B.L Posted July 19, 2012 Posted July 19, 2012 So is there any place to go to get your Masters without paying a dime (using TA only)? BL
Learjetter Posted July 19, 2012 Posted July 19, 2012 So is there any place to go to get your Masters without paying a dime (using TA only)? BL Dozens. Your base's education office can tell you if the one you choose is properly accredited / qualifies for TA. Google for "accredited by DETC" for some ideas...
B.L Posted July 19, 2012 Posted July 19, 2012 OSU's MBA is under the TA cap. What is the work/course load like? Something easy to do on deployments, or too much? BL
HU&W Posted July 19, 2012 Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) We have a guy doing it right now. OSU's a legit program with the workload and prestige that comes with it. Having done a program like that myself, I don't honestly know if the pain is worth the reward if you only want to check a box. Edited July 19, 2012 by HU&W
Techsan Posted July 19, 2012 Posted July 19, 2012 AMU will give you 9 credits for ACSC corr...depending on your degree plan. Add that to the 3 for SOS, and you are 1/3 complete without taking a single class. Work smarter, not harder.
TAMInated Posted July 20, 2012 Posted July 20, 2012 (edited) OSU lowers their tuition to $250 for military members so TA covers it. There are no fees, all you pay for is books. I thought it was a good program, but I don't have anything to compare it to. Know that the MBA is a 48-credit program, though. I think many others are 36. Edited July 20, 2012 by TAMInated
nsplayr Posted July 20, 2012 Posted July 20, 2012 Just sign up for the Air University On-line Masters Program as a Captain. You get the masters degree as a Capt so you can make Maj, and when you sign up for ACSC distance learning you only have to take tests 1, 5 and 6. 100% free masters degree. Although you do have to BFM starting your masters until you have 6 years in which is an interesting gambit considering many of your peers will be done with their degrees before you start. I didn't see that requirement (6 years) for the Operational Warfare Concentration which you can do as a WIC graduate. That looks like a good deal for those dudes, 12 credits of MA work for completing WIC, yes please. Not that you can likely complete that any earlier but I think it's a move in the right direction.
MilitaryToFinance Posted July 20, 2012 Posted July 20, 2012 We have a guy doing it right now. OSU's a legit program with the workload and prestige that comes with it. Having done a program like that myself, I don't honestly know if the pain is worth the reward if you only want to check a box. Just because OSU is a real brick and mortar school somewhere doesn't make a degree good. Do you really believe that an essentially free online MBA from a school that is not even ranked in the Top 100 business schools carries any "prestige?" If you want a real MBA the only good online program is UNC, at least they are a Top 20 school although OT is too early to say how employers will view the online program. If you want a quick check-the-box degree get a military history Masters from AMU or something equally worthless. An MBA is basically a career reset switch. Don't waste that opportunity with a bullshit degree. You might decide you want to do something other than flying when you leave the AF and a useless MBA is going to hurt more than help.
HU&W Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) Just because OSU is a real brick and mortar school somewhere doesn't make a degree good. Do you really believe that an essentially free online MBA from a school that is not even ranked in the Top 100 business schools carries any "prestige?" If you want a real MBA the only good online program is UNC, at least they are a Top 20 school although OT is too early to say how employers will view the online program. If you want a quick check-the-box degree get a military history Masters from AMU or something equally worthless. An MBA is basically a career reset switch. Don't waste that opportunity with a bullshit degree. You might decide you want to do something other than flying when you leave the AF and a useless MBA is going to hurt more than help. Thanks for clarifying my opinion to me. I probably should have better defined the use of the terms legit and prestige. OSU is one of the few universities that offers an online MBA that is AACSB accredited (details here https://www.aacsb.net). The stricter accreditation standards legitimize and bring prestige to this program in the eyes of potential future employers. No, it is not a top-20 in-residence business program, but at least it follows a baseline standard of behavior and imparts the expected skillset to its graduates. That's far more than you can say for certain other online MBA programs. I personally went through a similar program at a different university and found it far more challenging than the work demonstrated by my peers in "check the box" programs. It all comes down to your goals. If you want to JUST check the box to make Major, get a check the box degree. If you want something marketable, get a "better" degree. If you can somehow swing a top-20 in-residence program within the context of your family responsibilities combined with your personal and career goals, do it. ETA: I just looked up the UNC Online MBA you mentioned. Looks great, but could be a little expensive at $91K Edited July 21, 2012 by HU&W
brabus Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 If you want something marketable, get a "better" degree. Regardless of where you get your degree, how "marketable" is it really when you completed it 10 yrs ago and never even used it in an applicable field during that 10 yrs (at least that applies to most of us)? Will a potential employer really care that much when it's been so long? I don't think it will matter nearly as much as some people think. You want a good, marketable degree, then get it once you get out of the AF...at least it will be current as you go on the job hunt. I think there's a lot of dudes putting a severe amount of unnecessary pain on themselves under the perceived notion it'll "be more marketable" when they get out of the AF YEARS from now. If you want a "legit" degree, then do it for the right reasons, but marketability in the far term is not a good enough reason in my opinion.
