A Qualitative Analysis of Navy Funded Graduate Education in Meeting HR Subspecialty Billet Knowledge Requirements

Abstract

This research examines how effectively the Navy is meeting its goal of preparing HR officers with the necessary education to meet the demands of subspecialty (SSP) coded billets through its resident funded graduate education programs at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). A comparative mapping analysis is used to determine the degree of likeness between billet knowledge requirements, represented by Navy Officer Billet Classifications (NOBCs), and Education Skill Requirements (ESRs) that form the basis of these graduate curricula. A December 2011 data set was used to examine all 3111, 3130, 3211, 4600, and 6201-coded HR billets that are sourced by resident funded graduate education (Financial Management, Manpower Systems Analysis, Operations Analysis, Human Systems Integration, and Information Systems and Technology respectively). The research concludes that the Navy is effectively achieving its educational goal for HR officers attending NPS. Recommendations include continued billet management and an in-depth needs analysis by activity in lieu of NOBC mapping, to maintain and address emerging requirements in the fleet.