Military Science

Website: www.iup.edu/rotc
LTC Dennis Faulkner, Chair

Military Science Department

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

The United States Army established a Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at the university in 1950. The ROTC program facilitates leadership education that students can apply throughout their careers, be they in business, industry, technology, education, the physical sciences, or the humanities. All Military Science credits count toward graduation, and a student who completes the total program can earn a commission as a second lieutenant and receive placement in one of 24 professional officer specialties in the US Army, including Military Intelligence, Military Police, Signal, Medical Service, and the Corps of Engineers.

The ROTC program is divided into two phases: the Basic Course (freshman and sophomore years) and the Advanced Course (junior and senior years). In most cases, students progress through the ROTC program by enrolling in MLSC 101 and MLSC 102 as freshmen. By taking MLSC 101 and MLSC 102 , the student fulfills the university’s 3-credit Liberal Studies requirement in Health and Wellness. Students who continue in the Basic Course by enrolling in MLSC 203 and MLSC 204 as sophomores incur no military obligation, but they retain the opportunity to compete for a full-tuition ROTC scholarship. Whether they win an ROTC scholarship or not, all students who complete the Basic Course are eligible to enroll in the ROTC Advanced Course. All students receive financial assistance while they are enrolled in the Advanced Course.

What ROTC Offers

Comprehensive academic program in military leadership teaches practical skills such as physical fitness, adventure training, rappelling, marksmanship, orienteering, and first-aid techniques.
Regular ROTC classes for two semesters satisfy the mandatory Health and Wellness Liberal Studies requirement for graduation.
Equipment, ROTC textbooks, and uniforms are issued, without cost, to enrolled students.
Students enrolled in the Basic Course (MLSC 101 , MLSC 102 , MLSC 203 , and MLSC 204 ) become eligible for full-tuition scholarships and enrollment in the ROTC Advanced Course.
Students enrolled in the Advanced Course (MLSC 305 , MLSC 306 , MLSC 407 , and MLSC 408 ) receive a cash stipend ($450-$500 each month) for 10 months during the academic year.
Students who complete the Advanced Course and graduate from IUP receive commissions as second lieutenants and serve in one of three Army components: Active Army, National Guard, or Army Reserve.
Dedicated dorms in Stephenson Hall with discounted room and board rates.

ROTC Basic Course

The first two years of Military Science (MLSC 101 , MLSC 102 , MLSC 203 , and MLSC 204 ) provide a background of the historical role of military forces as well as current national military objectives. In addition, students develop basic leadership skills in problem solving and decision making and learn survival techniques, map reading, rappelling, and marksmanship. Graduates of the Basic Course incur no commitment to enroll in the ROTC Advanced Course and incur no obligation for military service. Students may enroll or withdraw from any of the four courses in the ROTC Basic Course under the same provisions and in the same manner as other academic courses at IUP. Veterans of US Armed Forces and students who complete the ROTC Leaders Training Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, may receive exemption from the ROTC Basic Course. Students who have completed a basic training course are awarded academic credits for MLSC 101 and MLSC 102 .

ROTC Advanced Course

The last two years of Military Science (MLSC 305 , MLSC 306 , MLSC 407 , and MLSC 408 ) compose the Advanced Course and lead to a commission as an officer in the US Army. To be eligible to enroll in the Advanced Course, a student must meet these criteria: be a citizen of the United States; be physically fit and pass a physical examination; be an enrolled academic junior or senior with at least a 2.0 GPA; be not less than 17 years of age but less than 39 by the anticipated graduation date; successfully complete the ROTC Basic Course or its equivalent; and be accepted by the professor of military science. Advanced Course students study advanced leadership, management, professional ethics, small unit tactics, military law, and instructional and training techniques. Practical application is the rule, and students have the opportunity to practice and polish their skills as members of the ROTC battalion leadership. Once Advanced Course students agree in writing to complete the Advanced Course, graduate on time, and accept a commission as an officer, they become eligible to receive a monthly tax-free cash stipend of $450 for 10 months of the academic year.

Scholarships

High school seniors are eligible to apply for a national four-year or three-year Advanced Designee Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded while the student is still in high school; the cadet must contract with the ROTC at the start of the freshman year of college. Information and criteria regarding who is eligible and how to apply can be found at www.goarmy.com/rotc.

IUP students can compete for campus-based 3.5-year, 3-year, 2.5-year, or 2-year scholarships, and graduate students can compete for campus-based two-year scholarships. Currently, the campus-based scholarships available are as follows:

Line Scholarship: Open to all majors, it allows cadets to compete for accession into any Army branch or component.
Nurse Scholarship: Open only to nursing majors, it allows cadets to compete for Active, Guard, or Reserve components.
STEM Scholarship: Open to all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors, it allows cadets to compete for accession into any Army branch or component.
Dedicated National Guard: Open to all majors, it dedicates cadets into service in the National Guard. Cadets must enter into the simultaneous membership program.
Dedicated Army Reserve: Open to all majors, it dedicates cadets into service in the US Army Reserves. Cadets must enter into the simultaneous membership program.
Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty: Open to all majors, it allows cadets to compete for either Army Reserve or Army National Guard duty. Cadets must enter into the simultaneous membership program.

All scholarships are competitive and are funding dependent. Once the scholarship is awarded, a military service obligation is incurred.