Army ROTC is a leadership development program deepening the scholastic experience at Penn State Harrisburg by cultivating the ability to organize, motivate, and lead others. It is the cornerstone of Army officer training that develops students, known as Cadets, into future Officers in the U.S. Army.

Shippensburg University serves as the host school for the program, with extension programs at Millersville University and Dickinson College. Penn State Harrisburg and Franklin & Marshall College participate through Millersville, while Gettysburg College and Messiah University participate through Dickinson.

Students may take introductory Military Science courses without a military obligation. Those who choose to contract and successfully complete the program are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve upon graduation.

Penn State Harrisburg students can sign up for Military Science by registering for Army 100–400. Army 100 and 200 level classes are taught at Penn State Harrisburg, and weekly PT is held on the Penn State Harrisburg campus. The Leadership Lab for Army 100–400 and Army 300 and 400 level classes are taught at Millersville University. Cadets are required to coordinate transportation/carpool as needed to attend required in-person sessions. 

A Two-Part Program

The four-year program focuses on critical thinking, principles of leadership, management, ethics and military history. It consists of two parts:

  •  Basic Course: Typically taken during the first and second years. Includes one class per week, physical training and a leadership lab.
  • Advanced Course: Typically taken during the junior and senior years. Includes two classes per week, physical training and leadership exercises over a couple weekends each semester.

The curriculum includes classroom instruction and practical exercises such as orienteering, paintball, rappelling and field training exercises. In the summer between their junior and senior years, Cadets attend a four-week Advance Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Penn State is proud to offer military veterans, reservists and active duty service members a discounted application fee to the Graduate School. The discounted rate of $40 —a significant savings from the standard $65 fee — will be automatically applied in the application process.