Navy ROTC
The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps is a long-standing program through which the Navy and Marine Corps can commission officers in addition to the Naval Academy’s graduates. Midshipmen in the program complete basic physical, mental, and professional training to prepare them for their future careers.
As an undergraduate student at Prairie View A&M University, you will have the opportunity to join many organizations and athletic teams as well as be apart of the ROTC program. We focus of maximum involvement within the campus life, so that our students get the best out of this experience. To schedule an officer interview please contact LT Cordaress Chambers at ctchambers@pvamu.edu or (936) 261-1630.
Prospective Students
We’re glad you’ve chosen the Houston area to attend school, and that you’re seriously considering a career in the Naval Service. Here in the Houston area NROTC is a consortium of units that includes students from Prairie View A&M University, University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Texas Southern University, and Rice University. In order to pursue a commission from an ROTC program you need to follow two separate application processes. First, you need to apply for an NROTC scholarship, which is separate from the admission process to your college or university. Second, you need to apply and be accepted to a college or university with an NROTC program. More information on the NROTC program, lists of schools with NROTC programs, and application procedures can be found at http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/. Information on college applications can be obtained from your high school guidance counselor or university of choice.
Competition for scholarships in the NROTC program is usually high. Areas that are weighed heavily when considering applicants include academic grades from high school, extracurricular or sports activities, SAT/ACT scores, and demonstrated leadership potential. Applications can be started online and then you will have to follow up with your local recruiting district.
Prairie View A&M University is a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In an effort to improve diversity in the United States Navy Officer Corps, a separate MSISR scholarship exists. The scholarship has the same eligibility requirements as a National Scholarship. Any person is eligible for this scholarship regardless of race or gender as long as they attend one of these two universities. If you have any additional questions about this specific program please call 936-261-1622 (PVAMU) or 713-348-3940 (Rice).
If you wish to join NROTC you must:
- Obtain a minimum score of 1050 on the SAT (at least 520 math/530 verbal) or a 22 math/22 verbal score on the ACT.
- Have a high school GPA of at least 2.5 [with Math (Algebra & Trigonometry), English, and Science]
- Finish in the top 25% of your class
- Be physically qualified for a commission in the U.S. Navy, e.g., not asthmatic, no serious allergies, able to pass a standard Navy physical fitness test, i.e., 1.5 mile run, push-ups, crunches, etc.
One must be able to “Focus” on academic achievement and Officer development, “Participate” in unit requirements/activities, and “Communicate” individual needs to the student and staff leadership. Our students are expected to be leaders on the campus, setting the example for others to follow. The scholarship will pay your full tuition and fees, provide you $375 per semester for books, and pay you a monthly stipend of $250 as a freshman, $300 as a sophomore, $350 as a junior, and $400 as a senior. Room and board requirements are the individual student’s responsibility.
To maintain the scholarship, a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA. A student may major in any discipline of their choice, however a 3 credit hour Naval Science course is required each semester in addition to the individual students major requirements (a total of 24 credit hours over the course of a four-year degree plan). Dependent on the selected major, some Naval Science courses serve to meet elective requirements in certain degree plans. Due to the technologically advanced systems employed throughout the Navy, students are also required to complete two semesters of calculus and two semesters of calculus-based physics before graduation. Dependent on a student’s major, the calculus and physics requirements may or may not be an additional requirement, e.g., the calculus and physics requirements are inherent to a mechanical engineering major’s degree plan while they would be additional to an history major’s degree plan.
Upon graduation from the university, students are commissioned as Ensigns in the United States Navy or Second Lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps. Selection of those disciplines is dependent upon academic and aptitude performance throughout the course of one’s college education and officer development. Disciplines currently available are Aviation (Pilot or Naval Flight Officer), Surface Warfare, Submarine or Surface Nuclear power, Seals, Explosive Ordnance, and Nurse Corps. Obligated service after graduation is generally four years for Marine/Navy Nurse Options and five years for Surface, Submarine, SEAL, and EOD. Aviation requires additional obligation due to the additional resources and time required to train an officer to fly technologically advanced aircraft.