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NAVADMIN 259/18

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N8/OCT//

SUBJ/MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT 
FOR APRIL 2019//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAVINST 1520.23C/20150107//
NARR/REF A IS NAVY GRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY/

RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE APRIL
2019 COHORT OF THE DISTANCE LEARNING MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
(MSA) DEGREE PROGRAM (CURRICULUM 363). THE PROGRAM IS TARGETED TO NAVY 
UNRESTRICTED LINE OFFICERS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ATTEND NAVAL 
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL (NPS) RESIDENT PROGRAMS. IT IS ALSO OPEN TO OTHER 
UNIFORMED OFFICERS, FEDERAL CIVILIANS, AND DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CIVILIANS ON A 
SPACE-AVAILABLE BASIS. THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON THE PRACTICE OF THE 
OPERATIONS RESEARCH/SYSTEMS ANALYSIS PROFESSION AND PREPARES STUDENTS TO 
APPLY CRITICAL THINKING AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS TO SUPPORT KEY DECISIONS IN 
OPERATIONAL AND STAFF ASSIGNMENTS. COURSEWORK IS FOCUSED ON DATA ANALYSIS, 
MODELING AND SIMULATION, OPTIMIZATION, RISK-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, AND COST 
ANALYSIS, AS THEY APPLY TO REAL-WORLD MILITARY SITUATIONS AND CASES. NAVY 
OFFICER GRADUATES RECEIVE A 3210P SUBSPECIALTY CODE, OPERATIONS RESEARCH 
ANALYSIS, ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE DETAILED TO 3211-CODED OPERATIONS ANALYSIS 
BILLETS. MSA IS ALSO A DESIGNATED DEGREE PROGRAM ELIGIBLE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO 
OPNAV 6511P-CODED REQUIREMENTS BILLETS.

2.  THE MSA PROGRAM (CURRICULUM 363) IS A 24-MONTH PART-TIME PROGRAM 
DELIVERED USING A MIX OF DISTANCE LEARNING METHODS. STUDENTS TAKE TWO COURSES 
PER QUARTER FOR EIGHT CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS. ONE COURSE EACH QUARTER REQUIRES 
WEEKLY, 3-HOUR SESSIONS USING VIDEO TELE -EDUCATION OR WEB-BASED 
CONFERENCING. THE OTHER COURSE EACH QUARTER IS DELIVERED ASYNCHRONOUSLY USING 
WEB-BASED (ONLINE) INSTRUCTION.
WEB-BASED COURSES ARE PACED WEEK-TO-WEEK BUT STUDENTS HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO 
DO COURSEWORK AT TIMES OF THEIR CHOOSING DURING A PARTICULAR WEEK. THE 
PROGRAMS CAN BE DELIVERED VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE TO ANY QUALIFIED APPLICANT.

4. CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. AN ONLINE FOUR-COURSE SUBSET OF THE MSA DEGREE 
PROGRAM MAY BE TAKEN AS A STAND-ALONE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS (SA) CERTIFICATE 
(CURRICULUM 281). A STUDENT WHO COMPLETES THE SA CERTIFICATE MAY APPLY FOR 
ENROLLMENT IN THE MSA DEGREE PROGRAM AND RECEIVE ONE-FOR-ONE COURSE CREDIT 
TOWARDS THE MSA DEGREE REQUIREMENTS. NAVY OFFICER GRADUATES OF THE 
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM RECEIVE A 3210L SUBSPECIALTY CODE.

5. PROGRAM STARTS. NEW MSA AND SA CERTIFICATE COHORTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN 
EACH FALL AND SPRING QUARTER. FOR SPRING QUARTER ACADEMIC YEAR 2019 (AY19), 
CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK OF 1 APRIL 2019.

6. ACTIVE DUTY NAVY OFFICERS. PER REFERENCE (A), OFFICERS PARTICIPATING IN 
THIS PROGRAM MUST AGREE TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS 
FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM (OR ONE YEAR FOLLOWING COMPLETION 
OF THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM). THIS OBLIGATION IS DISCHARGED CONCURRENTLY WITH 
ANY OTHER SERVICE OBLIGATION ALREADY INCURRED. THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT 
OBLIGATE THE NAVY TO RETAIN THE OFFICER ON ACTIVE DUTY. NPS IS MISSION-FUNDED 
TO PROVIDE TUITION FREE GRADUATE EDUCATION TO ACTIVE DUTY NAVY AND MARINE 
CORPS OFFICERS.

7. SPONSOR-REIMBURSED TUITION. SEATS NOT FILLED BY ACTIVE DUTY NAVY AND 
MARINE CORPS OFFICERS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR OPEN ENROLLMENT TO OTHER 
UNIFORMED OFFICERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND OTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 
CIVILIANS, AND DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CIVILIANS UNDER TUITION SPONSORSHIP BY 
THEIR ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY. THE OPEN ENROLLMENT TUITION FOR OTHER-SERVICE 
MILITARY, GOVERNMENT CIVILIANS, AND DEFENSE CONTRACTORS IS $2,250 PER COURSE. 
STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN TEXTBOOKS. NPS IS REQUIRED TO 
HAVE A SUPPORT AGREEMENT (DON FORM 7600A OR DD1144) IN PLACE WITH EACH 
GOVERNMENT FUNDING SPONSOR PRIOR TO ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDING DOCUMENTS.

8. OFFICERS INTERESTED IN THE MSA DEGREE PROGRAM OR SA CERTIFICATE CAN VISIT 
THE NPS MSA OR SA CERT WEB PAGES FOR DETAILED ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION 
PROCESS INFORMATION. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE APRIL 2019 START (AY19 
QUARTER 3) IS 4 JANUARY 2019. MSA
WEBPAGE: HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/DEGPROGS_MSA. SA CERT WEBPAGE:
HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/CERT_SA. POC/msadegprog@nps.edu//

9. THIS MESSAGE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUPERSEDED OR 31 MARCH 2019, 
WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

10. RELEASED BY DIRECTION NEIL W. T. HOGG, SES, ASSISTANT DEPUTY CHIEF OF 
NAVAL OPERATIONS, N8B.//

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