Academic Programs Catalog

The AFROTC program offers qualified high school applicants the opportunity to compete for a 4-year scholarship.  The application may be submitted online from July 1st of the student’s junior year through December 31st of their senior year of high school.  Visit www.afrotc.com for more information and the application for the High School Scholarship program.

In-College Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis for 2 to 3.5 years.  Applicants competing for In-College Scholarships must be enrolled as a cadet and nominated by a member of the detachment cadre (professor, associate, or assistant professors).  Enrollment in AFROTC courses alone does not constitute grounds for scholarship consideration.

Scholarships cover tuition, fees, a book allowance, and a monthly subsistence allowance referred to as a “stipend.”  Stipends range from $300-$500 monthly depending on the student’s academic classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior).

 

The GMC consists of four 1-credit courses, normally completed during the freshman and sophomore years.  The AS 100 level, "Heritage and Values of the United States Air Force," is a survey course designed to introduce students to the United States Air Force and provides an overview of the basic characteristics, missions, and organization of the Air Force.  The AS 200 level, "Team and Leadership Fundamentals," focuses on laying the foundation for teams and leadership. The topics include skills that will allow cadets to improve their leadership on a personal level and within a team. The courses will prepare cadets for their field training experience where they will be able to put the concepts learned into practice. The purpose is to instill a leadership mindset and to motivate sophomore students to transition from AFROTC cadet to AFROTC officer candidate.

Students in the three-year program must be concurrently enrolled in both the freshman (100-level) and the sophomore (200-level) courses each semester of their sophomore year.

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 POC on a competitive basis provided they have at least two years of full-time undergraduate course work remaining.  Performance in the GMC and the Field Training encampment are among the factors considered.

The POC consists of four 3-credit courses that extend over a two-year period.  The AS 300 level, "Leading People and Effective Communication," teaches cadets advanced skills and knowledge in management and leadership. Special emphasis is placed on enhancing leadership skills and communication. Cadets have an opportunity to try out these leadership and management techniques in a supervised environment as juniors and seniors.  The AS 400 level, "National Security Affairs/Preparation for Active Duty," is designed for college seniors and gives them the foundation to understand their role as military officers in American society. It is an overview of the complex social and political issues facing the military profession and requires a measure of sophistication commensurate with the senior college level. The final semester provides information that will prepare the cadets for Active Duty.

Students who successfully complete the requirements of the POC and their degree programs will be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force  and will enter active duty within one year.  Delay of entry to active duty to study at the master’s or doctoral level may be permitted.  There are many career opportunities individuals can qualify for, including but not limited to pilot, space and missile operations, cyberspace operations, engineering, medical and nursing career fields.

 

Leadership Laboratory consists of a series of 1-credit hour labs that accompany the academic class each semester throughout the program.  As part of the GMC and POC, the student is a member of an organized cadet corps that conducts a leadership laboratory.  Instruction is conducted within the framework of the cadet corps with a progression of experiences designed to develop each student’s leadership potential.
 

Students in the program compete to attend a two to three-week field training encampment at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.  Students attend this encampment the summer between their sophomore and junior years.  Encampment expenses are paid for by the U.S. Air Force.
 

PDTs are an integral component to the AFROTC curriculum and are comprised of outside-the-classroom events intended to motivate and inspire GMC cadets and to further development and enhance leadership skills for POC cadets.  PDTs are designed to progress cadets from academic experience into operational application and understanding of the Air Force.  Opportunities include Summer Programs at or with the United States Air Force Academy such as SOAR, Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory, Operations Air Force at various bases around the globe, or internships with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Global Strike Command, to name a few. For more information, visit http://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 75% 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.

OFA 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 finaid@msu.edu, or call 1-517-353-5940. 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, Faculty Senate, and University Committee on Academic Governance. The Office of Academic Governance provides staff support to various academic governance bodies, manages university-wide elections, and assists colleges, departments, and schools 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