ROTC Curriculum

Army ROTC

The Military Science program is based on a four-year curriculum structured to be integrated with the normal baccalaureate degree program. The program provides flexibility through a number of options and alternatives. These alternatives recognize previous military related experience, such as Junior ROTC and prior military service and provide for accelerated or compressed instruction to allow late entry into the program.

• General Education Requirements (GER)
• Four-Year Curriculum
• Two-Year Curriculum
• Placement Credit
• Commissioning Requirements

The Department of Military Science is a regular department of instruction of the university and the elective academic credits earned are credited to degrees offered by the other departments. The unit is of the General Military Science type and offers commissions in all branches of the Army to selected students who successfully complete the entire program. On November 15, 2001 the recommendation of the Curriculum Standards and Policies Committee to substitute the following courses for ROTC Cadets only was approved. A total of 13 credits was approved.

*Additional Course: In order to earn the additional 2 credit hours needed to satisfy the GER requirements, ROTC students must take an additional CSU Interdisciplinary & Emerging Issues course.

The ROTC Program is based on a curriculum intended to be integrated with the normal baccalaureate degree program. Flexibility is provided through a number of options and alternatives. These alternatives recognize previous military related experience and provide accelerated or compressed instruction to allow late entry into the program.

The Four-Year Program is divided into two parts: The Basic Course and the Advanced Course.

The Basic Course is usually taken during the freshman and sophomore years of college (Military Science I and Military Science II, respectively) and covers such subjects as management principles, national defense, physical fitness, first aid and leadership development. There is no military obligation for enrollment in the Basic Course. After they have completed the Basic Course, students who have demonstrated the potential to become officers and who have met the physical, moral and scholastic standards are eligible to enroll in the Advanced Course.

The Advanced Course is usually taken during junior and senior years (Military Science III and Military Science IV, respectively). It includes instruction in organization and management, tactics, ethics, professionalism, and further leadership development.

During the summer between their junior and senior years, Advanced Course Cadets attend a fully paid, five week National Advanced Leadership Camp. This camp gives Cadets the opportunity to put into practice the theories and principles they learned in the classroom and introduces them to life in the U.S. Army from both a garrison and a field perspective.

The Two Year Program is designed for juniors and community college graduates, transfer students, or students entering a two year post graduated course of study. Some students with prior military science also qualify for enrollment into the Advanced Course, along with the students in the four year program. Leadership Training Camp will provide students the opportunity to gain the same experiences, knowledge, and skills as their contemporaries who have taken the first two years of ROTC. Automatic enrollment into the Advanced Course is contingent on the completion of a fully paid, five week Leadership Training Camp, normally held during the summer between their sophomore and junior years.

The Chairperson of Military Science may elect to provide from one or two years placement credit for the Basic Course to the following categorized students:

• 3 year Junior ROTC graduate;
• Honorably discharged veterans; and
• Members of the Reserves or National Guard who have completed basic training.

All students must be academically aligned as juniors.

Sophomores, 2nd year transfer students or community college graduates who have not completed the two year Basic Course phase of ROTC may receive placement credit by attending a special six week ROTC Leadership Training Camp offered during the summer. Interested students should contact the Military Science Department.

Students who are in one of the above categories should arrange for an interview with the Military Science Department to determine their status.

Commissioning Requirements

• Satisfactory completion of:
  • The Basic Course (via class attendance and/or placement credit)
  • The Advanced Course
  • The Advanced Camp
  • A course in Military History (HIST 327)
  • A Computer Literacy course
  • Satisfactory completion of the Enhanced Skills Training Program


• The student must:
  • Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA)
  • Pass a Department of Defense medical examination within 16 months of the date of commissioning
  • Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test within six (6) months of the date of commissioning
  • Not have exceeded the 30th birthday (27th for scholarship students) on date of commissioning

Satisfactory completion of:

• The Basic Course (via class attendance and/ or placement credit);
• The Advanced Course;
• The National Advanced Leadership Camp
• A course in Military History (HIST 327);
• Swimming test consisting of a 10-minute swim using any combination of four strokes (backstroke, freestyle, sidestroke, or breaststroke) and tread water for 5 minutes.
• Successful completion of CWST administered at NALC. The CWST consists of a
1. 15 meters Swim with a M-16, wearing BDUs, tennis shoes, and LBE ,
2. a 3 meter drop - walk off a 3 meter diving board blindfolded with weapon and LBE enter the water and remove blindfold, swim to side of pool without losing weapon
3. Equipment removal - Enter water and discard weapon and LBE. Swim to side of pool
• Satisfactory completion of the Enhanced Skills Training Program (See Program of Instruction).
• The Cadet must:
  1. Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
  2. Pass a Department of Defense medical examination within 24 months of the date of commissioning;
  3. Pass the Army Physical Fitness within six (6) months of the commissioning date; and,
  4. Not have exceeded the 27th birthday by June 30th of the commissioning year for non prior service Cadets (32nd birthday for prior service Cadets).