Outcomes
- The student should be familiar with the basic foundations of military leadership and Soldier skills at the completion of the Freshmen Year.
- The student should know the basic foundations of military leadership and Soldier skills at the end of the sophomore year.
- The student should 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 7-week course at Fort Lewis, Washington where these skills and leadership principles will be applied in a simulated tactical environment.
- The student should 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 be committed to serving 8 years.
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 compress 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) 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 Lewis, Washington. This camp is normally attended during the summer between a student’s junior and senior year. It is a 33-day event that provides the best possible professional training and evaluation for all students participating in ROTC before commissioning. The camp mission includes continued military training and leadership development, but the primary focus is to evaluate each student’s Officer potential. This camp represents the only opportunity in ROTC to gather all qualified students from across the nation on one “level playing field” for the purposes of making those assessments. Successful completion of the camp is mandatory for commissioning.
