Department of Military Science

Overview

Military instruction has been conducted at Texas A&M University since its founding in 1876. In 1916, the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) was formally established as a federal program and the Army ROTC program at Texas A&M University was one of the first nationally recognized programs. Army ROTC Cadets are proud members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets known as the “Guardians of Tradition” and the “Keepers of the Spirit” in Aggieland. Army ROTC cadets are leaders in a wide variety of university activities including student government, campus athletics, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Ross Volunteer Company, Parsons Mounted Calvary and Fish Drill Team. Members of the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team are selected from the famed Rudder’s Rangers student organization. The Texas A&M Ranger Challenge team has won multiple Army ROTC national competitions and consistently places in the top five at the Sandhurst International Military Skills Competition competition help at U.S. Military Academy.

Army ROTC classes are electives preparing qualified cadets to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army, Army National Guard, or US Army Reserve. The Army offers a variety of career fields to match a student’s education and interests with virtually no restrictions on the field of study (except for General Studies). Army ROTC graduates who accept a commission may enter one of 18 full-time or part-time career fields such as the Corps of Engineers, Aviation, Military Intelligence, Infantry, Armor, Air Defense Artillery, Field Artillery, Cyber, Signal, Finance, Chemical, Military Police, Ordnance, Transportation, Quartermaster, Adjutant General Corps, Medical Service Corps, or Nursing.

Highly qualified cadets may apply for an education delay program to pursue advanced degrees in divinity, medical, or law. Qualified cadets may also attend formal military training including: Air Assault, Airborne Course, Sapper Leaders Course, Basic Military Mountaineering Course, Cold Weather Operations Course, Jungle Warfare Course, or Combat Diver Qualification Course.

Curriculum

Basic Course (100 and 200 level MLSC Curriculum)

Army ROTC curriculum for the 100- and 200- level courses is designed to provide college students with foundational military training while also preparing them for leadership roles in the U.S. Army. These courses focus on developing teamwork, physical fitness, military knowledge, and personal discipline. The outcome is a foundation for the more advanced 300- and 400 level courses that are part of the ROTC program.

Cadets develop and refine their leadership by participating in physical training, tactically focused leadership labs, and one field training exercise per semester. There is NO military obligation for participation in the Basic Course. Students who are not part of the Corps of Cadets and who do not desire a commission in the Army may take Basic Course classes for academic credit as a participating student but are not permitted to attend leadership labs or conduct physical training. Cadets who have not completed four semesters of Basic Course classes and desire a commission in the Army (cadets from other ROTC programs, transfer students, graduate students) may attend the 30-day Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky during the summer after their freshman or sophomore year. Basic Camp provides an immersive experience in basic Soldier skills and replaces Military Science 100-200 level Army ROTC requirements preparing those Cadets for acceptance to the Advance Course.

Advanced Course (300 and 400 level MLSC Curriculum)

The Advanced Course curriculum for Army ROTC is designed for cadets in their junior and senior years (300- and 400- level courses) and focuses on preparing them to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. This stage of the program emphasizes physical fitness, advanced leadership development, military tactics, decision-making under pressure, critical thinking, and the skills necessary to lead Soldiers in a wide variety of operational environments.

At the 300 level (Junior Year), cadets are expected to contract with Army ROTC and will generally assume a military service obligation. 300 level classes focus on military operations and tactics, include required physical training, and a leadership laboratory once a week. This intermediate level of instruction is designed for cadets to take on greater responsibilities and deepen their tactical expertise by preparing them for Cadet Summer Training (CST). CST is a 5-week, hands on, leadership evaluation event held at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Army ROTC Juniors from across the United States seeking a commission in the U.S. Army attend CST after successfully passing their 300 level courses. Passing CST is a requirement for commissioning.

The 400 level (Senior Year) represents the final phase of the ROTC curriculum. Cadets are expected to take on even greater leadership roles, learn more complex military processes, and refine their thinking in preparation for commissioning as officers. As part of the required leadership laboratory, cadets in the 400 level curriculum are also assigned leadership roles within the Aggie Warrior Battalion responsible for planning, resourcing, and conducting training for the cadets in the 100-300 levels. This model is designed to prepare cadets to transition from college students to commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. Cadets will work with instructors in deciding which component (Active-Duty, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard) they will commission in, their selection of Army career fields, and begin preparing for their first duty assignment.

Qualified veterans may enroll directly into the ROTC Advanced Course. Veterans in the Advanced Program receive a tiered subsistence allowance of up to $500 per month in addition to their veterans’ benefits.

