Opinion survey of Naval officers who have received a Navy-sponsored graduate degree: a 20-year perspective

Abstract

A 1973 survey of Naval officers who possess a Navy-sponsored graduate degree was reconstructed and administered in 1994 to determine officers' opinions on topics related to obtaining their degree and the utilization of their education. Results show that most officers desired to study at the 5-8 year point in their career, but did not always do so. Officers viewed graduate education as having a positive influence on personnel retemion. respondents said that the main reason officers seek graduate education is to remain competitive with their contemporaries. Almost three-quarters of officers believed that getting a P-code is beneficial to an officer"s career. Over 90 percent of officers who have served in P-coded billets thought that graduate education was necessary or desirable to perform their duties effectively. More graduates in 1994 than twenty years earlier said that the quality of their instructors is excellent. Significantly more officers in the 1994 survey said that their family and social life changed for the better when attending graduate school than did graduates in the 1973 study. The report summarizes the responses to each question and recommends further research.