Eligibility

Army officers applying to Resident programs at NPS should aim to obtain an acceptance letter. This letter serves as a prescreening tool required before applying to the Army’s graduate education pathways, including Army Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) and the Graduate School Option (GRADSO).

DA Form 2125

DA Form 2125 is not required for your ACS package when applying to the board for NPS attendance.

Army Reserves Eligibility

Army Reserve officers are eligible to apply only if your reserve command agrees to fund your education at NPS.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty or Employment Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

Marine Corps officers are selected for graduate education through the Commandant’s Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board (CPIB), the Commandant’s Career-Level Education Board (CCLEB), and the Doctor of Philosophy Technical Program (PHDP-T). These opportunities are announced annually via MARADMIN. Please refer to the current MARADMIN for available programs and eligibility criteria. The POC is MMOA-3.

Resident opportunities for Marine Corps officers fall under two categories:

• Marine Corps Graduate Education Program (GEP) – refer to MCO 1524.1 for guidance.
• International Affairs Officer Program (IAP) aka FAO/RAO – refer to MCO 1520.11F for guidance.

Officers applying to Resident programs must comply with all Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) requirements as outlined in the applicable MARADMIN.

Distance Learning opportunities for Marine Corps officers are available. The Distance Learning page lists current programs that are accepting applications.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty or Employment Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

To apply, you must be an active-duty Navy officer. Selection for the Navy’s fully funded graduate education programs is based on:

• Outstanding professional performance
• Promotion potential
• A strong academic background

Interested officers should contact their detailer to confirm professional qualification and quota availability.

Academic Profile Code (APC)

All officers seeking an Academic Profile Code (APC) must submit an application. Please refer to the APC section of the Apply page for detailed instructions.

PhD Applicants

Navy officers may apply to PhD programs only through the PMP Board and Doctoral Studies Board, which convene annually.

• Refer to the annual NAVADMIN for available programs and eligibility requirements.
• If eligible, you must submit an application and a completed application package to PERS.
• Your application will not be reviewed until all requirements are met.
• Click here for application requirements.

Second Navy-Funded Degree

U.S. Navy officers who have already received a Navy-funded degree (e.g., via TA, NWC, NPS, or FSEP) and wish to pursue a second funded degree at the same level must:

Request a waiver using the following templates, that will need to go through the NPS Director of Programs, your detailer/community, and command: 

• First Endorsement (Command)
• Second Endorsement (Detailer)
• Waiver Request for Second Funded Degree (Member)

Submit the approvals to admissions@nps.edu.

• Approval is not guaranteed. You will not be enrolled until all approvals are in place.

Selected Reservist/Individual Ready Reservist Eligibility

NPS has limited authority to enroll Selected Reservists (SELRES) and Individual Ready Reservists (IRR).

• NPS does not offer single-course enrollment for retirement points.
• Activated SELRES/IRR must coordinate with COMNAVRESFOR for selection, tuition, and service obligation terms.
• SELRES/IRR officers who are also federal employees or DoD contractors must apply under their primary employment status.
• Applications submitted under SELRES/IRR status alone will not be processed.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

All Navy-funded education—whether through resident or distance learning—incurs a service obligation. Consult OPNAVINST 1520.23C for full details before applying.

Change in Active Duty or Employment Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

Selection for the Air Force's fully funded graduate education program (assigned to AFIT as a full-time student wherein all tuition costs are paid by the Air Force) is based upon professional performance, promotion potential and academic background.

• Interested Air Force officers must contact their assignment team at Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) to determine professional qualification status and potential AFIT-sponsored graduate education opportunities available in their career fields.
• Air Force officers wishing to apply for an AFIT-sponsored graduate program must make their desires known to AFPC and follow their application procedures.

Air Force officers applying to Resident programs must do so with the goal of receiving a conditional acceptance letter. The purpose is to prescreen the officer prior to applying to AFPC. 

• Officers should submit a copy of the NPS conditional acceptance letter along with their AF Form 3849 to AFPC and maintain a copy in their personal records for future use.

PhD Applicants

If you are applying to a PhD program, please click here for requirements. Your application status will remain incomplete and will not be advanced for review until all admission requirements have been satisfied.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty or Employment Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

The Coast Guard requests program managers to nominate officers for graduate education annually. If you are interested, read the Education and Training Manual on the Coast Guard's intranet and speak with your program manager.

Coast Guard officers applying to Resident programs must do so with the goal of receiving a conditional acceptance letter. The purpose is to prescreen the officer for eligibility.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty or Employment Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

There are very few opportunities for enlisted service members to be enrolled. NPS does not have the authority to grant degrees to those not covered by a specific program. You must submit an application in order to be academically screened for the program.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

There are specific Marine Corps-related requirements you must comply with upon enrollment and after completion of a degree. Please refer to the latest MARADMIN for complete details before applying. You must submit an application in order to be academically screened for the program.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

There are specific Navy-related requirements you must comply with upon enrollment and after completion of a degree. Please refer to section 8 OPNAVINST 1520.23C for complete details before applying. You must submit an application in order to be academically screened for the program.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service obligation applies to all Navy-funded education, regardless of whether the degree is obtained as a Resident or Distance Learning student. Consult OPNAVINST 1520.23C for complete details before applying.

