Retention effects of immediate graduate education in the nuclear community

Abstract

This thesis examines how the timing of graduate education affects retention among officers in the nuclear community. Officers were divided into four main categories: Earned a masters degree in the first five years of their career, earned a masters after five years of their career, never earned a masters, and commissioned with a masters. The retention behavior of officers in each of these categories was compared to determine the effect on an officers decision to remain in the Navy until promoted to CDR. Officers who earned their graduate degree in the first five years of their career had a positive effect on retention given the officer had attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander or had at least been commissioned in the nuclear community for ten years. The cost to send an officer to graduate school in the first five years is substantially less than sending him later in his career. The scholarship programs that send officers to graduate school early in their career make a substantial contribution to the nuclear community and should be utilized as a cost effective tool for all officers to earn their graduate degree before their Executive Officer sea tour.