UNCLASSIFIED
ROUTINE
R 241114Z MAY 17
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
BT
UNCLAS

NAVADMIN 123/17

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N8/MAY//

SUBJ/MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT 
FOR SEPTEMBER 2017 AND MARCH 2018//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAVINST 1520.23C/20150107//
NARR/REF A IS NAVY GRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY//
POC/FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM E
-MAIL:  msadegprog@nps.edu/QUESTIONS ABOUT NPS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS 
E-MAIL:  ced3studcoord@nps.edu//

RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE SEPTEMBER 
2017 AND MARCH 2018 COHORTS 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.  MASTERS 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 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 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.

5.  PROGRAM STARTS.  NEW MSA AND SA CERTIFICATE COHORTS ARE SCHEDULED TO 
BEGIN EACH FALL AND SPRING QUARTER.  FOR FALL QUARTER ACADEMIC YEAR 2018 
(AY18), CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK OF 25 SEPTEMBER 2017.  FOR SPRING QUARTER 
AY18, CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK OF 2 APRIL 2018.

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 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.

7.  SPONSOR-REIMBURSED TUITION.  NPS IS MISSION-FUNDED TO PROVIDE TUITION-
FREE GRADUATE EDUCATION TO ACTIVE DUTY NAVY AND MARINE CORPS OFFICERS.  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 SEPTEMBER 2017 START 
(AY18 QUARTER 1) IS 5 JULY 2017.  DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE MARCH 
2018 START (AY18 QUARTER 3) IS 4 JANUARY 2018.  
MSA WEBPAGE:  HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/DEGPROGS_MSA.  
SA CERT WEBPAGE:  HTTPS://MY.NPS.EDU/WEB/DL/CERT_SA.

9.  THIS MESSAGE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUPERSEDED OR 30 SEPTEMBER 2018, 
WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

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

BT
#0001
NNNN
UNCLASSIFIED//