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For Potential Students
- What are requirements for selection?
- How do get started?
- How long do I have to complete the program?
- Is there anything I can do right away?
- Who pays?
For the Supervisor
- Why is the Corps supporting this program?
- Who pays?
- What is the selection procedure for choosing candidates?
- How do I get my employee into the program?
- Getting started
For Potential Students
What are requirements for selection?
Selection into the Advanced Degree Program in Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management requires that the student has successfully met any pre-requisites such as a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college/university. Other academic requirements vary by school. In order to be considered for selection, the student must complete and submit the application provided by the selected university.
How do I get started?
For Corps employees, the first step would be to discuss this opportunity with your direct supervisor. Then determine if this program will help you achieve your short-term as well as long-term personal and professional goals. If you and your supervisor agree that it does fit with your future career plans, be sure to identify the Advanced Degree Program on your Individual Development Plan (IDP). Once your supervisor and District are on-board with supporting your decision, review the programs offered by the participating universities and contact the university representatives listed for further information. These individuals will give you advice and provide you with direction on how to begin the application process. (More information on how to proceed can be found at How to Apply)
How long do I have to complete the program?
That depends on the type of degree and option chosen. If you choose the one-semester residency option for a Master's Degree, for instance, students have a total of 24 months to complete all of the coursework. Within that time period, the student must spend one full semester taking courses at the participating university. Under that option, the remainder of the coursework can be accomplished part-time or online. Degree completion schedules can be discussed and mapped out with your advisor at the university.
Is there anything I can do right away?
Once you have gotten approval to proceed from your supervisor and have worked out a likely timeline, determine what needs to be done to apply to the university. Some prospective students may need to take a statistics, calculus or hydrology class at a local school prior to beginning the actual Advanced Degree Program.
Who pays?
For Corps participants, your District is responsible for funding the tuition and related course expenses, travel, per diem, and labor at this point. There may be incentive programs, such as the Army Civilian Training, Education and Development System (ACTEDS), available to help defray costs. This is why it is critical to have conversations with your supervisor and training specialist as soon as possible.
"There may be incentive programs, such as the Army Civilian Training, Education and Development System (ACTEDS), available to help defray costs."
For the Supervisor
Why is the Corps supporting this program?
The Corps realizes that investing in its people is vital to ensuring that we continue to provide top quality services to the American people. Encouraging personnel to pursue their personal and professional goals will allow for individual growth while fostering a working environment that can continue to address the complex and diverse technical issues associated with planning and managing water resources in a modern society. The presence of the Advanced Degree Program is also likely to be a plus for attracting high quality new-hires.
Who pays?
At this point, Corps Divisions and/or Districts are responsible for funding the tuition and related course expenses, travel, per diem, and labor. This is why it is critical to have conversations with your chain of command and relay the information back to your interested staff as soon as possible.
What is the selection procedure for choosing candidates?
Currently, there are no set criteria for determining which Corps employees will be selected. Since each District is responsible for the costs incurred by the student, it is up to that District to determine a process for evaluating the group of employees that wish to be considered for entry into the program (Refer to EC-350-1-338 for further guidance).
How do I get my employee into the program?
Once it has been determined that the employee is interested in the program and understands the commitment level required of their time and effort, determine the availability of funds for supporting the student through the entire program. It is a good idea to list the Advanced Degree Program on the employee’s IDP during the timeframe that was mutually agreed upon. Make sure that the chain of command is prepared to support the student through the entire program.
Getting Started
1. Get your organization on-board with your decision to pursue the Program. The Program is locally funded so each District is responsible for funding the student’s tuition, travel, per diem and other expenses. Therefore, you need the district’s commitment to do this. Since it is locally funded there are no Corps-mandated selected procedures or documents to complete. It is recommended that districts follow EC-350-1-338, but that’s up to the individual Districts.
2. Review the program information of each participating school on the website and contact the university point of contact (POC) to get more information. Let the POC know of your interest and have them direct you to university application procedures. You will also want to discuss the kind of program you would be interested in putting together within the overall confines of the Corps requirements (which are pretty flexible).
3. The Program has been flexibly constructed to make it possible for you to take courses either online or on-campus. Work with your university advisor to construct a program that best suits your personal and professional schedule.
Revised 1 Dec 2007 |
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