UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State World Campus is making a Penn State degree more accessible to members of the military through a new agreement with the U.S. Air Force.
World Campus will accept credits from certain courses offered by the Community College of the Air Force that can be transferred toward a bachelor of science in organizational leadership.
The degree is offered online through Penn State World Campus by the School of Labor and Employment Relations in the College of the Liberal Arts.
The transfer credit agreement is made possible through the Air Force’s Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative and is effective immediately. Air University is the educational provider of the Air Force.
Penn State World Campus offers Penn State degrees online, and many military service members choose to learn online because of the flexibility it provides them in their active-duty and reserve roles.
The agreement with Air University is the first transfer credit arrangement World Campus has made with a military institution. Through this agreement, Penn State is the first Big Ten university to be part of the associate-to-baccalaureate cooperative with Air University.
“We are excited to create a new way to make a Penn State education accessible to members of the Air Force and Space Force and help them fulfill their goal of earning their bachelor’s degree,” said Renata Engel, vice provost for Online Education at Penn State. “The bachelor of science in organizational leadership is an excellent option for airmen and guardians to continue their education and developing their expertise, critical thinking skills, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, which are all skills they can use in their military careers.”
Transferring credits to the bachelor of science in organizational leadership
The bachelor of science in organizational leadership was selected as the first program for this agreement because of its focus on labor management and supervisor leadership, which are skills that are becoming increasingly important to the military to develop in its enlisted members.
Through the agreement, Penn State World Campus is accepting credits in leadership and management from the Community College of the Air Force’s associate degree in applied science. The credits will be applied toward required courses for the bachelor’s degree and toward the degree’s general education requirements.
“Military learners bring a variety of leadership experiences from their service to share with their professors and fellow online learners in their courses,” said Brian Redmond, the lead faculty member of the online education programs in the School of Labor and Employment Relations. “We are eager to welcome them to the bachelor’s in organizational leadership program so they can continue pursuing their higher education goals.”
Any Air Force or Space Force service member who has completed the associate degree in applied science from the Community College of the Air Force can transfer their credits. The agreement also applies to Air National Guard and Reserve members who completed the associate degree.
Those who wish to transfer their credits must first apply to Penn State World Campus and be accepted for admission.
The process to accept the transfer credits involved faculty from the School of Labor and Employment Relations and World Campus academic advising staff. They compared the curriculum of the Penn State and Community College of the Air Force degrees to determine the courses that would work.
The faculty and academic advising staff are reviewing additional courses from the Community College of the Air Force to expand the agreement. Future expansions are expected to include the bachelor of arts in organizational leadership and the bachelor’s degrees in labor and human resources.
Military experience is increasingly being recognized as worthy of college credit both at Penn State and nationwide, said Michele Rice, the director of the University’s Office of Prior Learning Assessment. Penn State awards a significant number of credits for military students’ prior learning each year, and it has a transfer credit tool so that prospective students, including military students who will learn online, can see how their prior learning and military experience can translate into credits toward a degree.
“We recognize the value of military education and experience, and we want to demonstrate that by awarding credit for that learning,” Rice said. “This agreement with the Community College of the Air Force gives their service members the assurance that their credits will transfer to Penn State so they can continue on their path toward graduation.”
Financial support for military students
Penn State World Campus offers several forms of education benefits and financial aid to undergraduate military students to help lower the cost of their education.
Military students and their spouses enrolled in associate and bachelor’s degree programs are eligible for military grant-in-aid offered exclusively by World Campus. Military learners can also combine the grant-in-aid program with the U.S. Department of Defense’s tuition assistance program.
Additionally, Pennsylvania National Guard members may be able to use the grant-in-aid with benefits from the National Guard and Veterans Affairs to reduce the cost of their tuition.
Penn State World Campus offers scholarships for which military students can apply. An emergency fund has been recently created to help military students pay their tuition when they experience a financial setback.
Military students
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State degree online for more than 25 years and has a comprehensive selection of more than 200 degrees and certificates.
The student body of more than 19,000 online learners includes thousands of members of the armed forces who are active duty, National Guard reserves, spouses of military service members, or veterans.
Learn more about studying online with Penn State World Campus through the Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative.