Navy OCS - NA or RA

Hello. I'm new to the board. There's some great info on here! I'm trying to find out if Navy OCS accepts Nationally accredited degrees. I've been enrolled at AMU/APUS for the past year or so and have about 13 more classes for my BS in Management. I've considered transferring to UMUC since I'm moving to MD, but would have to wait a year to get resident tuition status. I'm considering UMUC soley on the basis that they're a regionally accredited university.

I've used the search function to look for the info, but haven't found the answers yet. I've also tried online searches and have seen conflicting information. I also tried to view the official BUPERS qualification requirements but can't access the webpage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I believe the Military will accept all degrees as long as they are accredited by an agency recognized by CHEA.

In addition if I am not mistaken AMU/APUS is a candidate for accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

I don't think you would have any problem with OCS, but you could always call an officer recruiter and verify that.

 

I don't know about Navy, but Army would have taken my B.S from ITT if I was inclined to finish it. For purposes of commission, they just want an accredited degree. But I didn't pursue that route, and elected to get my B.S from a RA college (National University).
On a different note, and bearing in mind that ITT is not AMU, you might want to think about graduate school prospects, and get your degree from a RA university. I know that many RA schools don't accept Bachelor's degrees from NA ones, or so I've been told by some counselors. Also, in a small community of Navy officers with high competition for promotions, schools and assignements, you would want to get a degree from a respectable university anyway.
Finally, if you are currently Navy AD, you might want to look for schools that offer in-state tuition for AD military.
Good luck with everything.

 

Good point, hadn't thought about that. It's taken me years to get my BA done via DL, haven't even thought about higher degrees yet.

After I re-read my post, I was waiting for somebody to suggest that. I'm actually a civilian now (a transfering Fed Employee) but was former Marine AD when I enrolled at AMU. But yes, most schools do offer in-state tuition rates for AD military PCS'd to their states.

Thanks for the replies!

 

True....

Oherra is mostly correct. It must be recognized by the US Dept of Education to issue degrees. If it's in the CHEA database as being nationally or regionally accredited, it's most likely DoED approved.

Check with the recruiting officer for what list they go by just to be sure.

 

The Navy's local Officer Programs recruiter will be able to tell you.

I went OCS myself in 1976. I think this is a wonderful move for a young man or woman to make and I wish you fair winds and following seas!

 

When I was an active duty officer (Army), I would always advise my soldiers to head toward an RA degree. This way they will open up doors for graduate schools. Most NA schools will accept RA but how many RA schools will accept NA?

Anyway...as far as OCS, you should be fine with an NA degree. Just think beyond OCS when you decide to do a masters or a doctorate. NA could limit your choices of potential universities.

Hope this helps!

 

Hi Frozen,

I am a Navy Officer Recruiter in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I've got good news and bad news for you. First, the Navy will recognize a nationally accredited degree... (that's the good news).

However, merely having a recognized degree is only part of the battle. Whatever program you are applying for, your application package will *compete* with applications from across the country. Let's say you apply for Intelligence and Supply Corps. You will be competing with students and graduates from (in my case) the University of Michigan. Quite frankly, the Navy is going to pick the UM candidate 99/100 times, even if his/her GPA and test scores are lower. The unfortunate part of the process is a selection board in Millington, TN ultimately determines your selection. This board never meets you, and you will never know exactly why you were a non-select.

The Navy looks at other things as well... If your GPA is STRONG, and I mean STRONG (3.5+++) and you blow the ASTB test away, you might stand a chance.

I have had *zero* success with applicants from UoP and Baker (local examples). That is not to say that these folks were any less qualified than somebody from UM, but it's not up to me. (Heck, I've got a degree from CMU, hardly UofM)

Officer recruiting is a funny business. Right now, retention is very high, therefore there are very few job openings for direct commission officers. I would ~guess~ that if the war in Iraq drags on for an extended period of time (years), retention will drop, and our (recruiting) goals will go up. Three years ago we took anybody (2.0 and go)... Right now, we are picking only the best...

I would speak with your local recruiter. You've got a couple of choices. You could apply for Navy OCS and see what happens, you could pursue the other services (as someone else mentioned, the Army doesn't care, and they ARE hiring!) or you could enlist and put an officer package in a couple years down the road.

One last bit of advice, do not wait until you graduate to apply. If you've graduated, it's too late. We are already working into Fiscal Year 2006 and 2007. The sooner you apply, the better chance you have of getting selected.

Hope this helps.

 

If you don't get accepted for OCS, you could get out of the military, go to college full-time, and get commissioned through ROTC.

When I went through ROTC, there were two guys in my class that left active duty careers to go to college to get commissioned. One was only an E-4, so his career was not very far along, but the other guy was an E-6 with a family. They both earned their commissions and went back on active duty as officers.

Come to think about it, when I was stationed at Fort Lee, VA, I served with a guy who left the active army as an E-7, earned a masters of divinity (while bagging groceries) and reentered active duty as a chaplain (O-3).

The only downside is there is no guarantee you will get selected for active duty. One of the guys in my ROTC class was an outstanding ROTC cadet but a poor student. He graduated with something close to a 2.0 and did not get selected for active duty. Lesson learned: you can't major in ROTC.

Anyways...if all else fails and you don't want to spend the rest of your military career as enlisted...there are other ways to get a commission.

Best of luck!

 

This is true, but to be eligible for ROTC you must have less than 30 credit hours.

