ROTC Credit Hours

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Urkillingmesmallz

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Hey everyone, I am wondering how many credit hours people usually take in college while in rotc (I will be in the naval one in the fall). Should I take 15 credit hours plus 3 credit hours for rotc classes, or count rotc as part of my 15? Should I look to count my rotc classes as part of my 120 credit hours or take more (I am hoping to either double major or double minor). Thank you to anyone who replies in advance!
 
It depends. It depends on your majors/minors; the specific classes you would be taking; how well you handle the coursework and time management; importance of social life; if you plan to have a job; sports —level and the sport itself; etc.

Alas, no one on here knows those things. My personal advice would be to consult with your academic advisor, people that know you well whose advice you really trust (not just friends that agree with you), and with your unit on the demands of the program they operate and what your goals are post-ROTC. Then make a decision you feel comfortable with.

You need to do what is good for YOU, that will help you be successful.
 
Are you the holder of an ROTC scholarship? If so, the expectation is that you’ll graduate in four years. There can be exceptions, such as someone majoring in engineering at a school where classes are hard to come by. But I believe those exceptions are decided at the unit level by the leadership cadre. And many schools help by giving cadets/mids priority when registering for classes.

The military still wants its cadets out in four years so they can begin active duty. You’ll need to work with your leadership, as well as academic advisor if relevant, to plan your schedule accordingly. Good prioritization and planning is a must.
 
I would recommend 15 hours excluding ROTC. DS had no problem with that load, and he took 18 hours 4 semesters to lighten his load for Senior year when he had more ROTC responsibilities. Don't worry about exceeding 120 hours as long as you don't meet graduation requirements (probably a course required for your major).
 
You will get a Form104 from ROTC that tracks your progress toward graduation. It also shows if Mils classes count or don't count towards your major. But I agree plan on 15 per semester not counting Military Sci.
 
All above is good advice. You will have a NROTC advisor and a advisor at school most likely. As said above, NROTC will require you to plan out your classes for your college career. You will get a idea of how many classes you will have to take per semester; ergo, the amount of credit hours. Depending on major, you are looking at 15+ per semester. Remember that you likely will have more than just Naval Science class and lab each semester. NROTC also requires physics, calculus, english, history, and humanities. Most are just a semester or 2, and many of them are college requirements also. It is just a few more classes that may have to be added that may not be directly related to major.

One recommendation. Look into summer school each summer. Many schools now have online options for summer school classes(especially core college requirements) that you can take at home in the summer. Adding a couple of these summer classes each summer can lighten your load in fall and spring. NROTC can also pay for these classes with pre approval if the classes are directly related to your major.
 
My son took an average of 16 credit hours per semester and will graduate with a degree in the School of Engineering. All of his required courses were mapped out his first semester with his unit advisor. This spring semester (his last) he only needed 1 credit hour in an open elective to graduate. He did come in with a few AP credits. ROTC mids also meet with their advisor once a semester to make sure you're on track. So, yes, it will be at a minimum 12 hours plus your naval science class.
 
Holden100 said:
This spring semester (his last) he only needed 1 credit hour in an open elective to graduate. He did come in with a few AP credits.
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That could be a gift or a curse....or maybe both at the same time :D . Lots of time to devote to unit, prepping for after graduation, but could also be a "Idle hands are a devils plaything" situation. I remember what it was like as I only had one class my last semester in college.
 
Ihavenoidea said:
That could be a gift or a curse....or maybe both at the same time :D . Lots of time to devote to unit, prepping for after graduation, but could also be a "Idle hands are a devils plaything" situation. I remember what it was like as I only had one class my last semester in college.
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Truest words ever written! He took 12 hours (required to be a full time student and live on campus), but he stacked them on Tuesdays/Thursdays. . .also maybe not the best idea!
 
Holden100 said:
Truest words ever written! He took 12 hours (required to be a full time student and live on campus), but he stacked them on Tuesdays/Thursdays. . .also maybe not the best idea!
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I would have been extremely disappointed if he did anything else.

The ability to tailor a schedule for maximum laziness is a sacred, time honored skill that I hope will continue for generations. The only college students that purposely schedule early Monday morning or late Friday afternoon classes are Freshman....and 99% of them don't make that mistake after their 1st fall semester :D
 
Ihavenoidea said:
I would have been extremely disappointed if he did anything else.

The ability to tailor a schedule for maximum laziness is a sacred, time honored skill that I hope will continue for generations. The only college students that purposely schedule early Monday morning or late Friday afternoon classes are Freshman....and 99% of them don't make that mistake after their 1st fall semester :D
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He was really good at somehow getting into the classes he needed, sometimes even in advance of his target semester (completing his capstone/immersion project end of junior year helped). His project for himself this semester was to run his first full marathon, which he was able to do in the middle of final exams (also not a great idea!). No way could he have done that any other semester.
 
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