Higher Education


Members of the military community in Europe, whether active duty, family members or civilians, want higher education. They know that an associate, bachelor or postgraduate degree can mean promotions and better paying jobs, whether in or out of the service.

That is why the command here has established an elaborate program of university-level instruction. You may earn your degree while you are overseas, even if deployed, or you may transfer credits to a stateside college or university. It's possible to pursue study full time in a campus environment; to attend classes evenings and weekends; to get college credit without study for things already known, or to take advantage of the exciting new "virtual classrooms" of the cyber age.

So the excuse of "no time" is rarely valid here. Nor is the "can't afford it" excuse. An array of financial assistance is also available to deserving students.

USAREUR, which is the executive agent for all services in Europe for post-secondary programs, currently has contracts with four colleges and universities. Maryland in Europe, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Oklahoma offer a mix of traditional classroom courses and distance learning, while the City Colleges of Chicago offer only distance learning. In addition to the schools with contracts there are other educational opportunities available for people stationed in Europe. National Louis University, for instance, is headquartered in Heidelberg and offers a variety of courses throughout Europe.

About Maryland in Europe. Maryland in Europe is a consortium of five State of Maryland institutions of higher learning including University of Maryland University College (UMUC), College of Southern Maryland, Montgomery College, Bowie State University and University of Maryland, College Park. Maryland offers career/technical, undergraduate, and graduate programs through a wide range of traditional and alternative learning opportunities at nearly 100 sites throughout Europe and the Middle East. University of Maryland University College also has a residential campus in Germany.

Campus Environment. University of Maryland University College's Mannheim Campus operates the only full-time, two-year, residential program overseas dedicated to educating the sons and daughters of U.S. military, State Department employees, and former military personnel.

At the Mannheim Campus, all of Europe becomes an extension of the classroom. European culture and history take on new dimensions through field trips and cultural tours to European cities such as Prague, Amsterdam, Paris, Pompeii, and Athens.

Students attending the campus enjoy the convenience of being located near major military facilities, plus the cultural advantages offered by Mannheim's wide array of museums, art galleries, and concert halls.

The turn-of-the-century redbrick buildings and a central quadrangle give the Mannheim Campus the appearance of a traditional university. Campus facilities include residence halls with spacious rooms that have Internet access, science and computer laboratories, a library, a student union, and an administrative/classroom building.

The campus awards associate of arts degrees in business and general curriculum, and one-year certificates in management and European studies.

More than seventy-five percent of Mannheim Campus students receive some form of federal financial aid, including grants, part-time jobs and loans. New $1000 scholarships are offered to qualified new freshman and transfer students.

For more information about the Mannheim Campus, contact the Office of Admissions at DSN 380-4877, CIV +49 (0) 621-33740, or e-mail [email protected]. Additional information can be found on the Web site at www.ed.umuc.edu/campus/mannheim.

Distance Education. The cyber age has made possible a vast improvement over the old fashioned, mail-order correspondence course. Video/audio, CD-ROM, computer-based instruction, e-mail, internet and even satellite techniques provide a whole new dimension.

The "virtual classroom," which simulates the traditional classroom in many ways, arrived in the last decade and is here to stay, with a possibly revolutionary impact on the whole education system. Its presence is strongly felt in Europe. People here who can benefit from it are not only ones located in remote areas, but also people who do a lot of traveling (your "classroom" is anywhere you can find a networked computer) and persons whose work or personal situation demands that they be at a certain location during the time that classes are usually offered.

Much of this new kind of education differs markedly from the old fashioned, pencil-and-paper correspondence courses of yesteryear. A large portion of the distance learning taken within the military today is either video-based or web-based. The web-based courses have an instructor and last for a semester just like the traditional courses. The widely-dispersed students are expected to check in several times a week, read what the instructor has to say, ask questions, do their homework, write term papers and take an examination at the end of the semester. Most final exams are online but some are taken at an education center under proctored conditions.

A big advantage of distance education is that the student isn't required to be at a certain place at a certain time. Communication between members of the class and the instructor is generally asynchronous, meaning "not at the same time." Classes aren't chat rooms. Things are left posted until the student or instructor accesses them.

