Academic Support

Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AROTC)

MTSU students can earn commissions as second lieutenants in the United States Army, Army Reserve (USAR), or Army National Guard (ARNG) while pursuing either undergraduate or graduate studies.

Army ROTC provides multiple paths for students to obtain their commissions. Entry-level military science training during the freshman and sophomore years consist of leadership development training. There is no military service obligation during this phase. Students with prior military service may receive academic credit for the first two years. Students who have not taken any military science classes by the end of their sophomore year may receive placement credit by attending the Leader Training Course, conducted each summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Cadets receive pay for the training.

At the beginning of the junior year, students begin Advanced ROTC training built around leadership assessment and practical application of their management and leadership schools. Airborne, Air Assault, and other military schools are available to students. Cadets attend a leader training course during the summer between their junior and senior years. All advanced training students receive a monthly subsistence allowance. Full-time employment upon graduation is available for those students who are selected for an initial three- or four-year active duty assignment.

In addition, Cadets will have the opportunity to expand their global horizons by participating in the Cadet Command sponsored Cultural Understanding and Language Program (CULP), a summer program that allows Cadets to travel overseas, experience a diverse culture, and participate in a university-sponsored research project that will allow them to accumulate college credit.

Scholarships: In addition to nationally awarded three- and four- year scholarships, Army ROTC offers three- and two-year on-campus scholarships each year to qualified enrolled and non-enrolled military science students. These scholarships pay for tuition and fees or room and board and provide a book stipend each semester, in addition to the monthly subsistence allowance. Scholarship recipients may be selected for initial active duty assignments or reserve assignments.

Further information concerning AROTC may be obtained by consulting the Military Science Department course offerings in this catalog, listed under the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, or by writing

Army ROTC
Military Science Department
Middle Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 52
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
or by calling (615) 898-2470 or toll-free 1-888-MT-AROTC
or by e-mailing arotc1@mtsu.edu

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC)

Currently there is no charge for tuition to take Air Force ROTC. The grade and credit can transfer back for graduation.

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) provides pre-commission training for college men and women who desire to serve as commissioned officers in the United States Air Force or Space Force. When combined with the academic disciplines offered at the college level, the program provides the student a broad-based knowledge of management, leadership, and technical skills required for a commission and subsequent active-duty service in the Air Force.

Graduates are commissioned as Second Lieutenants and will enter active duty. The main objectives of producing officers through the AFROTC program are (1) to procure officers with a broad educational base; (2) to provide a basic military education for college students; (3) to teach fundamentals and techniques of leadership, management, and decision making; and (4) to develop, in conjunction with other academic disciplines, individual character and attributes required of a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force.

AFROTC Program/Scholarships

Enrolling in AFROTC

For application deadlines go to www.tnstate.edu/afrotc. Students may participate in the Air Force ROTC program in cooperation with Tennessee State University. Call Detachment 790, (615) 963-5931/5979 for more information about applying. The program provides training and education that will develop skills and attitudes vital to the professional Air Force or Space Force officer. In this program students are eligible to compete for scholarships (3.0+ GPA) that cover the cost of tuition and textbooks and provide scholarship cadets with a monthly stipend. 

Curriculum

The General Military Course (GMC) is 1 credit hour and is composed of the first four semesters of aerospace studies and is for freshmen and sophomores. The Professional Officer Course (POC) is 3 credit hours and constitutes the final four semesters of AFROTC study for juniors and seniors. The Leadership Lab is a 1 credit hour lab that is required every year of AFROTC. Students who participate in Air Force ROTC are jointly enrolled as TSU students and participate in Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC) at TSU. For more information, contact the unit admissions officer at (615) 963-5931/5979 or check our website at www.tnstate.edu/afrotc.

General Benefits

All students enrolled in the AFROTC program are provided textbooks and uniforms at no expense. Professional Officer Course (POC) students (juniors and seniors) and all scholarship students receive a tax-free monthly subsistence allowance.

Sponsored Activities

• Professional Development Training is provided during the summers to cadets interested in enhancing their knowledge of Air Force leadership and management opportunities, increasing their cultural awareness, and learning about specific career specialties.
• AFROTC Flight Orientation Program is designed to allow all cadets, regardless of intended career field, the chance to fly in Civil Air Patrol aircraft. Everyone can experience the joy of flight.

