Posted on Feb 21, 2021
Are there any active duty Army or Navy officers who completed an on campus doctorate degree while serving? Is it even possible?
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What was your experience and how long did it take you to actually complete your degree?
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 8
I'm not active duty anymore, but I did complete a PhD when I was on active duty. I was selected through a competitive board process, and I had a PCS assignment to attend school (that was my duty assignment for three years). I completed all of the coursework and my comprehensive exams during my three years on campus, and then finished the dissertation at my follow-on assignment. In total, it took me ~6 years, but I know a number of officers who completed it in a shorter time frame. The key is going into the doctoral program having a good idea of what you want to do your dissertation on, and then having access to the necessary data. Also, I was in the Army Medical Department. Civilian schooling is one of the best-kept secrets of the Army Medical Department, but other branches also have great opportunities.
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PV2 Adar Fulton
Thank you sir! May I ask were you an officer before completing your PhD? What program did you use to do this?
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LTC Kevin B.
PV2 Adar Fulton - Yes, I was already an officer. The Medical Service Corps puts out a message every year for officers who want to attend long-term schooling. It has a list of different masters and doctoral program opportunities that are available, as well as the requirements to apply for each and the potential utilization assignments upon graduation. Once you submit a packet, they convene a centralized selection board to pick the most deserving officers. I used this process twice during my career, first to earn my MBA and again to earn my PhD. A few years after finishing my PhD, I actually sat on the selection board and reviewed the files of junior officers who competed. A few of them were my former graduate students.
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A now deceased friend was a McNamera selectee for a PhD degree while serving as an Air Force Officer. Stationed at Wright Patterson, he would check out an airplane and fly to research destinations as a qualified 0-6 pilot. Jack was a Navigator early on in WW II and only needed to complete 25 missions to return CONUS - for good; he did not have to return to Britain for a second tour.
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That would be near impossible. The only way you would be able to do is if you were to into a military program that lets you go to school but then you return to the Army. I know a lot of medical officers do this and then they return to the Army as a medical officer with a hefty commitment.
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