College of Letters and Science
120S Student Activities Center
Box 951609
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1609
Military Science – Army ROTC
310-825-7381
Army ROTC e-mail
In accordance with the National Defense Act of 1920 and with the concurrence of the Regents of the University of California, a unit of the Army Senior Division Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) was established on the Los Angeles campus of in July 1920. Navy and Air Force units were established in 1938 and 1949 respectively.
This voluntary training in the Army ROTC program allows students to qualify for an officer’s commission in the Army while completing their college education. The ROTC curricula are not considered academic majors, but ROTC courses may be taken as free electives and applied toward the total course requirements of a major. For students contracted in the Military Science Department, 26 units of military science credit may be applied toward the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The ROTC program is also available through UCLA Extension.
All three ROTC departments offer voluntary four- and three-year programs for first years and sophomores. The Army and Navy/Marine Corps also offer a two-year program for current and transfer students. All have leadership laboratories that teach leadership and management skills.
All commissions are reserve commissions. Active duty obligation following commissioning varies depending on branch of service and designated career field or occupational specialty. The Army offers both active- and reserve-duty opportunities directly after commissioning.
ROTC scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to U.S. citizens regardless of parents’ income. Scholarships cover full tuition or housing (on or off campus) up to $12,000, a $1,200 allowance for books and fees, and a tax-free monetary allowance of $420 per month during the academic year. Applications for four-year scholarships may be obtained online. Completed four-year applications should be submitted by early March of the year preceding college matriculation. Two- and three-year scholarship applications may be obtained from the Military Science Department by e-mail or by calling 310-825-7381, and are considered when received.
Army ROTC is a program that enables students to become officers in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard while earning a college degree. The curriculum supplements students’ academic majors by offering elective courses ranging from leadership and management to military law. Courses are augmented with leadership laboratories that stress practical skills such as first aid, land navigation, survival techniques, rappelling, military tactics, and scenario-driven leadership reaction courses. Non-ROTC students may enroll in many of the military science courses without enrolling in the ROTC program.
Additionally, students who decide to become Army officers can receive summer training in military parachuting (Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA), helicopter operations that include rappelling from a hovering helicopter (Air Assault School in Hawaii), and mountaineering operations (Northern Warfare School in Alaska).
Scholarships are available for two, three, and four years of academic study and are awarded on a competitive basis. Army scholarships pay for full tuition and mandatory fees or housing, up to $12,000, and provide a stipend of $4,200 per year and a $1,200 book allowance. Nonscholarship, contracted ROTC cadets also receive the stipend of $4,200 per year. Students in the program also compete for over $50,000 in merit-based scholarships provided annually by various private organizations that support the Army ROTC program. Additionally, students may work part-time as officer trainees in local Army Reserves or National Guard units through the simultaneous membership program (SMP). Contracted students can fly free on military aircraft within the continental U.S. on a space-available basis.
Students may select a branch of the Army in which to be commissioned from 16 specialty fields, including military intelligence, aviation, signal communications, finance, logistics, nursing, and engineering. Prior to completion of the ROTC program, students may request to go on active duty or serve part-time in the Army Reserves or National Guard.
Students aspiring to become Army officers follow prescribed course sequences with the Military Science Department and a physical fitness program. Generally, the courses consist of one 2- to 4-unit course per term and physical fitness sessions one to three times per week, depending on the participation-level requirements.
The military science curriculum is divided into two parts: (1) the Basic Course, two years of lower-division study during which students must complete six military science courses and (2) the Advanced Course, two years of upper-division study consisting of six military science courses, one military history course, and a five-week summer camp.
Army ROTC students must satisfy the military history requirement by completing Military Science 110 or another history course approved by the chair.
Transfer students and others who were unable to enroll in the Basic Course can receive equivalent credit in several different ways (see Two-Year Program below).
Admission to the Advanced Course is limited to selected students who meet all academic and physical requirements. Students in this course receive a subsistence allowance of $420 per month for 10 months during each of the two academic years, plus military science uniforms. After completion of the Advanced Course and graduation, students have the opportunity to be commissioned as second lieutenants in one of the Army’s 16 specialty areas in either the Army National Guard, Reserves, or Active Army. Students’ preferences are a major factor in determining which specialty is awarded.
Students selected for Advanced ROTC must attend a five-week leadership development and assessment course between their Military Science III and IV years. Cadets receive an allowance for travel expenses and are paid for attendance.
The active duty obligation for those students selected to enter the Reserves or National Guard is for initial training, and only for a period of several months. The active duty obligation for those students commissioned into the Active Army is three years. Students who accept ROTC scholarships and enter the Active Army serve one additional year. ROTC students wishing to obtain certain advanced degrees may be granted a delay in reporting to their initial assignment.
Students are enrolled in the Basic Course (freshman and sophomore years) on a voluntary basis. After completion of the Basic Course and before entrance into the Advanced Course (junior and senior years), students are required to execute a contract with the Department of the Army agreeing to complete the Advanced Course and accept a commission if offered.
The two-year program is designed for students who receive placement credit for two years of ROTC and directly enter the Advanced Course. Placement credit may be given for completing three years of high school Junior ROTC, attending a paid ROTC Leader’s Training Course, membership in the Army Reserves or National Guard, completing two years of college-level Air Force or Navy ROTC, or previous active duty military service. The Army also allows enrollment in the two-year program while students attend graduate school.
Successful completion of the Advanced Course program and a bachelor’s degree may lead to a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves, National Guard, or Active Army.
