Marine post graduate degree in cyber studies available for civilians too!

Members of the Marine Corps’ cyber community and civilian students can earn a post graduate degree at the Air Force Institute of Technology or the Information Resource Management College. Students may earn a master’s degree through the Information Assurance Scholarship Program.

Under the program, those serving in several Marine cyber occupational specialties may earn a master’s degree that will prepare them “for duty in high visibility information assurance assignments” at such commands as Headquarters Marine Corps, Marine expeditionary forces and Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command, according to Marine administrative message.

Marines and civilians, GS-9 or higher, may attend the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio or the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Only civilians, GS-12 or higher, may attend the Information Resource Management College of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

With the draw of lucrative civilian jobs in the cyber field, which may offer more than $100,000 per year, Marine officials have struggled to retain personnel in the cyber community. For that reason, it is one of the few still offering generous re-enlistment bonuses and has the highest payout in fiscal 2014, with $60,750 being offered to first-term Marines in the 0689 cyber security technician specialty.

Earning a master’s degree in information assurance can help Marines secure a career in aburgeoning community, one of the few offering financial incentives despite the manpower drawdown that will cull about 20,000 more Marines from the force by the start of 2017, bringing endstrength down to 174,000.