Department of Military Science

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Chairperson of Department: LTC Willie Rodney

Assistant Professors:  CPT Sharayah Rivera-Smith, CPT Winston Simmonds

Recruiting Operations Officers:  CPT Winston Simmonds, Leon H. Carr III

Supply Technician:  Edgardo Rivera

Mission

The mission of the Military Science Department is to develop leaders, commission the future officers of the United States Army and motivate young people to be better Americans. The mission is accomplished through recruiting, motivating, and training students who possess leadership potential. In achieving our mission, we provide a unique opportunity for our students by providing both training and experience in leadership and management. Army ROTC develops self-discipline, responsibility and confidence – qualities basic to success in the Army or in a civilian career. ROTC gives students a valuable opportunity to build for the future by helping them earn a college degree and an officer’s commission simultaneously. Students are encouraged to participate in campus activities, fraternal organizations, and school athletics as they pursue their commission to be an officer.

Morgan ROTC graduates are proven leaders, thinkers and decision-makers. They meet problems head on and solve them quickly. They learn how to adapt to situations and take charge. They will find that their background and experience in ROTC and the Army can be a valuable asset should they decide to pursue a civilian career. The practical experience they gain, by leading people and managing money and equipment, can place them far ahead of other graduates competing for jobs that lead to top positions in the military and in the civilian sector.

Objectives

• The Department of Military Science Program of Instruction is designed to develop:
• Personal integrity, honor, and ethics.
• A strong sense of individual responsibility and accountability.
• An understanding of the principles of military leadership, management and organization.
• The ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• A general knowledge of the historical development of the U.S. Army and its role in support of national objectives.An understanding of military life as a commissioned officer to include social and economic opportunities and leadership development.
• The ability to apply principles of leadership, management, and personal courage.

General Information

The Department of Military Science is a regular department of instruction of the University and the elective academic credits earned are credited to degrees offered by the other departments. The unit is of the General Military Science type and offers commissions in all branches of the Army to students who successfully complete the entire program.

• MISC 301  Social Science Elective
• MISC 302  Humanities Elective
• MISC 200  HEED 100  (2 Credits) and PHEC: (Any physical education activity course 1 credit.)

In addition, ROTC students may select the combination of MISC 200  (Leadership Development I) and HIST 327 - American Military Experience  to satisfy option 6 of the Liberal Arts Core.

Financial Assistance ROTC Scholarships

At Morgan State University, the award of a merit-based competitive Army ROTC scholarship could be the means to 100% payment of all college education costs. The ROTC scholarship pays for all tuition and fees at MSU. Four- year scholarship winners are automatically nominated for the Bridge Grant Program. Acceptance into the Bridge Grant Program results in the award of additional funding that covers room and board. Bridge Grant recipients must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Four-year scholarships will be awarded to students entering as college freshmen. Three- and two-year scholarships are awarded to students currently enrolled in college and Army enlisted personnel on active duty. Additional two- year scholarships are available to students who attend the Cadet Initial Entry Training. These scholarships are awarded based upon outstanding performance. Each scholarship pays for tuition, required educational fees, and provides a specified amount per year for books, supplies and equipment. Each scholarship also includes a monthly stipend. Please contact the Professor of Military Science for specific amounts at x3519.

Four-Year Scholarship Requirements
Be a U.S. citizen.
Be 17 years of age within the first semester in which scholarship benefits are to begin.
Take the SAT or ACT no later than November of the year you apply (must have a minimum 920 SAT [combined math and verbal score excluding the written portion] or composite 19 ACT).
Be a high school graduate or have equivalent credit with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher.
Show a pattern of leadership and participate in extracurricular activities.
Agree to accept a commission as either a Regular Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or Army National Guard Officer.
Meet required physical standards of 60 points in each event on the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Three-Year Scholarship Requirements
Be a U.S. citizen.
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Meet required physical standards of 60 points in each event on the Army Physical Fitness Test.
Have earned 25 or more credit hours and be able to graduate in three years.

Two-Year Scholarship Requirements
Be a U.S. citizen.
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Have 56 or more earned credit hours and be able to graduate in two years.
Meet required physical standards of 60 points in each event on the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Other Scholarships

Each academic year various organizations and other military-related activities make scholarship funds available to students enrolled in Army ROTC. Some organizations making these awards are USAA (United Services Automobile Association), AUSA (Association of the United States Army), VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), ROCKS, Inc., and the MSU ROTC Alumni Association.

