PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
Program Authorization: Officer candidate indoctrination and training for appointment on
active duty as ensign, U.S. Navy, designators 5100 (Civil Engineer Corps (CEC)) or 51001
(CEC collegiate program). Civil Engineer Corps Officer Community Manager Branch
(BUPERS-316E) is the CEC officer community manager (OCM).
1. Program Authority: Title 10 U.S. Code 531, 532, 651, 1251, 2013, and 12209.
2. Cancellation: Program Authorization 104 of July 2019.
3. Quota: As prescribed by the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel,
Manpower, and Training, N1.
4. Qualifications
a. Citizenship: Applicants must be United States citizens.
b. Age: Applicants must be at least 19 years old, but not have passed their 36th birthday at
time of commissioning. This may be waived up to their 42nd birthday at time of commissioning.
Applicants with prior service who possess particularly exceptional qualifications and
documented sustained superior performance do not require a waiver provided they can be
commissioned prior to their 42nd birthday.
c. Education: Applicants fall within one of two broad categories in Table 1 - direct
accession or collegiate, sub-divided dependent on degree and time until graduation.
(1) Acceptable degrees: Bachelors’ or masters’ degree in:
(a) Engineering program accredited by Engineering Accreditation
Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC-ABET).
(b) Architecture program accredited by National Architectural Accrediting Board
(NAAB) (bachelor of architecture or master of architecture degree program).
(c) A candidate with an EAC-ABET or NAAB accredited bachelor's degree working
on a master's degree will be accessed as a direct accession and may be eligible to ship to Officer
Candidate School (OCS) before completing their degree.
(d) All students within three months of graduation are considered direct
accessions.
(2) Non-Acceptable Degrees: Those degrees not accepted without a waiver are:
(a) Any non- EAC-ABET engineering degree will not be considered unless
the individual meets one of the following criteria:
1. Already professionally registered as an engineer-in-training in accordance
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
2
with the examination required by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
Surveying (NCEES).
2. Already licensed as a professional engineer in accordance with the
examination required by the NCEES.
(b) Any non-NAAB accredited architecture degree will not be considered unless the
individual meets one of the following criteria:
1. Already a licensed architect in accordance with the National Council of
Architectural Registration Boards.
2. Pursuing a follow-on master's degree in an NAAB accredited program.
ACCESSION
TYPE
DEGREE REQUIREMENT
TIME OF GRADUATION
SHIP TO
OCS
NOTES
Engineering Architecture
Degree
Complete
<12
Months
<18
Months
<24
Months
Direct
Accession
Accreditation
Board for
Engineering
and
Technology -
Engineering
Accreditation
Commission
(ABET-EAC)
accredited
bachelor’s or
master’s
degree.
National
Architectural
Accrediting Board
(NAAB) accredited
bachelor’s or
master’s degree
X
Within 12
months of
selection –
determined
by OCS
schedule
while in OCS.
All students at or
within 3 months of
graduation are
considered direct
accessions
Collegiate –
Bachelor’s
Program
Pursuing
ABET-EAC
accredited
bachelor’s
degree
Pursuing NAAB
accredited
professional degree
of architecture.
Degree can be either
a Bachelor of
Architecture or
Master of
Architecture degree.
Bachelor of Science
of Architecture
degrees are not
eligible.
X X
Within 30-
60 days of
graduation
within 3 months of
graduation are
considered direct
accessions
X
Within 30-
60 days of
graduation
student (>3.0 grade
point average
(GPA) and “B” or
better in all science,
technology,
engineering or math
(STEM) courses)
may qualify for up
to 24 months
Collegiate –
Master’s
Program
Pursuing
Master of
Science
degree from
an ABET-
EAC
accredited
school
Pursing a NAAB
accredited masters of
architecture degree
(any masters’ work
pursued beyond
professional degree
criteria mention in
above row)
X X X
Within 30-
60 days of
graduation
year program that
includes a non-
accredited bachelor
degree and one year
accredited master
program may
qualify for up to 24
months.
Table 1 – Description of CEC Programs
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
3
(3) Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.7 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
(4) Collegiate officer candidates will have their academic transcripts reviewed twice per
year and upon recommendation from the CEC OCM, may be removed from the program and
separated from the Navy by Commander, Naval Recruiting Command (CNRC) if they fail to
maintain a cumulative 2.7 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or receive less than a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in any
STEM course.
