but you won't get a command based on that.
 

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
Congrats…education is it's own reward. Be happy for that. You may be able to use that knowledge in the Marines, but don't flaunt it or expect much recognition…too much else you do will be what matters.
 

AQ-AT-NAVCIV

Citizen Sailor, Gentleman Farmer
Tough to find a CO without a Masters and/or JPME program masters in their Bio. There has to be something driving all that weekend duty?
 

Rugby_Guy

Livin on a Prayer
pilot
I had a Colonel (MAG CO) tell me once that if someone gets a Masters outside of being an MOI/Command and Staff/Fellowship/ etc., that he sees it as a red flag. That (in his opinion) he is worried that said Marine would have had to neglect studying for some qual, take time away from his ground job or have not been available for his shop. So to him, a "Obstained Masters of X on whatever date" in a fitrep is a bad thing that will put you under the microscope.

All that being said, obviously that's not the issue for OP.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
I had a Colonel (MAG CO) tell me once that if someone gets a Masters outside of being an MOI/Command and Staff/Fellowship/ etc., that he sees it as a red flag. That (in his opinion) he is worried that said Marine would have had to neglect studying for some qual, take time away from his ground job or have not been available for his shop. So to him, a "Obstained Masters of X on whatever date" in a fitrep is a bad thing that will put you under the microscope.

All that being said, obviously that's not the issue for OP.

I've heard a similar story from the old MATSG-21 CO some years ago. I think that's gradually changing, and I think that it's an incredibly wrong headed philosophy--if that person had been slacking on his job, his other marks should reflect that, unless those are BS, which is a whole other rabbit hole.

Anyway, a master's done outside of a military program is not going to be a huge plus, in any case. For the OP, it's a bullet that's left the chamber, but for anyone else, get a master's on your own time because you want to or are preparing for post-military life, not because you think the service will like it.
 

Piposterous

"The road to success is always under construction"
pilot
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I do appreciate it. I do know that my Master's degree has enhanced my soft skills as the degree I am pursuing is very presentation oriented, promotes professionalism, and offers many opportunities for leadership roles among our assigned teams. Not quite sure how I will be able to implement accounting ledgers and multiple regression in the fleet; I suppose that will just be extra baggage.
 

AQ-AT-NAVCIV

Citizen Sailor, Gentleman Farmer
That's because they all got selected for Command and Staff or a competitive fellowship, not because the USMC values a master's degree.

Roger, I guess the Navy values Grad school since they say so, well at least on my community brief they say so. Seem more than willing to fund it also.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The Navy may value grad school, but for aviation, they don't provide many opportunities to work that into a due-course career track until the post-DH timeframe.
 

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
...the degree I am pursuing is very presentation oriented...
^^^ This will certainly stand you in good stead, probably even give you a leg up on your peers…even though the Marine Corps doesn't "do" patches or qualification tabs:
ppttab.gif

;)
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I do appreciate it. I do know that my Master's degree has enhanced my soft skills as the degree I am pursuing is very presentation oriented, promotes professionalism, and offers many opportunities for leadership roles among our assigned teams. Not quite sure how I will be able to implement accounting ledgers and multiple regression in the fleet; I suppose that will just be extra baggage.

If you think you've learned a lot, that's great. That's what a good program should do. Hopefully it's made you a better person and future officer.

Just don't be disappointed when the degree itself doesn't help your career.
 
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