Posted on Jan 3, 2014
USASMA: Should individuals receive a masters degree upon successful graduation?
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<p>Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think individuals receive a degree upon graduating from USASMA. Do you think they should? If so, what level and what type of degree? </p><p><br></p><p>There are loads of officer educational programs that are available for officers to continue their education and obtain higher degrees. Why not for SGM/CSM? Please all USASMA grads weigh in on this. </p><p><br></p><p>My personal take on this is that USASMA graduates should be accredited with a Masters degree, but I'm having a little difficulty deciding which specialty. I would lean towards a masters in human services counseling, specifically military resilience. Could possibly took at political science or business administration, I'm just not too sure.</p><p><br></p><p>I believe the USASMA course was restructured to allow Sergeants Major to graduate with a degree, but it just allows the individual to work on their individual study while taking the course. Once again, please correct me if I'm wrong.</p><p><br></p>
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Education
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 17
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In my experience being stationed here with USASMA many of the soldiers don't even show up with a bachelors so how could they award them aasters? Also why should they go to school for a year and get their masters when everyone else has to go for like two years including myself?
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SSG (Join to see)
Hell yea, maybe count towards college credit but I don't think there should be a degree awarded.
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Suspended Profile
Unfortunately, in the civilian world, in order to avoid being classified as a worthless degree paper mill, the USASMA would have to submit their proposed curriculum for evaluation and undergo periodic re-evaluation by a nationally or regionally recognized accrediting body (e.g. ACE [American Council On Education]) that among other criteria requires completion of a nationally or regionally accredited four year BA/BS degree program prior to admission to any graduate program.<div><br></div><div>Many accredited colleges allow transfer of perhaps 12 to 16 undergraduate units from USAMSA - but there is one program supported by a broad range of colleges granting substantial credit earned in USASMA resident program toward associate's or bachelor's degrees - </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: medium; "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: medium; ">http://www.soc.aascu.org/socad/CollAmSoldier.html</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><div style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "></span></font></div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Participating colleges certify up-front the amount of credit to be applied to the Career NCO Degree based on American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Credit awards range from 45-67% of associate degrees for Soldiers completing SMC resident and from 31-38% of Bachelor’s degrees for Soldiers completing SMC resident. Individualized assessment may provide additional credits for MOS training and experience, testing, professional certification, prior learning and functional training.</span></font></span><div><br></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">My take is that most officers already possess a four year degree - so officers may be routinely admitted to graduate degree programs. Many enlisted service members have earned four year undergraduate degrees and can pursue online or resident graduate degree programs. But, if an enlisted service member does not have an undergraduate degree it would be far more credible to earn a fully accredited four year undergraduate bachelor's degree first.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Please do not waste time or money on unaccredited degree programs as they will not get you very far in the civilian world.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Apart from speciality technical degrees (e.g. engineering, medical, computer science), the degrees that appear to be most prized are business degrees, including most particularly the MBA degree. If I were to reformulate the USAMSA curriculum for maximum impact in the civilian world, with substantial benefit to the military world, I would do what is possible to make course components equivalent to as much of a fully accredited undergraduate business degree program as possible - to minimize additional outside units required for graduation. </span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Whatever level of enlistment, if you want a degree to improve your skills and best possible opportunities for employment and advancement in the military or civilian world, I would explore all available DoD affiliated programs, including:</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font></div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">http://www.soc.aascu.org/</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></span></font></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://www.soc.aascu.org/images/SOCBanner.gif"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.soc.aascu.org/">Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">For More Information:
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MAJ (Join to see)
Correct! Just like the ILE ( Command and Staff College) and the SSC (War College) are both regionally accredited. Another issue is that all officer training is considered graduate level due to the fact that every officer has a BS/BA degree. Could we really require that all SGM have a 4-year degree? I think no, since USC Title 10 doesn't require it. Great point.
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SGM Matthew Quick
Hmmm.....<div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="https://www.rallypoint.com/assets/fb_share_logo.png"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.rallypoint.com/questions/10626-should-a-4-year-degree-be-a-requirement-for-selection-to-e-9">Should a 4-year degree be a requirement for selection to E-9?</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">With the military moving to a leaner, agile and more educated force, should it's top leaders be required to have a baccalaureate&nbsp;degree prior to selection or prior to promotion?</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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COL (Join to see)
and just to be clear, ILE (CGSC) is not completely accredited. You can't take the core courses and get a masters degree. You have to take additional classes outside of the core courses in order to earn a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences. The follow on School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) does provide a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences however, but is a MUCH more rigorous course taught by PhD's and ABD PhD candidates.
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SFC Ewing - Yes, you would be hard-pressed to figure out exactly which type of Masters Degree would be appropriate.
If you were to take a look at the POI, you would see that it's not very focused in any one thing and that is what a Masters Degree is about - a specialization in something.
USASMA introduces you to a lot of operational-level stuff but does not make you an expert at anything, especially being a new SGM.
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