(1) Introduction. In 1974, the 93rd Congress enacted legislation that authorized CGSC to award the MMAS Degree. Agreement reached between the Congress, the Army and the Higher Learning Commission stipulated that the degree would require not less than 30 semester hours of graduate-level coursework including a thesis reflecting at least 6 credit hours of work. These specific requirements are no longer expressly stated in Title 10 legislation for CGSC, but any significant alteration of this requirement would constitute a “substantive change” under the terms of CGSC accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. The expressed purpose underwriting the creation of the MMAS Degree at CGSC was twofold: to produce qualified researchers through the actual conduct and writing of research, and the creation of research products (theses) of value to the military profession and the larger community of scholars working in the field of security and associated disciplines. Accordingly, the CGSC Mission Statement affirms that the College “advances the art and science of the Profession of Arms in order to support the operational requirements of the Army.” Moreover, the College’s Strategic Priorities affirm the “pursuit of educational excellence,” and the objective to “Develop, publish, and subscribe to the professional body of knowledge.”

(a) CGSOC MMAS Path: In partial fulfillment of the CGSOC elective requirement, this program requires the student to take 6 credit hours of work as part of the MMAS: A211 Research Methods (1.5 credits), A221 Thesis Seminar (1.5 credits), and A231 MMAS Thesis (3 credits for actual completion of thesis work).

(2) MMAS Admission Requirements.

(a) Admission to the MMAS Degree Program is limited to U.S. and international students enrolled in resident CGSOC at Fort Leavenworth, KS or CGSOC delivered in Spanish via the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation’s (WHINSEC) School of Professional Military Education (SPME) at Fort Benning, GA.

(b) Degree candidates must hold baccalaureate degrees (or the equivalent) from accredited institutions.

(c) The application is submitted on CGSC Form 76 (Master of Military Art and Science Program Application), which may be obtained from the Office of Degree Programs (ODP) or the ODP home page.

 1. An application must be supported by an official transcript (bearing the institution’s raised seal) of previous college work. Photocopied reproductions of transcripts are not ordinarily acceptable. In exceptional instances, scanned documents supplemented by other official documentary confirmation of enrollment and completion may be accepted. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

2. International Military Students require concurrence from the Director, International Military Student Division (IMSD).

(d) In some instances, graduates of the resident CGSOC course at Fort Leavenworth may be admitted to pursue the MMAS Degree after earning the CGSOC diploma if circumstances and resources permit. CGSC cannot offer admission to the MMAS Program to students enrolled in online CGSOC. However, students who, due to individual circumstances completed most, but not all, of CGSOC in resident fashion may seek admission to the MMAS Program. The Assistant Dean of Academics for Degree Programs and Research will review such applications on a case-by-case basis.

(e) An applicant for the MMAS Degree Program should request that previous higher educational institutions of record provide transcripts and other materials as appropriate to the ODP before or soon after arrival at CGSC.

(f) A student is considered fully admitted as a candidate for the MMAS degree upon submission of an approved research prospectus and successful completion of the A211 Research Methods elective.

(3) MMAS Program Requirements for a candidate enrolled in the CGSOC must:

(a) Complete all MMAS courses (A211, A221, and A231).

(b) Submit and orally defend an acceptable thesis. The defense is a scheduled, public event, open to interested visitors. As a consequence, the time and place of the defense must be registered in the ODP not less than one week in advance. The oral defense will generally consist of five components. (1) Student presentation of research question and findings; (2) Discussion of thesis content and research methodology; (3) Confirmation of necessary final edits, if any; (4) Discussion during which student connects thesis topic and findings to elements of the CGSOC curriculum; and (5) Opportunity for student feedback on process, support, and personal professional value.

(c) All theses must include cover page signatures of three faculty committee members and final signature approval by the Assistant Dean of Academics for Degree Programs and Research.

(d) Satisfactorily complete a comprehensive written and oral examination based on the CGSOC Common Core curriculum.

(e) Complete all CGSOC coursework, earning a “B” or better for all Transcript Reportable Items (TRI), and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Should a student earn a “C” in any course, he or she will be disenrolled from the MMAS.

(4) MMAS Focus Areas.

(a) Resident CGSOC students enrolled in the MMAS program may pursue one of seven focus areas. Five options satisfy the graduate-level educational requirement for a specific Additional Skill Identifier (ASI). These include: History (ASI 5X), Strategy (SI 6Z), Space Applications (ASI 3Y), Joint Planner (ASI 3H), and Homeland Security Studies (HSS). The sixth focus area is a General Studies option for all (other) candidates not selecting one of the just-named options. The most recently added focus area is Wargame Design. Like General Studies, this focus area does not lead to a specific Army skill identifier.

(b) Other special options may be available in concert with current Army needs. See Student Text 20-10 for a complete explanation of program procedures and requirements.

(5) MMAS students are entitled to apply to the Art of War Scholars Program if they are completing a thesis on an Art of War topic.

(6) Students attempting a focus area program or applying to the Art of War Scholars Program should communicate with that program’s coordinator to ensure the thesis topic and research questions will meet focus area requirements.

