ROTC Grad Student - Please Advise!

[jetteraf]

Originally Posted by Slap

ROTC is for undergrad only. you're out of luck

Apparantly a recent change. I know for a fact that ROTC allowed graduate students as late as 2001, they just weren't eligible for the scholarship programs.

I have a friend with an Master of Environmental Science who has talked to every branch, active and reserve, about commissioning options, and with the exception of the Army, all told him they weren't interested. The Air Force myust be flush with officers to be turning people away.

[Slap]

i've never heard of a masters student going into ROTC then commission. maybe some get waivers? not sure. just have never seen it.

[SailorDave]

Have you gone to speak to an officer recruiter yet ? They will tell you what your options are, whether it be ROTC or OTS/OCS/etc. If you don't like that answer, there are three other DoD branches and Coast Guard to check with before you give up.

[thorn]

Well, I'm a current sophomore cadet, and there is at least one cadet who is a senior scholastically but in sophomore level AFROTC classes in my detachment. He plans to continue AFROTC in grad levels... AFAIK this has been approved by the Det CC and Education Officer. Might be because he is a tech major, though (civil engineer), and therefore a first class citizen, unlike us poor liberal arts majors.

[FLAPS]

Originally Posted by Battleshort

You can enlist and then use one of the officer ascension programs.

Long route but still gets ya there.

He'd still be competing for an ROTC slot, but he already has a Bachelors. Same with OTS, in that he still has to compete.

You're right about the "long route," which I would never recommend.

[FLAPS]

Originally Posted by Slap

i've never heard of a masters student going into ROTC then commission. maybe some get waivers? not sure. just have never seen it.

At my ROTC Det we had two cadets working on their Masters, but that was in the late 90s.

[Scruples]

What is your undergraduate major and master's specialty?

The medical field is wide open and have a shorter officer course called COTS (Combined Officer Training School) after you received your direct commission.

If you have a masters in Psychology, better to get your Ph.D. and license as a Clinical Psychologist.

Other options if you have a bachelors degree, is to take another major in Nursing in an accelerated program designed for people with previous degrees in other fields. This type of nursing programs are usually 13 1/2 months long (2 summers & 2 regular sememsters). Pass your NCLEX to get your RN license. Bingo!

Just make sure the school you attend is a National League of Nursing (NLN) recognized school.

Other fields are physical therapy, social worker, etc.

Are you ready to accept deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan? Just so you know what you are getting into, some of these jobs (Air Force Specialty Codes or AFSC), may be deploying 6 months and home for 6 months; also called Tempo Band E (1:1 deployments).

Some nurses in the Reserves are deployed for 12 to 13 months on active-duty to places down-range.

[MrMiracle]

Originally Posted by Battleshort

You can enlist and then use one of the officer ascension programs.

Long route but still gets ya there.

If you go this route, do not sign up for a 6 year enlistment. Under a 4 year enlistment, you have to be at your first duty station for a full year before you can apply to OTS. Under a 6 year, you have to wait 3 full years.

Even if you do get accepted to OTS, its going to take more than a year for them to finish up your medical and security clearance. Might as well be employed during that period of time in the same institution.