New Online University. A new distant learning tool on the horizon for Army personnel is the Electronic Army University, eArmyU. Enlisted men and women who enroll will be able to work for certificates, associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees and even master's degrees in some 92 programs while continuing to serve.

And it will cost them nothing. Once enrolled, they will get tuition and books, a personal laptop computer, a printer, Internet access and an email account. The prime contractor is PricewaterhouseCoopers. Late last year it was awarded a $20 billion, five-year contract to lead a consortium of leading hardware and software companies and 29 accredited institutions of higher education. The last named include historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and Tribal colleges and universities.

Up until recently, the program was limited to soldiers physically stationed at Forts Benning, Campbell and Hood, but since May 1, 2002, eArmyU enrollment has been available to eligible enlisted soldiers with an actual, permanent duty assignment around Heidelberg, Germany, within the geographical footprint of the 411th Base Support Battalion. Interested Army personnel should keep checking with their Education Centers and watching eArmyU's website at www.earmyu.com.

Credit for what you know. At the end of World War II, the Army realized that it had in fact interrupted the high school education of hundreds of thousands of young American men by drafting them into active duty. Likewise, the Army realized that a large majority of those soldier/veterans had acquired knowledge and skills because of their Army training and experience. Out of this realization came the original tests of General Education Development or the GED, tests originally owned by the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI).

Civilian educators rapidly realized the applicability of these GED tests to the general population and soon the civilian GED Institute was created to make these tests available to non-veterans as well. These tests were the forerunners of today's College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Likewise, the USAFI was the foreunner of today's Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES).

The soldier or airman doesn't always have to be examined on what he or she knows. The American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended the number of credit hours that civilian schools may wish to award based on a soldier's military training and experience.

The ACE credit recommendations can be accepted, modified or rejected by a college or university. The same goes for DANTES and CLEP scores. All four universities presently under contract to USAREUR accept them for credit under certain circumstances. But exactly which tests are accepted, and what a passing grade is, are matters of each school's policies.

DANTES also certifies distance education courses other than the ones offered by the contracting universities. There are thousands of such courses covering an incredible range of subject matter. And it is possible, in some cases, to get tuition assitance for taking these courses. But don't undertake one without first consulting an advisor at your nearest education center.

What you can study in Europe.
The University of Oklahoma (OU) offers eight graduate degree programs in Europe: Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership; Master of Human Relations; Interdisciplinary Master of Arts In International Relations; Master of Education - Teacher Education; Master of Education - Adult and Higher Education; Master of Education - Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision; Master of Education - Early Childhood Education (through Cameron University), and Master of Business Administration (through Cameron University). OU has offered programs to the military around the world for 38 years. Unique to OU is the intensive course delivery format designed to meet the needs of working adults. Courses are taught by the same home campus faculty who teach in Norman and Lawton, Oklahoma. OU integrates technology into its program delivery through distance education courses, on-line access to library resources and student services, multi-faceted internet links and the application of technology within the curriculum. Completion of a master's degree is possible in two years or less at any of the 22 OU sites in Europe.

Maryland in Europe. For more than 50 years, Maryland in Europe has provided the military with courses at all levels in convenient formats, including weekends and evenings. Maryland in Europe is also a leading provider of online courses. The consortium of institutions under Maryland in Europe awards a variety of certificates, and associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. Ranked top in the nation, University of Maryland, College Park's program offers a Master of Education and Master of Arts in Counseling and Personnel Services. Through Maryland's Bowie State University, students can earn a Master of Science in Management Information Systems or a Master of Arts in Administrative Management - Public Administration with all programs emphasizing technology across the disciplines. Now students wanting a professional credential while working towards their master's degree can earn one of the four-course graduate certificates in information systems analysis, e-government, or administrative management. And the flexible 50-50 format enables students to take half of their courses online and half in a nearby classroom.

