Building on the success of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Army Degrees (SOCAD) system, the Career NCO Degrees Program of the College of the American Soldier (CAS), expands existing civilian higher education degree choices to provide Combat Arms NCOs with college credit for specific NCOES courses taken throughout their careers. The program is open to Soldiers in all MOSs. Degrees selected for the program are offered both through distance learning and in traditional classroom settings on or near military installations. Degrees will be identified as part of this program within the SOC Degree Network System Handbook and in U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) professional development materials.

• Enhances leadership and warfighting capabilities and grows the Multi-skilled NCO characteristics
  
  
• Is accepted and supported by the American Council on Education (ACE)
  
  
• Provides flexibility in degree completion time
  
  
• Maximizes credit transfer between colleges
  
  
• Maximizes college credit for military training and education
  
  
• Minimizes academic residency requirements
  
  
• Includes courses on-site at installations and through distance/online learning.

• Is available to ALL NCOs at any point in their career but maximum credit for Army leadership schools is based on completion of NCOES through Sergeants Major Course (SMC).
  
  
• Includes SOCAD business and management-related degrees listed in fully developed degree maps in GoArmyEd (https://www.GoArmyEd.com).

Participating colleges certify up-front the amount of credit to be applied to the Career NCO Degree based on American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Credit awards range from 45-67% of associate degrees for Soldiers completing SMC resident and from 31-38% of Bachelor’s degrees for Soldiers completing SMC resident. Individualized assessment may provide additional credits for MOS training and experience, testing, professional certification, prior learning and functional training.

Degree selection by Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Army Continuing Education System (ACES) for inclusion was based on the following factors: degree type; SOCAD membership; maximized credit awards; limited academic residency with home college; and tuition cost. Schools that are interested in applying for the Career NCO Degrees Program can send an e-mail (socad@aascu.org) to the SOCAD Project Director or SOCAD Army Career Degree Program Manager.

Only business- and management-related degrees were chosen to be designated Career NCO Degrees. Currently, twelve associate degrees from ten colleges and universities and 39 bachelor's degrees from 26 colleges and universities participate in the program. Colleges will evaluate individual Soldiers' AARTS transcript for additional credits that may apply to the degree from MOS training and experience, testing, professional licensure or certification, and prior learning. Degrees are fully developed degree maps in the GoArmyEd portal, https://www.GoArmyEd.com.

SOCAD will continue to coordinate the participation of colleges and universities within the Career NCO Degrees Program. This will include a periodic request to the colleges to review credit awards for Army training as they apply to their Career NCO Degrees to ensure that Soldiers can make informed decisions to meet their education goals.

NOTE: The following list became effective on April 1, 2010. Please review degree requirements for each degree posted on the GoArmyEd Portal under “Earn a Degree or Credential.” Career NCO Degrees are annotated with “-C.”

Barstow Community College
AS -Management

Coastline Community College
AS - Business (Business Administration)
AA - Management and Supervision (Supervision and Management)

Empire State College, SUNY
AS - Business, Management, and Economics (Economics)

Excelsior College
AS - Business

Hawaii Pacific University
ASL - Associate in Supervisory Leadership

Limestone College
AA - Associate of 'Arts 'Business Administration/General Business)

Park University
AS - Management

Southern New Hampshire University
AS - Business Administration

Thomas Edison State College
AS -Business Administration

University of Maryland University College
AA - Business and Management
AA - Management Studies

NOTE: The following list became effective on April 1, 2010. Please review degree requirements for each degree posted on the GoArmyEd Portal under “Earn a Degree or Credential.” Career NCO Degrees are annotated with “-C.”

Austin Peay State University
BPS - Professional Studies

Baker College
BBA - Business Administration (Accelerated)

Bellevue University
BS - Business Administration

Cameron University
BBA -Business Administration (Management)

Columbia College - Nationwide Campuses
BA - Business Administration
BS - Business Administration

Empire State College, SUNY
BPS - Business, Management, and Economics (Business)
BS - Business, Management, and Economics (Business Management)
BS - Business, Management, and Economics (Business)
BS - Business, Management, and Economics (Human Resource Management)

Excelsior College
BS - Business (Management of Human Resources)
BS - General Business

Fort Hays State University - Virtual College
BGS - General Business
BS - Organizational Leadership

Franklin University
BS - Applied Management
BS - Business Administration

Liberty University
BS - Bachelor of Science (Business Administration/General)

Limestone College
BS - Business Administration (General Business)
BS - Business Administration (Management)

Northwestern State University
BS - Business Administration

Park University
BS - Management
BS - Management/Human Resources

Saint Leo University
BA - Business Administration (Technology Management)

Southwestern College - Professional Studies
BS - Business Administration

Strayer University
BBA - Business Administration (Human Resource Management)
BBA - Business Administration (Management)

Tarleton State University/Texas A&M-Central Texas
BAAS - Business Occupations
BBA - Interdisciplinary Business

Thomas Edison State College
BS - Business Administration (General Management)
BS - Business Administration (Human Resources/Organizational Management)
BS - Business Administration (Operations Management)
BS - Organizational Leadership

University of Maryland University College
BS -Business Administration
BS - Human Resource Management
BS - Management Studies

University of the Incarnate Word
BA - Organizational Development
BS - Business Administration (General Business)

Upper Iowa University
BS - Management

Wayland Baptist University
BAS - Business Administration (General Business)

On the GoArmyEd Portal (https://www.GoArmyEd.com),

Soldiers can apply for admission, enroll in degree programs, register for courses, and request upfront Army Tuition Assistance to pay for courses. Soldiers can also ask for their AARTS transcript to be sent to their home college. Further, Soldiers can review the degree requirements for each degree on fully developed degree maps located on the GoArmyEd portal.

Each degree program selected for the Career NCO Degrees Program of the College of the American Soldier is identified on page one of a degree map. An overview of the program can be found below the Degree Objective, also on page one. An explanation of maximum credit awards for NCOES training is listed in the “Notes” section, on the last page of a degree map. NCO Leadership Schools include Warrior Leader, Battle Staff, Advanced Leader (formerly BNCOC) andSenior Leader (formerly ANCOC) Common Core, First Sergeant, and either Sergeants Major Course Resident (AR-1408-0148) or Sergeants Major Course Non-Resident (AR-1408-0149). Actual credit awarded is based on a review of the Soldier’s AARTS transcript. Colleges may award additional credit upon completing an evaluation of Soldiers’ MOS training and experience, prior college credit, testing, and professional certification.

If you have questions, contact the “Point of Contact” (on page one of the degree map). Phone number, and e-mail and postal mail addresses are provided.