Army ROTC is an elective curriculum you take along with your required college classes. It prepares you with the tools, training and experiences that will help you succeed in any competitive environment. Along with great leadership training, Army ROTC can pay for your college tuition, too. You will have a normal college student experience like everyone else on campus, but when you graduate, you will begin your career as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Commitments
Army ROTC students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the Army ROTC Advanced Course must agree to complete a period of service with the Army.
- You can serve full-time (active duty) in the Army for 4 to 5 years based on the length of the scholarship (3 years for non-scholarship Cadets).
- Cadets may also choose to serve part-time for 8 years in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard (6 years for non-scholarship Cadets) while pursuing a civilian career.
Enrolling in the Army ROTC Basic Course does NOT involve a commitment of service to the Army unless you have received and accepted an Army ROTC scholarship or contracted as a non-scholarship Cadet as a sophomore or MS II Cadet.
Classes and Curriculum
Army ROTC students take classes like any other college student. You also attend your weekly MSL (Military Science and Leadership) classes from once to three times a week (depending on what grade you are in) and the weekly leadership lab. The weekly leadership labs are where you put to practice the knowledge that you have gained from your MSL class as well as learn Common Tasks that all soldiers need to know.
The MSL classes that are taught in each grade level are follows:
- MSL 101 - Introduction to the Army (1 cr.)
- MSL 102 - Foundations of Leadership (1 cr.)
- MSL 201 - Leadership and Ethics (2 cr.)
- MSL 202 - Army Doctrine and Decision Making (2 cr.)
- MSL 301 - Training Management and the Warfighting Function (3 cr.)
- MSL 302 - Applied Leadership in Small Unit Operations (3 cr.)
- MSL 401 - The Army Officer (3 cr.)
- MSL 402 - Company Grade Leadership (3 cr.)
In addition to these classes, the Leadership Lab is taken each semester and is 1 credit for each semester. The Cadets also receive 1 credit for the morning Physical Training class where we develop our physical strength and endurance. Every Army ROTC Cadet who enters into the Advanced Course attends the Cadet Advanced Leadership Course. This is a four-week summer course to evaluate and train all Army ROTC Cadets. This course normally takes place between your junior and senior years of college, and is conducted at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
