DEPARTMENT OF
MILITARY SCIENCE
Course of Instruction | Programs Available
Course Descriptions
Chair: Lieutenant Colonel Richard O. King Jr.
Faculty: CPT Teresa M. Feliciano and Captain Paul Lohmann
The Department of Military Science at Sam Houston State University is administratively aligned
with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Course of Instruction
Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) classes are offered on an elective basis. Students
may take the lower-division courses and summer Army training such as Airborne School without
obligation for military service. Students who desire to pursue upper-division courses may complete
the ROTC program and compete for commissions as officers in the U. S. Army, Army Reserves,
or Army National Guard. A minor in military science is offered.
Programs Available
A. General. There are two leadership-training programs available. They are the No-Obligation
Program (Basic Course) and the Army Commissioning Program (Advance Course).
1. No-Obligation Program (Basic Course). The lower-division (100 and 200 level)
courses offered by the department are open to all students without obligation for
present or future military service. These courses provide instruction in basic leadership
and endurance skills that are applicable to any future profession. These courses are
generally taken during the freshman and sophomore years and satisfy university
kinesiology requirements. Students attending the no-obligation course may also
participate (at no obligation) in summer professional development training to include
Airborne, Air Assault, Northern Warfare, and Mountain Warfare training.
a. AIRBORNE TRAINING. This physically demanding school is scheduled during
the summer over a three-week period at Fort Benning, Georgia. Students who
successfully complete this school are qualified as Army parachutists and are
awarded Army Paratrooper Wings. This training is offered to any student enrolled
in Military Science, although available seats are limited.
b. AIR ASSAULT TRAINING. This training is offered to any student enrolled in Military
Science, although available seats are limited. This physically demanding school
scheduled during the summer consists of ten days of training which includes
a twelve mile road march, an obstacle course, classes in aircraft safety and
familiarization, rappelling, rigging, and sling-loading. Air Assault school is offered
at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Fort Drum, New York. This training is offered to
any student enrolled in Military Science, although available seats are limited.
c. NORTHERN WARFARE SCHOOL. This is a two-week course conducted at
Fort Greeley, Alaska. It consists of physically and mentally demanding training
emphasizing movement in mountainous terrain, on glaciers and in in-land
waterways. This training is offered to any student enrolled in Military Science,
although available seats are limited.
d. MOUNTAIN WARFARE SCHOOL. This is a two-week course conducted at Jericho,
Vermont. This training is both physically and mentally challenging with emphasis
placed on movement in mountainous terrain. This training is offered to any student
enrolled in Military Science, although available seats are limited.
2. Army Commissioning Program (Advance Course). This program is divided into two-year
and four-year commissioning plans.
a. Two-Year Compression Commissioning Plan.
(1) Upperclassmen and Graduate Students. Students who have already
completed a portion of their university program remain eligible to pursue a
commission as an officer in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves or Army National
Guard. This program is offered to students who have no prior military or militaryequivalent
training and have approximately 60 course hours remaining prior
to receiving an undergraduate or graduate degree. To qualify, students first
attend a five-week summer Leadership Training Course (LTC) at a military
installation. The government pays all travel expenses, furnishes room,
board, and clothing, and pays students a salary of approximately $750.00.
Moreover, students are eligible to compete for two-year scholarships. The
university awards students four credit hours for this training. After successfully
completing the LTC students may enroll in upper-division Military Science courses and beginning in November of 2005 receive a monthly allowance of
$450.00 for juniors and $500.00 for seniors.
(2) Veterans. Student veterans, National Guard and Army Reserve members
who have completed some military training and service may start the
ROTC program at the upper-division level, if they are otherwise qualified
for a commission and approved by the Professor of Military Science (PMS).
National Guard and Army Reserve members may remain in the Guard or
Reserve under the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). Beginning in
November of 2005 enrolled juniors receive a monthly allowance of $450.00
and $500.00 per month for seniors, which is in addition to any pay and
entitlements provided by the Guard or Reserve.
(3) Professional Military Education (PME) Component. The United States
Army mandates that Army ROTC students pursuing a commission as an Army
officer complete certain Professional Military Education (PME) requirements
in order to be commissioned. The PME consists of a baccalaureate degree
and the completion of at least one undergraduate course from each of the
following designated fields of study: written communications, military history,
and computer literacy. Courses in management and national security studies
are recommended but not required for commissioning. Students desiring to
pursue a minor in Military Science, and/or a course of instruction which will
satisfy the requirements for a commission in the U.S. Army, are cautioned
to seek advisement from the PMS in order to ensure that these special
requirements are satisfied.
b. Four-Year Progression Commissioning Plan.
(1) Lower-Division Courses (Basic Course). Under the four-year
commissioning plan, lower-division military science courses are required
prior to taking upper-division military science courses and to compete for
a commission as a military officer. Nevertheless, these courses remain
open to all students without obligation for present or future military service.
These courses provide instruction in basic leadership and endurance skills
that are applicable to any future profession. Beginning in November 2005,
Army scholarship students will receive a monthly allowance of $300.00 as
freshman and $350.00 per month as sophomores. These courses satisfy
university kinesiology requirements.
(2) Upper-Division Courses (Advance Course). The upper-division (300 and
400 level) courses offered by the department are normally taken during the
junior and senior years or while pursuing graduate work and prepare students
to be commissioned as officers in the United States Army. Enrollment in
upper-division courses incurs the obligation to accept a commission after
graduation and serve in the U.S. Army Reserves, the Army National Guard,
or the Active Army. Beginning in November 2005, students enrolled in upperdivision
courses receive a monthly subsistence allowance of $450.00 as a
junior and $500.00 as a senior. Students are required to attend a National
Advanced Leaders Course during the summer between their junior and senior
years. The government pays all travel expenses, furnishes room, board, and
clothing, and pays students a salary of approximately $750.00. The university
awards students four credit hours for the training. Lower-division military
science courses are required prior to enrolling in upper-division courses if
pursuing the four-year commissioning plan.
(3) Professional Military Education (PME) Component. The United States
Army mandates that Army ROTC students pursuing a commission as an Army
officer complete certain Professional Military Education (PME) requirements
in order to be commissioned. The PME consists of a baccalaureate degree
and the completion of at least one undergraduate course from each of the
following designated fields of study: written communications, military history,
and computer literacy. Courses in management and national security studies
are recommended but not required for commissioning. Students desiring to
pursue a minor in Military Science, and/or a course of instruction which will
satisfy the requirements for a commission in the U.S. Army, are cautioned
to seek advisement from the PMS in order to ensure that these special
requirements are satisfied.
B. Army ROTC Scholarships. The United States Army offers on a competitive basis several
two, three, and four-year scholarships awarded annually by the Department of Military Science.
These scholarships pay full tuition and fees and provide $600.00 for books and supplies.
Beginning in November of 20052 scholarship and non-scholarship contract students receive
a subsistence allowance of $300.00, $350.00, $450.00, and $500.00 per month for freshman,
sophomore, juniors, and seniors respectively for up to ten months per year. Three other private
scholarships are awarded annually to students enrolled in Military Science courses. All students
are encouraged to contact the Department of Military Science for an application.
C. Tuition Rates. In-state rates for fees and tuition are given to out-of-state students that have
agreed to accept a commission in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard.
D. Academic Substitution. Limited course substitution is available with permission of both the
PMS and the department chair concerned.
E. Academic Minor. Students may seek a minor in Military Science with the approval of the
dean of the college in which the student pursues his/her major. Requirements are eighteen
hours of advanced Military Science and six hours from the Professional Military Education (PME)
component courses listed below.
Course Descriptions:
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