Graduate Degree

[Python]

Hey fellas,

My search on this topic didn't produce any results so here it goes:

What are the options for a graduate degree in the navy as an aviator? When can this be done and can I choose what school I want? Right now I'm thinking about potentially getting a law degree for my post-graduate.

Thanks

 

[PropStop]

Getting a master's via some distance learning program is fairly easy, depending on what your shore tour work schedule is like. Mine is a bit of a challenge in that regard, as I have one of those shore tours that is "shore" only in name. Guys who go to the VT's or VP-30 typically can get time off during the week to attend grad classes so long as they are willing to come in on the occasional weekend.

Trying to do your master's during a sea tour, especially your first sea tour, would be difficult. It has been done, I know a guy who completed his on his first sea tour - but he didn't get out much. Between work, duty, and upgrading you're going to be extremely busy. If you throw grad school into that mix, very likely one of your activities is going to suffer. So, unless you really don't like to do ANYTHING social, wait till your shore tour.

I'm taking the GRE tomorrow for a program at UofWashington that I plan to start this fall (if I'm accepted). I'll be using tuition assistance from the Navy and my GI bill to pay for it (the "Top UP" program). All that I pay out of pocket will be for books and software.

Almost every person I work with is doing some sort of distance (online) master's program. Some are doing it through University of Phoenix or other schools that cater directly to the military, or through major universities. If you plan on making a career out of the Navy, you'll need a master's anyhow, so knocking it out early is good. A master's can be a fitrep bullet - it shows dedication to bettering yourself in perpetration for command.

One option, if you can get it, is to go to Navy Post Graduate School following your first sea tour. This is a great deal if you can get in. Free too! ROTC is another good place to go if you want more ed, but it generally doesn't look good in your record.

In short, there are a LOT of options for getting higher education, largely for free. There are several programs I didn't discuss. If you go to the Navy College Office on your base, they will hook you up with as much info as you want.

Again, I would caution anyone wanting to do a master's on their first sea tour. Enjoy that tour for all it is worth. Use your first shore tour to get the education you need/want. This is, of course, my opinion.

Good luck!

 

[phrogdriver]

If you want a law degree, then apply for one of the Navy or Marine Corps' lawyer assession programs and enter the service in the JAG Corps. Be a lawyer from the get-go.

There are a couple of law education programs for individuals already in both services, but they are competitive. Think of them as possibilities for later rather than something you can plan on.

There are a myriad number of ways to get different graduate degrees. I'm getting a master's in business, having taken classes on weekends for 18 months. You can also get one at intermediate-level professional schools. The Navy has its own grad school to supply advanced training in academic disciplines it needs. Occassionally, someone actually gets a fellowship to a civilian school.

In the end though, all these programs are out there. You can get an advanced degree in something, just not necessarily in exactly what you want. If you want to be a lawyer, go in to be a lawyer. Don't go in as a pilot/NFO and think you'll be able to switch later.

 

[Python]

Well I want to be an aviator through and through, not a lawyer. However, I am looking at the possibility of a law degree because, frankly, that's a degree I may want to get, not because I want to be a lawyer. However, this is still early in the ball game and I am still looking at all options for degrees (I still have a year of undergrad left)

 

[phrogdriver]

However, I am looking at the possibility of a law degree because, frankly, that's a degree I may want to get, not because I want to be a lawyer.

WTF? Why get a law degree and not become a lawyer?

I guess there's the pure intellectual satisfaction of it, but I'd think hard about it. The Navy won't help you in money or time off with that one unless you are going back as a JAG. Part-time law school probably won't work--no guarantee of being in the same place long enough for a law degree, even if a law school w/ a night program is there.

 

[QuagmireMcGuire]

Well, there is a rumor going around that a law degree is a versatile degree to have. For me, I've handled cases but I am currently working in marketing research; my law degree allowed for me to acquire some awesome research and analytical skills that I can apply in professional fields that call for such. So, one can have a law degree and still use the skills acquired through the program and find a good job.

However, it is a very vigorous lifestyle. Although I recognize that with a law degree, I can use it for many jobs; most people when they look at your resume and see you have a law degree but are applying for a nonlegal job, give you a queer look. To them, you are just settling for a job and they are afraid that you are just wanting something temporary to hold you over.

If you are truly interested in the law and would like to pursue that as a profession (as a second choice) then go for it; but I wouldn't recommend getting it just for the fun of it.