Program Overview

What is rotc?

The Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) provides classes that are open to all BYU students. There is no military commitment for those who just 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 fifty 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:

  • Full tuition or room and board
  • $600 each semester for books
  • $300-$500 each month for living expenses

All together, the scholarships pay around $11,000 each year. The ROTC scholarships also pay an extra $100 to $250 per month for students learning critical languages and will also pay for a study abroad program. 

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 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 hands on 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 us at (801) 422-7725, or email at armyrotc@byu.edu.       

Going on a mission?

Cadets who wish to serve a religious mission may take a two-year leave of absence from the ROTC program without endangering their scholarship. They just need to inform their ROTC instructor of their intent so the necessary paper work can be filled out. Many of our cadets have lived in other countries and speak a second language. We believe those experiences contribute to a higher level of maturity and cultural understanding that cannot be found at any other ROTC in the country.   

Scholarships

Salary and Benefits