Combining Graduate Education and Professional/Specialized Experience For GS-07—GS-11
GS-07
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows:. 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Step 1—Qualifying Education
The following formula should be used to determine how much graduate study you have completed, based on the number of graduate credit hours you have earned:
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF SEMESTER HOURS OR QUARTER HOURS REQUIRED FOR 1 YEAR OF FULL TIME GRADUATE STUDY (OR 18 SEMESTER HOURS OR 27 QUARTER HOURS, IF SUCH INFORMATION CANNOT BE OBTAINED)
EXAMPLE:
- Your Graduate School: 18 semester hours = 1 year
- You have 4 semester hours of graduate level courses in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%)
Step 2—Qualifying Experience
Determine your qualifying professional/specialized experience as a percentage of the professional/specialized experience required for the position you are applying for.
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF MONTHS OF PERTINENT PROFESSIONAL/SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE DIVIDED BY 12.
EXAMPLES:
- If you have 6 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 6 divided by 12 = .50 (50%)
- If you have 5 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 5 divided by 12 = .416 (42%)
Step 3—Combining Graduate Education and Experience
Now, take your percentage of graduate education and your percentage of professional/specialized experience and add them together. In order to meet the requirement through a combination of graduate education and professional/specialized experience, the total of the two percentages must be at least 100% or you do not meet the requirement.
EXAMPLE #1:
- Graduate education totaled 4 semester hours of graduate level courses in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 22% + 50% = 72% (LESS THAN 100% = DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT)
EXAMPLE #2:
- Graduate education totaled 9 semester hours of graduate level courses in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 9 divided by 18 = .50 or 50%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 50% + 50% = 100% (100% OR MORE = MEETS THE REQUIREMENT)
GS-09
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows:. 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Step 1—Qualifying Education
The following formula should be used to determine how much graduate study you have completed, based on the number of graduate credit hours you have earned:
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS BEYOND YOUR FIRST YEAR OF PROGRESSIVE GRADUATE STUDY DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF SEMESTER HOURS OR QUARTER HOURS REQUIRED FOR 1 YEAR OF FULL TIME GRADUATE STUDY (OR 18 SEMESTER HOURS OR 27 QUARTER HOURS, IF SUCH INFORMATION CANNOT BE OBTAINED)
EXAMPLE:
- Your Graduate School: 18 semester hours = 1 year
- You have 4 semester hours of graduate level courses beyond the first 18 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%)
Step 2—Qualifying Experience
Determine your qualifying professional/specialized experience as a percentage of the professional/specialized experience required for the position you are applying for.
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF MONTHS OF PERTINENT PROFESSIONAL/SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE DIVIDED BY 12.
EXAMPLES:
- If you have 6 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 6 divided by 12 = .50 (50%)
- If you have 5 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 5 divided by 12 = .416 (42%)
Step 3—Combining Graduate Education and Experience
Now, take your percentage of graduate education and your percentage of professional/specialized experience and add them together. In order to meet the requirement through a combination of graduate education and professional/specialized experience, the total of the two percentages must be at least 100% or you do not meet the requirement.
EXAMPLE #1:
- Graduate education totaled 4 semester hours of graduate level courses beyond the first 18 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 22% + 50% = 72% (LESS THAN 100% = DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT)
EXAMPLE #2:
- Graduate education totaled 9 semester hours of graduate level courses beyond the first 18 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 9 divided by 18 = .50 or 50%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 50% + 50% = 100% (100% OR MORE = MEETS THE REQUIREMENT)
GS-11
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows:. 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Step 1—Qualifying Education
The following formula should be used to determine how much graduate study you have completed, based on the number of graduate credit hours you have earned:
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF GRADUATE SEMESTER HOURS BEYOND YOUR SECOND YEAR OF PROGRESSIVE GRADUATE STUDY DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF SEMESTER HOURS REQUIRED FOR 1 YEAR OF FULL TIME GRADUATE STUDY (OR 18 SEMESTER HOURS OR 27 QUARTER HOURS, IF SUCH INFORMATION CANNOT BE OBTAINED)
EXAMPLE:
- Your Graduate School: 18 semester hours = 1 year
- You have 4 semester hours of graduate level courses beyond the first 36 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%)
Step 2—Qualifying Experience
Determine your qualifying professional/specialized experience as a percentage of the professional/specialized experience required for the position you are applying for.
FORMULA: YOUR NUMBER OF MONTHS OF PERTINENT PROFESSIONAL/SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE DIVIDED BY 12.
EXAMPLES:
- If you have 6 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 6 divided by 12 = .50 (50%)
- If you have 5 months of the right kind of professional/specialized experience, 5 divided by 12 = .416 (42%)
Step 3—Combining Graduate Education and Experience
Now, take your percentage of graduate education and your percentage of professional/specialized experience and add them together. In order to meet the requirement through a combination of graduate education and professional/specialized experience, the total of the two percentages must be at least 100% or you do not meet the requirement.
EXAMPLE #1:
- Graduate education totaled 4 semester hours beyond the first 36 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 4 divided by 18 = .222 or 22%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 22% + 50% = 72% (LESS THAN 100% = DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT)
EXAMPLE #2:
- Graduate education totaled 9 semester hours beyond the first 36 semester hrs. of progressive graduate study leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
(Formula: 9 divided by 18 = .50 or 50%) - Pertinent experience totaled 6 months.
(Formula: 6 divided by 12 = .50 or 50%) - TOTAL: 50% + 50% = 100% (100% OR MORE = MEETS THE REQUIREMENT)