UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 301419Z APR 18 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN BT UNCLAS 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(AT)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.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//