Career United States Coast Guardsman Mike Browning didn’t have to wait long to see his hard work pay dividends after graduating from Boise State University’s Online Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL). Less than one month, to be exact.
“Because of this degree and my operational background, I was selected as the training director of the Aviation Technical Training Center (in Elizabeth City, North Carolina),” he said. “It put me in line for that job. It’s pretty cool because I am a graduate of two of the programs at that school house. It comes full-circle to go back as training director. That’s pretty great ROI.”
Browning was a response training branch assistant chief in his 27th year in the Coast Guard prior to taking on his new role in June 2025, weeks after graduating from Boise State. He is a Lieutenant Commander.
“One of the career paths we have is operational where we do search and rescue, law enforcement and incident management,” he said. “We also have a secondary career path, and I have focused mine on training the future of the organization.
“The Coast Guard sends folks to the OPWL program and a couple of other schools to receive graduate training and bring the principles back to the training centers to ensure alignment with modern best practices and industry standards. I chose the OPWL route to continue climbing the training career path.”
Because he had a couple of peers who were graduates of Boise State’s OPWL program, he zeroed in on becoming a Bronco, too.
“They had good things to say about the program, courses and particularly the staff,” he said. “I also had a great experience with the staff — they are a great group of people. The program was exceptional. It was relevant to my job at the time and relevant to the future roles I was interested in. Overall, it was a great experience.”
Anchors Aweigh
Browning is from Estill Springs, Tennessee, where he joined the Coast Guard after graduating high school and talking to a family friend who had served in that military branch.
During his career, Browning has served in numerous roles, including helicopter rescue swimmer, command center chief and commanding officer of a station. He has earned a Meritorious Service Medal (2023), an air medal (2006), two Sikorski Aircraft Rescue Awards (2003, 2005) and four commendation medals (2018, 2021, 2025).
Four years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Military University in 2019, Browning enrolled at Boise State. While in the OPWL program, he took some time off while moving from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Yorktown.
“The online format was perfect,” he said. “It gave me the flexibility I needed — especially being active duty. It was critical while I was operational and while moving the family from Louisiana to Virginia. I had to put classes on hold for a semester, but once I got resettled, I was able to turn it back on and continue on the journey. It worked out great.”
Needs Assessment was Browning’s favorite course in the OPWL curriculum. He also found the Instructional Design project especially beneficial.
“Needs Assessment was hands-on learning that I needed for the Coast Guard,” he said. “We worked on a project for the training center at Cape May (New Jersey). It was relevant to what I was doing and my career path. The professor had been doing it for so long. He gave us great guidance and feedback.”
The information that Browning learned in the OPWL program applied to his former role. He expects it will also apply to his new one.
“I was able to work on an instructional design course for our SAR (Search and Rescue) schools and plug it right into what they were working on, so that was a great opportunity,” he said. “For sure, I 100% gained great value out of the program.”
Putting sea legs to work
Browning credits his wife, Holly, who has a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, and their son, Caden (14), for supporting him throughout his higher education journey.
“We knew it was going to be a lot of work, but they were super supportive,” he said. “My wife was on board. We did our best to balance work and school. When it’s all said and done, they were proud of me for achieving the goal.”
In addition to having a master’s degree and a new position to keep him occupied, Browning spends his free time as a triathlete.
“For some reason, I enjoy triathlons,” he said. “It keeps me going. I like to compete and have something on the calendar to look forward to and keep myself moving as I get older.”
Like his colleagues who recommended Boise State’s OPWL to him, Browning believes the program is a great route to take for anybody looking to engineer relevant learning experiences and performance solutions informed by evidence to help organizations best address individual, team and organizational challenges.
“It’s going to seem like a long journey, but it actually goes by pretty quick if you plug in, knock the assignments out one at a time and take it as it comes,” he said. “I was doing two classes at a time. Keep focused on the small steps, and eventually it will be over. It’s not a long process at all…once it is complete…lol.”
Learn more about the Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning program
Earning an online Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.