ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/27 ENLISTED CYBER MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE OPPORTUNITY AT NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED/
ROUTINE
R 231655Z JUN 25 MID120002025288U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 137/25
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N2N6/JUN//
SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/27 ENLISTED CYBER MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
OPPORTUNITY AT NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL//
REF/A/INST/OPNAV/07JAN15//
REF/B/INST/OPNAV/30JAN07//
REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/201856ZMAY25//
NARR/ REF A IS OPNAVINST 1520.23C CH-3, GRADUATE EDUCATION.
REF B IS OPNAVINST 1160.8B, SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS PROGRAM.
REF C IS NAVADMIN 112/25, BILLET BASED ADVANCEMENT 2025 UPDATE.//
RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN solicits enlisted Sailor applications for enrollment
in the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) 15-month Master of Science in Applied
Cyber Operations (MACO) program. This opportunity is one of many Navy
efforts to increase Cyber capabilities by building Cyber professionals.
2. The MACO program is available to E-6 and senior Active Duty and Training
and Administration of the Reserves (TAR) members in the Information Systems
Technician (IT) and Cyber Warfare Technician (CWT) ratings. It is designed
to educate students on a range of operational and technical topics in
defensive and offensive cyberspace operations, including computer network
attack, active and passive defense, exploitation, cyber analysis via
automated and manual toolsets, operations, policy, and engineering.
3. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply:
 a. Must possess a Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant technical
field including, but not limited to, computer science, electrical
engineering, and information or engineering technology. The degree must have
been awarded by an institution of higher learning, with Institutional
Accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To meet NPS
academic requirements, performance in technical courses, including
mathematics, must be exemplary.
 b. Must be E-6 or senior to be eligible and within one's 12-month orders
negotiation window, commensurate with course start dates of January 2027 or
July 2027.
 c. Per reference (a), candidates must be eligible to incur a 5-year
active-duty service obligation by reenlistment or extension of enlistment
prior to NPS enrollment. Selectees will be required to reenlist more than 1-
year earlier, if they are unable to satisfy the 5-year obligated service
requirement. Per reference (b), payment of the selective reenlistment bonus
is not authorized for selectees who reenlist for the purpose of meeting the
obligated service requirement.
 d. Must be within Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) standards and must
have passed the most recent PFA.
 e. Must have no evaluation marks below 3.0 within the last five years.
 f. Must hold, or be eligible for, a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented
Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Applicants without a current TS/SCI
clearance are still encouraged to apply if their clearance can be initiated
by their Special Security Office (SSO) and adjudicated before the class
convening dates. Orders to NPS will not be issued until TS/SCI clearance is
finalized.
 g. Must possess a conditional letter of acceptance. To obtain a
conditional letter of acceptance, applicants should apply to NPS at
https://nps.edu/web/admissions/apply. Once registered, select Applied Cyber
Operations, curriculum number 336. Upon application submission, applicants
must arrange for submission of official transcripts to the NPS admissions
office from each institution attended for all undergraduate and graduate
education, as well as all Sailor/Marine American Council on Education
Registry Transcripts, or Joint Services Transcripts. NPS applications must
be submitted to NPS no later than 31 December 2025. Applicants will be
notified by NPS via e-mail regarding their conditional acceptance. Prior
application submissions to this program do not disqualify an applicant.
However, applicants who did not receive previous conditional acceptance from
NPS, and have no additional academic qualifications, should not apply again,
as the academic standards have not changed.
4. Application letter template may be obtained by contacting the NAVIFOR
MACO Program Coordinator via email NAVIFOR_MACO(AT)us.navy.mil. Completed
applications must be sent via encrypted e-mail or DOD SAFE
(https://safe.apps.mil) to NAVIFOR MACO Program within two weeks of
notification of conditional acceptance by NPS.
5. Selectees will be assigned to Navy-funded education as full-time students
under permanent change of station orders to Monterey, CA, with either a
January 2027 or July 2027 start. As full-time students, Sailors will be
required to carry a full academic load year-round. Degree requirements shall
be completed in 15 months. Per reference (c), E-7/E-8 selectees enrolled in
the MACO program are eligible to submit an Exception to Policy for promotion;
approval authority resides with Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP).
6. Selection results will be disseminated via official e-mail from a Naval
Information Force (NAVIFOR) MACO Program Officer. Due to the highly
competitive nature of this program, notification of selection via official
email is a binding commitment which selectees must accept or decline within
five working days of receipt.
7. Graduates of the MACO program will earn the H07A Navy Enlisted
Classification and should expect to serve in a utilization tour immediately
following graduation. Graduates will contact their respective Detailer 6
months prior to graduation to negotiate follow-on PCS Orders.
8. The point of contact for this program can be contacted via e-mail at
NAVIFOR_MACO(AT)us.navy.mil.
9. This message will remain in effect until superseded, or 1 September 2026,
whichever occurs first.
10. Released by VADM Karl O. Thomas, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations For
Information Warfare, OPNAV N2N6.//
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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED/