Earning a PhD while serving his country

Eric Moton* wasn’t sure he was college material, so he opted to join the military instead.

But once enlisted, he was inspired to pursue higher education. When Moton was in basic training, a Sergeant pulled him aside and told him that education was highly valued in the military. Soldiers with education were favored to rise through the ranks quickly, and doors would be open for them.

*Actual Capella graduate who agreed to appear in promotional materials for Capella.

Green to gold to Capella

Moton took the Sergeant’s comments to heart and, after several years as an active-duty chaplain’s assistant, he enrolled in the Green to Gold Active Duty scholarship program that pays military personnel their regular salary while they attend school full-time. Moton earned a bachelor’s and then a master’s from two traditional brick and mortar universities.  After that, he was unstoppable; he set his sights on a PhD.

“I realized I wanted to teach with credibility,” Moton says. “So I needed a PhD. And I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.”

Moton heard about Capella University from his father, Dr. Henry Lee Moton, who earned a PhD in Organization and Management from Capella in 2014. Moton did some research to determine the best educational opportunities and ultimately agreed with his father: Capella was the best match for him.

“I wanted to make sure the school had good name recognition and a good reputation,” he says. “I did my research. All of it checked out.”

Flexibility was essential

One year after finishing his Master’s degree, Moton enrolled in Capella’s PhD in Business Management program. He appreciated that the program’s flexibility allowed him to meet the demands of his work and various deployments.

He also appreciated being able to apply his coursework immediately to his military work.  “The leadership classes at Capella were amazing,” he says. “I got so much real-time knowledge from my courses. I learned how to deal with conflict. I learned how to motivate and mentor people. It was one of the best possible experiences I could’ve had.”

Moton earned his PhD from Capella in 2016. He currently serves as an Operations Officer for the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, a position he earned after more than a decade in the military, two company commands, and deployments to Iraq and Saudi Arabia. His position requires him to understand both military practices and business principles, including business administration.

In addition to his educational endeavors, Moton prides himself on giving back what he has learned. Along with his work with the Army Reserves, Moton is an adjunct professor and teaches night classes for a university in the National Capital Region.

Moton believes his education has helped boost his Army career; he was recently featured on the Department of Defense website as the Face of Defense. And who knows? Maybe it could help him with his ultimate goal – a potential run for Congress, where he could put his experience, expertise, and leadership skills to work on behalf of his country.

Learn more about Capella’s online PhD in Business Management.