Military Science

Military Science | Faculty

Contact: Major Sharon Bucciarelli

Office: Army ROTC Building

Phone: 545-2321/2322

Head of Department: (Lt. Colonel) Bernd F. Schliemann. Assistant Professors (Major) Sharon Bucciarelli, Major David Sexauer, (Master Sergeant) Dennis Defreese.

The Department of Military Science conducts the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program (Army ROTC) for students desiring to earn commissions as United States Army Officers. Upon completion of University degree and departmental requirements, students are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in either the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, or the U.S. Army Reserve. Army ROTC graduates may pursue careers in the active army or in the civilian sector of their choice. The courses are open to all students at the University of Massachusetts. Cadets are defined as students seeking a commission. They must possess University-sponsored health insurance or equivalent coverage and meet Army standards for commissioning. Cadets are required to complete one course in each of three areas to ensure a well-rounded educational background for all newly commissioned officers. These three areas are written communication skills, computer literacy, and military history. In addition, cadets are required to participate in a weekly Leadership Laboratory.

Advantages of Army ROTC

Army ROTC enhances a student's education by providing unique leadership and management training coupled with practical experience. It helps a student develop many of the qualities basic to success in any career. In or out of the Army, ROTC graduates are leaders, thinkers, and decision-makers. They meet problems head-on and solve them quickly. They know how to adapt to situations and take charge.

Army ROTC graduates will find that their background and experience in ROTC and the Army can be a valuable asset if they decide to pursue a civilian career. The practical experience they gain by leading people, as well as managing money and equipment, and making things happen, can place them far ahead of other college graduates competing for jobs leading to top management positions.

The Four-Year Program

The Four-Year Army ROTC program is divided into two parts, the Basic Course and the Advanced Course. The Basic Course is taken during the first two years of college and covers introductory subjects on Army customs, traditions, and organizations; national defense, military theory, and management simulation. In addition, a variety of outside social and professional enrichment activities are offered. Students learn the fundamentals of rapelling, participate in overnight training exercises, and tour famous battle sites. ROTC textbooks, uniforms, and other essential materials for the Basic Course are furnished to students at no cost. After completing the Basic Course, students who have demonstrated the potential to become an officer and who have met the physical and scholastic standards are eligible to enroll in the Advanced Course.

The Advanced Course is taken during the final two years of college. It includes instruction in military leadership and management, tactics, ethics, and professionalism. Text books and uniforms in the Advanced Course are also furnished to students at no cost. During the summer between their junior and senior years of college, Advanced Course cadets attend a paid five-week training session called National Advanced Leadership Camp, which gives cadets the chance to practice what they have learned in the classroom, and introduces them to Army life "in the field."

The Two-Year Program

The Two-Year Program is designed for students who did not take ROTC during their first two years of school and students entering a two-year postgraduate course of study. To enter the Two-Year Program, students must have prior active duty or have attended basic training or must attend a paid five-week Leaders Training Course, normally held during the summer between their sophomore and junior years of college. Students who have prior service or have attended the Leader's Training Course, and who meet all the necessary enrollment requirements, are enrolled in the Adanced Course.

ROTC for Veterans

Veterans may apply their military experience as credit towards the ROTC Basic Course. If credit is granted, a veteran may skip the freshman and sophomore years of the program, enroll directly in the Advanced Course during their junior year of college, and begin receiving the allowance. Veterans may be eligible to compete for ROTC scholarships and, if eligible, may also receive any VA benefits to which they would normally be entitled. In addition, veterans who return to active duty as officers may count their prior active duty enlisted time towards longevity pay and retirement.

Army ROTC Scholarships

Army ROTC scholarships are offered for two, three, and four years and are awarded on merit to the most outstanding students who apply. Four-year scholarships are awarded to students who will be entering college as freshmen. Two- and three-year scholarships are awarded to students already enrolled in college. Students who attend the Leader's Training Course or the Two-Year Program may also compete for two-year scholarships.

Each scholarship pays the combined total of tuition and mandatory fees which are required of all students. Each scholarship student is also paid $300 per semester for textbooks, supplies, and equipment. Each scholarship also includes a monthly stipend.

Special consideration for an Army ROTC scholarship is given to students pursuing degrees in nursing, engineering, the physical sciences, and other technical skills currently in demand by the Army. Students who receive a scholarship will be required to attain an undergraduate degree in the field in which the scholarship was awarded.

Financial Assistance/Tuition Waiver

Non-scholarship cadets in the Advanced Course also receive a monthly stipend, as well as pay for attending the National Advanced Leadership Camp. Students are also paid for attending the Leader's Training Course of the Two-Year Program. Members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard may qualify for a full tuition waiver under the provisions of the Massachusetts Education Assistance Bill. The non-scholarship and scholarship monthly stipends are: freshman and sophomore yearsó$250 per month; junior yearó$300 per month continuously until senior yearó$350.

The Courses

(All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise noted.)

112 Introduction to the Army (1st sem) 1 cr

Introduction to the Army. The fundamentals of U.S. Army units and structures. Enlisted and officer ranks of the Army; branches of the Army. Individual military skills; the role of the National Guard/Reserves; customs and traditions of the military.

113 Introduction to the National Defense System (2nd sem) 1 cr

Introduction to the national defense structure from the Presidency to the individual Armed Services. The organization of various agencies such as the National Security Council, Congress, Joint Chiefs of Staff, their functions and interrelationships critically examined.

212 Individual/Team Military Tactics and Skills (2nd sem)

Introduction to individual and team aspects of military tactics in small unit operations. Includes planning for team safety/security through various methods of pre-execution checks and assessments. Techniques for training others as an aspect of continued leadership development.

213 Leadership Development (1st sem)

Learn and apply ethics-based leadership skills that develop individual abilities and contribute to the building of effective teams. Includes developing skills in oral presentation, writing effectively, planning of events using the Five Paragraph Operations Order, first aid and land navigation, and other basic military skills. The fundamentals of ROTC's Leadership Assessment Program.

312 Military Leadership I (1st sem)

Overview of military leadership at a hands-on tactical level and theoretical level. Tactical leadership phase: focus on the small unit leader and the skills required for successful leadership of units from a fire team through platoon level. Theoretical leadership phase: focus on basic leadership principles, communication concepts, and motivation theory.

313 Military Leadership II (2nd sem)

Introduction to military leadership and management. Development of practical managerial/leadership skills in planning, organizing, delegation, and control and development of instructor skills through instruction training, performance-oriented training, and individual classroom presentations.

412 Seminar in Military Leadership and Management (2nd sem)

Military staff organization, functions, and procedures; problem-solving techniques and administration; refinement of successful leadership skills to lead people and manage resources.

413 Military Law (1st sem)

Military law and ethics, constitutional basis of powers, basic principles of criminal law and ethics; rules of evidence; military-judicial structuring within the Army and issues dealing with problems faced by the newly commissioned officer.

Military Science | Faculty