AOC - course difficulty

[Maxadia]

Hi all,

Hear all kinds of horror stories about this course, including it being related to "the equivalent of doing a Masters in one year".

Is there any truth to this comment?


Thanks.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

The Army Operations Course (AOC) is a challenging course. I would not equate it to doing "the equivalent of a Masters in one year." It is not a Masters nor is it trying to be one. It is a tactical planning course at the Battle Group and Brigade Group level.

Are you going on the full-time course or the part-time one? The two methods have challenges in common and also distinct challenges due to their differing styles of delivery.

 

[Maxadia]

The Army Operations Course (AOC) is a challenging course. I would not equate it to doing "the equivalent of a Masters in one year." It is not a Masters nor is it trying to be one. It is a tactical planning course at the Battle Group and Brigade Group level.

Are you going on the full-time course or the part-time one? The two methods have challenges in common and also distinct challenges due to their differing styles of delivery.

Part time. And I was looking at it in terms of the amount of work, not structure. I have friends who have done a Masters degree before, Business or Education, but none that have also done AOC to actually compare the work level between the two.

If it was fulltime, then it wouldn't matter, as it's fulltime and hours wouldn't matter. But time with a fulltime job as well could be different.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Part time. And I was looking at it in terms of the amount of work, not structure. I have friends who have done a Masters degree before, Business or Education, but none that have also done AOC to actually compare the work level between the two.

If it was fulltime, then it wouldn't matter, as it's fulltime and hours wouldn't matter. But time with a fulltime job as well could be different.

Having done a MA while concurrently running a business, doing the A Res thing, and managing a family, and comparing that with watching colleagues going through the 'part-time' AOC, it seemed to me that they had a much harder time - depending on where they were starting regarding their military knowledge levels.

None of the A Res types were able to continue with their ARes commitments concurrently, which wasn't too surprising. However, while I had 2 years to complete the MA, which allowed room for some 'breaks', they seemed to be immersed in a fairly relentless year long grind. I kept up my ARes commitments without too much hassle.

The Class B types seemed to endure less pain as this was their job for a year, pretty much. The Class A types, who had to work full time as well as do the course, suffered more. Some never completed it, for various reasons.

Others seemed to do fine though, so YMMV.

Oh, and at the end of my course I got a MA designation. They didn't.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Part time. And I was looking at it in terms of the amount of work, not structure. I have friends who have done a Masters degree before, Business or Education, but none that have also done AOC to actually compare the work level between the two.

If it was fulltime, then it wouldn't matter, as it's fulltime and hours wouldn't matter. But time with a fulltime job as well could be different.

I will caveat this by saying that I was Directing Staff for three years on the full-time Regular Force course and not the Reserve one. The Reserve one is still a lot of work and you have to juggle it with your other duties in life. It can be a long grind. One of my full-time Reserve subordinates is on PRAOC right now - I give them time on the shoulders of the course weekends to change gears.

Assuming you are Class A, it should be your Army Reserve "duty" for the period that you are on the course - so you should not also have a job within the unit and have other responsibilities in addition to your civilian job.

It is manageable to take the course and have a civilian job, assuming that your civilian job does not consume all your time. If it did consume all of your time then just being in the Reserves would be untenable. I don't know you, but I would advise against concurrently pursuing other academic courses outside of your civilian work and AOC. Get AOC done and then get on with other things.

Warm regards,

T2B

 

[dapaterson]

One of my full-time Reserve subordinates is on PRAOC right now - I give them time on the shoulders of the course weekends to change gears.

Assuming you are Class A, it should be your Army Reserve "duty" for the period that you are on the course - so you should not also have a job within the unit and have other responsibilities in addition to your civilian job.

These are the theory; often, the reality is that one is expected to continue in class A company command while doing AOC.

I completed it while on class B; I was given the sum total of one day off work for the course, and that only because weather disrupted my travel back from a residency weekend. A BGen's EA, OTOH, was given a day off every week to do course work, plus two days off for every weekend of the course. YMMV.

 

[Good2Golf]

These are the theory; often, the reality is that one is expected to continue in class A company command while doing AOC.

I completed it while on class B; I was given the sum total of one day off work for the course, and that only because weather disrupted my travel back from a residency weekend. A BGen's EA, OTOH, was given a day off every week to do course work, plus two days off for every weekend of the course. YMMV.

^This too. I taught on one PRAOC serial one summer and some of the Class A folks were busy with life and other things that seemed counter to the ‘be ready for full time studies.’

 

[Weinie]

These are the theory; often, the reality is that one is expected to continue in class A company command while doing AOC.

I completed it while on class B; I was given the sum total of one day off work for the course, and that only because weather disrupted my travel back from a residency weekend. A BGen's EA, OTOH, was given a day off every week to do course work, plus two days off for every weekend of the course. YMMV.

So then, why did you do the course? You didn't need to.

 

[dapaterson]

Necessary professional development.

 

[Maxadia]

As usual, excellent reply from the wealth of knowledge here on Army.ca

Thank you all for the replies, I believe I have the info I need.
Cheers.

 

[Good2Golf]

As usual, excellent reply from the wealth of knowledge here on Army.ca

Thank you all for the replies, I believe I have the info I need.
Cheers.

Have a good course!

 

[Sf2]

Have a good course!

Your experience on AOC will largely depend on your DS....especially if they convince the other staff that an air force guy as Bde Comd during final drive is a good idea.

 

[Good2Golf]

Your experience on AOC will largely depend on your DS....especially if they convince the other staff that an air force guy as Bde Comd during final drive is a good idea.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

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Nor would I…just sayin…