US Military Serving Overseas: Math Degree Online Options

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges faced by a US military member stationed overseas in the UK who is seeking to complete a math degree online while utilizing military tuition assistance. The scope includes inquiries about available online courses, accreditation issues, and potential solutions for distance education.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster (OP) expresses difficulty in finding online math courses beyond integral calculus, indicating a limitation in available resources.
  • Some participants suggest that since the OP is willing to pay for courses, they may have options beyond general online offerings, mentioning institutions like Stanford that provide extended education courses.
  • A participant recommends the University of Illinois's online catalog as a potential resource for courses.
  • Another participant advises the OP to seek a waiver from their Education Assistance NCO or Officer, suggesting that there may be ways to navigate the restrictions on accredited institutions.
  • It is noted that the military's tuition assistance program only covers regionally accredited schools, which poses a challenge since other countries, including the UK, do not have a similar accreditation system.
  • One participant raises the possibility of independent study through the OP's previous college, suggesting that established relationships with professors could facilitate this option.
  • Another participant recalls a military distance education system, questioning its availability and relevance to the OP's situation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges posed by accreditation requirements and the limitations of available online courses. However, there are multiple competing views regarding potential solutions, including waivers, independent study, and specific institutions that may offer suitable courses.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations related to regional accreditation and the specific policies of military tuition assistance programs, which may affect the OP's options for completing their degree.

Cod
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I'm currently in the US military and stationed overseas in the UK. I'd like to finish my math degree while I'm in the military since they pay for it, but I've run into a wall. They will only pay for schools that are in the United States, so I can't go off-base to a UK college and earn credits. So I was curious if there are any schools that offer online courses for math and/or physics?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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I haven't been able to find anything past integral calculus online.
 
Jeff Ford said:
I haven't been able to find anything past integral calculus online.

Same here.

Like in one of the past threads, a user said...

"The internet is a mile wide, but an inch thick."
 
But I think since the OP is willing to pay for the course, he's not just limited by general Internet online courses. I know that Stanford has an extensive set of TV and Internet courses that are offered for employees of companies to take as "extended education". I would think that there would be other universities that would offer courses via the Internet to enrolled extension students. I'll see if I can find more info and check back in...
 
You can get a waiver for just about anything in the military. I would try going to your Education Assistance NCO or Officer and asking him/her if any such waiver is available.

If they: a) don't give you a solid answer, b) don't know, or c) blow you off (any of these are likely), try contacting these guys for help:
http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/danteshome.asp?Flag=True"

For your reference, here's a link to DoD Instruction 1322.25, which is the implementing policy for DoD Tuition Assitance programs:
"www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/i132225wch1_020597/i132225p.pdf"[/URL]

I believe what's likely holding you up is Paragraph E5.1.1.2 on page 16. Maybe there's a way around it.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for trying to help y'all.

Apost8, I talked to the education office and they made some calls back to the states. It turns out, the government will only pay for schools that are regionally accredited and other countries do not have a regional accreditation system like the states.
 
Cod said:
Thanks for trying to help y'all.

Apost8, I talked to the education office and they made some calls back to the states. It turns out, the government will only pay for schools that are regionally accredited and other countries do not have a regional accreditation system like the states.

At least you got an answer out of them, albeit not the one you'd hoped for. I wonder what tuition would cost if you just covered it yourself (easier said than done, I know). I'm not positive, but I think that tuition in the UK might be less than it is in the US. Anyway, I hope you can figure something out while you're there.
 
Also -- where did you do your previous coursework... is there a chance that you could do long-distance, independent study through that university/college? If you know a few professor in the department really well, they might be ameniable to being your offical instuctor/mentor for some of the course you have remaining. This works better at smaller schools, where small number of majors often means independent study anyways for the upper levels.
 
  • #10
Phyics girl phd, I never thought about that. I went to a small engineering college and they offered distance learning of upper level courses in just about all majors offered. That was a few years back, so I'll have to look into it, but I'm sure the program is still up and running.

Thanks again everyone.
 
  • #11
also doesn't the military offer some sort of distance education system? I'm not surebut I thought I saw a brochure on that back when I was thinking of going into the military
 

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