Does having a PhD give you much advantage for officer promotions?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 12:25:42 -0500

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2021 12:40 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 12:40:05 -0500

It possibly may help you make full bird colonel faster below the zone. I have a regular bachelor's degree and I always was promoted with the zone. Sometimes being promoted too fast is bad because you run out of slots the higher you go. Just my opinion. Let us see what others have to say. LTC John Shaw MAJ Private RallyPoint Member LTC Jason Mackay LTC Kevin B. CAPT Kevin B. CPT Private RallyPoint Member

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Nov 25 at 2021 12:44 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 12:44:30 -0500

Unless it's specifically needed for your job, I don't think it gives anyone an advantage. Unless that degree requirement is built into your career path (e.g. a professor, researcher, etc.), it really adds no value to what the Army needs from its officer corps. I earned my PhD through long-term civilian schooling, so it was needed in my career path (professor). I never heard of any officer in a more tradition career path who had a PhD that actually helped them get promoted.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Nov 25 at 2021 12:47 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 12:47:08 -0500

If you change your FA to West Point Faculty FA47. Caution, that pyramid is narrow

Response by CMSgt Marcus Falleaf made Nov 25 at 2021 1:59 PM

CMSgt Marcus Falleaf — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 13:59:28 -0500

I was told by a national level business recruiter that they didn't go after 4.0 students and such because they had no common sense or social skills. Being in education for over 30-years, I have found much the same knowledge. Book worms, intellectuals, but not much for the common person. Who knows now? You pass regardless of your grades. Socialized education has brought us down to a new level.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2021 3:07 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:07:22 -0500

Not really. MIL ED is weighted more than CIV ED. It can’t hurt but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make BZ either.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Nov 25 at 2021 3:45 PM

LTC John Shaw — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:45:22 -0500

I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Masters of Business Administration, Juris Doctor of Law, not one of these was service paid. I was non-scholarship Army ROTC, but still a DMG, and spent most of my career in the Army Reserve for a total of 31 years. The civilian education was important to meet the minimum requirement for education. Your military education path is the most important component for your career. The military will provide / pay for your Masters as part of Intermediate Level Education tied to Fort Leavenworth, KS. If the military wants you to obtain a doctorate they will likely pay for it as part of program that is beneficial to you and the service.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Nov 25 at 2021 3:51 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:51:21 -0500

Having sat actual Senior promotion boards, but never playing one on TV, the answer is maybe under certain circumstances, which are rare. If all else fails, go to the source, i.e. the Board Precepts which will tell you or not tell you about education. In the Staff Corps I was doing, a MS going for O-4 was an advantage and later a requirement for O-5. PhDs tended to be seen more at the Flag Boards because the system supports getting those for "Upper Half" O-6s. You can tell the group that will be the real pool Flags are chosen from by the jobs and educational opportunities they tend to pick up. Those are the Rhodes Scholars, White House Fellowship, etc. types. BTW, Lame A PhDs are recognized for what they are and can have the opposite effect.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Nov 26 at 2021 12:02 PM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:02:35 -0500

Truthfully, education is a small part of the process. Job performance and ENDORSEMENTS appear to be a bigger factor.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Nov 27 at 2021 11:57 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:57:59 -0500

If your career field makes a PhD required for advancement to command type positions, then it’s a yes.

Recommend looking at two things:
-promotion rate for officers in your career field with various education levels. If PhDs are promoted at a much higher rate (%) than people with lesser degrees then that’s an indication that it’s important
-information from Service or Branch Indicating minimum and ideal qualifications for being promoted. For example the Air Force made it clear in the 1970s that Captains wanting to make major should be working on their masters degree and have completed both squadron officers school and air command and staff by correspondence. I did all that and was promoted. Not the same now-a-days.

Response by Brig Gen Rob Novotny made Dec 2 at 2021 6:44 PM

Brig Gen Rob Novotny — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 18:44:44 -0500

No.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Dec 6 at 2021 7:46 PM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 19:46:30 -0500

Once the BS [degree] is piled higher and deeper, get to know a Congressional Representative, then you see stars.