How to Join Army ROTC
Army ROTC is leadership training that leads to a commission as an Officer in the United States Army (Active or Reserve Forces). How do I join?
Freshmen
For freshman, the way to start is by registering for MSC
101 (Challenges in Leadership) and MSC 103 (Challenges in Leadership Lab) during
the fall semester or MSC 102 (Challenges in Leadership II) and MSC 104
(Challenges in Leadership Lab II) during the spring semester. This is the basic ROTC class; it does
not require any military obligation from those
students who choose to enroll. The great part about this class is that you
get to see if Army ROTC is right for you. The classes count as electives
in most majors. At the end of the year, if you are still interested in
becoming a contracted member of the Army ROTC program, you can continue to take
Basic ROTC courses until the end of your sophomore year. (Still, with no
military obligation). If you think Army ROTC and the prestige of an Army
Officers Commission is for you, you would then follow a sequence of courses that
will take you through your junior and senior years in the Advanced Army ROTC
program. As a junior you will be required to
contract with the Army and obligate to at least 8 years of service on either
active duty, or the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard. Your course work will
result in a commission in the United States Army (Active Duty, National Guard or
Army Reserve). If you have any questions feel free to
contact us.
Or call (256) 782-5601.
Sophomores
A sophomore is
someone who has completed at least 32credit hours and has approximately 3 years
remaining to earn their undergraduate degree. Sophomore courses do
not require any military obligation. Below we have listed the options available to a
student who is at this stage of their collegiate career. The options are:
1. Take MSC 101 or 102, "Challenges in
Leadership" along with their associated Labs (MSC 103 or MSC 104) and attend the
Leaders Training Course
in the summer (a 28-day course at Fort Knox, Kentucky). When you complete the Leaders Training Course you are able to contract
and receive financial assistance from the ROTC program.
2. Take MSC 201 or 202 "Leadership
Development" along with their associated Labs (MSC 203 or MSC 204) and attend the Leaders
Training Course in the summer (a 28-day course at Fort Knox, Kentucky). When you complete the Leaders Training Course you are able to contract
and receive financial assistance from the ROTC program.
3. Take no Army ROTC course. Wait until the end of
the Sophomore school year when you have approximately 64 credit hours; then
attend the
Leaders Training Course (LTC)
during the summer. After successful completion of LTC, you can contract and
receive
financial assistance from the Army ROTC program.
4. You can request to be
exempted from
the Basic Course classes by substituting your high school
JROTC experience
(any service) or
active/guard/reserve duty experience. This
requires the JSU Professor of Military Science (PMS) approval.
If you have any questions feel free to
contact us.
Or call (256) 782-5601.
Juniors
A junior is defined
as someone who has completed approximately 64 credit hours and has approximately
2 years remaining to complete their undergraduate degree. Students who are
classified as a junior have three options to entering the Army ROTC program.
They are:
1. Attend the Leaders Training course (a 28-day
course at Fort Knox, Kentucky) over the
summer, prior to the junior year. The course requires no obligation to the Army, and you receive pay while attending the
course.
2. Attend the junior level ROTC classes. At
the end of your junior year attend the Leaders Training Course. At the end
of your Senior Army ROTC year you would attend the Leadership Development
Assessment Course (LDAC) and be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at the
completion of LDAC that summer.
3.
Request exception through the PMS to allow high school JROTC, (2yrs) experience, to
substitute for the freshman and sophomore courses.
4. Request exception through the PMS to allow basic
training (any service) to substitute for the freshman and sophomore courses.
If you have any questions feel free to
contact us.
Or call (256) 782-5601.
Seniors
Senior students with
less than two years of college remaining have two options:
1. Stretch your academic work out to make you
eligible to be a full time student for at least two years (4 semesters).
2. Attend a two-year graduate program following
graduation and then follow one of the graduate options.
3. If qualified, request an exception to policy to
compress your junior and senior year ROTC courses into two semesters. You must
have received credit for the basic course classes (Freshman – Sophomore courses,
basic training, JROTC for 2yrs or attend the summertime Leaders Training Course
(LTC) before your senior year).
If you have any questions feel free to
contact us.
Or call (256) 782-5601.
Graduate Students
This is for students
who are currently enrolled in a two year graduate program. The options for these
students include:
1. Attend the Leaders Training course for 6 credit
hours at no charge. The course is held a Ft. Knox, KY, requires no
obligation
to the Army and you receive pay while attending the
course.
2. Attend the junior level ROTC classes and at the
end of your first graduate year attend the Leaders Training Course. At the
end of
your Senior Army ROTC year (second graduate year)
you would attend the Leadership Development Assessment Course
(LDAC) at Fort Lewis, Washington and be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at
the completion of LDAC that summer.
3. Request an exception to policy through the
Professor of Military Science to allow high school JROTC (2yrs) to substitute for the basic
course classes or have completed basic training (any service).
If you have any questions feel free to
contact us.
Or call (256) 782-5601.
Prior Service
Prior Service students, or currently serving service
members (U.S. Army Reserve & Army National Guard), are classified as students who have gone
through Basic training (in any service) in the Active Duty, Army Reserve or Army National
Guard. Prior service members do not have to take any of the basic courses (MSC
101,102, 201, 202) classes or attend the Leaders Training Course. Once a
prior service student has attained 60 credit hours they are eligible to contract
and receive financial assistance from the ROTC program. However, we
encourage prior service students to enroll in the basic courses if they have
less than 60 credit hours so that they can get to know their fellow cadets and
the cadre that will be assisting them through the program. Additionally,
they have valuable military experience that they can impart to the younger
cadets. Additionally, we can assist you in joining the Simultaneous
Membership Program (SMP). This will allow you to be a member of your guard
unit and the ROTC battalion at the same time. This program is great for
currently serving reserve and guard soldiers.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us. Or call (256) 782-5601.