As a 35S, what should I major in while attending college?

2021-04-04T09:05:39-04:00

i'm a 35s but i want to earn a degree i want to be something related to my field but i can't really decipher what that specific major might be what should i major in?

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Apr 4 at 2021 10:10 AM

2021-04-04T10:10:03-04:00

While you will. It likely find a specific degree you can lean toward something in the intel world. Any degree program enhances your soft skills, better preparing you to be a Senior NCO or Officer. There are many jobs in the private sector with defense contractors that look for folks in the Signal/Intel world. The higher the degree the greater the opportunity and pay. Grade ast separation matters as well, too junior and they don’t see the experience often requires of private sector jobs.

Response by SP5 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 11:53 AM

2021-04-04T11:53:41-04:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Take basic required courses - English, etc., while you are deciding what major field of study fits your plans. Use CLEP when you can to shorten the classroom time. Good luck.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2021 1:13 PM

2021-04-04T13:13:19-04:00

The first two years are mostly general education, you don't need to major in anything. Start with a general education degree at a community College. Two years later when you transfer it to a bachelor program you'll have a better idea of what to major in

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Apr 5 at 2021 12:20 PM

2021-04-05T12:20:26-04:00

An English class is definitely in order.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Apr 5 at 2021 12:38 PM

2021-04-05T12:38:51-04:00

Start with Cochise College (Arizona) Associates in Applied Science in Intelligence Studies. They will apply all of your intel training to the degree.

But after that.... Good luck finding a Bachelor's degree in your field. If you are determined to do that, look at STEM degrees that focus on communications engineering - how comms devices are put together and operate, why radio waves, x-rays, light waves, etc. behave how they do, and how to manipulate them.

Response by SSG Dale London made Apr 6 at 2021 6:03 AM

2021-04-06T06:03:10-04:00

You should study physics with a strong concentration on radio-wave propagation. Go heavy on math with perhaps a minor in computing. Do not skimp on English comp as you will need this in report writing.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 11 at 2021 3:19 AM

2021-04-11T03:19:49-04:00

I was wondering the same question for the longest time. I read through some of the other answers here and will pull out some highlights then give some of my own thoughts.

First, your first two years of school will definitely consist of general education classes. That is, your college algebra, English composition, basic chemistry or biology, etc. So you could start at a community college and transfer to a larger university. This could save you a lot of money in the long run. You just need to figure out which university you want to transfer to before hand. You will also need to make sure they will accept all the course credits from your community college. Otherwise, you might end up retaking a class or two. Cochise College can be a good starting point, but the courses they give you credit for are so specialized, many of them won't transfer.

Second, the comment about finding a school which has a Physics program with concentrations in Radio Wave Propagation is spot on. It's a very specialized field though and many schools won't have these types of concentrations. Finding a school that has these classes all online will be an additional challenge as well.

CLEP is a great tool to save some money. The CLEP test usually costs something like $70 each, but it costs a lot less than the course it replaces. If you pass the CLEP tests then you've essentially tested out of the course it replaces. I.e. Take a Math CLEP, you don't have to take College Algebra if you pass.

Finally, think about the reason why you want your degree. If you get a specialized degree in this field, technology and software development might be the best (if not the only) path for you. However, this can pigeon hole you into the field, and if you ever decide you don't want to do this anymore, you may have a difficult time finding something else.

If I were you, I'd look into Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Software Development. Electricity behaves very similarly to EM waves, so much of what you learn will be very applicable. Having the software development emphasis will also make you very desirable to many tech companies in a variety of fields. This will give you a lot of options once you get out of the Army whether that's in a few years or after retirement. I hope that helps. Good luck to you!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 11 at 2021 5:39 PM

2021-04-11T17:39:57-04:00

You should not base your major on an MOS. The number one criterion shold be what you are interested or passionate about. To go counter to the criterion is bordering on foolish.

Response by PFC Gerald Dudley made Apr 14 at 2021 4:13 AM

2021-04-14T04:13:22-04:00

The University of Arizona has a really good intelligence major if you’re into that. And the best part is, if you’re in a different state, deployed, etc you can do it all online.

As someone else mentioned, you should finish out your associates if your AIT allowed you to get college credits for your training.
But above all you should really look into what you want to do for the long haul. If you want to stay intel then maybe go get an intel degree or just something STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) related. Theres also Cyber, Computer Science, and IT which are also very good majors.
If you’re looking to be a 35S outside the army then also look at what it translates into the civilian world and check out job applications to see what all you would need for that job.
Getting into a decent accredited school is pretty important but more so is just studying something that is needed or (not a waste of your time and money)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2021 1:01 PM

2021-05-14T13:01:30-04:00

PFC,
As a 35S, there is not a direct degree that applies to the same skills as a 35S. If you are looking for specific intelligence degree, you can look at intelligence Studies from places like NIU, Cochise College, and AMU. If you are interested in the more technical skills, computer engineering or mathematics would be a good route. Also check your ASK website for degree recommendations. Hope this helps in your efforts.

Response by Amn Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 5 at 2023 3:57 AM

2023-07-05T03:57:26-04:00

Thanks!