Stipends

All contracted and/or scholarship cadets in the Basic and Advanced Course (Freshman through Senior) receive a monthly stipend based on their status: Freshman $300, Sophomore $350, Junior $450, Senior $500 Cadets also receive payment for attending the five-week Advanced Cadet Summer Training (CST) Two-year program cadets attending the Basic Cadet Summer Training are also paid while attending camp.

Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)

This program provides an opportunity for cadets who currently belong to a Reserve or National Guard Unit as enlisted soldiers to participate in the Army ROTC Program.

As reservists or guardsmen, these students, as freshmen or sophomores, can make up to $3,000 for one summer by attending the enlisted basic training and advanced individual training. This is in addition to money earned for the weekend drill with their unit.

A student accepted for the SMP and the Army ROTC Advanced Course (Junior and Senior level) retains affiliation with the Reserve or National Guard unit as an officer trainee, and receives pay for drills and assemblies plus up to $3,500 a year in monthly stipends.

SMP members are also eligible for certain veterans’ educational benefits, as well as benefits as a reservist or guardsman.

During their junior and senior years, cadets may convert their scholarships or accept a Guaranteed Reserve Force Duty or Designated Guard Scholarship, which reserves a slot for them in the Guard or Reserves upon commissioning.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans may be eligible to compete for ROTC scholar- ships, and may also receive any VA benefits to which they would be normally entitled. In addition, veterans who return to active duty as officers may use their prior active duty enlisted time toward longevity pay and retirement.

Commissioning Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of:
   The Basic Course (MISC103, 104, 200, 204 or Basic Cadet Summer Training)
   The Advanced Course (MISC 301, 302, 401,402) Advanced Cadet Summer Training)
   A course in Military History (HIST 327);
   e. Swimming diagnostic test
2. The cadet must:
   Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
   Pass a Department of Defense medical examination within 24 months of the date of commissioning;
   Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test within thirty (30) days of commissioning date; and
   Not have exceeded the 27th birthday by June 30th of the commissioning year for non-prior service cadets (32nd birthday for prior service cadets).

Program Description

The Military Science program is based on a four-year curriculum structured to be integrated with the normal baccalaureate degree program. The program provides flexibility through a number of options and alternatives. These alternatives recognize previous military related experience, such as Junior ROTC or prior military service and provide for accelerated or compressed instruction to allow late entry into the program.

The Four-Year Curriculum

The Four-Year Program is divided into two parts: The Basic Course and the Advanced Course.

The Basic Course is usually taken during the freshman and sophomore years of college (MISC 103, 104,200,204)) and covers such subjects as management principles, national defense, physical fitness, first aid and leadership development. There is no military obligation for enrollment in the Basic Course. After they have completed the Basic Course, students who have demonstrated the potential to become officers and who have met the physical, moral and scholastic standards are eligible to enroll in the Advanced Course.

The Advanced Course is usually taken during junior and senior years (MISC 301, 302, 401, 402). It includes instruction in organization and management, tactics, ethics, professionalism, and further leadership development.

During the summer between their junior and senior years, Advanced Course cadets attend a fully paid, five- week Cadet Summer Training. This course gives cadets the opportunity to put into practice the theories and principles they learned in the classroom and introduces them to life in the U.S. Army from both a garrison and a field perspective.

The Two-Year Program

The Two-Year Program is designed for juniors and community college graduates, transfer students, or students entering a two-year post-graduate course of study. Some students with prior military science also qualify for enrollment into the Advanced Course, along with the students in the four year program. Basic Cadet Summer Training will provide students the opportunity to gain the same experiences, knowledge, and skills as their con- temporaries who have taken the first two years of ROTC. Automatic enrollment into the Advanced Course is contingent on the completion of a fully-paid, five- week Basic Cadet Summer Training, normally held during the summer between their sophomore and junior years.

Placement Credit

The Chairperson of Military Science may elect to provide from one to two years placement credit for the Basic Course to the following categorized students:
3-year Junior ROTC graduate;
Honorably-discharged veterans;
Members of the Reserves or National Guard who have completed basic training;
Sophomores and 2nd year transfer students without two years Basic Course credit.

All students must be academically aligned as juniors (60 plus credits). Sophomores, 2nd year transfer students or community college graduates who have not completed the two-year Basic Course phase of ROTC may receive placement credit by attending a special Basic Cadet Summer Training. Interested students should contact the Military Science Department.

Students who are in one of the above categories should arrange for an interview with the Military Science Department to determine their status.

Programs

• Military Science Program

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