Reserve Officers' Training Corps: ARMY ROTC

NOTE: This document was generated from the 1995-1997 UIUC Programs of Study. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but be advised that requirements may have changed since this book was published. Errors may have also been introduced in the conversion to a WWW document. Thus for items of importance, it might be wise to seek confirmation from either the paper version or a live human being.

Military training has been given at the Urbana-Champaign campus since the University opened in 1868. Originally mandatory for all male undergraduates under the land-grant charter, the program became entirely voluntary in 1964. The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps is open to all University students, regardless of their academic majors or levels.

Program Description

The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps is an elective program that provides career opportunities, leadership experience, adventure training, and financial support to participating students. The program is a consecutive series of elective courses and other training, including leadership laboratories and field trips designed to prepare young men and women for leadership positions as officers in the U. S. Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. The leadership principles and management techniques presented, however, are equally applicable to success in any field. Financial support is provided both by state, federal, and named scholarships and by a subsistence allowance of $150 a month.

Leadership Training

Students' leadership is continuously developed through a Leadership Assessment Program (LAP). The LAP evaluates students' leadership potential in a variety of leadership roles and provides immediate feedback to students. Emphasis is on hands-on leadership experience. Cadets plan, organize, and evaluate much of the laboratory and field training.

Adventure Training

Training in mountaineering techniques (rappelling), land navigation, survival, rifle marksmanship, and waterborne operations is given to every student. Some students are selected to attend the Army airborne school, helicopter operations school, and leadership training with active and reserve units.

Financial Assistance Scholarships

Enrollment in Army ROTC can provide significant financial support to interested students, regardless of family financial need. Army ROTC offers three financial aid programs that provide support to Army ROTC cadets: the Army ROTC Federal Scholarship program, the Illinois State ROTC Scholarship program, and the Simultaneous Membership Program of the Army ROTC and the National Guard or Army Reserve. The federal scholarships are competitive scholarships available for college-bound high school juniors and seniors, and college freshmen and sophomores. These scholarships provide funds for tuition, University fees, books, and $150 a month for four, three, or two years, depending on the time of application. Illinois State ROTC Scholarships are competitive scholarships that provide full tuition waivers for ROTC students who are residents of the state. The Simultaneous Membership Program allows students to join the Army Reserve or Army National Guard and also to join Army ROTC. The program provides the student with increased reserve forces pay, benefits of the new GI Bill, and $100 a month from Army ROTC. Engineering students who are enrolled in Army ROTC are eligible for other additional financial aid through named scholarships. These students should contact the ROTC office for further details. All Army ROTC cadets, asa minimum, receive $150 a month for their last two years in the program if they meet the requirements for continuing.

Career Opportunities

The training and instruction are designed to prepare students to serve as officers in the U.S. Army. This may be full time, on active duty, or part time with the Army Reserve or National Guard. Service with the reserve forces allows pursuit of a civilian career while simultaneously serving the country as an officer. Approximately half of Army ROTC graduates pursue civilian careers and have discovered that their ROTC leadership training is an invaluable tool for success. For engineering students, a co-op program is available to allow students to work with government laboratories and projects while participating in the Army ROTC program.

Program Options

1. Four years--the student attends one military science course each semester.

2. Three and one-half years--the student takes two military science courses during the first semester, then one course each semester thereafter.

3. Three years--the student takes two military science courses per semester during the first year, then one course each semester thereafter.

4. Two years--those students with prior military experience (junior ROTC, prior military service) may receive credit for the first two years of Army ROTC and begin with the second two years. Also, students who are interested in the program, but who were not involved in ROTC during their first two years of college, may join during these last two years by attending a six-week camp during the summer, for which each student receives more than $600 in pay.

Academic Program

The first- and second-year educational program in military science consists of the courses MIL S 111, 111, 113, 121, and 123. These 2-hour courses are designed to give students a basic understanding of the national defense establishment, the role of the U.S. Army officer, military tactics, and military-related skills.

The third and fourth years of military science, consisting of MIL S 231, 233, 241, and 243, are designed to develop the skills and attitudes vital to assuming leadership positions.

A leadership laboratory is required with each academic course. The leadership laboratory is one and a half hours per week for the first two years and two hours per week the last two years. Practical experience is provided in military and leadership skills in a framework that provides maximum opportunity to develop each student's self-confidence, decisiveness, and leadership potential.

To develop the student's academic diversity, each student must complete a course in math reasoning, computer literacy, human behavioral science, oral/written communications, and military history, prior to being commissioned. These courses may be used to fulfill other academic degree requirements.

First year
HOURS FIRST SEMESTER
2 MIL S 111--Introduction to Military Science
HOURS SECOND SEMESTER
2 MIL S 113--Land Navigation

Second year
HOURS FIRST SEMESTER
2 MIL S 121--Military Mountaineering
HOURS SECOND SEMESTER
2 MIL S 123--Basic Military Marksmanship

Third year
HOURS FIRST SEMESTER
3 MIL S 231--Military Leadership
HOURS SECOND SEMESTER
3 MIL S 233--Military Operations

Fourth year
HOURS FIRST SEMESTER
3 MIL S 241--Military Law and Ethics
HOURS SECOND SEMESTER
3 MIL S 243--Military Management Systems

Enrollment in the third- and fourth-year courses and laboratories requires instructor approval. Non-U.S. citizens may require the consent of their governments to be ROTC students.

Enrollment in laboratories requires instructor approval, and students must meet service entrance requirements.

Additional Information

For additional information regarding any of these programs, contact the professor of military science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 113 Armory Building, 505 East Armory Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217) 333-1550.

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Reserve Officers' Training Corps
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