Which path a student chooses will depend on which branch of the service they want to join, and how much of a commitment they're prepared to make concurrently with their school work. Whichever path or branch you choose, the Office of Military-Affiliated Students is here to support you in your pursuit of a commission with the US military.
Military-Affiliated Students
ROTC & Commissioning Programs
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
ROTC, or Reserve Officers' Training Corps, is a college leadership program sponsored by the U.S. Military. Offered by the Army, Navy and Air Force (with the Naval ROTC including a Marine Corps commissioning track), ROTC awards qualified students full-tuition scholarships as well as monthly stipends. ROTC students become commissioned officers upon graduation and must fulfill a service obligation in their chosen branch.
Brown offers ROTC through partnerships with other local institutions, and Brown cadets/midshipmen conduct their training at the host institution:
Air Force ROTC develops the leaders of tomorrow by preparing students to become officers in the U.S. Air and Space Forces while earning a college degree.
Army ROTC is one of the best leadership programs in the country and is part of your college curriculum.
Join the Navy while attending college through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship program.
Curricular and Field Training
ROTC students receive curricular and field training in military science. Programs vary slightly between the services, but typical requirements include one to three hours of classroom instruction and three hours of physical fitness training per week, a one-hour weekly leadership lab, and a one weekend field-training exercise per semester. As of July 1, 2015, ROTC courses will be considered for Brown credit using the same criteria applied to other transfer courses, and all successfully-completed ROTC courses — credit or non — will be notated on a student's transcript.
Students who would like more information about ROTC opportunities at Brown should contact military@brown.edu. Students are also welcome to contact the partner units directly
Other Commissioning Programs
Officer Candidate School (OCS), run by each of the five branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) are open to civilians who hold at least a four-year college degree and meet age and security-clearance requirements.
The Marine Corps Platoon Leadership Class (PLC) is an opportunity to fulfill your commissioning requirements during the summertime, allowing you to fully concentrate on your studies during the school year.
The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) offers Medical School scholarships (covering all direct educational costs and providing a monthly stipend) that result in commissions with any branch of the military.
The Navy and Air Force offer specialty scholarships (including monthly stipends of around $3,000) for STEM students who commit to work in a specific field, such as nuclear propulsion or engineering.