thinking about majors

I am in pursuit of a degree, mainly to become a military officer. every instruction i see just says a bachlors degree is required. As you all know that the BS in liberal studies is the easiest and quickest to get. will having a degree with a major help me more than BSLS in terms of getting into an officer program. If anyone knows anything about this ANY info would be helpful. thanks

 

I'm not sure I'd agree that the BSLS is the easiest to get -- at least not the one I did. It was the most flexible program out there and among the least expensive.

With the BSLS, you will still need to complete the core requirements and 60 or so more hours. 30 hours of upper level and a depth areas as well.

Sometimes, a specific major program is easier because it doesn't require things you're not good at. The BSLS is going to require a broad selection of courses and you will do some humanities and some math and some science etc...

If you're like my wife, you'd do anything to avoid math. There are programs out there with minimal or no math requirements...

As for military commissioning - be aware that simply having a degree doesn't imply a commission any longer. Very many enlisted personnel in the military have a degree and more than a few have a master's. I know a Master Chief (CT) that has a doctorate.

 

the reason why i say it is the easiest, not to put anyone down or anything, is because you can CLEP or test out of most of it as where in a major I am kinda restricted into actually taking courses. I also am aware that if I get my BS I am not automatically commissioned but I just want to know what looks better when trying to get into OCS.

 

Original Big Jim,

check out armyocs.com. It's a website that could provide great information to you in your pursuit to become an officer.


bama

 

For information on the Air Force, USAF Officer Training School

As a civilian entering the service for the first time, you will need a bachelor's degree to be eligible for OCS or OTS. A particular field of study may have a higher importance in the Air Force than it does the Army.

Generally, the Air Force will try and 'branch' you into a field where your education may be used. Of course, if that field is full, either you won't get in or you'll get placed wherever they need you.

The Army will most likely place you in combat arms. If you get an engineering degree, you might get placed in the Army Corp of Engineers, but don't count on it. A field of study is not the limiting factor for getting into OCS.

In either case, I hope you're in good shape.

Good luck,

 

Oh by the way I am currently Active Duty Navy.

 

You might contact (PM) Chief Ray Trautman. I'd give it a shot, but I'm an AF SNCO; Ray could give you a Navy perspective.

Dave

 

Consider that the typical major is only 30 hours more or less. That's only about 10 classes and about 25%.

If you can CLEP/DANTES 40 classes then the BSLS may be "easier" but there are very few people who are able to do it that way and most find they need to take some classes. For many it's about 25-50% classes to 50-75% testing.

Considering that, it's still possible that the major area degree is "easier". At the very least - it's as easy.

While a BSLS or BALS meets the requirement of most places to "punch the ticket" -- I'm thinking that you might find a specific major to have more utility in "the real world". I have to explain what "Liberal Studies" is every time I tell someone. I even had one person reply "I knew you was one of them liberals..."

 

The Air Force pushed me into being an intelligence officer because I had a poli. sci. degree. But I knew people with English degrees that they made into materials management officers and psych majors who became aircraft maintenance officers. They definitely prefer the technical degrees, though.

My first preference had been the Navy, but my liberal arts degree didn't give them anything they wanted.

It is true, though, that recruiters and personnel officers will tell you anything and manipulate any situation to meet their goals, not yours.

 

to answer my own question, I was talking to a couple of pilots today and and they said i doesn't matter what your degree is in as long as you do well on your astb. One of the guys had a BA in theater and the other in HRM, go figure, I told them that I was interested in political science and they said they had a few buddies what that degree, so that puts my mind at ease.