Stipends

All qualified cadets in the Army ROTC program who sign a commissioning contract receive a monthly subsistence allowance while a full time student (not during the summer, and prorated in August and May). Army ROTC cadets are also encouraged to take courses in strategic languages. Through the Army’s Culture and Language Incentives Program, students can earn up to $300 per credit hour for completing classes in qualifying languages.

Qualified students who join the Army National Guard or US Army Reserve, may participate in the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). This program allows student to train with local US Army Reserve or Army National Guard units while a cadet and earn approximately $250 extra per month. The total dollar amount for SMP cadets can reach up to $750 per month during their junior and senior years in Army ROTC. Tuition assistance paying between 75-100% of tuition costs is available through the U.S. Army Reserves and Texas Army National Guard.

Scholarships

The Army ROTC Scholarship program awards scholarships on a competitive basis to students entering Army ROTC as college freshmen. Qualified college students already enrolled in Army ROTC may compete for scholarships if federal funding is available. These scholarships pay the cost of tuition and required fees or room and board. Once a cadet is contracted with Army ROTC, they may qualify for the Texas A&M Patriot Scholarship through the Corps of Cadets. This additional scholarship covers remaining room and board fees (restrictions apply). Army ROTC Scholarship Cadets also receive a textbook allowance of $600 per semester for the duration of the scholarship.

The U.S. Army Health Profession Scholarship Program (HPSP) offers a unique opportunity for financial support to cadets who desire to continue their education beyond their undergraduate work by enrolling in a program that leads to a professional degree in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.

Contact

Texas A&M Army ROTC Staff and Cadre have a plethora of military and academic experience, and most have served multiple combat and operational deployments. They are dedicated to developing academically superior and physically fit commissioned officers recognized as outstanding leaders of character for the U.S. Army Officer Corps. For more information on Army ROTC programs, contact the Military Science Department and the Recruiting Operations Officer at (979) 845-2814 or at armyrotc@corps.tamu.edu.

Military Science (MLSC)

MLSC 121 Introduction to the United States Army I

Credits 2. 1 Lecture Hour. 3 Lab Hours. Introduction to the United States Army and the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); its purpose in the Army and its advantages; Army customs, courtesies, traditions, and Army values; Army history and individual soldier skills with an emphasis on leadership; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 122 Introduction to the United States Army II

Credits 2. 1 Lecture Hour. 3 Lab Hours. The second half of an introductory two-semester survey of the United States Army; principles of leadership, Army history, management theory and individual soldier skills; emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving skills; foundation for tactical and leadership concepts; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 221 Tactics and Leadership Theory I

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Dimensions of creative and innovative leadership strategies through team dynamics and leadership theories that form the basis of the Army leadership framework (trait and behavior theories); infantry tactics, techniques and procedures; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 222 Tactics and Leadership Theory II

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. The second half of a two-semester survey on leadership theory and infantry tactics; emphasis on leading tactical teams in a complex environment; Army planning and orders process; adaptive leadership styles in the context of military operations; case studies on the importance of teamwork and tactics in real-world scenarios; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 321 Adaptive Leadership and Tactical Operations I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Theoretical and practical application of adaptive leadership as it relates to planning, executing and evaluating complex tactical operations; ability to assess risk, ethical decision-making, managing people and critical thinking skills in a tactical environment; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 322 Adaptive Leadership and Tactical Operations II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. The second half of a two-semester survey on adaptive leadership and tactical operations; ethical decision-making, planning, executing and evaluating military operations at a tactical level; preparation to attend the Leadership, Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) for the Army's commissioning process; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 421 The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Advanced study, research and practical application of Army training, operations and doctrine; the military as a profession, functioning as a member of a staff, and officership; law of land warfare, principles of war, and rules of engagement and their application; duties and responsibilities of a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 422 The Army Officer and the Profession of Arms II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Dynamics of leadership in a complex world; cultural awareness, terrorism, non-governmental organizations, and operational security; off-site battlefield analysis and application of military concepts; maintaining an ethical climate in an organization, military support structures, and equal opportunity; duties and responsibilities of a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army; includes a leadership laboratory.

MLSC 485 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Other Hours. Directed study of problems in the field of military science. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification with approval of department head.

MLSC 489 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in an identified field of military science. May be repeated for credit.

MLSC 491 Research

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Research conducted under the direction of a faculty member in military science. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.