NROTC UNIT (NROTCU) Vanderbilt University is
located on the corner of Edgehill and 19th Avenue South in downtown
Nashville, TN across the street from the Vanderbilt Peabody campus. This
unit is the host university for Tennessee State University and Belmont
University NROTC students.
NROTC emphasizes academic excellence and
professional development in preparing our midshipmen for the challenges
and demands they will face as junior officers in the fleet. Through a
rigorous curriculum consisting of naval science classes, weekly
professional labs, and summer training with fleet units around the
world, midshipmen acquire the skills and knowledge required to become an
Ensign in the United States Navy or Second Lieutenant in the United
States Marine Corps. With vast support from various organizations and
campus resources, the midshipmen at Vanderbilt University are well
equipped to succeed.
Midshipmen at Vanderbilt are heavily
involved in many activities including color guard, drill team, Semper Fi
and Trident societies, community service, and various club and
intramural sports such as basketball, soccer, cross country and
swimming. Midshipmen also participate in Sail Training and sail small
sailboats on Percy Priest Lake. Sail training serves a three-fold
function of maintaining the Unit's fleet of sailing boats at Percy
Priest Lake, training members of the Midshipman Battalion, and competing
in local regattas.
NROTCU Vanderbilt University consists of
about 80 midshipmen. Approximately 25% of the midshipmen are female, and
10% of the midshipmen are Marine Option students.
The NROTC Program at Vanderbilt
Challenging academic courses and
experience-building events prepare midshipmen for the opportunity to
serve their country, receive an education, and begin their career in the
United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. NROTC develops the
ablest leaders possible by building upon the academic strength of
Vanderbilt and providing essential military and leadership education.
Students participate in the NROTC unit in
either the scholarship program, the college program, or the naval
science program. Scholarship students take the prescribed naval science
course each semester, participate weekly in naval science lab, and
engage in a four-week summer training program after each academic
year. The college program is identical to the scholarship program except
that students only participate in summer training upon completion of
their junior academic year. Any Vanderbilt student may take any or all
of the naval science courses without participating in naval science lab
or summer training.
Scholarship students receive full tuition,
fees, textbooks, uniforms, and a monthly stipend of $250 in their
freshman year, increasing by $50 each subsequent year. Vanderbilt also
provides scholarship students with a $3,000 per year stipend toward room
and board. College program students are provided with uniforms,
textbooks for naval science courses, and, upon commencement of their
junior year, a monthly stipend of $350 and $400 their senior year.
Naval Science courses cover naval
engineering systems, sea power in history, naval weapons systems,
navigation, naval operations, leadership, and management. Each class
meets three hours per week. In addition, a two and one-half hour naval
science lab is conducted each Thursday afternoon.
Scholarships
Students can earn scholarships in several
ways. Four-year scholarships are determined by national competition
among high school seniors and graduates. Based on the national ranking,
students may be awarded a scholarship that covers full tuition. The
application process begins as early as the spring semester of the
student's junior year, but no later than 1 January of the year prior to
admission. College program students can be nominated for three-, two-,
and one-year scholarships by the NROTC unit. These nominations are based
on the students' academic and military performance at the college level.
Sophomores not enrolled in the college program are eligible to apply for
the two-year NROTC scholarship. This is a national competition and
application is made through the NROTC unit. Those selected will attend a
six-week naval orientation program during the summer prior to joining
the NROTC unit in their junior year.
Service Obligation
After their freshman year, scholarship
students incur a service obligation of four years of active duty and
four years in the inactive reserve. College program students incur a
four-year active duty commitment upon commencing their junior year.
Summer Training
Prior to their sophomore year,
scholarship midshipmen participate in Career Orientation and Training
for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID). In each of four weeks, midshipmen are
exposed to naval aviation, surface warfare, submarine warfare, and
Marine Corps ground operations. Prior to their junior year, scholarship
midshipmen serve aboard a U.S. Navy ship or submarine in various
locations around the globe for a period of about four weeks. All
scholarship and college program midshipmen are required to participate
in their first class cruise prior to the final academic year. In lieu of
first class cruise, Marine option midshipmen participate in "Bulldog," a
six week training course conducted at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate
School in Quantico, VA. Completion of Bulldog is a prerequisite to
commissioning as a Second Lieutenant.
Course Credit
During the four-year program, NROTC students
are required to complete a maximum of eight courses (24 hours) of naval
science. Academic credit awarded varies by school and is outlined below.
College of Arts and Science: NS 231 may be
taken for academic credit as professional hours. NS 241 may be taken for
academic credit as professional hours by NROTC students; Business
Administration 247 (Sociology 247) or Business Administration 248 may be
taken in lieu of NS 241. History 131 may be taken as part of the NROTC
requirement. All other naval science hours are earned in excess of the
120 hours required for the B.A. or B.S. degree.
School of Engineering. History 131 may be
counted as social science elective. Courses NS 121, 231 and 241 may be
counted as open electives. Management of Technology 227 or 246
(technical electives) or Business Administration/Sociology 247 (social
science elective) or Business Administration 248 may be substituted for
NS 241. Mechanical Engineering 220a with a reading supplement may be
substituted for NS 121. Use of electives varies by major.
Peabody College. Courses NS 231 and 241 and History 131 are acceptable as electives. Business Administration/Sociology 247, Business Administration 248, or Human Resources 1100, 1200, 1300, or 2700 may be taken in lieu of NS 241.
Naval Science Courses
Freshman Year
NS 100: Naval Orientation
HIST 131: Sea Power in History
Sophomore Year
NS 241: Organization and Management
NS 231: Navigation
Junior Year
NS 121: Naval Engineering Systems
NS 130: Naval Weapon Systems
Senior Year
NS 232: Naval Operations
NS 242: Leadership Seminar
The Marine option courses listed below are taught in the fall, rotating
on a yearly basis. They are taken in the junior and senior year in lieu
of those prescribed above.
NS 231m: Evolution of Warfare
NS 241m: Amphibious Warfare
In addition to Vanderbilt's graduation requirements, Navy midshipmen are
required to complete one semester of third world history, one year of
college level calculus, and one year of calculus-based physics. Marine
option midshipmen are required to take courses in national security
policy and American military policy.
To Be One of Us
Review basic eligibility requirements and application procedures on the
NROTC website , or visit your local Navy recruiter or call
1-800-USA-NAVY. For specific information about NROTC at Vanderbilt
University, contact Vandy's recruiting officer at 1-800-288-0118.