SUBJ: OPERATIONS RESEARCH POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 022107Z FEB 09, ALCOAST 073/09
B. COMCOGARD PSC ARLINGTON VA 101743Z APR 09, ALCGPSC 004/09
1. WE ARE SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR THE OPERATIONS RESEARCH
POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM. SELECTED OFFICERS WILL COMPLETE A FULL-TIME
GRADUATE-LEVEL CURRICULUM LEADING TO A MASTERS OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
OPERATIONS RESEARCH OR A CLOSELY RELATED DISCIPLINE. THE SELECTION
PANEL CONVENING THIS SUMMER WILL SELECT SIX PRIMARY CANDIDATES
FOR THE PROGRAM. REF A ALLOCATES SEVEN TRAINING ALLOWANCE BILLETS,
HOWEVER ONE WILL BE FILLED WITH A DEFERRMENT FROM A PREVIOUS
SELECTION PANEL.
2. OPERATIONS RESEARCH DEALS WITH THE APPLICATION OF MATHEMATICAL
ALGORITHMS AND MODELS, TECHNIQUES IN STATISTICS, AND SIMULATION OF
STOCHASTIC EVENTS TO FIND OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS WITH VARYING
CONSTRAINTS TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. THE SERVICE NEED FOR GRADUATES
OF THIS CHALLENGING, CAREER-ENHANCING SKILL SET WITH UNIVERSAL
APPLICATION TO A BROAD SPECTRUM OF SPECIALTIES HAS GROWN
SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS AND CONTINUES TO GROW. OPERATIONS
RESEARCH IS A WISE PROGRAM TO CHOOSE FOR OFFICERS LOOKING TO
INCREASE THEIR VERSATILITY.  OUR PROGRAM CURRENTLY HAS GRADUATES
FROM NEARLY ALL SPECIALITIES, WORKING ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF COAST
GUARD OPERATIONS. GRADUATES OF THE OPERATIONS RESEARCH PROGRAM CAN
EXPECT A CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT AT CG HEADQUARTERS, AREA STAFFS,
THE DOG, THE NATIONAL MARITIME CENTER, VARIOUS DISTRICTS, THE
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, AND THE COAST GUARD ACADEMY. HQ
BILLETS ARE LOCATED WITHIN SEVERAL DIRECTORATES
INCLUDING COMDT (CG-1), COMDT (CG-ACO), COMDT (CG-4), AND COMDT
(CG-9).
3. PROGRAM LENGTH IS UP TO 18 MONTHS. NO PRIMARY SCHOOL IS
MANDATED. CHOICE OF INSTITUTION IS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE PROGRAM
MANAGER AND THE SELECTEE, AND IS DEPENDENT ON PROGRAM
CONTENT/LENGTH, TUITION COSTS AND LOCATION. IF CHOOSING AN
EXPENSIVE SCHOOL, THE SELECTEE MAY BE REQUIRED TO SHARE TUITION
EXPENSES. EXAMPLES OF SCHOOLS RECENTLY ATTENDED BY PROGRAM
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, GEORGIA TECH,
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, AND PURDUE.  WE
HAVE ALSO RECENTLY RENEWED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL (NPS) IN MONTEREY, CA. WHILE NPS
DOMINATED THE CG OPERATIONS RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR YEARS DURING
THE NINETIES, A CHANGE IN THEIR CURRICULUM AND COST CREATED A
RELIANCE ON OTHER INSTITUTIONS.  WE HAVE TAILORED A NEW 18-
MONTH/SIX-QUARTER COURSE OF STUDY FOR OUR OFFICERS TO EARN AN MS IN
APPLIED MATHEMATICS/OPERATIONS RESEARCH (THEIR TRADITIONAL MS(OR)
PROGRAM REQUIRED TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE).
4. ACTIVE-DUTY OFFICERS IN GRADES OF LTJG TO LCDR MAY APPLY. THE
PROGRAM CURRENTLY HAS SEVERAL BILLETS AT THE CDR PAYGRADE, BUT MOST
PAYBACK BILLETS ARE AT THE LT AND LCDR LEVEL. APPLICANTS SHOULD
HAVE A STRONG ACADEMIC BACKGROUND IN MATHEMATICS COUPLED WITH
OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE. WHILE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN A
QUANTITATIVE FIELD (MATH, OPERATIONS RESEARCH, ENGINEERING,
COMPUTERS, ETC.) IS NOT REQUIRED, IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
APPLICANTS WITHOUT COURSES IN MULTIVARIATE CALCULUS, LINEAR OR
MATRIX ALGEBRA, AND PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS (PREFERABLY CALCULUS
BASED), MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY GAINING ACCEPTANCE LETTERS TO SCHOOLS
AND SHOULD ADDRESS A PLAN TO COMPLETE SUCH COURSES OVER THE NEXT
YEAR IN THEIR E-RESUME (E.G. COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES, ONLINE
PROGRAMS). APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE RECENT GRE (PREFERRED) OR GMAT
SCORES. THERE WILL BE A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON QUANTITATIVE
RESULTS.
5. REF B DETAILS APPLICATION AND OBLIGATED SERVICE
REQUIREMENTS. E-RESUMES ARE NOW THE STANDARD FORMAT FOR APPLICATION
AND MUST BE COMPLETED BY 10 JUN 2009. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION,
CONTACT THE PROGRAM MANAGER, MR. CARL ELLIS, PREFERABLY BY E-MAIL
(ON GLOBAL) OR AT (202)475-5243. AN ALTERNATE POC FOR THE
OPERATIONS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS LT JAMIE EMBRY AT (202)475-5232.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING A PAMPHLET AND A PAPER DESCRIBING
THE PROGRAM IN MORE DEPTH, IS AVAILABLE THROUGH CG CENTRAL AT:
LEARNING - CG ADVANCED EDUCATION PROGRAM - CG-12A OPERATIONS
RESEARCH EDUCATION INFORMATION.
6. MR. CURTIS B. ODOM, DIRECTOR PERSONNEL MANAGMENT SENDS.
7. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.