Studying Physics being an Active Duty soldier?

[Noman Rasheed]

People,

I am student of Astrophysics (Bachelors), and I have also enlisted in the US Army. I still do have 2 years remained to finish my Bachelors degree. I will be shipping out for Basic Combat Training by the end of this year (hopefully).
While I will be stationed, I don't know whether "that" place would have a facility to provide educational assistance in the field of Physics. If Yes, I would pursue my degree, and if not: can I get Bachelors in Astrophysics Online?
There is one university offering BSc. Geophysics online.

What are my alternatives? From my side: I am all ready to change my major (If no Astro is available online) to study Software Engineering or Mathematics.

Please shed some photons on my issue!

Thank you!

 

[Student100]

People,

I am student of Astrophysics (Bachelors), and I have also enlisted in the US Army. I still do have 2 years remained to finish my Bachelors degree. I will be shipping out for Basic Combat Training by the end of this year (hopefully).

Bad move, why not just join the ROTC on campus, or finish your degree first and go into one of the various commissioning programs?

While I will be stationed, I don't know whether "that" place would have a facility to provide educational assistance in the field of Physics.

No, there is no educational assistance, assuming you meant tutoring etc, beyond TA programs to help pay for classes. that won't even be immediatly avaliable to you, probably for at least a year after you finish basic.

If Yes, I would pursue my degree, and if not: can I get Bachelors in Astrophysics Online?

Pursuing a bachleors in stem worth the paper its printed on? No.

Can you do a program online? Sure, but the above applies.

What are my alternatives? From my side: I am all ready to change my major (If no Astro is available online) to study Software Engineering or Mathematics.

Please shed some photons on my issue!

Thank you!

Dont enlist until you finish your current program, then commission/enlist after if that's what you want to do. There are some options to go to a real graduate school with a commission, but it's also rough. Better to serve then try go to graduate school.

In short: There's no good reason I can think of to quit in the middle of your studies since you put the time in already. Do it after if anything, but realize you're still probably handicapping yourself for eventual graduate school.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Bad move, why not just join the ROTC on campus, or finish your degree first and go into one of the various commissioning programs?

ROTC. How does this work, when I am stationed?
I have already singed a contract with the US Army, and I am just waiting over my background clearance. Once it's done, I will get a shipping date for training.

No, there is no educational assistance, assuming you meant tutoring etc, beyond TA programs to help pay for classes. that won't even be immediatly avaliable to you, probably for at least a year after you finish basic.

I meant college facility in the base, where I will be stationed, but I am bit skeptic about Astro courses there.

Pursuing a bachleors in stem worth the paper its printed on? No.

Can you do a program online? Sure, but the above applies.

For online degree, that's what I was thinking. It is just a waste of time and money, when it comes to science subjects. Does this also apply to Mathematics. Does Math major has labs too?

Dont enlist until you finish your current program, then commission/enlist after if that's what you want to do. There are some options to go to a real graduate school with a commission, but it's also rough. Better to serve then try go to graduate school.

In short: There's no good reason I can think of to quit in the middle of your studies since you put the time in already. Do it after if anything, but realize you're still probably handicapping yourself for eventual graduate school.

Since I have already signed the contract, I can't seize it. My aim was to serve-and-study simultaneously.
After 24 months I can change my MOS (job), so that is the gateway to become a Commissioned Officer in the US Army.

All I am worried about is my education because a lot of Active Duty soldiers say that they have changed their majors due to multiple deployments and lack of courses required to get a degree in the desired major.

 

[Student100]

ROTC. How does this work, when I am stationed?
I have already singed a contract with the US Army, and I am just waiting over my background clearance. Once it's done, I will get a shipping date for training.

There is no ROTC after you've already enlisted.

You haven't signed any binding contracts yet. You don't actually enlist until you take the oath for a second time at MEPS. DEP does not equal a contract that requires military service, you can be discharged from DEP without any punitive action, as far as I aware. (You can still enlist in another branch, or do ROTC)

I meant college facility in the base, where I will be stationed, but I am bit skeptic about Astro courses there.

