Register for ROTC Courses – No Commitment Required

ROTC Students in a classroom

Interested in learning leadership, building confidence, and challenging yourself in ways you won't find in a typical college class?

Army ROTC Basic Courses (Freshman and Sophomore years) are open to all students—no military obligation required. These courses combine engaging classroom instruction with exciting, hands-on experiences like land navigation, rappelling, first aid, and team-building exercises.

You’ll meet weekly for Military Science class and lab, where you’ll build leadership skills, get outdoors, and learn what it takes to lead in any environment. It’s a great way to experience ROTC, risk-free, and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Register through your MyCSC account or speak with your academic advisor to enroll today.

Army ROTC Course Plan

Explore the four-year Military Science & Leadership (MSL) program, designed to develop leadership, critical thinking, and tactical skills for future Army officers. Courses are divided into Basic and Advanced levels.

Basic Courses:

Freshman Year

Fall – MSL 101 & 101L: Introduction to the Army & Lab

Learn the foundations of the Army profession, leadership, and personal development.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Army structure, customs, and courtesies
  • Introduction to the Army Leadership Requirements Model (LRM)
  • ROTC program structure and benefits
  • Map reading and land navigation basics
  • Fieldcraft, first aid, and squad-level team building
  • Army Values and the scholar-athlete-warrior ethos
Spring – MSL 102 & 102L: Foundations of Agile and Adaptive Leadership & Lab

Develop critical personal and leadership competencies.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Resilience and holistic health & fitness
  • Effective communication and critical thinking
  • Introduction to tactics: team/squad roles and movements
  • Counseling techniques and leadership basics

Continued land navigation, team dynamics, and field skills

Sophomore Year

Fall – MSL 201 & 201L: Leadership and Decision Making & Lab

Explore ethics, values, and the Army profession through leadership analysis.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Army Values and Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)
  • Leadership styles and self-assessment
  • Cultural awareness and ethical decision-making
  • Case studies and small-group discussions
  • Squad-level leadership in training environments
Spring – MSL 202 & 202L: Army Doctrine and Team Development & Lab

Dive into Army planning processes and tactical leadership.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Troop Leading Procedures (TLPs)
  • OPORD format and mission planning
  • Multidomain operations and Army doctrine
  • Offensive and defensive squad tactics
  • Introduction to Army symbology and operational terms
Basic Camp (Optional for Late Joiners)

If you didn’t complete the freshman/sophomore MSL courses, you can still join ROTC!
Basic Camp (BC) is a 4-week summer program to catch up before entering MSL 300-level courses.

  • Travel, lodging, meals, and uniforms are provided
  • No military obligation is incurred

Advanced Courses (Junior–Senior):

Junior Year

Fall – MSL 301 & 301L: Training Management and Warfighting Functions & Lab

Apply advanced leadership by managing training and mission execution.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Fundamentals of training management
  • Planning and leading squad-level tactical operations
  • Understanding warfighting functions
  • Enhancing peer feedback and leader development
  • Leadership in diverse operational contexts
Spring – MSL 302 & 302L: Applied Leadership in Small Unit Operations & Lab

Put leadership theory into practice in tactical scenarios.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Platoon-level leadership and mission execution
  • Direct-level leadership under stress
  • Operational planning and navigation
  • Motivating and directing small unit teams
  • Peer leadership and self-evaluation

Senior Year

Fall – MSL 401 & 401L: The Army Officer & Lab

Prepare to lead as a commissioned officer in a complex operational environment.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Army operations process and mission planning
  • Small unit training and readiness
  • Multidomain operations and modern warfare
  • Mentoring junior cadets and leading labs
  • Officer responsibilities and ethical command
Spring – MSL 402 & 402L: Company Grade Leadership & Lab

Finalize your development as a junior officer and prepare for commissioning.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Company-grade officer responsibilities
  • Subordinate counseling and performance evaluation
  • Army career planning and ethics in leadership
  • Legal responsibilities and military law basics
  • Preparation for Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC B)

Other Requirements:

Military History Requirement

Cadets must complete one of the following history courses (typically junior or senior year):

  • HIST 151: US HISTORY TO 1877
  • HIST 152: US HISTORY SINCE 1877
  • HIST 460: U.S. Military History, 1607–1917

These courses explore key conflicts, the evolution of the military, technology, and civil-military relations in American history.

Advanced Camp (Summer Before Senior Year)

A required capstone for advanced course cadets, Advanced Camp (AC) tests leadership in a rigorous 4-week field environment.

  • Hands-on application of classroom instruction
  • Land navigation, weapons training, and tactical exercises
  • Evaluated in stressful leadership scenarios
  • Travel, lodging, meals, and uniforms provided