Academic Programs Catalog

AFROTC offers qualified high school students the opportunity to compete for a four-year scholarship. High school scholarship applications may be submitted online beginning July 1 of the student’s junior year through December 31 of the student’s senior year. For more information and to apply for the High School Scholarship Program (HSSP), visit afrotc.com. 

In-College Scholarships (ICSP) are awarded on a competitive basis for periods ranging from two to three and a half years. Students competing for In-College Scholarships must be enrolled as AFROTC cadets and nominated by detachment cadre, including the professor, associate professor, or assistant professors of Aerospace Studies. Enrollment in AFROTC courses alone does not guarantee scholarship consideration. 

The General Charles McGee Leadership Award (CMLA) is an in-college scholarship available to qualified upper-class cadets who have successfully completed Field Training, entered the Professional Officer Course, and are not already receiving an AFROTC scholarship. The award is intended to support cadets selected to continue toward commissioning in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force. CMLA benefits may include tuition support or, when authorized, conversion to a housing benefit. 

AFROTC scholarships may cover tuition, fees, a book allowance, and a monthly stipend. Stipends generally range from $300 to $500 per month, depending on the student’s academic classification. 

The General Military Course consists of four 1-credit courses normally completed during the first two years of the AFROTC program. The AS 100-level course, Heritage and Values of the United States Air Force, introduces students to the Department of the Air Force and provides an overview of the characteristics, missions, and organization of the Air Force and Space Force. 

The AS 200-level course, Team and Leadership Fundamentals, builds a foundation in leadership and team development. Course topics help cadets improve their personal leadership, contribute effectively to teams, and prepare for Field Training. The course is designed to develop a leadership mindset and help sophomore cadets transition from AFROTC cadets to officer candidates. 

Students in the three-year program must enroll concurrently in both the AS 100-level and AS 200-level courses during each semester of their first year in AFROTC. 

Portions of the GMC may be accredited for students with prior military experience or for students who transfer from another ROTC program. 

Students are accepted into the Professional Officer Course on a competitive basis. To enter the POC, students must normally have at least two years of full-time undergraduate coursework remaining. Performance in the GMC and at Field Training are among the factors considered for POC selection. 

The POC consists of four 3-credit courses completed over a two-year period. The AS 300-level course, Leading People and Effective Communication, develops advanced knowledge and skills in leadership, management, and communication. Cadets apply these concepts in supervised leadership positions within the cadet corps. 

The AS 400-level course, National Security Affairs/Preparation for Active Duty, is designed for senior cadets preparing to commission. The course examines the role of military officers in American society and addresses complex social, political, and professional issues facing the military. The final semester provides practical preparation for entry onto active duty. 

Students who successfully complete the POC and their degree programs commission as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force and normally enter active duty within one year. Delayed entry to active duty may be authorized for selected officers pursuing graduate or professional education. Career opportunities include, but are not limited to, pilot, space operations, missile operations, cyberspace operations, engineering, medical, and nursing career fields. 

Leadership Laboratory is a 1-credit course that accompanies the Aerospace Studies academic course each semester. Through Leadership Laboratory, cadets participate in an organized cadet corps and complete a progressive series of leadership experiences. These experiences are designed to develop each cadet’s leadership potential, military professionalism, communication skills, physical fitness, and understanding of Air Force and Space Force customs and courtesies. 

Cadets compete for selection to attend Field Training, a two-week program normally completed during the summer between the sophomore and junior years. Field Training is conducted at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and is required before entry into the Professional Officer Course. Field Training expenses are paid by the U.S. Air Force.

Professional Development Training programs are an important part of the AFROTC experience. PDTs are outside-the-classroom opportunities designed to motivate and inspire GMC cadets, further develop POC cadets, and connect academic instruction to operational application. 

PDT opportunities may include summer programs at or with the United States Air Force Academy, such as the USAFA Soaring Program, which introduces cadets to airmanship and the fundamentals of flight through glider operations; the Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory; Operations Air Force at Air Force and Space Force installations; and internships with organizations such as the Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Global Strike Command. 

For more information, visit afrotc.msu.edu, email airforce@msu.edu, or call 1-517-355-2168. 

