The Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) provides classes that are open to all BYU students. There is no military commitment for those who want to learn about the military and participate in fun, yet educational, activities.
The beginning ROTC classes (Military Science 120 and 121) are two-credit courses that meet one day a week for 50 minutes in the classroom and for a three-hour lab on Thursday afternoons. Classroom instruction includes leadership training, land navigation, and basic soldier tactics.
In the labs, students learn how to work as a team and have opportunities to enhance their leadership abilities. Much of the lab training involves using paintball or airsoft weapons while conducting squad- and patrol-size missions. These missions include reconnaissance, ambushes, and raids and also make use of land navigation and first aid skills.
The purpose of the ROTC is to train students to become officers in the United States Army. For those who decide they want to pursue a career in the military, full-tuition scholarships are available. The scholarships pay around $15,400 a year. This money goes directly into the student’s bank account and can be spent as needed.
- Full tuition or room and board
- $600 each semester for books
- $420 each month for living expenses
- $100-$400 per month for students taking critical language classes
- Study abroad programs
Just like any other student at BYU, an ROTC cadet has the opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities. Many cadets participate in clubs, intramural and intercollegiate sports, and the performing arts.
Outside of the military institutions, the BYU Army ROTC program is the largest Army ROTC in the nation. With more than 100 cadets at each training lab, we can replicate real-world battle scenarios and our cadets can learn how to lead a squad-, platoon-, or even company-sized element. About 50 percent of our graduating cadets rank in the top 20 percent of graduating cadets nationwide.
For more information please contact recruiting operations officer Jack Sturgeon at (801) 422-7725 or at armyrotc@byu.edu.