2 Year Program
The two-year curriculum is provided for those students who are not able to complete the normal four-year curriculum before graduation. The Army ROTC two year curriculum falls into three distinct programs: Prior Service Program, Non-prior Service Program, and the Alternate Entry Option.
Prior Service
Students with previous military service are exempt from the first two years (Basic Course) of the four year program and may immediately enroll in the advance course, provided they are academically aligned (i.e. Prior service students must be academic juniors to enroll into the advanced course.). Prior Service students must then complete the Advanced Course as a full-time student for two full academic years to receive a commission.
Non-Prior Service
It is not too late for students who have not taken Army ROTC during their first two years of college. Students may attend the Army ROTC Leaders Training Course at Fort Knox, KY during the summer before their junior year of college. This course is one month long and upon completion, all graduates receive credit for the first two years (Basic Course) of the Army ROTC program and can enroll into the Advanced Course.
Leaders Training Course (LTC) allows students to:
- "Check-out" Army ROTC without any obligation. The decision to join Army ROTC is not made until the student completes LTC and returns to the college/university in the Fall
- Earn money for attending LTC (and be compensated for all food, travel, and lodging related to attending LTC)
- Compete for Army ROTC scholarships
Basic Camp (BC)
"Check-out" Army ROTC with no obligation. The decision to join Army ROTC is not made until you complete BC and return to Fitchburg State in the fall semester. Earn approximately $850 pay for attending (separate from the attendance bonus) and be compensated for all food, travel, and lodging related to travel expenses to and from BC. Compete for Army ROTC scholarships before and after attending BC
Alternate Entry Option
Allows first semester juniors or graduate degree students (two year program) to enroll and contract into Army ROTC at the start of the junior or graduate program. AEO Cadets would then attend basic camp between the junior and senior year or between the first and second year of a graduate program, then attend advance camp after degree completion and would then commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army as an End of Camp Commissionee. May also still qualify for scholarship consideration and or the $5,000 attendance bonus.
4 Year Program
The Army ROTC program is based on a four-year 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 experiences and provide accelerated or compressed instruction to allow late entry into the program.
The four years of on-campus instruction are designated Military Science (MS) I, II, III, and IV, corresponding to the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, respectively. The Basic Course comprises the MS I and MS II years. The Advanced course comprises the MSIII and MSIV years.
The program gives students the opportunity to take the Basic Course courses during the first two years of college without obligation to serve on active duty or in the reserve components. The decision to pursue a commission in the U.S. Army and to sign a contract (committing to getting a commission) is not made until the beginning of the Advanced Course or upon receiving an Army ROTC scholarship. Four, three and two-year scholarships are available.
Upon contracting as a junior or academically aligned sophomore, all cadets regardless of scholarship status receive $420 per month for up to 10 months (school year). In addition to the $420 per month scholarship, cadets receive either full tuition and mandatory fee benefits or housing and meal plan / food at a rate of $5,000 per semester for a total of $10,000 per year.
In the summer between the third and fourth years of college, cadets attend Advanced Camp (AC), a paid five-week summer camp at Fort Knox, KY. AC is a comprehensive leadership camp designed to acquaint cadets with the challenges of leadership. This camp affords cadets an opportunity to test and verify the leadership skills developed over the first three years of the ROTC program and to challenge themselves both mentally and physically.