Frequently Asked Question

Army Reserve Officer Training Corps is one of the best leadership courses in the country and is part of your college curriculum. Army ROTC instills discipline, fosters teamwork and teaches you how to lead, and can help pay for college if awarded a scholarship. It is the Army’s primary source for future Army officers in the Regular Army, Army Reserves, or National Guard.

Any HU student can join Army ROTC by enrolling in the first two years of academic courses, Military Science (MSCI) 100, 101/102, and then MSCI 200, 201/202.  Academically sound (minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5), medically qualified and physically fit cadets can later contract for the Advance level program for their third and fourth years.

Through HUNet during orientation course registration (advisor meeting) or during open enrollment the first week of classes. Enroll in the lecture MSC 101-01, and the Leadership Lab MSC 101-60. If you’re a transfer student, contact the Recruiting Operations Officer (757-727-5850, or johnr.mcdonald@hamptonu.edu) to determine which classes are right for you based on your academic level and whether you’ve taken any military science classes at another college or university.

All cadets have Physical Training (PT) three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 6:00am until 7am. During the week, cadets have academic classes just like all the other students at HU. The MSC 101 classes are on Wednesdays, and the MSCI 101-60 Leadership meets on Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 – 4:40pm. There are occasional training events on Saturdays, and off site field training exercises one weekend each semester.

The primary benefit is leadership training, and for some a pathway to commissioning as an officer in the US Army, Reserves or National Guard. There are internship and other paid summer training opportunities. For example, there is the Nursing Summer Training Program that places Nursing Cadets in hands-on clinical settings in Army hospitals worldwide.  The monetary benefit for contracted scholarship cadets pays full tuition and fees, or $10,000 per academic year for room and board, plus $1,200/year for books and supplies. All contracted cadets receive a $420 monthly stipend while in school (ten months each year).

Our offices are located on the second floor of the Armstrong-Slater Building.  For physical fitness, we train at various locations on campus, mainly on Bemis Field in front of Bemis Laboratories.

Enrolling in Army ROTC is not “joining the Army”.   You will not be sent to Basic Training. However, the primary purpose of the Army ROTC program is to produce Officers, so young adults must agree to serve as Officers in the Army after graduation in order to go through the entire program, or if they have received an ROTC Scholarship that provides full and partial scholarships to receive a college degree with immediate job placement as a leader and manager in the U.S. Army. Enrolling in the ROTC Basic Course (the first two years of college) does NOT obligate you to serve unless they have also received a scholarship.  You can just “try it out” to see if it’s for you.

Army ROTC offers two, three and four-year scholarships, which pay full tuition and fees, include a separate allowance for books, and a monthly stipend of $420 a month during the academic year.  Army ROTC scholarships are not retroactive, and are based on merit.  For current college students, applications are completed after students are enrolled in MSCI classes and classes begin during each semester.  Cadets are placed on an Order of Merit list for consideration based on performance.

Go to https://my.goarmy.com/ to apply.

If selected for active duty (full time), Scholarship winners must serve for four years; non-scholarship Cadets who enroll in the ROTC Advanced Course must serve for three years. All who graduate and complete ROTC training are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in one of the U.S. Army components (Active duty, Reserves, National Guard), and have a minimum 8 year commitment.

Army ROTC students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the Army ROTC Advanced Course must agree to complete an eight-year period of service with the Army. You can serve full time in the Army for three years (four years for scholarship winners), with the balance in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Selected cadets may choose to serve part time in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard while pursuing a civilian career.

Army ROTC is one of the only college programs that teaches leadership. This training is invaluable for any career that involves leading, managing and motivating people or fostering teamwork. Young Army Officers are typically responsible for hundreds of Soldiers and millions of dollars in equipment; this kind of management experience can be very attractive for post-Army employers.

The Army offers a wider range of career opportunities, in more places around the world, than any other U.S. military branch.

Army ROTC Cadets are allowed to major in whatever area of study you choose.

Army ROTC classes normally involve one elective class and one lab per semester. Although the classes involve hands-on fieldwork as well as classroom work, they are standard college classes that fit into a normal academic schedule. These courses can help students with personal and academic decision-making while giving them the tools to exercise leadership in college life, even before graduating and becoming Officers.

Army ROTC Cadets have the same lifestyles and academic schedules as any other college students. They join fraternities and sororities. They participate in varsity team and individual sports. They take part in community service projects. But there are two intensive courses that take place on Army Posts, usually during the summer:

ROTC Basic Camp—This four-week summer course at Fort Knox, KY is ONLY for students who enroll in Army ROTC without having taken the first two years of military science classes.

ROTC Advance Camp —All Cadets who enter the Advanced Course must attend this five-week summer course at Fort Knox, KY between their junior and senior years.

No, cadets in ROTC are not on active duty. In regards to deployments, it depends on the Army branch the Cadet chooses and the unit to which he/she is

assigned.  However, Army missions and challenges are always changing, so there’s no way to know in advance which specialties and units will be needed where. All Soldiers in the Army or Army Reserve face the possibility of deployment at some point during their careers. But all Soldiers are fully trained and proficient in the tasks and drills of their units. Officers are specifically trained to make the right decisions so that missions can be carried out safely and successfully.

Yes. Selected Cadets may choose to serve part-time in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard while pursuing a civilian career.

Army ROTC graduates are commissioned as U.S. Army Second Lieutenants. They then receive specialized training in one of 17 different Army branches, or career fields. During their Army careers, they’ll receive regular professional training as they advance through the ranks, and they’ll have many opportunities for advanced leadership positions and post-graduate education.

To get general information, you can go to the Army’s website: www.GoArmy.com/rotc.

For specific information not mentioned here you can also email us at johnr.mcdonald@hamptonu.edu.