The military has some agreements with some colleges that allow for correspondence work or extension colleges, but they typically don't offer STEM type degrees. The ones that do aren't worth attending. So there aren't college facilities on bases, unless it's an extension that isn't going to offer what you want, or better yet, what you really need.

For online degree, that's what I was thinking. It is just a waste of time and money, when it comes to science subjects. Does this also apply to Mathematics. Does Math major has labs too?

Yes, online degrees are garbage. I don't know about mathematics, but I'm assuming it's the same. Most math courses don't require labs, some applied courses might use various software in lab type work. Again, I don't know here, but I've personally never head of one.. At any rate, internet is hard to come by out in the field.

Since I have already signed the contract, I can't seize it. My aim was to serve-and-study simultaneously.

You haven't signed anything binding. You can leave DEP willingly at any time, regardless of what you recruiter might tell you. Serving in the Army is hard enough, studying simultaneously is possible; however, studying simultaneously for meaningful college credit generally isn't.

After 24 months I can change my MOS (job), so that is the gateway to become a Commissioned Officer in the US Army.

Man, what kind bullpoop are they feeding you? Switching MOS just means you switch jobs.

Yes, you can become a CO from enlisted, only you probably can't really the way you want to. There are a handful of programs to go commissioned officer from enlisted. Most are for soldiers who already had degrees when they enlisted, or obtained certain NCO ranks. Some actually let you go to school full time, but these are verrrryyyyyyy rare and highly competitive. Any of this requires your chain of commands permission, which is the easiest part. It turns out the easiest part is also verrrryyyyyy hard to actually get - no command wants to lose someone "worthy" enough to get accepted to such a program, espically since those types of loses generally don't allow the billet to refilled until your normal sep date. Just switching MOS is nigh impossible in some jobs, regardless of what the instructions say are actually possible.

All I am worried about is my education because a lot of Active Duty soldiers say that they have changed their majors due to multiple deployments and lack of courses required to get a degree in the desired major.

Most don't even bother with school, and for good reason. The Army probably has the second worst quality of life, next to the marines. After working for 12-14 hours on a good day - those days when you aren't in the field, or on duty, or deployed, or spinning up to go on deployment - most don't bother to do anything beyond open a cold one and spend some valuable time with significant others in their lives.

Literally, I knew one guy who's wife was in a car accident and he couldn't get permission to leave work early to go to the hospital. Switching MOS or getting into a special program is infinitely harder.

 

[Student100]

I don't know your reasons for wanting to join, but if you want to study and want to serve here is what I would do. Apply for ROTC wherever you're studying at, assuming it's a university that has the program (if not you can transfer to school that has one), apply for the scholarship. Assuming you get it, it's a win win for everyone. The recruit command looks good if you get it, you look good for scholarship because you've already shown a desire to serve by signing up for DEP, no one will have hard feelings this way.

You'll study, complete your degree, then do your obligated service as an officer. Upon finishing you can then go to graduate school, or stay in and make a career out of it if you like it.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Thank you so much! It took me sometime to examine and realize that I can actually wait, finish my degree and go active duty. I don't think that I can finish my degree being there in.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

The best person to send a message to on these forums is Dr. Courtney, he has a lot of experience in this subject. I believe, he teached or still teaches, at a Airforce Academy.

 

[Student100]

Thank you so much! It took me sometime to examine and realize that I can actually wait, finish my degree and go active duty. I don't think that I can finish my degree being there in.

Go the ROTC route. Apply for the scholarship, your recruiter or their commanding officer should be able to help.

 

[DrClaude]

The best person to send a message to on these forums is Dr. Courtney, he has a lot of experience in this subject. I believe, he teached or still teaches, at a Airforce Academy.

Paging @Dr. Courtney. Anything to add to @Student100's knowledgeable answers?

 

[Noman Rasheed]

The best person to send a message to on these forums is Dr. Courtney, he has a lot of experience in this subject. I believe, he teached or still teaches, at a Airforce Academy.

