Army ROTC/Military Science

The Yankee Battalion of the Fordham University Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program exists for college and university students in New York City and the Hudson Valley who

• Belong to a diverse service-oriented team and
• Grow as organizational leaders.

Our program enhances a student's college education by integrating leadership and management theory with leadership practicum modules in the curriculum. 

Through coursework and in-class practical experience, students develop decision-making, team-building, and time-management skills—leadership qualities essential to success in any field, including corporate and research careers.

Students completing the ROTC program may earn a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Students may participate in the first two years of Army ROTC with no commitment to military service, unless they accept an ROTC contract or scholarship during that time.

We offer a four-year program composed of the Basic Course (typically during the first and sophomore years) and the Advanced Course (typically during the junior and senior years). Graduate students and upper-level students may enroll directly into the Advanced Course under certain conditions.

Four-Year Program

The four-year curriculum combines classroom and leadership laboratory work. Any student is eligible to participate in leadership development courses regardless of academic grade.

During the summer between junior and senior year, students participate in a four-week intensive leadership development exercise at Fort Knox, Kentucky (near Louisville). Upon graduation from college and successful completion of the Advanced Course, students receive commissions as officers in the U.S. Army, U.S. 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 or are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, they may be eligible to participate in the Advanced Course. Students must validate Basic Course requirements through a variety of options, including attending a paid four-week summer course, taking additional coursework during their first year provided they meet eligibility requirements, demonstrating completion of any service’s enlisted Basic Training Course, or graduating from a certified Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Once students validate Basic Course requirements, 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 through a national selection board or by the Fordham ROTC program's professor of military science. High school seniors may apply for four-year scholarships through the national board. Scholarships provide full tuition and all mandatory fees, plus $1,200 for books and supplies each year, and a tax-free stipend of $420 or more per month. The scholarship is flexible in that it can be used for either of the following: tuition and all mandatory fees, or room and board.

Non-Scholarship Contracts

Contracts are available to students who have not yet received a scholarship or who do not desire to apply for one. Some contracts provide students a tax-free stipend ranging from $300 to $500 per month, and others afford students the chance to simultaneously study in ROTC while belonging to an Army Reserve or National Guard unit. These simultaneous membership programs offer additional benefits and incentives.

Program of Instruction

The Army ROTC curriculum provides distinctive leadership and management training in conjunction with realistic experience. The program emphasizes leadership theory and practice, organizational management, public speaking, leadership techniques and tactics, professional military ethics, history, resiliency, and wellness.

In the first two years of the program, students attend class once per week. Students may also join weekly practical applications and group workouts three times a week. If students sign a contract or accept scholarships, these weekly practical applications and group workouts become mandatory. Collegiate athletes who meet Army fitness standards are excused from physical fitness training while their sport is in season. 

In the program’s final two years, all students attend a weekly class and practical exercise, plus three group workouts a week. Students also participate in a field training exercise each semester that explores small unit leadership training, military tactics, land navigation, rappelling, obstacle negotiation, and familiarization with military equipment like helicopters, tanks, and communications equipment.

Extracurricular Events

The Fordham ROTC program offers students challenging and rewarding extracurricular activities, from community service to high-adventure training. During the academic year, the student-led cadet battalion plans and executes activities ranging from workouts to orienteering to social events like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the annual Military Ball. Students participate in ROTC color guards to represent the Army at events throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley, from professional sporting events to concerts in Carnegie Hall. Students can also attend a variety of professional and social events, galas, and ceremonies associated with the Army throughout New York. Fordham also offers a chapter of the Pershing Rifles ROTC Honor Society, recognizing exceptional ROTC students from all military services across the country.

During summers, ROTC students can attend military training such as courses in parachuting, helicopter operations, mountain operations, and combat engineering. We offer academic internships in foreign languages, cyber activities, national research laboratories, foreign military exchanges, and at Army units to prepare students for the wide range of Army officer jobs.

Students who desire to serve in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard may enroll in simultaneous membership programs that allow them to participate in a Reserve or National Guard unit while also studying in ROTC. This program generally entails one weekend of reserve duty a month and two weeks each summer, during which students will also receive reserve pay and benefits.

After graduation, we offer opportunities—primarily for students going on to law, medical, seminary, dental, or veterinary school—to defer service obligations until completion of graduate studies. Many graduate study opportunities are funded by the Army.

Eligibility Criteria

Enrollment in first-year and sophomore ROTC courses is open to all Fordham students and students from our 32 partner universities and colleges. 

To be eligible for Army ROTC scholarships and/or enrollment in junior- and senior-year ROTC courses, students must meet the following requirements:

• Be registered full-time students at Fordham or one of our partner colleges and universities,
• Have good moral character,
• Be medically able to participate, and 
• Be a United States citizen (with some exceptions). 

Application Procedure

Students normally apply for admission to the four-year program during their first year, but students may enroll in the course or apply for a campus-based scholarship each semester. 

Contact Us

To learn more about the Army ROTC program, including eligibility requirements and scholarship opportunities, please

• Visit fordham.edu/rotc;
• Visit our main office at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus, in Faculty Memorial Hall, Room 130;
• Email our Recruiting Operations Officer at rotcroo@fordham.edu; or
• Call us at 718-817-4798.

Army ROTC students may be granted credit for military science courses that fulfill certain degree requirements:

• MLSC 2101 Basic Leadership Development Phase 1 and MLSC 2201 Basic Leadership Development Phase 2  each receive three credits. These courses are typically taken during the second year of the ROTC Basic Course.
  • MLSC 2201 Basic Leadership Development Phase 2 may be substituted for the Gabelli School of Business' junior core management course (LPBU 3223 Principles of Management) when taken in combination with MLSC 3201 Advanced Leadership and Management Phase 2.
• In the junior year, MLSC 3201 Advanced Leadership and Management Phase 2  is a three-credit elective. 
• In the senior year, MLSC 4201 Command and Staff Training and Management Phase 2  counts as a four-credit, non-business elective. 

One additional credit may be added to each of these courses if done in conjunction with an approved Community Engaged Learning Credit Project such as the St. James Community Center After-School Tutoring Program or Boy Scout Troop Support.

Other military science courses are not applied to degree requirements. If a military science course is taken for credit, it may count as one of the courses in the student’s normal course load.

All ROTC courses are provided without charge to the student.

Basic Courses

Advanced Courses