The Army Establishes The Army University

In your educational listing you have a Master's degree. Why the heck are you currently pursuing another Bachelor's degree? Why not a doctorate? What is the logic?

 

I think you misread his thread. I believe he was referencing someone that was currently serving or someone that was thinking about it.

 

Because I have a stack of loose undergrad credits (which I earned after my first bachelors) which apply directly to the BSOL at TESC. It's very much within reach.

Though I defend my degree (despite being from a "for-profit" school) I also recognize that some people do hold that against you. So, since it's within reach and I can do it without really inconveniencing myself, I decided to go for it.

For starters, because I don't need a doctorate. I don't feel that a doctorate would make me a better employee, a better HR professional or a better person. I believe that all of my career and professional objectives can be well met with a Masters degree.

Second, I'm saving myself for my keystone degree, an MBA from as reputable a school as I can afford. I'm considering the programs at EBS, Syracuse University, Penn State and UMass Dartmouth along those lines. But the MBA will be a very intense undertaking. I'm not ready to do it just yet and I need to be 100% committed to completing the program as the MBA will likely be my last actual degree.

Third, doctorates are incredibly expensive. I might be able to make the case for my employer to pay my way (at least partially) but an MBA is a relatively easy case to make. Even if I took the low-cost method and earned an NA DBA at around, let's say, $20,000, I'd likely be better served spending that money elsewhere or investing it.

A $20,000 doctorate is simply not going to pay me the dividends that the same contribution to my retirement account would.

 

Neuhaus- Great points made above.

 

Back to the topic at hand, I suppose I don't really "get" why one needs to basically hope that their respective branch pulls something like this off. It seems it would be much more efficient to just create a DoD-wide initiative and let all branches participate.

I found out about the CC of the AF after I had joined the Navy. Honestly, I might have rethought my choice of branch had I known about that detail. Even though I had an AA when I enlisted the fact that the Air Force did this (and before the other branches) it at least gives the appearance that the AF is focusing more on investing in their people and that's important especially when those benefits extend to non-career enlisted personnel.

But instead, it's kind of hit or miss. Join the AF and you can easily access undergrad education. Join the Navy and, well, here's a smattering of on-base offerings otherwise figure it out for yourself on the internet. Army? Well, here's this new thing.

One initiative. One institution. All members of all the uniformed services allowed to participate. Make it online. Have some cool self-study options. Align military training for credit which actually counts towards a degree. I've seen a lot of fine men and women trying to go back to school after they separate and dropping out (often because it's difficult to make the cultural shift from being in the military to hanging out with people who, even if only a few years younger than you, are at a much different level of emotional maturity). These are skilled people with relevant work experience. Polish all of that off with a college degree and you've not only given back a hearty "thank you" for the service but you make enlistment a more attractive option to people who don't want to put their academic lives on hold while they serve.