ROTC Curriculum

four recruits in class

It's not for everyone, but that's kind of the point. The instruction you receive in the Army ROTC will center around the Army's Leadership Development Program with a specific focus on basic soldier skills and small-unit tactics. This will take place both in the classroom and in the field, but you will have a normal daily schedule like all other college students. You can be a member of a fraternity, sorority, attend Duke Basketball games, and anything else you desire.

Our Program

The Army ROTC program is made up of a two-year Basic Course (first-year and sophomore-level) and a two-year Advanced Course study (junior and senior level or graduate student level), which includes a five-week leadership camp usually completed during the summer prior to the senior year.

  • Basic Course - Electives courses that teach you basic military skills and the fundamentals of Army leadership and the Army in general. You can take the Army ROTC Basic Courses without a military commitment. Basic Courses are normally taken during your first two years of college as elective courses. The Basic Course requirement consists of one elective classroom course and a lab each semester.
  • Advanced Course - Elective courses that help you become proficient at basic small-unit tactics and gain experience in team organization, planning and decision-making. Entering the Advanced Course requires a commitment to serve as an Officer in the US Army after you graduate. Advanced Course requirements are completed during your last two years in college as elective courses. The Advanced Course requirements consist of one elective class and lab each semester as well as Advanced Camp (also known as the Leader Development Assessment Course): a 30 evaluation and training event at Fort Knox, KY.

Typical Four-Year Program

  Fall Semester Spring Semester Summer
First-Year Student
  • MILITSCI 102S Introduction to Tactical Leadership
  • MILITSCI 92L Leadership Laboratory
 
Sophomore
  • MILITSCI 202 Foundations of Tactical Leadership
  • MILITSCI 92L Leadership Laboratory
 
Junior
  • MILITSCI 302 Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Military Leaders
  • MILITSCI 92L Leadership Laboratory
Advanced Camp
Senior
  • MILITSCI 402S Military Leadership in a Complex World
  • MILITSCI 94L Leadership Laboratory
 

 

Flexible Program for Late-Starting Undergraduates, Graduate Students or Individuals with Previous Military Experience

  Fall Semester Spring Semester Summer
Summer before ROTC coursework begins     Basic Camp
Junior Year/Graduate Study Year
  • MILITSCI302 
    Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Military Leaders
  • MILITSCI 92L Leadership Laboratory
Advanced Camp
Senior Year/Graduate Study Year
  • MILITSCI 402S Military Leadership in a Complex World
  • MILITSCI 94L Leadership Laboratory
 

Independent Study: MILITSCI 291 (full Credit); MILITSCI 291-1 (Half Credit)

Eligibility for Advance Course Training

To be eligible for participation in the Advance Course, students must successfully complete the basic course requirement (unless direct entry is approved), be physically qualified, be of good moral character, be a U.S. citizen, have a minimum of two years remaining as a student (undergraduate or graduate level), and sign a contract to accept a commission in the United States Army, the Army National Guard, or the Army Reserve as directed by the Secretary of the Army. Direct entry into the Advance Course is sometimes permitted if an applicant has previous military training or experience, or when a five-week leader’s training course is completed.