Thank you! I would ask the Dr.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Go the ROTC route. Apply for the scholarship, your recruiter or their commanding officer should be able to help.

Ah, wish ROTC was for me.
I am a MAVNI applicant. I can't really choose any of these options.
My options are: become AD, and serve; or go reserve and continue studies, which I am not going to do.
My contract is signed as an AD. I am waiting for the background clearance to get my shipping date.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Usually the only options for enlisted service members are those local to where they are stationed and distance learning. I would not say never, but it would be exceedingly rare for the Army to support an enlisted member "away" at college somewhere for an Astro degree. Officers have a lot more support for both their distance learning and classroom learning goals.

That being said, I am not aware of ANY complete online undergraduate programs in Physics or Astrophysics that are accredited in the US higher ed system. Nor do I know of any ABET accredited online engineering programs. I would be happy to learn of them. I've made some efforts to search out what exists, and in spite of my google-fu, I may have missed some things.

The best options for leveraging military service for a college education are ROTC before your service or the GI Bill programs afterwards. I don't see m/any paths for enlisted service people while serving in areas not served by distance learning programs.

 

[jtbell]

I am not aware of ANY complete online undergraduate programs in Physics or Astrophysics that are accredited in the US higher ed system.

Nor am I. We regularly get questions from people looking for such programs, and I have yet to see such a program posted/linked in response.

Nor do I know of any ABET accredited online engineering programs.

Arizona State's online BSE in electrical engineering is ABET accredited. We have a long-running thread about it in this forum.

 

[Independent]

If you are fine with studying at an UK-based university and can afford it, The Open University may be a good fit: http://www.openuniversity.edu/courses/find/science# You would likely be able to transfer in some credit from your current program. A number of British Armed Forces personnel do study with the OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/forces/

 

[Student100]

Ah, wish ROTC was for me.
I am a MAVNI applicant. I can't really choose any of these options.
My options are: become AD, and serve; or go reserve and continue studies, which I am not going to do.
My contract is signed as an AD. I am waiting for the background clearance to get my shipping date.

Ahhhhhhhhh, so you're doing it for citizenship? It's a good path for that, and after you can use your GI bill to fund your studies. (Its really good right now, E-5 BAH with dependants stipend a month, depending on zip code, ex. i think its almost 2400~ a month in san diego right now, plus all tution and fees all paid at public uni rates) So don't let me talk you out of it completely. You're not going to able to study while you serve, but you can after and you'll certainly have/be on a good path for citizenship. Just 4 years right?

The Army life sucks, but it certainly isn't all bad. You'll be able to accomplish other goals and meet lifelong friends. After you've been out a while the military can be almost nostalgic even.

What job did they give you? Wait, let me guess: cook, some kind of logistic role, translator, 11x?

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Usually the only options for enlisted service members are those local to where they are stationed and distance learning. I would not say never, but it would be exceedingly rare for the Army to support an enlisted member "away" at college somewhere for an Astro degree. Officers have a lot more support for both their distance learning and classroom learning goals.

That being said, I am not aware of ANY complete online undergraduate programs in Physics or Astrophysics that are accredited in the US higher ed system. Nor do I know of any ABET accredited online engineering programs. I would be happy to learn of them. I've made some efforts to search out what exists, and in spite of my google-fu, I may have missed some things.

The best options for leveraging military service for a college education are ROTC before your service or the GI Bill programs afterwards. I don't see m/any paths for enlisted service people while serving in areas not served by distance learning programs.

Thank you so much Dr.!

Unfortunately, I can't choose ROTC option, since I am MAVNI applicant. My terms are conditions are slightly different from the those who enter the US Army through general channel.

I did a lot of research over Online STEM degree, and found out that they are just garbage and waste of time.