Aerospace Studies Courses

• Freshman Year: AS 100 - Heritage and Values of the United States Air Force is a survey course designed to introduce students to the United States Air Force and Space Force. The class provides an overview of the role of military in U.S. society, military history, officership, professionalism, core values, career opportunities, and customs/courtesies. Freshman Leadership Lab is mandatory for AFROTC cadets and complements this course by providing followership experiences.
• Sophomore Year: AS 200 - Team and Leadership Fundamentals focuses on laying the foundation for teams and leadership. The topics include development/deployment of air power, leadership and quality principles, ethics and values, leadership development based on student participation in group problem solving, as well as oral/written communication development. The purpose of this course is to instill a leadership mindset and to motivate sophomore students to transition from an AFROTC cadet to AFROTC officer candidate. Sophomore Leadership Laboratory is mandatory for AFROTC cadets and complements this course by providing followership experiences.
• Junior Year: AS 300 - Leading People and Effective Communication teaches cadets advanced skills and knowledge in management and leadership.  Special emphasis is placed on enhancing leadership skills and communication. Cadets have an opportunity to try out these leadership and management techniques in a supervised environment as juniors and seniors. A mandatory junior year Leadership Laboratory provides advanced leadership experiences and the opportunity to apply the leadership and management principles of this course.
• Senior Year: AS 400 - National Security Affairs/Preparation for Active Duty is designed for college seniors and provides them with the foundation to understand their role as military officers in American society. It is an overview of the complex social and political issues facing the military profession and requires a measure of sophistication commensurate with the senior college level. The final semester provides information that will prepare the cadets for Active Duty. A mandatory senior year Leadership Laboratory provides advanced leadership experiences and the opportunity to apply the leadership and management principles of this course.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)

Since 2006, MTSU students and faculty have benefited from the University’s membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of over 100 colleges and universities and a contractor for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), the DOE facility that ORAU operates, undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates, as well as faculty, enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students can participate in epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics. Appointment and program length range from one month to four years. Many of these programs are especially designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science- and engineering-related disciplines. A comprehensive listing of these programs and other opportunities, their disciplines, and details on locations and benefits can be found in the ORISE Catalog of Education and Training Programs, which is available at orau.org/.

ORAU’s Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU’s private industry and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs, such as the Ralph E. Powe Jr. Faculty Enhancement Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scholars Program, consortium research funding initiatives, and faculty research and support programs, as well as services to chief research officers.

For more information concerning MTSU’s membership in ORAU, contact the Vice Provost for Research, MTSU.

Undergraduate Research Center

The Undergraduate Research Center (URC) fosters a culture of inquiry, scholarship, and innovation for all students. It also advocates the integration of research-based learning in undergraduate education, from introductory experiences to senior capstone experiences.

Administratively housed within the Office of Research, the URC is a clearinghouse for information about programs on- and off-campus aimed at involving undergraduate students in research and creative activities. The center is committed to encouraging, funding, and publicizing student activity in research and creative activity. The URC also provides opportunities for presenting research and creative projects at various events, hosts a variety of workshops, and offers additional opportunities for engagement throughout the year. 

New to the URC is the formation and support of a student organization–Students for the Advancement of Research (SOAR)–composed of undergraduate students who are committed to developing and sustaining an active and successful undergraduate research environment at MTSU. The mission of SOAR is to enhance student’s research capacity through increased awareness, collaboration, and skill building. One of the primary objectives of SOAR is scholarly dissemination at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. 

URECA (pronounced eureka): The Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity (URECA) grants provide financial support ranging from $500 to $3,500 to qualified undergraduate students to participate in research and creative projects. Students can apply for funding using the guidelines provided on the URECA website by visiting www.mtsu.edu/urc/. A committee that includes representative faculty from participating colleges reviews proposals and selects recipients.

URECA’s primary intent is to immerse students in a culture of research, scholarship, and/or creative activity as a part of the educational process and in preparation for the workplace. URECA-supported students prepare a statement of the proposed activity, carry out research under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and present final results of the project. Research or creative projects will typically relate to the work of one or more faculty members but may be of the student’s own design. The interactions of faculty mentor and student should meet the best practices for mentorship in each department/discipline.

In addition to funding student research and conference travel, the URC hosts several events each year that give MTSU students an opportunity to showcase their research. These events include the Summer Research Celebration, the Fall Undergraduate Research Open House, Posters at the Capitol, the University-Wide Research and Creative Activity Exposition during Scholars Week, and Undergraduate Research Week. Engagement in undergraduate research also offers two levels of graduation distinction dependent upon the student’s level of involvement.