The education you receive from Army ROTC will include both military skills and overall leadership development. You will learn all that is required of you in order to graduate and commission as a Second Lieutenant, but the best part about the Cavalier Battalion is that you still have the opportunity to live a typical college life. UVa Army ROTC encourages cadets to become involved with the University and have a life outside of ROTC. We take pride in commissioning some of the most well rounded officers in the Army.
The typical semester curriculum for an Army ROTC cadet consists of a one-credit military science class and a two-credit military science lab. The class consists of lectures and discussions that are put into practice at lab. Other than class and lab, cadets are required to attend battalion physical training on Tuesday mornings. Cadets who fail to meet the standards may be required to attend extra physical training. In addition, mandatory field training exercises are held one weekend per semester.
Army ROTC Basic Course
The Basic Course normally takes place during your first two years in college as elective courses. It involves one elective class or lab each semester. You will learn basic military skills and the fundamentals of leadership, as well as start the groundwork toward becoming an Army leader. You can take Army ROTC Basic Course without a military commitment.
Freshman Year: Preparing for Success as an Officer
- Introduction to Army Leadership
- Army Customs and Traditions
- Goal Setting and Accomplishment
- Health and Physical Fitness
Sophomore Year: The Role of an Officer
- Applied Leadership Theory
- Communications
- Principles of War
- Military Operations and Tactics
Army ROTC Advanced Course
The Advanced Course takes place during your last two years in college as elective courses. It normally includes one elective class or lab each semester, plus a summer leadership course. You will learn advanced military tactics and gain experience in team organization, planning and decision-making. Entering the Advanced Course requires a commitment to serve as an Officer in the U.S. Army after you graduate.
Junior Year: Leading Small Tactical Units
- Command and Staff Functions
- Law of War
- Weapons
- Team Dynamics and Peer Leadership
- Troop Leading Procedures
Senior Year: Transition to Becoming an Officer
- Training the Force
- Military Justice
- Ethical Decision Making
- Personnel Management
- Cultural Awareness
- Post and Installation Support
- Military Decision Making Process
Summer Training
Cadets have an abundance of summer training opportunities available to them through the Cavalier Battalion. Other than the Cadet Summer Training (CST), summer training is not required but is highly encouraged if available. CST is a requirement of all ROTC cadets to complete after their junior year in college. Summer training includes but is not limited to:
Basic Camp
Basic Camp is a 32-day training event designed to introduce Cadets to the Army. The objective is to develop Cadet leadership skills and train them on individual and junior leader tasks to develop and reinforce Warrior Ethos and our Army Values. Basic Camp provides the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in ROTC, and, ultimately, the Army. Basic Camp Cadets graduate the course prepared to lead at the team (3-4 Cadets) and squad (9-13 Cadets) level. It is conducted at Fort Knox, KY. More Info.
Advanced Camp
Every Army ROTC Cadet who enters into the Advanced Course attends the Cadet Summer Training. It is a 37 day summer course to evaluate and train all Army ROTC Cadets. This course normally takes place between your junior and senior years of college, and is conducted at Fort Knox, KY. More Info.
CTLT (Cadet Troop Leader Training)
The Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) provides Cadets the opportunity to serve in lieutenant-level leadership positions in active-duty units. Cadets shadow a platoon leader for a 3-4 week duration depending on the hosting unit and location. Cadets are assigned a unit mentor, and are provided on-post lodging and meals via a Dining Facility. This program is exclusively designed for MS III Cadets before and after completion of the Cadet Summer Training (CST).
US Army Airborne School
Select cadets may have the opportunity to attend U.S. Army Airborne School, otherwise known as jump school, and have a chance earn the coveted Airborne Wings and be qualified as an Army Paratrooper. The school is open to both genders and cadets are joined by troops from all branches of the United States Department of Defense and allied military personnel. The purpose of the Basic Airborne Course is to qualify the student in the use of the parachute as a means of combat deployment and to develop leadership, self-confidence, and an aggressive spirit through mental and physical conditioning. The course is 3 weeks long consisting of ground week, tower week, and jump week.
US Army Air Assault School
Select cadets may have the opportunity to attend U.S. Army Air Assault school, commonly referred to as the "10 hardest days in the Army." The school qualifies soldiers to conduct air mobile and air assault helicopter operations, to include aircraft orientation, slingload operations, proper rappelling techniques, and fast-rope techniques. The school itself is 10 days of rigorous, fast paced training. The high standards of the school require the student to ruck march 12 miles in under three hours the morning of graduation before being awarded their wings.
Internship Opportunities
Select cadets may have the opportunity to participate in several Summer Internships to include internships with the NASA Ames Research Center, the FBI, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, the National Ground Intelligence Center, Nurse Summer Training Internships, the US Army Corp of Engineers, the Army Medical Department (AMEDD), US Army Cyber Command, and the JAG Corps.