I am planning to finish my degree as quickly as possible, even planned to take 21 credit hours for the next semester. If not Dec. 17, then May 18, I will be done with by Bachelors.
Serving and studying is just too hard to manage, especially when options are narrower.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

If you are fine with studying at an UK-based university and can afford it, The Open University may be a good fit: http://www.openuniversity.edu/courses/find/science# You would likely be able to transfer in some credit from your current program. A number of British Armed Forces personnel do study with the OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/forces/

I found out several other, but just one thing stops me from taking the step towards admission, which is: how am I going to take labs for these courses? Science courses without labs just doesn't make any sense to me.

I appreciate your effort BTW. Thank you so much! :)

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Ahhhhhhhhh, so you're doing it for citizenship? It's a good path for that, and after you can use your GI bill to fund your studies. (Its really good right now, E-5 BAH with dependants stipend a month, depending on zip code, ex. i think its almost 2400~ a month in san diego right now, plus all tution and fees all paid at public uni rates) So don't let me talk you out of it completely. You're not going to able to study while you serve, but you can after and you'll certainly have/be on a good path for citizenship. Just 4 years right?

The Army life sucks, but it certainly isn't all bad. You'll be able to accomplish other goals and meet lifelong friends. After you've been out a while the military can be almost nostalgic even.

What job did they give you? Wait, let me guess: cook, some kind of logistic role, translator, 11x?

Sir!

I actually chose Army to work in the US. I still remember, when a bunch of companies came to my uni to talk about jobs. All of them said "No" to me because of my Major, except US Army booth. I was just so surprised!
Since then, I have got SSN, did my ASVAB and medical, OPI, and signed the contract. However, I can't choose the MOS, until background clearance (SSBI and NIAC) comes "favorable".
Now this is, where the toughest part comes in. Applicants have to wait for at least 6 months after signing the contract. Sometimes, they get delayed for more than 1 and a half year. I am not worried about it. At least, I can finish my degree, if I get delayed.
Once, it's done, I will choose the MOS, and simultaneously get the shipping date.

For MOS, there are around 80-90 jobs for MAVNI applicants ranging: Infantry, combat, health, engineering, and health dept.
I will get my citizenship if not after BCT, then after AIT.

I actually like Military life: home, money, uniform with badges , food, and lot of exercise.

My plan is to join Army with Bachelors (hopefully, this happens), go Commissioned, join Reserve (when contract expires), do Phd. and join Naval Observatory Lab.
I hope, everything goes according to the plan.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I did a lot of research over Online STEM degree, and found out that they are just garbage and waste of time.

I would probably be more diplomatic, but I also cannot disagree with your word choices at all.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I found out several other, but just one thing stops me from taking the step towards admission, which is: how am I going to take labs for these courses? Science courses without labs just doesn't make any sense to me.

I appreciate your effort BTW. Thank you so much! :)

My teenagers are enrolled in several online college courses, including some lab classes. We bought a lab kit full of supplies and rounded up additional supplies which are either easily obtained around the house or inexpensively at Walmart and hardware stores. I've had my doubts about online lab courses, but these seem to be the real deal - as good or better than a lot of in person college lab classes in intro biology, chemistry, and physics.

This specific online program is receiving close oversight from all the state universities that have agreed to accept transfer credit for their accredited STEM majors, including ABET accredited engineering and ACS approved chemistry programs. They are doing it right, so it can be done. Unfortunately, their course offerings only include typical first year sequences and there are no paths to a complete STEM degree.

 

[MarneMath]

Sir!

I actually chose Army to work in the US. I still remember, when a bunch of companies came to my uni to talk about jobs. All of them said "No" to me because of my Major, except US Army booth. I was just so surprised!
Since then, I have got SSN, did my ASVAB and medical, OPI, and signed the contract. However, I can't choose the MOS, until background clearance (SSBI and NIAC) comes "favorable".
Now this is, where the toughest part comes in. Applicants have to wait for at least 6 months after signing the contract. Sometimes, they get delayed for more than 1 and a half year. I am not worried about it. At least, I can finish my degree, if I get delayed.
Once, it's done, I will choose the MOS, and simultaneously get the shipping date.