(5) Collegiate officer candidates must remain enrolled as full-time students (including
summer session as required to complete degree-required courses) and will not be permitted to
increase their projected time in college, cease-attending classes, change majors, enter an exchange
program, or transfer schools without specific permission from CNRC and the CEC OCM. Failure
to obtain permission may result in disenrollment.
(6) Applicants not selected at the current selection board may not reapply to the selection
board immediately following their non-selection unless significant changes are made to improve
their competitiveness. CNRC must notify the CEC OCM to request an immediate re-board prior to
resubmitting an applicant's package for reconsideration and indicate what significant changes were
made to the package.
d. Physical: In line with the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15. This may be
waived as long as the applicant is still eligible for sea duty, expeditionary environment, and
world- wide assignments.
e. Duty Preference: Not applicable.
f. Program Specific Requirements:
(1) Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR). Minimum score of 45. This may be waived down to
40.
(2) Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). Collegiate program candidates must achieve
at least a 35 on the AFQT. The results of the AFQT shall be included in the candidate's
professional recommendation package.
(3) Accession Officer Interview. Candidate must have a favorable interview with a CEC
accessions officer or another senior CEC officer as determined by the CEC OCM.
(4) Letters of Reference. Candidates shall provide a minimum of one letter of reference.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to provide at least three but no more than five letters of
reference in their application.
5. Waivers: In cases where the applicant does not meet all of the qualifications, but otherwise
has an exceptional record or proven skillset required by the Navy, a waiver may be authorized in
limited numbers. All applicants requiring a waiver must complete an interview with a CEC
Accessions Officer prior to submission of the waiver. If a waiver is requested, then follow the
steps below prior to the convening of the selection board.
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
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a. Application Contents
(1) Age Waivers: A formal written request to commission after their 36th birthday
should include documentation or description of the applicant's physical fitness regimen for at
least the past 12 months. An age waiver should not be granted in conjunction with a waiver to
the requirements of the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15.
(2) Education: A formal written request for Non- EAC-ABET engineering degrees or
Non-NAAB architectural degrees must include the following:
(a) An official transcript.
(b) Copy of official registration (engineer-in-training, professional engineer or
registered architect).
(c) Resume of work experience as engineer-in-training, professional engineer or
registered architect.
(3) Physical: A formal written request including supplemental medical information.
(4) Program Specific Requirements: A formal written request including the validated
OAR score should be included in the application.
b. Routing
(1) Age Waivers: An age waiver request to maximum accession age must be submitted
by CNRC to the CEC OCM via e-mail using the link on the CEC OCM page hosted on the Navy
Personnel Command (NPC) website. The CEC OCM will review and forward with
recommendation to the Chief of Civil Engineers for approval.
(2) Education: Requests for waiver to degree requirements must be submitted by CNRC
to the CEC OCM via e-mail using the link on the CEC OCM page hosted on the NPC website.
The CEC OCM will review and forward with recommendation to the Chief of Civil Engineers
for approval.
(3) Physical: Medical waivers are submitted to CNRC.
(4) Program Specific Requirements: Waiver request are submitted to CNRC.
c. Approval Authority
(1) Age Waivers: The Chief of Civil Engineers is the approval authority for age waivers.
(2) Education: The Chief of Civil Engineers is the approval authority for waivers to
education requirements.
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
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(3) Physical: For new accessions and inter-service transfers, CNRC, upon the
recommendation of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), may grant waivers to applicants
who do not meet the accession standards if the physical defect will not prevent assignment to sea
duty, overseas assignment or expeditionary environment within the guidelines of the Manual of
the Medical Department, Chapter 15.
(4) Program Specific Requirements: CNRC may waive OAR score to 40. Applicants
may retake the OAR to meet minimum score, but the history of all scores shall be included in the
request.
d. Notifying the Applicant: CNRC will notify the applicant.
6.
Accession Source
a. Civilian.
b. Former U.S. service academy (all branches) and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
students of either the scholarship or college programs who have received pay entitlements,
subsistence allowance, tuition or fees under the provisions of those programs are eligible but
may not be placed on active duty until graduation from college.
c. Enlisted personnel of the Navy.
(1) Active or Reserve personnel who have earned a degree as specified in subparagraph
4c,
(2) Active Duty collegiate program candidates enrolled in a degree program as specified
in subparagraph 4c must submit NAVPERS 1306/7, Electronic Personnel Action Request
(3) Reserve Component enlisted personnel participating in the collegiate program and
enrolled in a degree program as specified in paragraph 4c must possess an approved conditional
release.
d. Enlisted personnel of other branches of the armed services (Active or Reserve) with an
approved conditional release from their respective service who have obtained a degree as
specified in subparagraph 4c.
