What Is Army ROTC?

Military science offers opportunities to develop confidence, self-esteem, and leadership and life skills to succeed in college and beyond. It is an academic curriculum that supplements a student's major and is designed to prepare qualified, high-potential students for service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army and its Reserve components (the Army Reserve and Army National Guard).

The Military Science Program is composed of a two-year Basic Course, a two-year Advanced Course, and a four-week Advanced summer program. Non-scholarship students enrolling in only freshman- and sophomore-level classes incur no obligation to serve in the military after graduation.

 Upon completion of the requirements for the baccalaureate or master's degree and military science training requirements, students are commissioned as second lieutenants on Active Duty or in the Reserve Component.

 Four-year, three-year and two-year programs are offered. Each program includes the option for qualified students to benefit from a full-tuition scholarship and other financial benefits.  Incoming freshman scholarship winners may receive up to four years free room and board.

Four-Year Program
The four-year program is divided into two portions, each consisting of four classes normally taken in sequence. The first is the Basic Course, which is usually completed during the freshman and sophomore years. The second portion of the four-year program is called the Advanced Course; it is normally completed during the junior and senior years. To enroll in the Advanced Course, students must:

  • Successfully complete the Basic Course (or be given equivalent credit by the Professor of Military Science);
  • Be of good moral character;
  • Have a minimum of two years remaining as a full-time student;
  • Have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and;
  • Be physically qualified.

A paid and highly adventurous four-week training session between the junior and senior years is a critically important part of the Advanced Course. All Advanced Course students (both scholarship and non-scholarship) receive a monthly cash allowance while participating (full-time) in on-campus instruction.

Two-Year Program
The two-year program is designed for students who either transfer into S&T or elect to begin pursuing a commission in the fall of their junior year. It may include a paid four-week summer training session between the sophomore and junior years and the Advanced Course described under the four-year program. Application for the two-year program is normally made during the second semester of the sophomore year. However, the two-year program is also open to juniors and seniors planning attendance at graduate school. The monthly cash allowance for students in the two-year program is the same as for other students in the Advanced Course. Full-tuition scholarships are available for qualified two-year program applicants.