ASU, Army partnership funds master's degree programs

A new partnership between the Office of Distinguished Graduate Fellowships and the U.S. Army Department of Military Science at Arizona State University will identify and fully fund selected incoming master’s degree students.

This new partnership — the ASU/Army Master’s Degree Fellowship Program (A/A MDFP) — was put together by Joshua Brooks, program manager of distinguished graduate fellowships, and Dallas Eubanks, Army scholarships officer for the Department of Military Science.

A/A MDFP will fund incoming master's degree students at ASU in any field of study who are interested in serving as an officer after graduation in either the Army, National Guard or the Army Reserve. The A/A MDFP award includes full tuition, a monthly stipend and an allowance for books/supplies. The funding for this program is theoretically unlimited; however, the nature of logistics and administration will put some degree of restraint on the number of students accepted into the program. A/A MDFP is a competitive fellowship, requiring an application, interviews, writings and fitness test. Current applicants to the program must be newly admitted or intending to apply and must be under 30 years of age.

This program also comes with a built-in career. Students can choose their department or field (humanities-focused, STEM-focused or professional) and, upon graduation, will begin their position at an elevated pay rate and with an officer’s rank.

Fellowships that both fully fund master’s degree programs and guarantee executive-level jobs immediately following graduation are very rare. This new partnership between the Office of Distinguished Graduate Fellowships and the U.S. Army Department of Military Science at ASU is a significant endeavor.

For more information, register for the student information session at 3 p.m. on Feb.12 in the La Paz Room of the Memorial Union.