About Us

About Naval ROTC

The UMD NROTC Program was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The NROTC Scholarship Program plays an important role in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical military environment. 

NROTC midshipmen are required to complete the naval science courses and attend weekly professional seminars. During the summer, NROTC midshipmen participate in active duty at sea or shore-based training cruises for approximately four weeks. Upon receiving their Baccalaureate Degree and completing the NROTC program, qualified midshipmen are commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Commissioned naval officers go on to training in various warfare specialties and serve as surface or submarine officers, naval aviators, explosive ordinance disposal officers or SEALs. Marine Corps officers attend “The Basic School” in Quantico, Virginia, and serve in fields such as infantry, artillery, combat engineers, and aviation. Staff positions (intelligence, law, medicine) are not normally offered through NROTC.

The NROTC Program was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, and loyalty, and with the core values of honor, courage, and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval service, and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.