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NAVADMIN 246/19

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

SUBJ/MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT FOR 
MARCH 2020//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAVINST 1520.23C/20150107//

NARR/REF A IS NAVY GRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY// POC/msadegprog@nps.edu// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE MARCH
2020 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 AND FEDERAL 
CIVILIANS. DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CIVILIANS CAN ATTEND 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 OPERATIONS ANALYSIS BILLETS.  MSA IS ALSO A DESIGNATED 
DEGREE PROGRAM ELIGIBLE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO OPNAV 6511P-CODED REQUIREMENTS OFFICER 
BILLETS.

2.  MASTER OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DEGREE PROGRAM.  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.

3.  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.

4.  PROGRAM STARTS.  NEW MSA AND SA CERTIFICATE COHORTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN EACH FALL 
AND SPRING QUARTER.  FOR SPRING QUARTER ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 (AY20), CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK 
OF 30 MARCH 2020.

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 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.

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 APRIL 2020 START (AY19 QUARTER
3) IS 3 JANUARY 2020.  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 31 JANUARY 2020, WHICHEVER 
OCCURS FIRST.

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

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