How do West Point grads use their degree?

[smokey%]

I know this question probably sounds pretty naive and stupid so please bare with me! I've seen the video on YT of the WP Engineers Post Night and I was wondering how West Point graduates use their engineering degrees while serving as an officer. I also have this same question about the Air Force Academy but I figured I would post it here because WP is probably my top choice as of now.

 

[UHBlackhawk]

Using your degree really depends on what you decide to do, luck, GPA (yes it can matter), and what your degree is.
Initially, it really won’t matter unless you are trying for cyber, med school or some other nitch specialty. There can be exceptions, such as being based in a country where you can use your language. As a LT, however, the ability to use your language is almost always secondary and just a by product of being stationed in that country.
As you become more senior, however, your major can matter. Some specialties that may interest you as a captain may require certain majors. If you go aviation and want to be an XP (experimental test pilot) for example, you will need to attend test pilot school and an engineering degree is a prerequisite.
Other majors, while not required, may help you. Again, using aviation as an example, having some knowledge of physics and engineering will probably help you in flight school. I was a German Lit and European history major and I made it through flight school, but I studied much more than the USMA engineering majors.
And to show you the logic of the military I could never get based in Germany. 2 1/2 years in Korea, 7 months in the French Sahara, 3 months in Central America, a year in the Middle East, but never Europe much less Germany.

 

[cb7893]

It is best, as a starting point, to assume one will not use his/her Major from an SA or SMU, or xROTC as an O-1. @UHBlackhawk would be Exhibit A. My DS would be exhibit B.

Most military "jobs" have no specific academic requirements. Most important, the military has no requirement to accommodate the wishes of newly commissioned O-1's.

 

[A1Janitor]

My son is a rare one at USNA as an engineer going into Construction Battalion - just passed his first test towards licensed PE. But he is colorblind and this wouldn’t have been true had he not been.

 

[MidCakePa]

Set aside major for a moment. All the DOD SAs place heavy emphasis on STEM, English and leadership. The rationale being: As a commissioned officer, regardless of your MOS, it’s vital that you’re an analytical problem-solver and critical thinker; an outstanding communicator; and a top-notch leader. Anything else you learn from your major supplements and complements all that.

 

[smokey%]

So the WP Corps of Engineers don't use their Engineering degree when they get commissioned?

 

[MidCakePa]

So the WP Corps of Engineers don't use their Engineering degree when they get commissioned?

Engineering grads certainly use their knowledge in the Corps of Engineers. But one does not need to be an engineering grad to be an officer in the Corps of Engineers.

 

[smokey%]

If I understand correctly you can choose to commission into the COE as a senior at WP (but since there is a limited number of spots, it's first come first serve and cadets who do well academically have preference)?

 

[A1Janitor]

If I understand correctly you can choose to commission into the COE as a senior at WP (but since there is a limited number of spots, it's first come first serve and cadets who do well academically have preference)?

At USNA that isn’t necessarily true.

We had 3 go to CEC. It is a restricted line, and the goal is to produce unrestricted line officers.

There are a pool of candidates that aren’t medically qualified for unrestricted line like my son. He could have chosen any restricted line slots. Although we would like to think it was his choice, it really wasn’t.

I don’t think academics played into it.

I will find out if all three were dq’d from unrestricted. I am pretty sure at least two were.

I honestly wouldn’t count on it.

 

[A1Janitor]

Two were colorblind. Only one could have gone unrestricted but had other extenuating circumstances. Academic performance played no part.

 

[redraider2022]

If I understand correctly you can choose to commission into the COE as a senior at WP (but since there is a limited number of spots, it's first come first serve and cadets who do well academically have preference)?

Branching engineers at USMA is part of the typical branching process. Cadets with good class rank, leadership, etc. are desired more by any given branch, especially if they have talents that best fit that branch. You don’t need anything close to an engineering degree to be selected by the engineers.