The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (Air Force, Army and Navy) programs offer students the opportunity to receive a commission as an officer in the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. This program is in conjunction with a students’ major course of study and is similar to an academic minor. Both the Army ROTC and the Air Force ROTC programs offer two-year and four-year programs with options for undergraduate and graduate students, active duty and reserve. The Naval ROTC program offers the same with the exception that there is no support available for graduate students. All offer competitive scholarships and a varying degree of course credit. For more information, contact the ROTC offices on the University of Colorado’s Boulder or Downtown campuses.
ROTC Programs
Army ROTC is an elective program that can lead to a commission as an officer in the active Army, the Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. All Army ROTC classes are offered at UC Denver for freshmen, sophomores and juniors, at the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) and at Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Students interested in Army ROTC classes should contact the Department of Military Science at UC Denver. The Department of Military Science offers two programs for students.
Standard Four-Year Program
The four-year program consists of two phases: the basic course (freshman and sophomore years) and the advanced course (junior and senior years).
Basic
The basic course offers a 2- or 3-semester-hour class each semester covering Army history and organization as well as military leadership and management. Laboratory sessions provide the opportunity to apply leadership skills while learning basic military skills. Enrollment in the basic course incurs no military obligation except for Army scholarship recipients.
Advanced
The advanced course covers leadership, tactics and unit operations, training techniques, military law and professional ethics and includes a leadership practicum each semester. A 35-day summer advanced camp at Fort Lewis, Washington, provides challenging leadership training and is a prerequisite for commissioning. The advanced course students must have completed the basic course and obtain permission from the professor of military science.
Two-Year Program
The two-year program for academic juniors and graduate students consists of the advanced course, preceded by a four-week summer ROTC basic course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Veterans or students who have participated in three years of Junior ROTC or Civil Air Patrol may be eligible to enroll in the advanced course without attendance at basic camp or completion of the basic course. Inquiries on advanced placement should be directed to the Department of Military Science. The advanced course students must obtain permission from the professor of military science.
Students may participate in activities with the Buffalo Battalion’s Charlie Company located on the Auraria Campus, to include color guard, intramural sports, running club and ranger challenge. Weekly or Saturday leadership labs provide cadets with practical leadership experience and performance-oriented, hands-on instruction outside the classroom. Leadership labs are compulsory for enrolled cadets. PT is conducted three times a week with the purpose of developing muscular strength, endurance and cardio-respiratory endurance.
Qualified nursing students can compete for nursing scholarships. This scholarship can lead to a rewarding career as an Army Nurse Corps officer. Contact the Army ROTC enrollment officer at 303-492-3549 for information and benefits.
Registration
Students who wish to register for Army ROTC classes sign up for them through the normal course registration process. A ROTC classes begins with the MILR prefix. For more information about Army ROTC, contact the Department of Military Science office, which is conveniently located in the CCD Administration Building at South Classroom Building, Room 213 A/B, Auraria Campus, 303-352-7079.
Scholarship Programs
Four-year college scholarships are available to high school seniors, who should apply before December 1st of their senior year. Competition for two- and three-year scholarships is open to all University of Colorado students whether or not they are currently enrolled in ROTC. Scholarship students receive full tuition and laboratory fees, a $1,200 per-year book allowance and an allowance of $350-$500 per month during the academic year. Students interested in the scholarship program should contact the enrollment officer no later than the beginning of the spring semester to apply for the following academic year. Contact the enrollment and scholarship officer at 303-492-3549 or armyrotc@colorado.edu.