ROTC Programs
Military training has existed at MIT ever since the Institute opened its doors in 1865. More than 12,000 officers have been commissioned from MIT, of whom more than 150 have reached the rank of general or admiral. Students who are United States citizens or who have applied for citizenship, are of good moral character, and are medically qualified for military service, may enroll in the programs for leadership training. Non-citizens who fulfill naturalization requirements for citizenship prior to graduation may enroll and participate in the Army or Naval ROTC two-year non-scholarship programs. Any full-time MIT student may participate in the Army or Naval ROTC programs for leadership training.
All three programs—Air Force, Army, and Naval ROTC—have the following characteristics in common:
- Application is voluntary.
- Admission is selective.
- All admit men and women.
- Enrollment as a non-scholarship first-year student or sophomore does not involve a military service obligation.
- Most students enter the program at the beginning of their first year. However, entry up to the middle of the sophomore year is available. (For Army ROTC, students may enter at any time as long as they have four full semesters remaining until undergraduate or graduate degree completion).
- To be eligible for a commission as an officer in the Armed Forces, students must complete the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, including summer training, and earn their bachelor's degree. (Army ROTC students who are pursuing a graduate degree must complete the ROTC program, including summer training, and earn their graduate degree).
- Upon request by the student, any required summer employment financial aid contribution can be waived if summer training makes such employment impossible.
- Non-scholarship students may compete for ROTC scholarships, many of which cover full tuition and fees, and range from one to four years for the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
- Enrollment as a scholarship recipient beyond the first year generally creates an obligation of four years of active duty service in the Navy or Air Force, or four years of active duty or eight years of reserve duty in the National Guard or Reserve for the Army.
Aerospace Studies (AS), Military Science (MS), and Naval Science (NS) subjects are not included in a student's grade point average, and the credits do not count toward a degree. These subjects can be applied toward the Physical Education and Wellness Requirement. In some cases, the ROTC programs may include departmentally approved subjects that provide academic credit.
Students who accept a contract to become an officer must maintain acceptable levels of academic performance and physical fitness. ROTC academic performance requirements may exceed Institute standards. Breach or willful evasion of the contract could lead to a period of enlisted service or to repayment of scholarship funds.
Specific information concerning benefits, ROTC training programs, career opportunities, and contractual obligations can be obtained from the program offices listed in this section.
Air Force ROTC
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corpse (AFROTC) program at MIT prepares students to become commissioned officers in the Air Force or Space Force while earning a college degree. Students will learn the principles of leadership in the classroom and put them into practice through hands-on management experience and valuable leadership-building exercises. AFROTC students are part of a tight-knit community of driven individuals who enjoy college life just like every other student on campus, while having the opportunity to pay for school through AFROTC scholarship programs.
Training Program
AFROTC is typically a four-year program, though exceptions can be made if students only have three academic years remaining before graduation. Accreditation for AFROTC courses may also be given if a student has prior military service, experience in JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, or at a service academy.
During the first two years of AFROTC, students are in the General Military Course (GMC). In the last term in the GMC, students may compete for entry into the Professional Officer Course (POC) selection process. Selection into the POC is based on academic aptitude, fitness, performance in the GMC, the recommendation of the professor of aerospace studies, and needs of the service. Students selected for PSP and FA attend field training during the summer between the sophomore and junior years. Field training is held at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and is a two-week encampment that will evaluate your leadership potential and provide you the opportunity to expand your skills as both a leader and team member. Upon completion of field training, students enter the POC for the next two years before commissioning as an officer in the Air Force or Space Force.
Classroom Instruction
AFROTC offers a series of specialized classes and hands-on laboratories that give students a better understanding of the different functions of military leadership and provide the tools to help them succeed in their future career as an Air Force or Space Force officer.
Cadets in the program take two AFROTC classes per semester: Aerospace Studies (AS) and Leadership Laboratory (Lead Lab). The AS class is designed to educate students on a wide range of topics that progress through the students' time in AFROTC. Students learn everything from the basics of being in the Air Force or Space Force to leadership, management topics and national security issues.
In Lead Lab, students have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom learning. During Lead Lab, students are taught military drill and ceremonies, customs, and courtesies; hear from distinguished guest speakers; and most importantly, are given the opportunity to practice and hone their leadership skills. Lead Lab consists of a two-hour class held once per week and one-hour physical training sessions two times per week.
Scholarships
AFROTC scholarships are available on a competitive basis to qualified applicants. Scholarships may pay up to full tuition and authorized fees, include $900 per year for textbooks, and a $300–500 nontaxable allowance each month. All cadets who enter the POC and are not already on scholarship will be awarded the Charles McGee Leadership Award. This award pays $18,000 per year for two years and cannot be applied to graduate studies.
Housing Benefit
Any scholarship awardee will be allowed to convert their award for a $10,000 per-academic-year "housing scholarship" used for on-campus housing. This is for room only; board is not included and the conversion must begin at the start of the fall academic term, if exercised.
Students can apply for an AFROTC scholarship without incurring a service obligation. However, students awarded the scholarship do become obligated upon accepting and signing an agreement with the US Air Force or Space Force. The length of the initial service commitment depends on the student's career after graduation. Most officers have a four-year active-duty service commitment. Pilots have a 10-year active-duty service commitment, and both Combat System Officer and Air Battle Managers have a six-year service commitment upon completion of their respective training.