(1) A conditional release is required for Army and Air Force ROTC members who are
under contract.
(2) Conditional releases are not required for ROTC members not under contract, nor
members of the Marine Platoon Leaders Class.
7.
Indoctrination: Selectees will complete OCS at Officer Training Command (OTC), Newport,
RI and the CEC Basic Course at the Civil Engineer Corps Officer School, Port Hueneme, CA.
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
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8.
Enlistment
a. Direct Accessions
(1) Civilians will be placed into an active duty status as an officer candidate (E-5) during
OCS.
(2) Enlisted members that are in the pay grades of E-4 or below are designated officer
candidates and advanced to the pay grade of E-5 upon reporting to OCS. Enlisted members in
the pay grade of E-5 and above are designated officer candidates in their current pay grades.
(3) Selectees with prior commissioned service who were honorably separated may be
brought back in as a direct accession.
b. Collegiates: Placed into an active duty status as an officer candidate (E-3) or if currently
enlisted, retain at grade and ordered to the Navy Recruiting District/Navy Talent Acquisition
Group nearest their college and/or location for administrative purposes while they complete
college and await OCS. Upon graduation, collegiates will be meritoriously advanced to E-5.
c. Any collegiate officer candidate, upon referring a lead resulting in an accession to any
similar Navy collegiate officer program, will be advanced one pay grade (i.e., E-3 to E-4) to a
maximum pay grade of E-5, as well as be entitled to advance one pay grade, up to a maximum
pay grade of E-5, for each year they are in the program.
9. Constructive Service Credit: Not applicable.
10. Appointment: Commissioned an ensign, CEC, U.S. Navy, designator 5100, upon
graduation from OCS.
11. Service Obligation
a. All officers incur an eight year service obligation, which may be served as a
combination of active and reserve service. Officers shall serve at least four years on active duty
from date of commission. The balance of service, sufficient to complete eight years total
obligated service, may be served in a reserve status.
b. Collegiate officer candidates who disenroll from the CEC collegiate program, fail to
complete all program requirements or no longer remain eligible for a commission as a naval
officer (whether due to academic performance, professional behavior, character or physical
qualification reasons) will be removed from the program and separated from the Navy by CNRC
with concurrence of the CEC OCM.
c. OTC shall request the CEC OCM recommendation from the options below for collegiate
candidates enlisted for more than one year that fail to complete OCS for reasons other than
unforeseeable hardship or failure to meet medical standards.
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 104 OCTOBER 2022
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(1) Serve two years active duty in an enlisted status.
(a) Applicants who entered the program under subparagraphs 6a or 6b, and inactive
personnel from another Military Service who were advanced to the pay grade of E-5 will revert
to their enlisted pay grade and be ordered to Recruit Training Command for Navy basic training
and availability for general assignment. No specialized Navy schooling will be authorized
following basic training unless the individual agrees to extend their active duty obligation to
meet the service obligation requirements of the training program requested. Unless otherwise
limited by policy, the two year active duty obligation commences on the date of orders.
(b) Inactive Navy Reserve candidates who were placed on active duty in the pay
grade of E-3 to E-5 in line with paragraph 6c(3), will be administratively reduced to the pay
grade they held prior to entering the CEC commissioning program and an availability report will
be initiated. The two year active duty obligation commences on the date of the availability
report.
(2) Continue service under current enlistment contract. Candidates who entered the
program under paragraph 6c(2) shall be administratively reduced to the pay grade they held prior
to entering the CEC Collegiate program and returned to their original detailer for further general
assignment.
(3) Be discharged. The CEC OCM shall recommend the type of discharge and
reenlistment code when applicable. To the maximum extent allowed by policy and regulation,
candidates discharged in lieu of enlisted service with an OCM recommendation of an
unfavorable discharge shall reimburse the government for all allowances and benefits received
during their period of service in the Collegiate Program.
d. Candidates enlisted and placed in the inactive Navy Reserve in line with subparagraph 8a
incur no Active Duty obligation until commissioned after which subparagraph 11a applies.
12. Pay and Allowances: Candidates selected, enlisted and placed in an active duty status under
this program authorization are entitled to full pay and allowances (with the exception of a
clothing maintenance allowance) upon effective date of active duty status.
Approved: ___________________________
J. P. WATERS
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy
Director, Military Personnel
Plans and Policy (OPNAV N13)
Date: ________________
28 Oct 22