This document summarizes a project between SUNY Empire State College and the Graduate Management Admission Council to help veterans transition to civilian business leadership roles through an MBA program. The project aims to award graduate credit for military training and replace an introductory course with one focused on civilian leadership. Challenges include evaluating all relevant military education and developing an articulation table to apply credits toward the MBA. The program will help veterans complete their degree faster and at a lower cost while enhancing employability.

1. Leading in a Civilian Context:
Credit Where Credit is Due
CAEL International Conference
November 2012
Tai Arnold and Andrew Sherman
School for Graduate Studies
SUNY Empire State College

2. Veteran and Military
Pathway to the MBA

3. Our goal is to help veterans and separating service
members compete for civilian jobs sooner and less
expensively, with an understanding of how their
existing military skills and experience can benefit a
civilian employer.

4. Project Sponsor
• The Graduate Management Admission Council®
(GMAC®)
 owner of the GMAT® exam and the leading
membership organization of graduate business and
management schools worldwide
• The GMAC Management Education for
Tomorrow (MET) Fund
 awarded more than $7.1 million in grants to 12
organizations across six countries
 second round of its Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Challenge

5. SUNY Empire State College
MBA in Management
• Competency-based program
• Transfer credit
• Direct Assessment of Prior Learning for up to 24
of 48 credits
• Enrolls over 300 students
• Online courses with weekend residencies

6. SUNY Empire State College
Office of Veteran and Military Education
• Course transferability through Servicemembers
Opportunities Colleges (SOC)
• Pre-application advising
• Unofficial review of military transcripts at no
charge

7. SUNY Empire State College
• Leader in Prior Learning Assessment
• Committed to the idea that people deserve credit
for college-level learning no matter how it was
acquired (undergraduate)
 IndividualizedPLA
 Standardized examinations
 Pre-evaluated non-formal education (ACE,
NCCRS)
 Transfer from other colleges and universities

8. Project Purpose
• Ease veterans and service member’s
transition into civilian business leadership
 Provides a smooth transition and clear
path to an MBA for our service members
and veterans
 Addresses needs of those who have
served as they transition from military to
civilian life

9. Objectives
• Award graduate-level credit toward MBA degree
relevant ACE evaluated military training and
specialties
 Publish an articulation table that shows how ACE
recommendations apply toward MBA at ESC
• Replace an introductory MBA course with one
designed to serve those transitioning to civilian
life and business leadership
 Begin translation of military skills and knowledge into
civilian business context

10. Program Development
• Articulation of ACE evaluated graduate-level military
training and specialties
 Keyword matches of military courses and specialties
 Faculty evaluation of recommendation
 Publication of articulation table
• Development of Leading in a Civilian Context online
course:
 Recognize existing competencies and identify skill
gaps
 Skill coaching to build new abilities
 Independent Direct Assessments (IDAs)

11. Articulation Table Development Challenges
• Not all relevant graduate-level military training has been
evaluated
 Reallocation of military education budgets
 Competing demand for remaining resources (undergraduate,
licensure or vocational training)
 Graduate level evaluations are later additions to ACE guides
• Development of graduate level Articulation Table.
 Data not included in ESC’s student information system – yet
 ACE recommendations are in text files rather than data bases

12. Student Pathway
• Prospects can obtain a free review of military training
and graduate level transfer credit before application
• Applicants will receive an evaluation of military training
and graduate level credit as part of their admission
decision
• Students take the Leading in a Civilian Context online
course in their first term and receive ongoing coaching
and support through the program
• Graduates are prepared for civilian leadership sooner
and incur less cost

13. Benefits
• Accelerated completion of MBA in Management
degree
• Reduced overall degree costs, through the
application of military training credit
• Enhanced civilian employability

14. First Cohort Fall 2013
• Free preliminary credit reviews available in
late 2012
• Veterans and Military Pathway to the MBA
Pathway Web site opens early 2013
• Application review continues through June
2013.

15. Project Dissemination
• February 2014 Council of College and Military
Educators (CCME) Conference
• August 2014 American Management Association
(AMA) Conference
• November 2013 CAEL Conference
• Publish Leading in a Civilian Context as an OER
• Publish project report and evaluation