To enroll in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, the student must:

1. Be of good moral character.
2. Be a citizen of the United States. (Foreign nationals may enroll by special request.)
3. Be enrolled as a full–time student at Michigan State University.
4. Execute an oath of loyalty to the United States.
5. Not be a conscientious objector.

Additional requirements exist for Advanced Course participation. Contact the Department of Military Science for specific information.

The department provides students with Army uniforms and equipment required for military training. Students also receive all textbooks required for Military Science classes from the department. Upon graduation or dis-enrollment, students must return all materials and equipment to the department.

The ROTC program offers four-year, three-year, and two-year scholarships to qualified students. An Army ROTC scholarship can provide all or most of the tuition and fees at Michigan State University.  The scholarship also provides an allowance for text books. Scholarship students also receive a monthly allowance for up to ten months per year ranging from $300 to $500. Scholarship students must meet university admissions criteria.

The Basic Course, normally completed in the freshman and sophomore years, provides the student with a general knowledge of the military's role in our society, and the missions of the Army.  It is possible for a sophomore to complete the Basic Course in one year through prior arrangement with the department. Non-scholarship students incur no military obligation for participating in or completing the Basic Course. Successful completion of the Basic Course is a prerequisite for enrollment in the ROTC Advanced course.  Additionally, selected sophomores and juniors can also qualify for the Basic Course by completing ROTC Basic Camp at Fort Knox, KY in the summer, or through prior military service, either active or reserve.

The Advanced Course is the professional phase of the ROTC program. The Advanced Course includes courses in leadership skills, training and personnel management, ethics, military justice, and military tactics. Students must complete a military history course through the Department of Military Science or through another approved list of MSU approved courses. Military Science IV students must complete a department approved staff ride during their final year of studies. Finally, all Advanced Course cadets must meet the Army standards for physical fitness and height/weight requirements. All Advanced Course students must attend a four–week Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, KY.  Students normally attend the Advanced Camp the summer between their junior and senior years.

Upon satisfactory completion of the Advanced Course requirements and the awarding of the bachelor's degree, the student is eligible for a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard.

Selected students participating in the ROTC program may attend Airborne, Air Assault, Sapper Leader Course, Mountain Warfare, or Northern Warfare training. Additionally, selected students have the opportunity to participate in a Project Global Officer, Nurse Summer Training Program, or Cadet Troop Leadership Training in which they perform the duties of an officer at an Army installation. Non–scholarship students in the Advanced Course may elect to serve as officer trainees in local National Guard and Army Reserve units, thereby receiving additional training, experience, and financial support while attending college.

 

Students with previous collegiate military training may receive transfer credit for corresponding Military Science courses completed satisfactorily in a senior division ROTC unit in another college or university. Students with prior military service may enroll for Advanced Course training. See www.armyrotc.msu.edu.

Keith Williams, Executive Director

The core mission of the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) is to assist Michigan State University students in funding their educational costs through federal, state, private, and institutional financial assistance that includes grants, scholarships, fellowships, work programs, and loans.  Approximately 80% of all MSU students receive some form of financial aid.

Approximately one-half of all financial aid is awarded based upon financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is completed annually by students and parents online at www.fafsa.gov.

Enrollment Services staff members advise students through individual meetings, phone calls, and e-mail regarding both short- and long-term financial assistance.  Additionally, they provide general college financing information for students, parents, faculty, staff, high school counselors, and prospective students through a variety of workshops, presentations, and events.

For information on available aid and the application process, visit the Office of Financial Aid Web site at www.finaid.msu.edu, e-mail onestop@msu.edu, or call 1-517-432-8000. Dedicated access email addresses and phone lines are available for graduate and professional students and can be found on the OFA website.

 

The Secretary for Academic Governance directs the Office of Academic Governance and serves as secretary and parliamentarian to the Academic Congress, University Council, Steering Committee, and Faculty Senate. The Office of Academic Governance provides staff support to various academic governance bodies, manages university-wide elections, and assists academic units with parliamentary inquiries and the preparation and interpretation of unit bylaws.

For more information, visit http://acadgov.msu.edu, e-mail acadgov@msu.edu, or call 1-517-355-2337.

Todd Edwards, Executive Director