PURPOSE

The Department of Military Science curriculum consists of the basic course (MIS 101, 102, 201, and 202) and the advanced course (MIS 301, 302, 401, and 402). The goal of this professional education curriculum is to prepare students with leadership potential to be commissioned as U.S. Army officers. Objectives include developing the following characteristics in the students: leadership and managerial skills; the ability to think creatively; the ability to speak and write effectively; appreciation of the requirements for national security; and an understanding of the nature and functions of the U.S. Army. Upon successful completion of the advanced course and graduation, qualified students receive commissions in the Active Army (on a competitive basis), U.S. Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.

In addition to the military science curriculum, core courses in the field of national defense studies are both an integral and parallel source of the department’s program. Integrally, they provide MIS courses at all levels with topical intensity and highlight such professionally related areas as military technology; weapons procurement; national intelligence, secrecy, and counterintelligence; civil-military relations; security coalitions and regional defense communities; national, regional, and global levels of strategy; generalship skill-in-action; deterrence dynamics and structure; military doctrine; service-branch livelihood, appropriations rivalry, and interservice cooperation; personnel recruitment, morale, training, advancement, and bureaucratic organization; military reform; threat and threat perception; military-historical experience and analogy; media and biographical insights; the rationale and matrices of security analysis and research; and independently selectable topics.

The department also fields an independent but parallel set of 400-level courses in the areas of geostrategic, politico-strategic, and national defense policy and analysis—available to students irrespective of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) status, departmental major, or college affiliation—for assigned credit toward General Studies, social science, and global awareness requirements for graduation. (See catalog qualifications for course 499 Independent Study.)

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Course. Any student who is enrolled in ASU (or approved by the professor of military science) can enter into military science basic classes. It is strongly recommended that the student be in good physical shape because some of the curriculum requires physical exertion.

Advanced Course. Any student who is enrolled in ASU (or approved by the professor of military science) may participate in military science advanced classes. However, to be fully enrolled in the advanced course and compete for and obtain a commission in the U.S. Army, students must meet the following requirements:

1. be a citizen of the United States (noncitizens may enroll but must obtain citizenship before commissioning);
2. be of sound physical condition and pass the U.S. Army physical fitness test;
3. meet the required professional military educational requirements; and
4. be at least 17 years of age for entrance into the advanced course and be able to complete all commissioning requirements before age 27.

Only those students in the basic and advanced courses who meet the required standards according to military regulations are eligible to receive financial assistance through the U.S. Army. Faculty of the Department of Military Science are available during normal office hours to answer questions or provide counseling.

The following are various options open to students who wish to obtain a commission in the U.S. Army. Contact the Department of Military Science personnel for more information.

Four-Year Program. Students may enroll in Army ROTC during their freshman year. They take the basic course during the first two years, receiving a total of 12 semester hours of credit for four semesters of study. Upon satisfying the requirements, they enter the advanced course, where they earn 12 additional semester hours for four semesters of study. Students are also required to attend a five-week advanced summer camp at Fort Lewis, Washington, between their junior and senior years. All commissioned officers must meet certain Professional Military Education requirements by completing courses in English, math, and computer literacy. Selected majors such as nursing, engineering, and architecture, among others, may require an additional semester or two, or summer school, to complete all requirements for a degree and commission without excessive course overloads. Upon successful completion of the advanced course and requirements for a degree, students are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Active Duty Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.

Two-Year Program. Students must have at least two academic years of college work remaining, either at the undergraduate or graduate level. The student must also have reached academic junior status. This program is open to all students with the exception of three- and four-year Army ROTC scholarship winners (see “Scholarship Programs”). Students seeking enrollment in the two-year program should make application during the spring semester of the calendar year in which they desire to enter the program. They must provide SAT/ACT scores and pass the Army physical fitness test. After successfully completing a paid five-week basic camp, students may enroll in the advanced course. (The camp is conducted during June and July at Fort Knox, Kentucky.) Students who have previous military experience or who are currently members of the National Guard or Reserves may be admitted directly into the two-year program, provided they are academic juniors. They then follow the same program and meet the same requirements as stated for advanced course students in the four-year program.

Qualifications for Admittance to the Advanced Course. The following qualifications are required for admittance to the advanced course:

1. successful completion of the basic course for the students in the four-year ROTC program; for the students in the two-year program, selection for and completion of the six-week basic summer camp or prior military service;
2. score at least 850 on SAT or 19 on ACT;
3. passing the Army physical examination;
4. achieving and maintaining the minimum cumulative GPA required for graduation in the student’s selected major, but no less than 2.00;
5. attainment of at least junior class standing; and
6. maintenance of full-time student status.

Pay and Allowances. Each advanced course student receives one-half the pay of a second lieutenant during attendance at the six-week advanced camp. Uniforms, housing, and meals are provided at camp without cost to the students, and they are reimbursed at the current mileage rate for travel to and from the camp. Students who attend basic camp receive the pay of an army recruit during attendance at basic camp as well as the current mileage rate for travel to and from the camp. All students in the advanced course, regardless of scholarship status, are paid about $1,500.00 tax-free for each of these two years.

Simultaneous Membership Program. Under this program, ROTC students may simultaneously be members of the Army Reserves or the National Guard. The combination of advance course allowance and pay for Army Reserve or National Guard participation provides more than $1,250.00 for each semester’s involvement.

Scholarship Programs. The Army ROTC offers scholarship programs for outstanding young men and women who are motivated toward a career as professional officers in the U.S. Army. These scholarships are awarded in varying amounts for tuition. In addition, the scholarship pays $150.00 per month subsistence allowance and $225.00 each semester for textbooks and supplies. A scholarship for four years is available to freshmen who enter the four-year program. Applications must be submitted in accordance with a schedule furnished by high school counselors. Selection is made on a nationwide basis. Scholarships are also available for three- and two-year periods, commencing with the sophomore and junior years of ROTC respectively. Applications are open to all students in good standing with the university; previous ROTC or military experience is not required for application for three- and two-year scholarships. Selection is made by a review board at the national level. Acceptance of any of the three scholarship programs requires a service commitment to serve in the Active Army for a period of up to four years after commissioning and graduation.

Active Duty Requirements. Graduates of Army ROTC may serve as officers in the Active Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves. Active duty commitments may vary from four years to as little as three months. Scholarship students have up to a four-year active duty commitment.

Graduate and Professional Studies Programs. A delay from call to active duty for up to four years is available to outstanding students who desire to earn graduate or professional degrees. Special programs for graduate and professional studies are available to both Regular Army appointees and U.S. Army Reserve appointees in the following areas: medicine, osteopathy, and clinical psychology.

Military Science (MIS) Courses

Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered.

1998–99 General Catalog Table of Contents

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