Apples and pears.Originally Posted by DIDJAMOM Go to original post
Things you do in-game add specialization points to the specialization you currently have active. You use those points to unlock items on the skill tree for the specialization. You get the points from doing missions and just from earning field proficiency packs (leveling up). You can switch back and forth between specializations but the points are going to go towards whatever specialization is active when you earn them.
The Gunner research ends in having the Gunner specialization available -- as a secondary specialization for your current critter or for another critter on the same account. It's not available until you do those things. (unless you have the Year One pass in which case you are unlocking the vanity iterms).