(7) Students disenrolled from the MMAS program complete all CGSOC curriculum requirements – to include 10–12-page Leadership and History papers during AOC – to earn a CGSOC diploma, Army MEL-4, and JPME Phase 1.

(1) Introduction. If the MMAS is a research degree, the Master of Operational Studies is a practitioner’s degree with emphasis on the knowledge, skills, and attributes essential for officers at the higher tactical and operational levels of conflict.

(a) U.S. resident CGSOC students are automatically enrolled in the MOS unless they formally “opt out” as described below.

(b) Students arriving with an advanced degree (master’s or higher) must still pursue the MOS or MMAS, or formally opt out for one of the four reasons listed in (2)(c), below.

(c) International military students are not automatically enrolled in the MOS or MMAS. International officers must “opt in” during the MOS enrollment period between the end of X100 Comp Exams and the published application date. They must also provide an official transcript (bearing the institution’s raised seal) of previous college work at the baccalaureate or higher degree level.

(2) Admission Requirements.

(a) MOS degree candidates must be resident CGSOC students at Fort Leavenworth or taking CGSOC in Spanish via WHINSEC’s SPME at Fort Benning.

(b) Students must have an undergraduate degree or international equivalent to enroll.

(c) U.S. resident CGSOC students will automatically be enrolled as MOS candidates unless they formally “opt out” between the end of X100 Comp Exams and a published date in December, for one of the following reasons:

1. The student is already enrolled in the MMAS program;

2. The student is already enrolled in a master’s degree program with a CGSC partner institution (University of Kansas, Kansas State University, or Central Michigan University);

3. The student is already enrolled in another master’s degree program approved by the Dean of Academics; or

4. The student is enrolled in a doctoral program at any regionally accredited university.

(d) To formally “opt out,” U.S. students complete and sign a form provided by the CGSC Registrar. This form identifies the reason for opting out. It also includes a section to seek Dean of Academics approval to opt out in pursuit of a civilian master’s degree program offered by an institution other than Kansas, Kansas State, or Central Michigan University.

(e) International Military Students (IMS) may enroll in the MOS provided that the IMS:

1. Provides an undergraduate degree or equivalent transcript;

2. Gains concurrence from the Director, IMSD;

3. Is not already pursuing an MMAS; and

4. Submits an “opt in” form provided by the CGSC Registrar prior to the CGSC published deadline in February.

(f) IMS are free to enroll in civilian graduate degrees during their CGSOC year, without a requirement to “opt out” of the MOS.

(3) MOS Program Requirements

(a) Complete all CGSOC coursework – to include the 10–12-page Leadership and History papers, and Common Core written and oral comp exams.

(b) Earn a “B” or better in all courses, and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

(c) Should a student earn a TRI “C” in any course, he or she will be disenrolled from the MOS program.

(4) CGSOC Program Requirements Associated with the MOS

(a) All CGSOC students write the 10–12-page Force Management case study during Common Core.

(b) U.S. Students who “opt out” – and International Students who do not “opt in” – do not write the same 10–12-page papers for History and Leadership required of MOS candidates. To meet CGSOC program requirements, these students complete an alternative assignment and assessment approved by the History and Command & Leadership department directors.

(c) Students disenrolled from the MOS for a “C” on any CGSOC Transcript Reportable Item (TRI) are still required to complete the 10–12-page History and Leadership papers as part of the CGSOC curriculum.

(d) Even if disenrolled from the MOS, students who successfully complete CGSOC program requirements outlined elsewhere in the CGSC Circular 350-1 CGSC College Catalog earn a CGSOC diploma, Army MEL-4, and JPME Phase 1.

(5) Important note to U.S. Army students: Participation in the MOS terminates your ability to use Army Tuition Assistance funds in pursuit of a graduate-level degree once the degree is granted. Army ACCESS rules preclude the use of Tuition Assistance for a second graduate degree, even if the first graduate degree earned is an Army graduate degree (MMAS or MOS), and no tuition assistance was used.

Admission to the Advanced Military Studies Program (AMSP) in the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) is based on the results of a selection board. In most cases, selected students will be graduates of the Command and General Staff Officer Course or equivalent program from a peer Professional Military Education institution. All students enrolling in the Advanced Military Studies Program (AMSP) automatically participate in the Master of Arts in Military Operations (MAMO) program. MAMO completion entails completion of a standard 10-month curriculum, basic preparation in research methods, and the submission of an approvable monograph of about 10,000 words or longer. Successful students will defend their monograph and pass an oral comprehensive examination.

The Master of Arts in Strategic Studies (MASS) is awarded to graduates of the Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program (ASLSP) at the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). The program concentrates on the education of future senior military leaders and entails completion of a 10-month curriculum. Successful graduates will write a publishable research monograph of about 10,000 words or more and pass an oral comprehensive examination. Students in this program will normally remain for a second year, during which they will serve as a seminar leader for AMSP students.

The Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Workforce Development (BA in LWD) is offered by the CGSC via the Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) to noncommissioned officers attending the Sergeants Major Course (SMC).
A detailed description of this degree program is provided in CGSC Circular 350-1 CGSC College Catalog.