For MOS, there are around 80-90 jobs for MAVNI applicants ranging: Infantry, combat, health, engineering, and health dept.
I will get my citizenship if not after BCT, then after AIT.

I actually like Military life: home, money, uniform with badges , food, and lot of exercise.

My plan is to join Army with Bachelors (hopefully, this happens), go Commissioned, join Reserve (when contract expires), do Phd. and join Naval Observatory Lab.
I hope, everything goes according to the plan.

I spent 10 years in the infantry and I can honestly say that your dream happening is rare. It's is super hard to be an ROTC green to gold scholar. It's rather hard to transfer to ROTC while on active service. It took me 9 years, the rank of SSG, soldier of the month, NCO of the month, honor graduate for multiple courses, and APFT 300 club to finally be approved as an ROTC scholar. Unfortunately for me, I was medically retired 1 year after that.

I mention this because I believe planning for your career needs to be grounded in realism. If your goal is to do 2 years of service, go to OCS or ROTC, and then live the high life as an officer, you're surely mistaken. You should plan to do your 4 years, and then finish school (while doing ROTC at the same time). Take a year or two off between undergraduate and graduate school for BOLC I and II. If you choose to commission on the active said, then be advised that the odds are extremely low that you'll be approved to go to a STEM related graduate school on the government's dime. Thus you should be content with studying something like homeland security. Lastly, It isn't guaranteed that you'll be approved for graduate school, and if the Army says no, then nothing you do will change that.

If you desire to serve and have the career you want, active duty is not for you. Join the reserves. When you go on active duty, you commit yourself to the mission of the United States, and your dreams, hopes, whatever are rather meaningless to people who set in D.C. managing your career.

Lastly, even if you do ROTC, that does not guarantee your an active duty slot. A certain percentage will be forced to take a career as reservist.

 

[Student100]

I spent 10 years in the infantry and I can honestly say that your dream happening is rare. It's is super hard to be an ROTC green to gold scholar. It's rather hard to transfer to ROTC while on active service. It took me 9 years, the rank of SSG, soldier of the month, NCO of the month, honor graduate for multiple courses, and APFT 300 club to finally be approved as an ROTC scholar. Unfortunately for me, I was medically retired 1 year after that.

I mention this because I believe planning for your career needs to be grounded in realism. If your goal is to do 2 years of service, go to OCS or ROTC, and then live the high life as an officer, you're surely mistaken. You should plan to do your 4 years, and then finish school (while doing ROTC at the same time). Take a year or two off between undergraduate and graduate school for BOLC I and II. If you choose to commission on the active said, then be advised that the odds are extremely low that you'll be approved to go to a STEM related graduate school on the government's dime. Thus you should be content with studying something like homeland security. Lastly, It isn't guaranteed that you'll be approved for graduate school, and if the Army says no, then nothing you do will change that.

If you desire to serve and have the career you want, active duty is not for you. Join the reserves. When you go on active duty, you commit yourself to the mission of the United States, and your dreams, hopes, whatever are rather meaningless to people who set in D.C. managing your career.

Lastly, even if you do ROTC, that does not guarantee your an active duty slot. A certain percentage will be forced to take a career as reservist.

He's not currently a citizen, sooo basically he's stuck. He can just do his time on AD, get citizenship, separate, then use his education benefits. I'm betting they have him pegged as an 09L, so his life won't be all that bad for four years.

Getting the citizenship is just as important as the degree if he wants to work at the NO.

To Noman, if you can finish your degree beforehand, you should try to do that. You can then self study during your service so your skills don't atrophy, get out, go to grad school and then get a job at the NO. SPAWAR/Army Research Lab might also be interesting to you, towards the end of your enlistment start thinking about applications to graduate school assuming you can finish BS beforehand.

When you complete your education, you'll need to go onto USA Jobs to apply for federal positions...

