QUANTICO, Va. — The U.S. Naval Community College, in partnership with Arizona State University, began its first classes for the Associate of Arts in Military Studies  June 29, 2022.

This is one of the first two associate degree programs offered by the USNCC which provides active duty enlisted Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen an opportunity to earn a naval-relevant associate degree.

“This degree program allows our enlisted service members an opportunity to better understand their role in the larger geopolitical environment,” said USNCC’s President Randi R. Cosentino, Ed.D. “Our goal is to ensure our men and women in uniform become more agile, innovative, and adaptable leaders. Working with our consortium partners, we are able to provide quality education opportunities that enhance the Department of the Navy’s operational readiness and improve our warfighting capabilities. We do this by investing in our people.”

The USNCC’s consortium model of education means that the USNCC teaches the five Naval Studies Certificate courses and the partner institution teaches the other courses that make up the associate degree. This allows the naval services to have a flexible, scalable model of education to meet the needs of the services while providing a quality education to the Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who earn their degree through the consortium.

“The U.S. Naval Community College understands the tremendous value of higher education and how it positively impacts those who pursue it,” said Cheryl Hyman, ASU Vice Provost for Academic Alliances. “As the most innovative university in the U.S., known for its unwavering support to the Department of Defense, defense research, and our nation’s veterans, we are proud to work with the USNCC to help develop DOD civilians, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard members. 

“We expect participants will gain a lot from this valuable program, and we hope many will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”

The Associate of Arts in Military Studies has the Naval Studies Certificate embedded into the program, along with the Certificate in Military Studies.

“It’s not about where you start, it’s about where you end,” said the USNCC’s command senior enlisted leader, Sgt. Maj. Mike Hensley. “In the service, we conduct regular physical fitness training. This helps us get stronger and grows our physical capabilities. Education does this for our minds. As we do sets and reps in our courses, we become intellectually stronger which makes us more capable warriors in the 21st century warfare areas.”

The United States Naval Community College is the official community college for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. To get more information about the USNCC, go to www.usncc.edu. Click on the Inquire Now link to learn how to be a part of the USNCC Pilot II program.