Military Science Department

Only if you sign a contract do you incur a service obligation as an Army officer. You are not obligated to sign a contract until your junior year, if you are fully qualified. You can serve either part-time (eight years reserve duty) or full-time (three years active duty if you did not have an ROTC scholarship, four years active duty if you did). All students are welcome to take our lower division courses, regardless of their interest in military service.

All cadets, whether scholarship or non-scholarship, sign a contract by their junior year to accept a commission in the United States Army. All commissioned officers from ROTC will serve an eight-year commitment. If commissioned into the active Army (serving full-time), most officers serve three to four years on active duty followed by four to five years in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR), The option to continue on active duty or not is based on the performance and preference of the officer. If commissioned into the reserves (serving only one weekend a month and two weeks during the year), there is an eight-year commitment. If the commissioned officer was not on scholarship, then the service commitment is six years as a drilling reservist and two years in the IRR.

There are two parts to the ROTC classes. You will participate in an academic class, as well as in an associated three-hour lab period. The lab teaches basic military skills and introduces cadets to the Army. You will learn drill and ceremonies, land navigation, patrolling skills, and more. The academic classes are electives that count toward graduation credits, taught by military officers and non-commissioned officers. These classes cover military leadership, history, military law, and other subjects which make for a well-rounded officer. In addition, the ROTC program includes a physical training portion to provide for physical development. There are many other extracurricular activities that cadets participate in as well.

Yes. All advanced course ROTC cadets must attend Advanced Camp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, either between their junior and senior year or after their senior year (thirty-five-day course). Selected contracted cadets will also have training opportunities to attend Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP), Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT), Airborne School, Air Assault School, etc. After their freshman or sophomore year, a contracted cadet may also attend Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET) at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for thirty days.