UNCLASSIFIED//
ROUTINE
R 041411Z NOV 20 MID200000322340U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC
COMNAVIFOR SUFFOLK VA
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UNCLAS
 
NAVADMIN 297/20
 
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N2N6//
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N2N6//
COMNAVIFOR SUFFOLK VA//N13//
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N2N6/NOV//

SUBJ/ENLISTED CYBER MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE OPPORTUNITY AT NAVAL 
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL//

REF/A/INST/OPNAV/30JAN07//
REF/B/INST/OPNAV/07JAN15//

NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1160.8A, SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS PROGRAM.
REF B IS OPNAVINST 1520.23C, GRADUATE EDUCATION.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN solicits enlisted Sailor applications for enrollment 
in the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) 15-month Master of Science in Applied 
Cyber Operations (MACO) program.  This opportunity is one of many efforts to 
increase Cyber capabilities for the Navy, while building a professional Cyber 
workforce.

2.  Selectees will be assigned to Navy-funded education as full-time students 
under permanent change of station orders to Monterey, CA, with either a 
September 2021 or March 2022 start.  As full-time students, Sailors will be 
required to carry a full academic load year-round.  Degree requirements 
should be completed in 15 months.

3.  This program is only available to Active Duty and Full-Time Support 
members in the Information Systems Technician (IT) and Cryptologic 
Technician-Networks (CTN) ratings, who meet the following criteria:
    a.  Must possess a Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant technical 
field including, but not limited to, computer science, electrical 
engineering, and information or engineering technology.  The degree must have 
been awarded by an institution of higher learning, and accredited by a 
regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  
To meet NPS academic requirements, performance in technical courses, 
including mathematics, must be exemplary.
    b.  Must be an E6 or above eligible for continental United States shore 
assignment between April and December 2021 for the September 2021 start, or 
between October 2021 and June 2022 for the March 2022 start.
    c.  Must be eligible to incur a 5-year active-duty service obligation by 
reenlistment or extension of enlistment prior to NPS enrollment.  Selectees 
will be required to reenlist more than 1 year earlier, if they are unable to 
satisfy the 5-year obligated service requirement.  Pursuant to reference (a), 
payment of the selective reenlistment bonus is not authorized for selectees 
who reenlist for the purpose of meeting the obligated service requirement.
    d.  Must be within Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) standards, with no 
PFA failures within the last 3 years.
    e.  Must have no evaluation marks below 3.0 within the last 5 years.
    f.  Must hold, or be eligible for, a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented 
Information (TS/SCI) clearance.  Applicants without a current TS/SCI 
clearance are still encouraged to apply, but should work with their Special 
Security Office (SSO) to initiate the clearance request.  Orders to NPS will 
not be issued until TS/SCI clearance is finalized.
    g.  Must possess a conditional letter of acceptance.  To obtain a 
conditional letter of acceptance, applicants should apply to NPS at 
http://www.nps.edu/academics/admissions/applyonline/applynow.html.  Once 
registered, select Applied Cyber Operations, curriculum number 336.  Upon 
application submission, applicants must arrange for submission of official 
transcripts to the NPS admissions office from each institution attended for 
all undergraduate and graduate education, as well as all Sailor/Marine 
American Council on Education Registry Transcripts, or Joint Services 
Transcripts.  NPS applications must be submitted to NPS no later than 31 
December 2020.  Applicants will be notified by NPS via e-mail regarding their 
conditional acceptance.

4.  Upon selection, applicants must request (via Command Career Counselor) an 
in -rate quota in the Career Waypoints (C-WAY) system.  Those not in their C-
WAY window should submit a special circumstance application indicating reason 
code of other.  The career counselor will be prompted to add a note 
indicating selection to the Master of Science in Applied Cyber Operations 
program.  If selected via special circumstance application, this program does 
not guarantee award of an in-rate C-WAY quota, and is not considered part of 
a performance indicator of the individual in the C-WAY process.

5.  Before submitting MACO application, applicants should contact their 
detailer to inform of intent to apply to the program, and to obtain a letter 
of endorsement from detailer.  Potential impact to current assignment should 
be considered.  Failure to consult with detailer prior to applying may result 
in withdrawal of selection.  Graduation from the program will impact follow-
on tour, and may result in limited detailing opportunities for future 
assignments.

6.  Graduates of the MACO program will earn the H07A Navy Enlisted 
Classification (previously 2770-Applied Cyber Operations Master), and should 
expect to serve in a utilization tour immediately following graduation.  For 
ITs, utilization tours shall include operational (Cyber) shore billets and 
sea billets, when available.  Further utilization for program graduates will 
be appropriately balanced with other priorities, such as career progression, 
sea /shore tour rotation, etc.

7.  Applicants in receipt of a letter of conditional acceptance from NPS 
should forward a written request for MACO selection via their Commanding 
Officer.  The nomination template is posted to the Navy Information Warfare 
Outreach Page on milSuite at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/doc-526186 
(common access card e -mail certificate login required).  The template 
includes additional documents which must be included for consideration.

8.  The Commanding Officer endorsement should address the preparedness for 
this significant academic opportunity, ability to work independently, 
communication skills, potential for increased responsibilities, and any 
special considerations regarding the applicant.

9.  Applications must be sent via encrypted e-mail or DOD SAFE
(https://safe.apps.mil/) to navifor_maco@navy.mil within 2 weeks of 
notification of conditional acceptance by NPS.

10.  Prior application submissions to this program do not disqualify an 
applicant.  However, applicants who did not receive previous conditional 
acceptance from NPS, and have no additional academic qualifications, should 
not apply again, as the academic standards have not changed.

11.  Selection results will be disseminated via official e-mail from a 
NAVIFOR MACO Program Officer.  Due to the highly-competitive nature of this 
program, notification of selection via official e-mail is a binding 
commitment which selectees must accept or decline within 5 working days of 
receipt.

12.  Instructions to sign up for education program notification are available 
at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/training-education-qualifications/
e-graduate-education-and-fellowship-programs.

13.  The point of contact for this program can be contacted via e-mail at 
navifor_maco@navy.mil.

14.  This message will remain in effect until superseded, or 30 June 2022, 
whichever occurs first.

15.  Released by VADM Jeffrey E. Trussler, Deputy Chief Of Naval Operations 
for Information Warfare, OPNAV N2N6.//

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