The Military Science Program, or Army ROTC, consists of two phases. The first is introductory, consisting of 100- and 200-level courses that include practical skills and preparatory management skills needed in the advanced phase. First-phase requirements include MSC 101, 102, 201, and 202.
All freshman and sophomore students are encouraged to take the lower-level military science courses and acquaint themselves with military vocational opportunities without incurring a service obligation.
The second phase is designed to qualify upper-level student cadets for officer roles in the Active Army, Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. The advanced phase consists of MSC 301, 302, 401, and 402.
Students are also required to take HIS 211: American Military History prior to commissioning as an officer. Enrollment in the advanced phase is limited to those students who qualify physically and academically, and who have either completed the first phase, the Leader’s Training Course (a six-week leadership camp attended between the sophomore and junior year), or Basic Training completed during a previous period of enlistment. Advanced phase and ROTC scholarship students are paid from $300 to $500 each month of the school year (up to $4,000 total) and participate in leadership laboratories and activities, including a field training exercise each semester and the four-week Leadership Development and Assessment Course between the junior and senior year.
In order to be commissioned as an Army officer at graduation, students must successfully complete both phases of the program and fulfill the following professional education requirements.
Professional education requirements
- Be able to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
- Develop a sense of history and be acquainted with military history.
Each student schedules courses to satisfy the above requirements with the assistance and approval of the department chair.
Army ROTC financial assistance Four-year scholarships are awarded to students entering the University as freshmen and meet all eligibility criteria. Two- and three-year scholarships are awarded to students already enrolled in the University and are active Reservists or are enrolled in the MSC 101, 102, 201, or 202 courses. Students who attend the Leader’s Training Course compete for two-year scholarships at the course. Scholarships contribute toward the cost of tuition and educational fees, and provide a fixed amount for textbooks, supplies, and equipment. Each scholarship student also receives a stipend of $300 per month for freshmen, $350 per month for sophomores, $450 per month for juniors, and $500 per month for seniors. Special consideration for an Army ROTC scholarship is given to students pursuing degrees in nursing, mathematics, computer science, the physical sciences, and other technical skills currently in demand in the Army. Students who receive a scholarship are required to obtain an undergraduate degree in the field in which the scholarship was awarded. Non-scholarship cadets also receive the allowance of up to $4,000 for each of their two years. Cadets who attend the Leader’s Training Course and the Leadership Development and Assessment Course receive pay for attending these courses.
Labs for all courses include the following:
- Physical fitness training (including diet and nutritional information)
- Hands-on military skills
- Tactical leadership training
- Practical hands-on exercises and the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) are used as diagnostic and evaluative tools
