Army ROTC Nursing Program

Army ROTC provides an opportunity for nursing students to receive practical hands-on leadership experience. The courses provide a chance for students to develop management, communication and decision-making skills in a non-threatening environment.

Physical training and confidence-building activities (i.e. rappelling, obstacle courses) also provide a chance for students to be physically and mentally challenged. Students who are interested in obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) may enroll in ROTC as a freshman, sophomore or as late as an entering college junior.

Upon completion of the program, students are commissioned as officers in the United States Army.

Financial Benefits

There are two-, three- and four-year scholarship opportunities available to qualified students.

All scholarships provide:

• coverage of full tuition and fees
• $1,200 per year for books
• additional reimbursement for required nursing uniforms, equipment and testing fees
• monthly tax-free stipend during the school year. (freshman-$300/month, sophomore-$350/month, junior-$450/month, senior-$500/month)

Criteria for scholarships:

• United States citizenship
• High School graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Minimum SAT of 1000 or ACT of 19
• Physically fit and medically qualified
• Under 31 years of age on Dec. 31 of the commission/graduation year
• Good moral character

Non-Scholarship Students

Students can participate in ROTC as a non-scholarship contracted cadet and receive the monthly stipend during the junior and senior years.

Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP)

NSTP is a clinical elective conducted the summer between your junior and senior year. There are several Army hospitals in the United States, Hawaii and Germany that are NSTP sites. During NSTP you will receive experience under the direct supervision of a preceptor — an Army Nurse Corps officer who works with you one-on-one. You will be introduced to the roles, responsibilities and expectations of a new officer in the Army Nurse Corps while gaining progressive experience and leadership opportunities in a clinical setting.

After Graduation

You will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After the you pass the NCLEX, you will attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Tx., prior to reporting to your first assignment.

At BOLC (12 weeks), you will study basic army knowledge and the functioning of an army unit. The first assignment, which is determined by evaluating college performance, ROTC standing, and personal preferences, can be one of over 25 hospitals in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Germany or Korea. Once you have been working as an Army Nurse (on active duty) for one year, you are eligible to attend a clinical specialty course of your choice.

Currently, the course choices are: Perioperative Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Obstetrical and Gynecological Nursing, and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Emergency Nursing, and Public Health Nursing. You also have the opportunity, as a member of the Army Nurse Corps, to apply for fully funded Masters Degree programs, such as Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Anesthesia Nursing, MSN/Clinical Nurse Specialist, and the Baylor Health Care Administration Program.

Service Obligation

Scholarship Recipients: The total service obligation is eight years, of which the first four are active duty. At the completion of the first four years, the remaining four years may be completed on active duty or in the Army Reserves.

Non-scholarship Recipients: The total service obligation is eight years. The active duty service commitment will be three years. At the completion of the first three years, one may elect to continue on active duty or enter the Army Reserves for the remaining five years.

Application Procedures

Four-Year Scholarship Applications: Applications are available online or to receive a copy by mail call 1-800-USA-ROTC. Two and Three Year Scholarship Applications are normally completed by college freshmen and sophomores. Applications are available at the Army ROTC or Military Science Department.