Eligibility Requirements
Academic Standards
Students must be enrolled full-time student at MIT, Harvard University, Tufts University, or Wellesley College and must successfully complete all Aerospace Studies courses and Leadership Laboratories that are part of the AFROTC curriculum. Cadets on a scholarship must maintain a 2.5 GPA; cadets not on scholarship must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
Fitness Requirements
The physical fitness test (PFT) is taken twice a year (fall and spring semesters) to ensure cadets meet fitness requirements. The PFT consists of a body mass index measurement, one minute of push-ups, one minute of sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. Cadets in the GMC and not on scholarship must take the test, but do not have to pass. Cadets in the POC and cadets on scholarship must pass each PFT.
Medical Requirements
Cadets must undergo a medical examination by a military doctor or designated civilian contractor. The medical examination will be scheduled and reviewed by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB). Examinations typically take 6–8 weeks to process, after which DoDMERB will determine whether they are medically qualified for the program. While the examination is processing, students can still participate in AFROTC with a completed sports physical.
Citizenship Requirements
Non-US citizens are eligible to participate in the GMC but must become a US citizen prior to attending field training and entering the POC. A student must be a US citizen to qualify for AFROTC scholarships.
Application Procedure
Interested students can sign up for the AFROTC program by visiting or contacting the Aerospace Studies Department, Room W59-114, 617-253-4475, afrotc@mit.edu.
Army ROTC
The Army ROTC program at MIT is designed to enhance a student's college education by integrating into the curriculum leadership and management theory with leadership practicum modules. Through coursework and in-class practical experience, students will develop decision-making skills, climate and culture understanding, and time-management skills—leadership qualities that are essential to success in any field, including corporate or research careers. Students completing the ROTC program earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Non-scholarship students may participate in the first two years of Army ROTC with no commitment to military service.
The Military Science and Leadership Program is a four-year program composed of the Basic Course (first and sophomore years) and the Advanced Course (junior and senior years).
Four-Year Program
The four-year curriculum combines classroom and leadership laboratory work. Any MIT student is eligible to participate in the leadership development courses regardless of academic grade.
During the summer between their junior and senior years, students participate in a four-week Advanced Camp (AC) at Fort Knox, KY (near Louisville). Upon graduation from college and successful completion of Advanced Camp, students are commissioned as officers in the US Army, US Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.
Two-Year Program
The two-year program is designed for students who did not complete the first two years of the Army ROTC program. If students have at least four semesters remaining in their academic program at MIT or are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, they may be eligible to participate in the Advanced Course. Students who do not complete all requirements of the Basic Course (first and sophomore years) of instruction must participate in a four-week training camp, called Basic Camp (BC) at Fort Knox, KY, unless they have successfully completed any service enlisted Basic Training Course or are a graduate of a certified Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program. Once students complete Basic Camp, they are eligible to receive the same benefits as members in the four-year program.
Scholarships
Army ROTC scholarships are available on a competitive basis to qualified applicants. Two-, three-, and four-year scholarships are available each year, and are awarded on campus through the professor of military science or through a national selection board. High school seniors may apply for four-year scholarships in conjunction with their application to MIT. Scholarships pay full tuition and all mandatory fees, plus $1,200 for books and supplies each year, and a tax-free stipend ranging from $450 per month. The scholarship is flexible and can be used for the either (1) tuition and all mandatory fees, or (2) room and board, but not combined to cover portions of both.
Program of Instruction
The Army ROTC curriculum is designed to enhance a student's college education by providing distinctive leadership and management training in conjunction with realistic experience. The program emphasizes leadership theory and practice, organizational management, public speaking, tactics, purpose and history of the military, and physical fitness.
Students enrolled in the first two years of the program attend one hour of class and three hours of physical fitness each week. Collegiate athletes, while the sport is in season, must pass the standard physical fitness test and then are exempt from ROTC physical training. In the final two years of the program, class and physical fitness total four to five hours per week. Students also participate in a weekly Leadership Lab that highlights a particular military activity. Finally, students participate in a field training exercise each semester that includes small unit tactics and leadership, firing and M4 carbine rifle, land navigation, rappelling, obstacle courses, and possibly a helicopter orientation ride.
Extracurricular Events
The ROTC program offers MIT students a wide spectrum of opportunities to participate in numerous challenging and rewarding extracurricular activities, such as high adventure training and field training exercises. Army Airborne, Air Assault, Mountain Warfare, and other military schooling and training programs are available on a voluntary basis to qualified cadets. Also, there are global summer internships available at national research laboratories, numerous Army bases, or the Pentagon. Finally, following graduation there are opportunities—primarily for students going on to law, medical, seminary, dental, or veterinary school—to defer the service obligation until completion of their graduate studies. Most of these graduate study opportunities are funded by the Army, once the applicant is accepted through a national board process.
Opportunities in the US Army Reserve/Army National Guard
Army ROTC offers opportunities to seek a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army National Guard or Army Reserve. This unique option provides the flexibility for newly commissioned officers to participate in the Army part time while pursuing an advanced degree or a full-time career.
Eligibility Criteria
Enrollment in the first-year and sophomore ROTC courses is open to all MIT students. To be eligible for Army ROTC scholarships and/or enrollment in the junior- and senior year ROTC courses, students must be citizens of the United States or on the path to citizenship and will become a citizen before they graduate; physically and medically qualified in accordance with existing Army regulations; and enrolled at MIT, Harvard University, Tufts University, Wellesley College, Lesley University, Endicott College, Gordon College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, or Salem State University as full-time students.
Application Procedure
Students normally apply for the four-year program during their junior and senior year in high school, but students may enroll in the course or apply for a campus-based scholarship each semester. Interested students can inquire about the Army ROTC program by visiting the Army ROTC office at W59-192 (201 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139), by calling 617-253-4471, by sending an email, or by visiting the website or the program's Facebook page.
