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ROUTINE

R 301419Z APR 18

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO NAVADMIN

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NAVADMIN 104/18

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N8/APR//

SUBJ/MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT 
FOR SEPTEMBER 2018//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAVINST 1520.23C/07JAN2015//

NARR/REF A IS NAVY GRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY// POC/msadegprog@nps.edu//

RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE SEPTEMBER 
2018 COHORT OF THE DISTANCE LEARNING MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS (MSA) DEGREE 
PROGRAM (CURRICULUM 363).  THE PROGRAM IS TARGETED TO NAVY UNRESTRICTED LINE 
OFFICERS THAT 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 BOTH 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, AND ARE 
ELIGIBLE TO BE DETAILED TO 3211 -CODED BILLETS.

2.  MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DEGREE PROGRAM.  THE MSA PROGRAM (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 WEBBASED 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.

3.  CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.  AN ONLINE FOUR-COURSE SUBSET OF THE MASTERS 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 WHO 
DO NOT COMPLETE THE FULL MSA DEGREE RECEIVE A 3210L SUBSPECIALTY CODE.

4.  PROGRAM STARTS.  NEW MSA AND SA CERTIFICATE COHORTS ARE SCHEDULED TO 
BEGIN EACH FALL AND SPRING QUARTER.  FOR FALL QUARTER ACADEMIC YEAR 2019 
(AY19), CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK OF 24 SEPTEMBER 2018.

5.  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 MASTERS 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.

6.  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.

7.  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 SEPTEMBER 2018 START
(AY19 QUARTER 1) IS 6 JULY 2018. MSA WEBPAGE: 
HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/DEGPROGS_MSA.
SA CERT WEBPAGE: HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/CERT_SA.

8.  THIS MESSAGE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUPERSEDED OR 30 SEPTEMBER 2019, 
WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

9.  RELEASED BY VADM W. K. LESCHER, DCNO, N8.//

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