The Leadership, Military Science and Aerospace Studies Department offers an interdisciplinary study of leadership which is available to any student on a non-discriminatory basis and may be taken without incurring a military service obligation. Students may pursue one or both of the departmental programs:
- Leadership Minor
- Commission in the US Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard, or US Air Force.
Commission
The academic pursuit of a commission as an officer in the United States Army is accomplished simultaneously as students meet the prerequisites for a degree in the discipline of their choice either undergraduate or graduate. The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) offers a progressive leadership education program that combines challenging academic study and practical training experiences in the theories, concepts and principles of leadership. Additional emphasis is also placed on organizational dynamics, resource management and ethical decision making. The completion of this departmental program prepares the college student to receive a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard.
The commission program is generally divided into a two-year Basic Phase (freshman and sophomore) and a two-year Advanced Phase (junior and senior). Alternate means of completing the on-campus Basic Phase are available to students desiring to enter the program at the Advanced Phase level. Students seeking a commission will be provided administrative assistance and counseling guidance by a faculty advisor from the Department of Leadership, Military Science and Aerospace Studies.
Students must have a minimum of two years remaining in their academic program - undergraduate or graduate - to successfully complete the academic program for a commission. During this period of upper division courses the qualified students will have a contractual commitment between themselves and the United States Army. Application for the Advance Phase should be initiated as early as possible by contacting the Department of Leadership, Military Science and Aerospace Studies, 4th floor, McCutchan Hall.
The US Army ROTC scholarship student leads essentially the same life as other college students. They may pursue the academic degree of their choice and they carry a normal academic course load. However, unlike the normal college student, the Army ROTC scholarship student receives tuition, laboratory fees, on-campus educational fees, and a flat rate of $1,200 a term from which they may purchase textbooks, classroom supplies and equipment. Army ROTC scholarship winners also receive a tax-free monthly subsistence allowance of $420 for 10 months for each year that the scholarship is in effect. Scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater are worth approximately $7,700 a year and they are available for 2, 3, 3 1/2 and 4-year periods to both men and women. Scholarship recipients are required to enroll in the ROTC Program in order to receive financial benefits. Scholarship applications are available at 4th floor, McCutchan Hall.
National Guard/Army Reserve Program
Qualified enlisted personnel currently serving in the US Army National Guard or US Army Reserve are permitted to simultaneously participate in the Advanced Course ROTC Officer Training program while enrolled as full-time students. Students participating in this program gain practical leadership experience while serving as a Cadet Officer Trainee with either the Army Reserve or National Guard. Both programs offer many financial benefits.
Though National Guard and Reserve members may participate in Air Force ROTC, prior to entry into their last two years of training they will be required to get a "Conditional Release" from them. For details on any ROTC program and eligibility requirements contact a representative in 4th floor, McCutchan Hall.