Graduate School Expanded
Written by Lt. Col. Kevin V. Arata
In fiscal year 2006 the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC) was authorized to offer additional graduate school opportunities to outstanding junior officers to enhance development of the broader intellectual capital required in a joint and expeditionary Army. The increased number of graduate school opportunities now known as the Expanded Graduate School Program (EGSP) was initially offered to officers in Year Groups 1998 through 2003 and then 2004. Year Group 2005 will be offered EGSP in their third year of service. Year Group 2006 and beyond will have the option of graduate school offered in their senior year of college. The majority of the officers selected for the EGSP will begin attendance between their 8th and 12th year of service.
The majority of commissioned officers will be selected by commanders in the field. The EGSP is designed to be used by commanders as a developmental and retention tool for high performing officers. The program leads to a high-quality graduate degree in residence (12-18 months) and return to the tactical field environment for a follow-on key developmental Army Educational Requirements System utilization assignment. EGSP has two reinforcing objectives: development of critical skills and long term retention of quality junior officers. Officers are authorized to attend a U.S. graduate school; officers are required to study in an approved discipline that enhances the competencies required in an expeditionary Army—emphasizing cultural awareness, regional knowledge, foreign language, governance, diplomacy, national security or social sciences that reinforce operational skills.
Selected officers are required to receive a letter of acceptance from his/her university of choice along with an agreement stating tuition will not exceed $15,000 per academic year July 2008. EGSP participants incur an active duty service obligation of three days for every one day spent in graduate school per AR 350-100 - Officer Active Duty Service Obligations.
At the current time, EGSP is not open to warrant officers, Army Medical Department officers, Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officers, chaplains, Reserve officers, and National Guard officers. The EGSP began in FY06 with 200 officers entering graduate school. The program will continue to increase attendance until it reaches a steady state input of 600 per year in FY14.
________________________________________
Lieutenant Colonel Kevin V. Arata is public affairs officer, U.S. Army Human Resources Command.