National-Louis University has a reputation for excellence in education dating back to 1886. The Heidelberg International Campus is home to the field-based Master of Education Interdisciplinary Studies in Curriculum and Instruction degree. The program is offered throughout Germany, Italy and the UK. Also offered is an on-line Master of Adult Education degree that can be completed anywhere in the world. In addition to the M.Ed. and the Master of Adult Education, NLU's Heidelberg Campus also offers a post-master's Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree specializing in Leadership in Curriculum and Teaching. The Ed.S. Program is designed to help education leaders assume a variety of responsibilities with their colleagues, institutions, and communities. Through this program, participants will realize that education cannot be separated from the cultural contexts in which it occurs. Admission into this Ed.S. program requires an interview process.

City Colleges of Chicago offers liberal arts and business courses in an alternate delivery mode, and may award certificates and Associate of Arts degrees in some 30 areas of concentrations.

During the nearly three decades that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been delivering programs overseas, more than five thousand students, stationed in eight European countries, have earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, and have gone on to pursue successful military and industry careers. As of February 2002, Dr. Dennis J. Grotrian became Regional Manager of ERAU Europe.

ERAU offers an Associate in Science and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in the Professional Aeronautics degree program, which was conceived and developed specifically for people who work or have worked in aviation careers. The curriculum was designed to build upon the aviation knowledge and skill students bring with them from their training and experience. Applicants who qualify for admission to and matriculate in the degree program may be eligible for credit for prior learning.

The Master of Aeronautical Science (MAS) degree program is designed to provide the aviation/aerospace professional with a rigorous academic approach to a generalist education oriented degree. It provides an unequaled opportunity for flight crewmembers, air traffic control personnel, flight operations specialists, industry technical representatives, and aviation educators to enhance their knowledge and pursue additional career opportunities. There are four specializations from which the student may choose: Aeronautics, Aviation/Aerospace Management, Aviation/Aerospace Operations, and Aviation/Aerospace Safety Systems.

The Professional Aeronautics Bachelor of Science and the Master of Aeronautical Science degrees are now available in their entirety via electronic distance learning. Students may also register for individual learning courses in order to maintain progress when unable to attend a classroom delivery.
Further, all academic services available on the Daytona Beach, FL home campus are available to Embry-Riddle students residing overseas. These include academic counseling, career placement assistance, various forms of financial aid, and all the resources and services offered by the Jack Hunt Memorial Library.

Tuition assistance. A broad range of help in getting a higher education is available to everyone in the military community, whether active duty personnel, family members or civilians. The universities sometimes grant whole or partial scholarships to deserving students, and the government has several tuition assistance programs. Under some there are outright grants, which don't have to be paid back. These go mainly to active duty personnel and their spouses, and may be partial or, especially in the case of deployed personnel, total. A brand new opportunity is the eArmyU online university, mentioned above. It is free of charge to certain enlisted personnel, and provides them with a free computer and printer.

There are also government loans for the completion of education programs, most of which don't have to be paid back until the student is out of school and earning money. Some of these don't draw interest until the payback stage begins. Finally, there is the Veterans Administration. Even active duty personnel can qualify for the GI Bill of Rights. As a rule, students getting tuition assistance must be seeking a degree, must maintain a certain grade average and must complete at least half of the semester hours attempted during each term.

New Online University
A new distant learning tool on the horizon for Army personnel is the Army University Access Online (AUAO) program, a complete cyber university. Enlisted men and women who enroll will be able to work for certificates, associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees and even master's degrees in some 92 programs while continuing to serve.
And it will cost them nothing. Once enrolled, they will get tuition and books, a personal laptop computer, a printer, Internet access and an email account. The prime contractor is PricewaterhouseCoopers. Late last year it was awarded a $700 million five-year contract to lead a consortium of leading hardware and software companies and 29 accredited institutions of higher education. The last named include historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and Tribal colleges and universities.
For now the program is limited to soldiers physically stationed at Forts Benning, Campbell and Hood, though other bases will be phased in over the length of the contract. Interested Army personnel should keep checking with their Education Centers and watching the AUAO's website at www.earmyu.com.