Education: Graduate schools - Military Education & G.I. Bill Information - Military Times

Education: Graduate schools

Air Force Institute of Technology

Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFIT supports the Air Force and national defense by providing degree-granting graduate and professional continuing education, research, and consulting services that respond to Air Force and Defense Department needs.

AFIT has three resident schools for selected officers, noncommissioned officers, Defense Department civilians, nondefense civilians and international officers. The Graduate School of Engineering and Management offers doctorate of philosophy and master’s degrees. The School of Systems and Logistics offers professional continuing education courses. The Civil Engineer School provides professional continuing education in engineering and environmental management.

Through its Civilian Institution Programs, AFIT also manages the educational programs of officers enrolled in civilian universities, research centers, hospitals and industrial organizations. In addition to the schools, the Air Force Center for Systems Engineering also is at AFIT.

Contact: (937) 255-6565; www.afit.edu

The Judge Advocate General Legal Center and School of the Army

The school offers an accredited master’s degree in military law for all Army judge advocates, judge advocates from the other armed services and Army civilian attorneys, as well as short courses for judge advocates, commanders, general officers and Army civilians in diversified legal disciplines. The course runs from mid-August to late May. In addition to the basic graduate course, the school has a specialization program in contract and fiscal law, international and operational law, criminal law and administrative and civil law.

Contact: 600 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-1781; (434) 971-3300; DSN 521-3300; www.jagcnet.army.mil

National Defense Intelligence College

The college awards a master’s of science degree in strategic intelligence, as well as diplomas through its postgraduate intelligence and undergraduate intelligence programs. U.S. government civilians and service members can attend the graduate program full- or part-time. Students must be nominated by their service or agency. The college also offers an undergraduate program.

Contact: NDIC Admissions Office (MCA-2), 200 MacDill Blvd., Washington, D.C. 20340-5100; (202) 231-3319/5642; www.dia.mil/college

Naval Postgraduate School. The school provides graduate programs through four graduate schools: Business and Public Policy; Engineering and Applied Sciences; Operational and Information Sciences; and International Studies. Students come from all services and about 50 nations.

Contact: Admissions Office, 1 University Circle, Monterey, CA 93943; (831) 656-3093; DSN 756-3093; www.nps.edu

School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

Air University’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is the Air Force’s graduate school for strategists. SAASS is a 50-week, follow-on school for selected graduates of intermediate-level Defense Department professional military education schools. Upon completion of all requirements and with faculty recommendation, graduates receive a master of airpower art and science degree.

SAASS is the most selective of all Air Force schools. About 5 percent of eligible volunteers are chosen to attend. To become an SAASS student, an officer must graduate from an intermediate service school; be a volunteer; have a master’s degree from an accredited institution or have an undergraduate degree with a GPA of 2.75 or higher; have less than 16 years total active commissioned service; and be selected by the central selection board held at the Air Force Personnel Center.

The SAASS curriculum is designed to accomplish two major objectives: to enhance students’ ability to think critically about the role of military force in the art of statecraft through an extensive examination of both theory and historical experience, and to cultivate students’ ability to argue effectively and responsibly about strategy.

Contact: (334) 953-7537; DSN 493-5155; www.au.af.mil/au/saass/

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

As the government’s only institution for attaining master’s and doctoral degrees in the health sciences, the USUHS provides career medical officers to the Army, Navy and Air Force and offers advanced nursing education.

U.S. citizens with at least a bachelor’s degree may apply. There is no tuition for the medical school or graduate programs. Books and equipment, with the exception of a personal computer, are provided. At graduation, students receive a medical degree and a promotion to captain or lieutenant. They must serve seven years on active duty, not including time served while obtaining additional graduate medical education.

The university has a graduate program leading to advanced degrees in the health sciences, a graduate school of nursing and a program of continuing education for health professionals.

Contact: Office of Admissions, Room A1041, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799. School of Medicine: toll-free 800-772-1743; Graduate Medical Ecucation: 301-295-2749; www.usuhs.mil