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Graduate school & Naval Aviator
- Thread starter ND10
- Start date
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
Short answer: Maybe.
Longer answer: It depends on the school and what you'll be doing on shore duty (after your first squadron tour). There are also some "in-house" Navy programs (i.e. Navy Postgraduate School) where you go to school full-time, but it's my understanding some of those options aren't the most career enhancing.
You'll learn more about timing and what program/s are best suited once you get into the Fleet.
Most people who want a Master’s and stay competitive in aviation get one on their first shore tour. Typically an MBA through correspondence or something like that.
Naval Aviation won’t provide you time to get a MBA or a JD in residence unless you’re willing to take a hit on your career progression (and that would only apply for an MBA through NPS).
There are in-residence graduate degree opportunities (NPS, Olmsted, Naval War College), but all of them will take you out of the cockpit/out of competitive tours.
The best way to set yourself up for anything that is off the standard career path is to knock your first fleet tour out of the park. Have the conversation with your detailer when the time comes, and they’ll lay out your options.
There are in-residence graduate degree opportunities (NPS, Olmsted, Naval War College), but all of them will take you out of the cockpit/out of competitive tours.
The best way to set yourself up for anything that is off the standard career path is to knock your first fleet tour out of the park. Have the conversation with your detailer when the time comes, and they’ll lay out your options.
Times are changing, and there are now on-line PhD programs that could be doable for a person already with a masters on active duty. Colorado State has a Systems Engineerng program, and Penn State has a Doctorate of Engineering. There are others.
OP, I know this is not your situation. Throwing it out there for the lurkers.
OP, I know this is not your situation. Throwing it out there for the lurkers.
My room-temperature take is that the Top 20-25 schools are the only ones from whom getting an MBA is worthwhile.
For connections, maybe. I think it’s ultimately more about who you know than where you went to school, at least within reason. If you’re rubbing elbows with your professional network in your “day job”, then going to a top 20-25 school might not be as important.
A lot of the master’s degree impetus on AD is for career progression within the USN, and the USN doesn’t care if you went to an Ivy League school or not.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
In terms of an MBA, it would really depend on OP's ambitions. If he/she plans on getting out after their MSR, a T20 or M7 MBA (ideally in residence) will go far.
If it's just a check in the box, not so much.
If it's just a check in the box, not so much.
In VFA land, the only people I have seen do graduation education personally are prior to flight school (i.e. right out of USNA / ROTC) or post DH (FSEP / War College). One of my prior DH's is at Harvard Business School currently doing FSEP, not sure how "career enhancing" it is but guessing he has a pretty solid chance of screening for OP VFA Command.
But otherwise, unless you are doing it on your own time/dime during your 1st shore tour I think it's a much latter in your career type of deal.
But otherwise, unless you are doing it on your own time/dime during your 1st shore tour I think it's a much latter in your career type of deal.
I’m on the Pol Mil scholarship right now and it’s awesome. All of these type programs do have a bit of luck, timing, and skill to get if you want. Just like anything in the Navy.
+1. My T20 MBA wasn’t very different curriculum wise from most other programs out there. But having advised a medical device company abroad and having them pay for the trip was unbelievably valuable to expanding my corporate skill set. To say nothing of the friendships I made in that cohort. About 10 of us are flying in from all around the country to attend the Rose Bowl together and pretend we’re undergrads.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I have yet to meet a hiring manager or recruiter in the non-tech world that cared where a candidates MBA or graduate degree was from. The connections a person can make are nice IF they are in an industry or a location that they want to be in. The connections a person makes by impressing people with the work they do and the ability to get along with the team members goes much further.
As an NPS graduate, I'm going to tell you that if you're getting your MBA from NPS instead of a more prestigious school's online program, then you're doing it wrong. Go to NPS for a technical degree (Computer science, engineering, operational research/applied statistics, etc.) or something that will help with the military (Defense Analytics, National Security, etc.). Otherwise you are wasting that opportunity and not setting yourself up for what you need in a civilian MBA grad type of job.
You would be correct. MBAs are a dime a dozen these days. They are one of the easiest online degrees to teach, earn, and administrate. You need connections from the program and great internships/co-ops/project experience if you want to stand out. Top tier schools will get that for you.