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If you want to be promoted to GS-13 or above as an 1102, you must have both a 4 year college degree and 24 semester hours in business related fields. If you wish to enter the 1102 series at any level below GS-13, you must have either a 4 year college degree or 24 semester hours in business related fields.
1. What courses count towards my 24 hours?
Business related fields are defined as accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods and organization and management. A list of courses within these disciplines that count towards your 24 hours has been developed. This list is not all-inclusive. Moreover, a course offered by a department outside of the list of acceptable fields may count if it is equivalent to the courses taught within these fields. For instance, a Probability and Statistics for Public Managers course offered in a Public Administration department would count since it is a quantitative methods course, even though Public Administration doesn’t count as a business related field.
2. How can I be certain that I have met the standard, since whether a course counts can be a judgment call?
Fill out one of these forms - (HTML Version, PDF Version) and take it to your Human Resources department, along with your transcripts or other appropriate documentation. Your HR representative should determine how many hours you have completed. If they sign the form indicating that you have completed the requirement, then you are good to go. The signature of your IC HR representative will be honored by other ICs if you apply for a job in another IC. If there is a question/disagreement about whether a course should be accepted, the IC HR representative will refer the question to the Head of the Contracting Activity for the final determination. You do not have to wait until you have completed all 24 credit hours before you begin the certification process. The certification form(s) should be attached to your application/resume when applying for a job.
3. What about waivers?
There are no waivers to the entry-level requirement, though people already in the series as of January 1, 2000 can be promoted to GS-12 without meeting the requirement or processing a waiver. Waivers can only be granted on a job specific basis at the GS-13 or higher level. That is, if a person who does not meet the standard is tentatively selected for GS-13 or higher 1102 position, then a waiver must be granted in order for that person to be allowed to fill this position. Further, in order to even be considered for a position that is covered by the standard, the job announcement must state that candidates who do not meet the standard will be considered. See the Waivers section for more information regarding waivers.
4. Do my DHHS procurement courses count towards the 24 hours?
No, unless you get the credits recognized on a transcript issued by an accredited educational institution. Most of the courses offered since 2001 have been reviewed by the American Council on Education (ACE) and are recommended for two semester hours of college credit for one-week courses or three semester hours for two-week courses. In order to have these credits recognized you must register with ACE, have ACE forward a transcript to an educational institution, and then you must work with the educational institution to meet any requirements they may have.
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