§ 4314. Degree granting authority for United States Army Command and General Staff College

(a)Authority.— Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army, the Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College may, upon the recommendation of the faculty and dean of the college, confer appropriate degrees upon graduates who meet the degree requirements.

(b)Limitation.— A degree may not be conferred under this section unless—

(1) the Secretary of Education has recommended approval of the degree in accordance with the Federal Policy Governing Granting of Academic Degrees by Federal Agencies; and

(2) the United States Army Command and General Staff College is accredited by the appropriate civilian academic accrediting agency or organization to award the degree, as determined by the Secretary of Education.

(c)Congressional Notification Requirements.—

(1) When seeking to establish degree granting authority under this section, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives—

(A) a copy of the self assessment questionnaire required by the Federal Policy Governing Granting of Academic Degrees by Federal Agencies, at the time the assessment is submitted to the Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity; and

(B) the subsequent recommendations and rationale of the Secretary of Education regarding the establishment of the degree granting authority.

(2) Upon any modification or redesignation of existing degree granting authority, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing the rationale for the proposed modification or redesignation and any subsequent recommendation of the Secretary of Education on the proposed modification or redesignation.

(3) The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing an explanation of any action by the appropriate academic accrediting agency or organization not to accredit the United States Army Command and General Staff College to award any new or existing degree.

(Added Pub. L. 93–365, title VII, § 708(a)(1), Aug. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 407; amended Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 512(11), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2929; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIII, § 1322(a)(13), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1671; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 543(c)(1), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4458.)

Amendments

Amendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–417 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army, and with the approval of a nationally recognized civilian accrediting association approved by the Secretary of Education, the Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College may upon recommendation by the faculty confer the degree of master of military art and science upon graduates of the college who have fulfilled the following degree requirements: a minimum of thirty semester hours of graduate credit, including a masters thesis of six to eight semester hours, and a demonstration of competence in the discipline of military art and science as evidenced by satisfactory performance on a general comprehensive examination. These requirements may be altered only with the approval of such association.”

1990—Pub. L. 101–510 struck out at end “The Secretary of the Army shall report annually to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives the following information: (1) the criteria which must be met to entitle a student to award of the degree, (2) whether such criteria have changed in any respect during the reporting year, (3) the number of students in the most recent resident course graduating class, (4) the number of such students who were enrolled in the master of military art and science program, and (5) the number of students successfully completing the master of military art and science program.”

1980—Pub. L. 96–513 substituted “Secretary of Education” for “Commissioner of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare”.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 110–417 applicable to any degree granting authority established, modified, or redesignated on or after Oct. 14, 2008, for an institution of professional military education referred to in such amendment, see section 543(j) of Pub. L. 110–417, set out as a note under section 2161 of this title.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701(b)(3) of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Retroactive Degree Conferral; Maximum Amount

Pub. L. 93–365, title VII, § 708(b), Aug. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 407, provided that: “The Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College may confer the degree of master of military art and science upon graduates of the college who have completed the requirements for that degree since 1964 but prior to the enactment of this Act [Aug. 5, 1974]; but the number of such degrees awarded for such period may not exceed two hundred.”