 

Re: Re: Navy OCS - NA or RA

I second what Scooter says about recruiting being a funny business. I just left active duty. My last duty assignment was in a recruiting brigade (Army). The Army is the same way...when retention is good, only the best get selected...on the other hand, when retention is low, you may have a chance at signing your dog up for the service. Okay, maybe the dog won't make it, but the Army starts taking people that would not get in at another time. Recruiters used to keep these applicants tucked away in such an event. When the Army lowers its standards to fill the ranks, then recruiters start calling these applicants

Anyways...as far as the Army not caring who they hire...

 

Re: Re: Re: Navy OCS - NA or RA

Sorry about that! I should have been more clear... I was reflecting on SnafuRacer's post about the degree requirements... No offense intended!!

I would also like to add that when I said they were hiring, I did not mean to offend either. The Army is (reportedly) growing by 40,000 troops (which would equal 4K officers???) and the Navy is getting smaller... Again, sorry I should have been more clear! I have the utmost respect for my brother's in arms!!

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Navy OCS - NA or RA

No offense taken...I am now a government civilian working for the Navy. It's fun to joke with the ex-Navy guys at work.

Because I am ex-Army, I tell them that they need to speak slowly and use small words with me.

In turn, they ask me if I know why the Navy uses powdered soap...It takes longer to pick up.

We pick on each others service as well as our own.

It’s all in fun.

 

I know this wasn't the case when I went through ROTC in the early 90's. I transferred 42 credit hours into my college when I started the ROTC program.

Here is another thing I learned while I was in the ROTC. A lot of three and two year ROTC scholarships are never used. It seems that most people go for the four year scholarship. But when they don't get the four year scholarship, they never think to apply for a three or two year scholarship in one or two years respectively.

Also...if you are prior service military, you are exempt from the first two years of ROTC training (at least that goes for Army ROTC). The third and fourth years are mandatory regardless of your prior experience.

The Navy may have different rules, but if you find that one service’s ROTC is not going to work for you, don't hesitate to look into another branch of the service. Keep this in mind...the Navy pays their officers the same as Army and Air Force officers.

 

I'm an Academy grad from the late '80s. I despised my collegiate experience and was miserable in the military. I couldn't get out fast enough.

So I am always amazed to see people go through so much trouble in the hope of having a similar experience.

Be careful what you wish for...

 

Dool,

In the twenty seven years I've hung around the Navy (active and reserve) I've heard complaints like yours literally dozens of times. I admit I've come to wonder if the academy system should be ended. Academy training is very expensive and there seems to be no reason to think that academy officers are either better trained for a career or more likely to stay.

 

Navy OCS

Hi,

I am retired Navy LCDR that came up through the ranks from E-1 to E-7 then commissioned as an Ensign in the Limited Duty Officer field.

The webste only states accredited degree. However, competition is keen for any commissioning programs because of the current high retention levels. Furthermore, the Navy is currently not growing. The CNO is actively pursuing a drawdown that will increase competition for all upward mobility programs.

I am not sure of your situation. However, if you are not on active duty, you probably should apply for all servces. I think someone suggested the Army. Probably a good choice because they are growing.

However, if you are on active duty in the Navy, there are several routes to go. First, you can apply OCS if you already have an accredited degree (probably national is ok) because of the vagueness of the instruction. However, you will face stiff competition becaue of the high retention. Another choice is to apply for the Academy, Seaman to Admiral Progam. Finally, if you are senior enlisted (E-6 or above, you might consider the CWO/LDO progams which don's require a bachelor's degree to apply. But, you will probably face even tougher competition for selection. For the LDO programs, the selection rates are running about 10% per year and the CWO is a little higher. All this depends of the job (designator) that you are applying for

I completed a 26 year career in the Navy and currently work as a Navy civilian at the Board for the Correction of Naval Records. So, I am fairly current on the Navy. Let me know if you need more information.

Good luck

 

Re: Navy OCS

Mustang,

Since I've completed my BS, seaman to admiral (STA-21) is now out of the question. OCS (any branch) is my only direct shot.

What I was really curious about was just how tight the OCS selection rate are? I talked to one guy that processes fleet applicants and he said that Supply is looking good right now, but he could not give me any specific selection stats. The air force officer recruiter had no problem with handing out this info. I will try going to a Navy recruiter to do the same. I, too, am also aware of the CNO's "force-shaping." But if you have any useful hints or detailed stats of who's getting selected, please advise.

BTW, OCS package is in route via the chain of command, but we are in the middle of coming back off deployment (Dec 5th, @ 0725 Sigonella, Sicily time actually). Supply Corps is my primary desired designator.

I will shoot you a private message with some other details.

 

ybfjax

I don't have an answer to that. However, I recommend talking to the Supply Corps Officer Community directly. Go to Perspective Magazine on BUPERS website to get phone numbers. Specifically, the Supply Corps Community Manager or the Detailers might give you that information.

Good luck

Fred

 

Re: Re: Navy OCS

Frozen,
I am baffled that the AF recruiter could give you a realistic selection rate. Does he/she know how many people are going to apply this year? Your Navy recruiter cannot give you an accurate percentage because it is impossible to gauge. What he/she can offer you is the number of job openings in a given FY. We do not know (nor can we project) how many people will apply for Supply Corps this year. The Navy will not publish the number of "kits received," so we cannot determine selection rates. Personally, I think this is a good thing...

Ok, enough about that. Here's some hard info for you.

For FY 05 (current), Supply has 134 openings, of which 82 have already been filled. Unfortunately, the remaining 52 billets will become increasingly competitive as the FY moves along.

By comparison, NFO, Pilot, SWO, SWO-N, Sub-N and Intel are already full. So in that sense, Supply numbers do look "good."

Your best bet would be to work toward FY 06. Supply Corps is projecting 99 openings, of which only 15 have been filled. You should apply NOW for a FY 06 billet. The earlier the better.