Change in Active Duty Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

There are very few opportunities for enlisted service members to be enrolled. NPS does not have the authority to grant degrees to anyone not covered by a specific program.

The USAF currently only sends enlisted members from the Office of Special Investigations as Resident students to study Acquisitions and Contract Management (Curriculum 815). 

• Members are selected by the OSI community.
• Interested individuals should speak with their leadership and career field managers about potential NPS opportunities before applying.

Graduate Education Service Obligation

Graduate Education Service Obligation is determined and tracked by the individual's service.

Change in Active Duty Status

Uniformed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who will separate from active-duty status while enrolled at NPS must promptly notify the Registrar and your Program Office upon receiving a separation date. The Registrar will provide guidance on available options for continuing graduate studies. Failure to report changes in active-duty status may result in government action to recover education-related expenses.

Eligibility

A civilian who is an employee of, or sponsored by, an agency of the United States Federal Government may be admitted for study upon sponsorship of the agency and academic eligibility.

Federal Civilians applying to a Resident program must do so with the goal of receiving a conditional acceptance letter:

• Applicants expecting agency sponsorship should apply at least six months prior to the anticipated start of the program.
• When submitting an application, you are required to include a curriculum number.

PhD Applicants

If you are applying to a PhD program, please click here for requirements. Your application status will remain incomplete and will not be advanced for review until all admission requirements have been satisfied.

Change in Employment Status

All civilian employees enrolled in a program from NPS is required to notify the Registrar and your Program Office of any change of employer or break in employment. The Registrar will inform the civilian employee of the available options for continuation of graduate studies. Failure to notify the Registrar of changes to employment status could result in government action to recover education costs.

Eligibility

NPS accepts a limited number of applicants from DoD contractor companies for academic programs related to systems engineering, systems analysis, and defense product development. Only applicants from companies vetted directly through NPS Admissions are eligible to apply.

• Submit an application at least six months before your intended start date.
• Only select certificate and master degree programs are available. Please contact us at admissions@nps.edu for more information.
• You must email a completed NPS DoD Contractor Verification form to admissions@nps.edu when submitting your application.

Change in Employment Status

All civilian employees enrolled in a program from NPS is required to notify the Registrar and your Program Office of any change of employer or break in employment. The Registrar will inform the civilian employee of the available options for continuation of graduate studies. Failure to notify the Registrar of changes to employment status could result in government action to recover education costs.

Eligibility

NPS Federal Employees are permitted to attend classes for credit on a "space available" basis. Please refer to NPSINST 12410 CIVILIAN ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM for guidance.

Application Process

Most employees require time to establish which program they wish to pursue. It is recommended you take classes for two quarters before applying and deciding on a program to pursue.

• Staff members are required to register for classes through the Registrar’s office on a space available basis through the Staff/Faculty Course Enrollment Form.
• The forms must be submitted each quarter to the Registrar’s office during the Add/Drop period, which usually ranges from two weeks before and after the start of classes each quarter. For specific start dates, refer to the Academic Calendar.
• When submitting an application, you are required to include a curriculum number.
• You must also complete the Staff/Faculty Application Package and email the signed package to admissions@nps.edu.

Enrollment Process

If you are found to be academically qualified, NPS Admissions will email you about curriculum enrollment with the Registrar's office.

• You must continue to submit the Staff/Employee Registration form to the Registrar's office until the completion of your degree.

PhD Applicants

If you are applying to a PhD program, please click here for requirements. Your application status will remain incomplete and will not be advanced for review until all admission requirements have been satisfied.

Change in Employment Status

All civilian employees enrolled in a program from NPS is required to notify the Registrar and your Program Office of any change of employer or break in employment. The Registrar will inform the civilian employee of the available options for continuation of graduate studies. Failure to notify the Registrar of changes to employment status could result in government action to recover education costs.

Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) offers unique programs for State, Civil and Municipal employees, please click here for more information.

Change in Employment Status

All civilian employees enrolled in a program from NPS is required to notify the Registrar and your Program Office of any change of employer or break in employment. The Registrar will inform the civilian employee of the available options for continuation of graduate studies. Failure to notify the Registrar of changes to employment status could result in government action to recover education costs.

Applications

We do not process international applicants. Please visit the International Graduate Programs Office (IGPO) page.

Change in Active Duty Status

All international students are required to notify the International Graduate Programs Office (IGPO) of any change.