Enlisted Cyber Master of Science Degree Opportunity at Naval Postgraduate School. Deadline for submission for this program is 31 December 2020.  Message follows:

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NAVADMIN 297/20

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FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N2N6//
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MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N2N6/NOV//

SUBJ/ENLISTED CYBER MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE OPPORTUNITY AT NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL//

REF/A/INST/OPNAV/30JAN07//
REF/B/INST/OPNAV/07JAN15//
NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1160.8A, SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS PROGRAM.
REF B IS OPNAVINST 1520.23C, GRADUATE EDUCATION.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN solicits enlisted Sailor applications for enrollment
in the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) 15-month Master of Science in Applied Cyber Operations (MACO) program.  This opportunity is one of many efforts to increase Cyber capabilities for the Navy, while building a professional Cyber workforce.

2.  Selectees will be assigned to Navy-funded education as full-time
students under permanent change of station orders to Monterey, CA, with either a September 2021 or March 2022 start.  As full-time students, Sailors will be required to carry a full academic load year-round.  Degree requirements
should be completed in 15 months.

3.  This program is only available to Active Duty and Full-Time Support
members in the Information Systems Technician (IT) and Cryptologic
Technician-Networks (CTN) ratings, who meet the following criteria:
    a.  Must possess a Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant technical
field including, but not limited to, computer science, electrical engineering, and information or engineering technology.  The degree must have been awarded by an institution of higher learning, and accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  To meet NPS academic requirements, performance in technical courses, including mathematics, must be exemplary.
    b.  Must be an E6 or above eligible for continental United States shore
assignment between April and December 2021 for the September 2021 start, or between October 2021 and June 2022 for the March 2022 start.
    c.  Must be eligible to incur a 5-year active-duty service obligation by
reenlistment or extension of enlistment prior to NPS enrollment.  Selectees
will be required to reenlist more than 1 year earlier, if they are unable to
satisfy the 5-year obligated service requirement.  Pursuant to reference
(a), payment of the selective reenlistment bonus is not authorized for selectees who reenlist for the purpose of meeting the obligated service requirement.
    d.  Must be within Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) standards, with no
PFA failures within the last 3 years.
    e.  Must have no evaluation marks below 3.0 within the last 5 years.
    f.  Must hold, or be eligible for, a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented
Information (TS/SCI) clearance.  Applicants without a current TS/SCI
clearance are still encouraged to apply, but should work with their Special Security Office (SSO) to initiate the clearance request.  Orders to NPS will not be issued until TS/SCI clearance is finalized.
    g.  Must possess a conditional letter of acceptance.  To obtain a
conditional letter of acceptance, applicants should apply to NPS at
http://www.nps.edu/academics/admissions/applyonline/applynow.html.  Once registered, select Applied Cyber Operations, curriculum number 336.  Upon application submission, applicants must arrange for submission of official transcripts to the NPS admissions office from each institution attended for all undergraduate and graduate education, as well as all Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcripts, or Joint Services Transcripts. NPS applications must be submitted to NPS no later than 31 December 2020.  Applicants will be notified by NPS via e-mail regarding their conditional acceptance.

4.  Upon selection, applicants must request (via Command Career Counselor) an in -rate quota in the Career Waypoints (C-WAY) system.  Those not in their C-WAY window should submit a special circumstance application indicating reason code of other.  The career counselor will be prompted to add a note indicating selection to the Master of Science in Applied Cyber Operations program.  If selected via special circumstance application, this program does not guarantee award of an in-rate C-WAY quota, and is not considered part of a performance indicator of the individual in the C-WAY process.

5.  Before submitting MACO application, applicants should contact their detailer to inform of intent to apply to the program, and to obtain a letter of
endorsement from detailer.  Potential impact to current assignment should be considered.  Failure to consult with detailer prior to applying may result
in withdrawal of selection.  Graduation from the program will impact follow-on tour, and may result in limited detailing opportunities for future
assignments.

6.  Graduates of the MACO program will earn the H07A Navy Enlisted
Classification (previously 2770-Applied Cyber Operations Master), and should expect to serve in a utilization tour immediately following graduation.  For ITs, utilization tours shall include operational (Cyber) shore billets and sea billets, when available.  Further utilization for program graduates will be appropriately balanced with other priorities, such as career progression, sea /shore tour rotation, etc.

7.  Applicants in receipt of a letter of conditional acceptance from NPS
should forward a written request for MACO selection via their Commanding Officer. The nomination template is posted to the Navy Information Warfare Outreach Page on milSuite at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/doc-526186 (common access card e-mail certificate login required).  The template includes additional documents which must be included for consideration.

8.  The Commanding Officer endorsement should address the preparedness for this significant academic opportunity, ability to work independently,
communication skills, potential for increased responsibilities, and any special considerations regarding the applicant.

9.  Applications must be sent via encrypted e-mail or DOD SAFE
(https://safe.apps.mil/) to NAVIFOR_MACO(at)navy.mil within 2 weeks of
notification of conditional acceptance by NPS.

10.  Prior application submissions to this program do not disqualify an
applicant.  However, applicants who did not receive previous conditional
acceptance from NPS, and have no additional academic qualifications, should not apply again, as the academic standards have not changed.

11.  Selection results will be disseminated via official e-mail from a
NAVIFOR MACO Program Officer.  Due to the highly-competitive nature of this program, notification of selection via official e-mail is a binding commitment which selectees must accept or decline within 5 working days of receipt.

12.  Instructions to sign up for education program notification are
available at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/training-education-qualifications/e-graduate -education-and-fellowship-programs.

13.  The point of contact for this program can be contacted via e-mail at
NAVIFOR_MACO(at)navy.mil.

14.  This message will remain in effect until superseded, or 30 June 2022,
whichever occurs first.

15.  Released by VADM Jeffrey E. Trussler, Deputy Chief Of Naval Operations
for Information Warfare, OPNAV N2N6.//
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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//