Army partners with Georgia Southern to offer soldiers on-base MBA, other graduate programs

Caption

Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Commander Col. Manuel Ramirez signs an agreement with Georgia Southern University officials at Fort Stewart near Hinesville on July 31, 2023.

Credit: Georgia Southern University

A new collaboration between the U.S. Army and Georgia Southern University is bringing in-person classes for four master's degree programs to Fort Stewart near Hinesville and Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah.

Meant to help soldiers and their family members advance their career prospects without relocating or interfering with their duties, the initiative allows qualified applicants to pursue an MBA, Master of Health Administration, Master of Science in IT, or a Master of Arts in Professional Communication and Leadership.

“They won't have to leave the installation; they can just either walk over to the class or they can drive over,” Army education services officer Olivia Penrod said. “It's helpful to have those face-to-face classes so that you can get that assistance right then and there, as opposed to the virtual challenges that come with online education.”

To determine which graduate programs to offer, Penrod said that the Army conducted a “needs assessment” survey in 2020 of soldiers and their family members about the fields of study they would find most useful.

Two graduate-level certificates are also being offered on base as part of the new program — which is also open to veterans — including one in cybercrime and one in professional communication and leadership.

Georgia Southern's collaboration with the Army adds to a growing list of new programs offered by the university, which also recently announced the state's only Ph.D. in environmental science.

Recent figures from the University System of Georgia calculated Georgia Southern's economic impact at $1.1 billion for the 2022 fiscal year, setting a new record for the school and marking a 7.3% increase over the previous year.