If for whatever reason you can actually change your MOS after two years, look into MOS 94E. You'll likely be able to make contacts with several different defense contractors and agencies. Specifically, SPAWAR and the Army research lab. You should also get screened for at least a secret clearance at this time, which helps when applying to these agencies/their contractors.

 

[MarneMath]

There's no real reason to expect he'll be an 09L. I did OSUT with non-citizens who were 11X. The point is that he doesn't have to do AD to get his citizenship. So why would you encourage someone to essentially give up four years of their life when the same results can be achieved through reserves/National Guard? If the goal is to gain citizenship, that's fine. I doubt having AD time vs reserve time would marginally increase his chances in any significant way for his goals.

I say this as someone who left school for the military. It's extremely hard to go back, it's extremely hard to retain anything you learned. Assuming he managed to get his B.s and went AD. Let's say he served 4 years. Now, after 4 years, he has to take the physics GRE and get recommendations from professors he had 4 years ago. It requires a rather dedicated effort to ensure that he says up to par with his education, keeps in contact with key professors, and is prepared for the GRE. These are all factors that need to be considered before making a rather life changing decision.

 

[Student100]

There's no real reason to expect he'll be an 09L. I did OSUT with non-citizens who were 11X.

Basing it on his handle, he probably is fluent in one of the critical languages for 09L.

The point is that he doesn't have to do AD to get his citizenship. So why would you encourage someone to essentially give up four years of their life when the same results can be achieved through reserves/National Guard? If the goal is to gain citizenship, that's fine. I doubt having AD time vs reserve time would marginally increase his chances in any significant way for his goals.

I don't think MAVNI (not a green card holder, probably in US on study visa) entrants get the opportunities to go reserve very easy unless they're in medical specialties, which he isn't. Albeit, I don't know a whole lot about the program.

I say this as someone who left school for the military. It's extremely hard to go back, it's extremely hard to retain anything you learned. Assuming he managed to get his B.s and went AD. Let's say he served 4 years. Now, after 4 years, he has to take the physics GRE and get recommendations from professors he had 4 years ago. It requires a rather dedicated effort to ensure that he says up to par with his education, keeps in contact with key professors, and is prepared for the GRE. These are all factors that need to be considered before making a rather life changing decision.

The above is certainly possible, much more possible than studying for credit while in. If he can go reserves that a valid option. I just don't know from experience how likely that is under MAVNI.

 

[MarneMath]

I looked into it just now. It doesn't seem like either service is taking many applicants at all. In fact, both have closed for this FY. There haven't been numbers posted for FY 17 yet. Once they post again, they'll probably post for under 1000 again. Completely different times from my days of "if you can write your name, we want you!".

 

[Student100]

I looked into it just now. It doesn't seem like either service is taking many applicants at all. In fact, both have closed for this FY. There haven't been numbers posted for FY 17 yet. Once they post again, they'll probably post for under 1000 again. Completely different times from my days of "if you can write your name, we want you!".

Yeah, I got out during the draw down by applying for the early out program. They're definitely trying to cut the numbers.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Not to be pessimistic or a "I Hate America Guy," but joining to military at this moment to get citizenship is quite foolish. Joining the military just to become a citizen is like marrying someone just so you can finally do it. If you love America, believe in its plan, and want to defend the Constitution with your life, then go for it. You do realize that the conflict in the middle east is not getting right? It is getting worse. We have elections around the corner and we still do not know what their actual foreign policy is. There is a high probability you may see combat. I have a cousin who joined the marines, it was his childhood dream. He is now out of the marines with severe PTSD. My brother on the other hand, put 8 years in the marines. It helped make a man out of him, and he loved it.

Is getting a green card by going this route worth risking your life?

 

[Noman Rasheed]

I would probably be more diplomatic, but I also cannot disagree with your word choices at all.

I have been thinking about this option for couple of months, but then most of the people said "no!"

My teenagers are enrolled in several online college courses, including some lab classes. We bought a lab kit full of supplies and rounded up additional supplies which are either easily obtained around the house or inexpensively at Walmart and hardware stores. I've had my doubts about online lab courses, but these seem to be the real deal - as good or better than a lot of in person college lab classes in intro biology, chemistry, and physics.

This specific online program is receiving close oversight from all the state universities that have agreed to accept transfer credit for their accredited STEM majors, including ABET accredited engineering and ACS approved chemistry programs. They are doing it right, so it can be done. Unfortunately, their course offerings only include typical first year sequences and there are no paths to a complete STEM degree.

Not sure, if I can do the same thing: bring home the kit and do the lab stuffs on my own.
Do universities usually accept online Science degrees, when it comes to the post-graduate programs?

 

[Noman Rasheed]

To Noman, if you can finish your degree beforehand, you should try to do that. You can then self study during your service so your skills don't atrophy, get out, go to grad school and then get a job at the NO. SPAWAR/Army Research Lab might also be interesting to you, towards the end of your enlistment start thinking about applications to graduate school assuming you can finish BS beforehand.

When you complete your education, you'll need to go onto USA Jobs to apply for federal positions...

If for whatever reason you can actually change your MOS after two years, look into MOS 94E. You'll likely be able to make contacts with several different defense contractors and agencies. Specifically, SPAWAR and the Army research lab. You should also get screened for at least a secret clearance at this time, which helps when applying to these agencies/their contractors.

Thank you so much!

The only reason I want to go AD is I can skip my Graduate school. One of my friends told me that if I have good GPA, work experience, and letter of recommendation, I can straight-away enter for the Phd. program.

I have seen almost all of the available MOS in the US Army, and one that fascinates me the most is 12Y (Geospatial Engineering). It is somehow related to my degree (Math and all those stuffs). Working in this MOS, could really provide me a big chance to enter Phd. school.

I know that all other Space agencies are just too hard to enter. By working in the US Army, I can get used to the military environment, then I would have a definite long-term plan to work on my career in the military, when I would be done with my Phd.

MOS 94E looks good. For sure, I will do some research on it.

There's no real reason to expect he'll be an 09L. I did OSUT with non-citizens who were 11X. The point is that he doesn't have to do AD to get his citizenship. So why would you encourage someone to essentially give up four years of their life when the same results can be achieved through reserves/National Guard? If the goal is to gain citizenship, that's fine. I doubt having AD time vs reserve time would marginally increase his chances in any significant way for his goals.

I say this as someone who left school for the military. It's extremely hard to go back, it's extremely hard to retain anything you learned. Assuming he managed to get his B.s and went AD. Let's say he served 4 years. Now, after 4 years, he has to take the physics GRE and get recommendations from professors he had 4 years ago. It requires a rather dedicated effort to ensure that he says up to par with his education, keeps in contact with key professors, and is prepared for the GRE. These are all factors that need to be considered before making a rather life changing decision.
ations from professors he had 4 years ago. It requires a rather dedicated effort to ensure that he says up to par with his education, keeps in contact with key professors, and is prepared for the GRE. These are all factors that need to be considered before making a rather life changing decision.

There are around 80-90 MOS for MAVNI applicants. Which one will I get? For this, I will have to wait till my background clearance comes favorable.
It's just too difficult for international students to study and pay such high tuition fee. Work experience in the US Army would actually provide me a gate-way to skip Masters degree. This is the reason, I am going AD.

For recommendation letters: does Army provide any kind of "recommendation letter", when soldiers retire and want to enter graduate/post-graduate schools, based on the soldiers work-efficiency or anything like that?

I looked into it just now. It doesn't seem like either service is taking many applicants at all. In fact, both have closed for this FY. There haven't been numbers posted for FY 17 yet. Once they post again, they'll probably post for under 1000 again. Completely different times from my days of "if you can write your name, we want you!".