slc Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 What is the process/guidelines for submitting credit hours for a BAC+?? I have about 13 grad credits from 13 years ago!! + 3 credits from SOS = 15 hours (eligible for BAC+)
brabus Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) Certainly doesn't hurt to have a good degree, but would it really give you a huge boost over a "State U" degree 10 yrs down the road when you're out of the AF and looking for other avenues of work? It will certainly matter a bit, but I think most AF officers will have much more to show for themselves at an interview or job fair than just where a piece of paper came from. Does a degree that is crushing a Capt during his "best years" in the CAF, MAF, etc. really worth all that a decade down the road? I don't think so, because I think that same Capt could, based on many other factors, still land that job with a "lesser" MBA on file. Sure that doesn't apply to all possibilities, but I think it applies to the majority. Rainman, what's your take on this being in the position you are now? Does a "pedigree" degree make a large difference vs. a "decent" degree when they're both 10 yrs old (or even 5 yrs old), or is there much more to hiring someone that the name on the paper is really only a smaller portion of a hiring decision? Edited July 21, 2012 by brabus
ThreeHoler Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 What is the process/guidelines for submitting credit hours for a BAC+?? I have about 13 grad credits from 13 years ago!! + 3 credits from SOS = 15 hours (eligible for BAC+) You need to send an official transcript to AFIT. The university has to be accredited. You don't get credit from most places for SOS, just the online papermills like ERAU, AMU, and TUIUIUI.
nsplayr Posted August 18, 2012 Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) Anyone have any up to date info on something cheaper that will also give me credits for those courses? Trident or AMU perhaps? Let me google that for you. Click the link from apus.edu for AMU's policy for transfer credits for SOS in res. As a highly-touted Captain (select) you should know how this works... Edited August 18, 2012 by nsplayr
cragspider Posted August 20, 2012 Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) If you don't want to spend money, just get the AU OLMP. It checks the box, is worthless on the outside, is free, and will get you 75% through ACSC down the road. Sounds like exactly what you're looking for. A Big old 2 on that. I'm going through it now and it's not that hard at all. so far the worst I have had to do is 3 total papers for one of the classes, 2 900 word essay's and the 1800 word final. Plus if your a WIC capt you only have to do 7 classes and your done. I've been thinking about the AU OLMP. Just looking to check the box here, I'll get a real masters when I have time or on the outside. Few questions: How quickly can I get this done? How difficult/time consuming is the work? Do they give credit for SOS, instructor school, etc.? How quickly can I get this done? - If you don't take any time off between classes its about 1.5 years. It's 11 8 week classes and the last 2 classes are for your final research paper anyway. So your only looking at 9 real classes plus the 2 for the final research paper. How difficult/time consuming is the work? It depends on the amount of reading you have to do for each lesson. But it only takes about 10-12 hours a week tops. I plan to start the lesson on Mon and be finished with all the reading and have my discussion topic posted by Thurs night. With my two reply's by mid sat to sun if I am waiting on more post for that week. Do they give credit for SOS, instructor school, etc.? I wish but no. It's only 9 real classes so it's not that bad. Plus you have to have some form of SOS complete anyway to be even able to apply and be in the 6th year of the AF anyway. Hope that helps. Edited August 20, 2012 by cragspider
Homestar Posted August 20, 2012 Posted August 20, 2012 And AU OLMP gives you credit for 3 of 7 ACSC tests (everything but test #1 and the 3 Joint tests). Can make for a quick ACSC distance-learning experience once selected for Major.
AnimalMother Posted August 20, 2012 Posted August 20, 2012 10-12 hrs/week sounds a bit high. You can definitely get by with just skimming over the readings. I'm just finishing up the regular classes and im guessing I averaged about 2 -3 hrs per week over the entire program thus far, including papers (and no, I'm not very smart). But yes, it is an easy program, especially for graduate level. If you do the work, you're guaranteed a B a least. 1
nsplayr Posted August 20, 2012 Posted August 20, 2012 I know tons of guys who shit on AMU (myself among them) but I'm taking my thesis course for the MA in Military Studies and the thesis length is IVO 20,000 words (i.e. approx. 80 double-spaced pages). That a no-shitter of a paper if I ever saw one...
LockheedFix Posted August 22, 2012 Posted August 22, 2012 I know tons of guys who shit on AMU (myself among them) but I'm taking my thesis course for the MA in Military Studies and the thesis length is IVO 20,000 words (i.e. approx. 80 double-spaced pages). That a no-shitter of a paper if I ever saw one... Wow. I just finished that same degree last year and my final paper was 20 pages. I would like to give a shout out overall for the AMU Military Studies degree as I have found a use for it. I have now passed ACSC tests 3-5 with zero studying based on classes I did to check the AAD box. 1
Gravedigger Posted August 22, 2012 Posted August 22, 2012 I honestly signed up for AMU thinking it would be a pay the fee get the degree program. I don't know if it was the vector math during orbital mechanics or writing a paper on the affect of microgravity on the subcutaneous veno-arteriolar reflex in humans...but I actaully worked quite hard for the degree and learned a ton! Also, the 65-page thesis was the most miserable thing I've ever done during my schooling.
M2 Posted December 28, 2012 Posted December 28, 2012 Does anyone have any experience with Henley-Putnam University? They offer a doctorate in Strategic Security that I might be interested in if I can get my company to pony up the $36K but to be honest I don't know much about them. From what I've found, they seem similar to American Military University, where I got my second masters from. They are also a participating university in the AU Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC). They also seem to get pretty good reviews (9.5/10 with 34 reviews), but I would like to hear from anyone who has firsthand experience with them, or even secondhand if they original source is reliable... Cheers! M2
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