Army ROTC prepares college students for military service as commissioned officers in the active Army, or part-time in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard.

Scholarship first-year students and non-scholarship first and second-year students may enroll on a trial basis with no commitment to the military.

Students may leave the program or continue with advanced courses to earn a commission as an officer upon graduation.

Although the program is designed to start with new first-year students each fall, it's possible to enter the program as late fall of the junior year.

Students with prior military service or those who complete a 28-day summer training camp may bypass the freshmen and sophomore level training.

Various types and lengths of scholarships are available. Some of which guarantee duty in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard.

Program Commitment

First- and second-year cadets commit approximately five hours a week during the school year, while third- and fourth-year students commit approximately ten hours a week. Time is spent on weekly classes, physical training, monthly leadership labs and a semester field training exercise.

A Path to Success

Upon completion of the Army ROTC program, graduates will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army and will embark on specialized training in their first Army branch. Following officer branch training and a first assignment, Army officers may pursue additional specialized training and postgraduate education opportunities. They will be assigned to advanced leadership positions and to staff positions in upper management. Also, they may develop doctrine, teach military tactics or serve as advisors.

Cadets take on Ranger Challenge

A team of cadets from Penn College, Lycoming College, and Bucknell, Bloomsburg and Susquehanna universities recently represented the Bison Battalion Army ROTC Program in this year’s Second Freedom Brigade Ranger Challenge. The three-day competition, held at Camp Smith, N.Y., included a plethora of demanding events designed to evaluate each team’s ability to maintain attention to detail under constant physical duress.