Yes, MAVNI is closed, and good thing is that I have already singed the contract, so I don't have to worry about anything. All I have to do is just WAIT, until I get my shipping date.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Not to be pessimistic or a "I Hate America Guy," but joining to military at this moment to get citizenship is quite foolish. Joining the military just to become a citizen is like marrying someone just so you can finally do it. If you love America, believe in its plan, and want to defend the Constitution with your life, then go for it. You do realize that the conflict in the middle east is not getting right? It is getting worse. We have elections around the corner and we still do not know what their actual foreign policy is. There is a high probability you may see combat. I have a cousin who joined the marines, it was his childhood dream. He is now out of the marines with severe PTSD. My brother on the other hand, put 8 years in the marines. It helped make a man out of him, and he loved it.

Is getting a green card by going this route worth risking your life?

I am not joining the US Army for the citizenship only. In fact, I didn't know for the first two months that I can get a citizenship.
Bless the Sergeant, who came to my university along with 150 companies, on Job Fair day. I was just curious too see, which company hires most of the Physics graduates, and shockingly, none of them said "yes!" except that Sergeant. She also said that you can also shift to US Navy, they have the Observatory Lab.
What else could be better for me, when I can get the degree, experience, and the US passport too.

MAVNI program skips the Green card process; applicants straight-away get the US Passport.

 

[Vanadium 50]

When you go on active duty, you commit yourself to the mission of the United States, and your dreams, hopes, whatever are rather meaningless to people who set in D.C. managing your career.

This. Read this again. Get it tattooed on you if you think you might forget it.

Your goal of getting a PhD is unlikely to mesh with the Needs of the Service. I don't want to say that it's impossible, but those folks in DC (hmmm...isn't the Pentagon actually in Virginia?) are not sitting around thinking "How do we help this soldier get his PhD?" I don't know how the Army does it with MOS's, but the Navy has what are called "critical ratings", and if you are in one, it practically takes a nuclear explosion to dislodge you from it so you can do something else. That includes, in most cases, moving from one critical rating to another.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Not sure, if I can do the same thing: bring home the kit and do the lab stuffs on my own.
Do universities usually accept online Science degrees, when it comes to the post-graduate programs?

Usually diplomas and transcripts do not specify whether or not a given course or the entire degree was online.

The courses students I work with have taken on line appear on their transcripts exactly like the same courses (equivalent course numbers) taken at the same institution in person. The institutions receiving those transcripts have no way to tell the difference.

In the US, the first critical question is whether the institution and program are properly accredited. In addition to regional accreditation, engineering programs should be ABET accredited and Chemistry programs should be ACS approved.

Other than that, it comes down to the ranking of the institution and their reputation. Graduating from LSU (as I did) with a given GPA is not as highly favored as graduating from GA Tech would have been, but their reputation is better than most other public universities in Louisiana.

But if an institution has both online and in-person programs, it may not even be noted on your degree whether you attended in person or online. It's just a degree in the given major from the given institution.

 

[micromass]

Do universities usually accept online Science degrees, when it comes to the post-graduate programs?

I think that typically universities see online degrees as rubbish.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I think that typically universities see online degrees as rubbish.

Yes, the bias exists. But do you know of cases where a degree (or specific courses) are clearly noted as such on a transcript? As far as I can tell, schools issuing transcripts are well aware of this bias and do not note the online nature of the program on transcripts.

If a school offers both online and in-person programs and a student completes a degree, how will the university know it was online?

I recall some time ago in a faculty position at a school starting some online programs, I suggested that online courses be marked as such on transcripts, so those receiving the transcripts could know that and weigh the quality issues for themselves. The idea was vehemently opposed.

When I went further and (as a member of a state education committee) suggested teacher certification programs only accept a certain maximum percentage of online coursework, I was officially disciplined by my employer. My reasoning was that if certified teachers were planning to teach science courses and labs in person, that a certain amount of their college science coursework should be in person. Expressing my view was framed as "undermining" the efforts of my employer to gain acceptance of their online coursework.

 

[Noman Rasheed]

Ah ...

Just got to know that I can actually provide Army the letter from the university, which should state that when I am going to graduate, so they would push my shipping date.
I can also go Officer, once I reach my unit. I am so happy now.

40A MOS, here I come!