Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program
The Army ROTC Program
The focus of this program is to recruit, develop, and commission college-educated men and women to serve as officers in the United States Army. Participants in the program are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Army upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree. They will be expected to serve in either the active Army or in the Reserve components (Army Reserves or Army National Guard) after commissioning.
The program is centered on teaching the principles of leadership. These principles can be applied to positions in the military or in civilian careers. All courses of instruction are designed to develop leadership and management skills as well as enhance the self-confidence and initiative of each student.
Military Science is taken in addition to the required courses for each student’s major.
ROTC is a four-year program that is divided into two phases: the basic course and the advanced course.
Military Science Outcomes
- The student will be familiar with the basic foundations of military leadership and Soldier skills at the completion of the Freshmen Year.
- The student will know the basic foundations of military leadership and Soldier skills at the end of the sophomore year.
- The student will be able to apply their own Soldier skills in order to lead a small unit in a tactical environment at the end of the junior year. The student will attend a four-week course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where these skills and leadership principles will be applied in a simulated tactical environment.
- The student will be familiar with the programs and administrative aspects of the United States Army as well as applied leadership and mentorship principles while training lower classmen at the end of the senior year.
- The student will graduate with a Bachelor degree, commission as a Second Lieutenant into the United States Army, and commit to serving eight years. The eight years will either be four years in the Active Army and four years in the Individual Ready Reserve or six years in the National Guard/Army Reserve and two years in the Individual Ready Reserve.
The Basic Course
The focus for these lower division courses (MS 1000/2000 courses) is to lay a foundation for more advanced instruction in the skills needed to be a successful leader. Students may participate, even if they do not plan on receiving a commission, in order to gain experience in leadership and management.
This phase is open to all qualified students (generally freshmen and sophomores). Students should be aware that physical training is required for successful course completion.
There is no military obligation for participation in the basic course unless a student is receiving an Army ROTC scholarship.
Sophomores wanting to complete the basic course requirements so that they may enter the advanced course can accelerate the basic course and/or attend the Leader’s Training Course during the summer between their sophomore and junior years. For further information please see below and contact the Department of Military Science.
The Advanced Course
The advanced course (MS 3000/4000 level courses) is oriented to preparing students (juniors and seniors) who have successfully completed the basic course requirements with the skills and knowledge necessary to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. The focus of the advanced course continues on building leadership skills and abilities.
Students participating in the advanced course have a contractual obligation to complete the program and enter the Army upon graduation.
Students must have a minimum of four semesters remaining in their course work before graduation to participate in the advanced course and they must be in a full-time status (12 credit hours per semester, including ROTC) during each of those semesters.
Entry into the Advanced Course
Credit for the basic course for entry into the advanced course may be achieved in a number of ways. The normal progression is to successfully complete all four basic course military science classes (MS 1010, 1020, 2010 and 2020) with a grade of C or better. Students can also enter the course laterally by receiving credit for one of the following:
- Prior enlisted service in the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines
- Participation of a minimum of three years in a JROTC program
- At least one year as a service academy Cadet
- Successful completion of the Army ROTC Leaders’ Training Course (LTC).
LTC training is available to students who did not have the opportunity to participate in any of the above programs. The five-week course is conducted every summer at Fort Knox, KY. Participants receive pay while attending. The Army also pays travel and some other expenses. For more information contact the Department of Military Science.
Leadership Development Assessment Course
Students participating in the advanced course will be required to attend the Leadership Development Assessment Course (LDAC) which is conducted annually at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This camp is normally attended during the summer between a student’s junior and senior year. It is a 29-day event that provides the best possible professional training, development and assessment for all students participating in ROTC before commissioning. The course mission includes continued military training and leadership development, but the primary focus is to evaluate each student’s officer potential. This course represents the only opportunity in ROTC to gather all qualified students from the 273 colleges and universities across the nation on one “level playing field” for the purposes of making those assessments. Successful completion of LDAC is mandatory for commissioning.
Scholarship Information
The Army ROTC Scholarship program provides financial assistance for the education and training of highly-motivated men and women who desire to pursue careers as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army after graduation with a bachelor’s degree. Four-, three- and two-year scholarships are available to qualified candidates. The scholarship pays for school tuition and fees, $1200 annual book allowance, and provides the student with a monthly, tax-free stipend of between $300 and $500 per month for up to ten months per year (depending on academic status). For more information pertaining to scholarships and enrollment eligibility please contact Mr. Don Caughey at (719) 255-3475 or dcaughey@uccs.edu.
