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Army ROTC Curriculum

As a Moccasin Battalion cadet, you'll earn a minor in Military Science alongside your major. The curriculum builds across four years of progressive leadership development, blending classroom study, hands-on leadership labs, and physical training. Some cadets test what they've learned at the Army's most respected schools. All cadets graduate ready to lead.
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How the Curriculum Works

Army ROTC at Florida Southern consists of classes, labs, and physical training. Classes, labs, and PT sessions are held on the FSC campus, with some exceptions for labs and PT depending on the training. Leadership labs are mandatory and complement your coursework with hands-on field experience.

The curriculum is divided into two courses, taken across your four undergraduate years:

The Basic Course covers your freshman and sophomore years (MSL 1001, 1002, 2001, 2002). It introduces leadership fundamentals, soldier skills, Army values, and team building. The Basic Course carries no service obligation, you can take it for up to two years and decide whether to continue.

The Advanced Course covers your junior and senior years (MSL 3001, 3002, 4001, 4002). It builds on the Basic Course to prepare you for the responsibilities of a Second Lieutenant. Enrolling in the Advanced Course means committing to commission and serve after graduation.

Between your junior and senior years, you'll attend Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, the Army's hands-on evaluation of your leadership in real conditions.

Military Science Courses

Below is the full sequence of Military Science courses required for the minor.

MSL 1001  /  Intro to the Army / MSL 101L Lab
 2 credit hours
Intro to the Army examines the unique duties and responsibilities of officers, the organization and role of the Army, foundational skills in fitness and communication, and an analysis of Army values and expected ethical behavior.

MSL 1002 / Foundations of Leadership / MSL 102L Lab
 2 credit hours
This course presents fundamental leadership concepts and doctrine, practices basic skills that underlie effective problem-solving, and examines the officer experience.

MSL 2001 Leadership and Ethics / MSL 201L Lab
 2 credit hours
Provides cadets a leadership analysis and assessment of leadership styles through understanding values, ethics, and how to apply them to different situations encountered as a leader. Studies the relationship of values and ethics and their application to the Law of Land Warfare and the philosophy of military service.

MSL 2002 / Army Doctrine & Decision Making / MSL 202L Lab
 2 credit hours
Begins the journey to understand and demonstrate competencies as they relate to Army doctrine. Covers Army values, teamwork, and the Warrior Ethos and their relationship to the Law of Land Warfare and the philosophy of military service.

MSL 2006 / American Military History
Fall and Spring, required. 4 credit hours.

Development and operations of the American military system from the Colonial period to the present. Focuses on the evolution of professionalism in the American military and the place of the American military in society. Open to all FSC students.

MSL 3001 / Training Management and Warfighting Functions / MSL 301L Lab
 4 credit hours
Discusses staff organization, functions, and processes; analyzes counseling responsibilities and methods; and applies leadership and problem-solving principles to a complex case study and simulations.

MSL 3002 / Applied Leadership and Small Unit Operations / MSL 302L Lab
 4 credit hours
Challenges cadets to study, practice, and evaluate adaptive leadership skills. Presents challenging scenarios related to small-unit tactical operations to develop self-awareness and critical thinking.

MSL 4001 / The Army Officer / MSL 401L Lab
 4 credit hours
Develops student proficiency in planning, executing, and assessing complex operations, functioning as a member of a staff, and providing leadership and performance feedback to subordinates.

MSL 4002 / Company Grade Leadership / MSL 402L Lab
 4 credit hours
Leadership capstone course exploring topics relevant to Second Lieutenants entering the Army. Describes legal aspects of decision-making and leadership and analyzes Army organization from the tactical to the strategic level.

Leadership Labs

Leadership labs are where the classroom meets the field. Mandatory for all cadets, labs put the concepts you study in Military Science courses into real practice — tactical movement, communications, team operations, and the kind of decision-making you can't learn from a textbook.

Labs typically run in conjunction with your MSL classes, with the exact schedule and format varying by year. Your lab partners are your cadet peers and your cadre instructors, all working through the same scenarios.

Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox

Cadet Summer Training is the Army's hands-on proving ground for ROTC cadets, completed between academic years at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It's where the leadership you study during the year gets tested under real conditions. Both courses are paid; cadets receive pay for time spent at training.

The Moccasin Battalion offers two Cadet Summer Training courses, each tied to a specific stage in your program.

MSL 4960 / Cadet Summer Training: Basic Camp (BC)

Summer, if needed. 3 credit hours. Pass/Fail, elective credit only.

A roughly 30-day program at Fort Knox for cadets who joined ROTC later in their college careers and need to catch up to their peers. Basic Camp introduces students to military life through foundational soldier skills, fitness, Army values, and leadership scenarios that challenge participants to use their personal courage to overcome obstacles. Completing Basic Camp qualifies cadets to enter the Advanced Course. Students must be physically and academically qualified to attend.

MSL 4961 / Cadet Summer Training: Advanced Course (AC)

Summer, required. 3 credit hours. Pass/Fail, elective credit only.

A 31-day capstone at Fort Knox, mandatory for all contracted cadets who have completed their junior year and are progressing to their senior year. The Advanced Course tests student proficiency in military leadership skills through realistic scenarios alongside cadets from other universities across the country. Cadets are evaluated on field training exercises, marksmanship, land navigation, and team operations. Performance at Advanced Course is a major factor in your national standing and branch selection. Students must be physically qualified to attend.

Physical Training & the Army Fitness Test (AFT)

Physical readiness is part of the curriculum. The Moccasin Battalion conducts daily physical training (PT) sessions from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., focused on building the strength, endurance, and resilience required to commission and to lead.

Cadets must pass the Army Fitness Test (AFT) each semester as part of their enrollment requirements. The AFT measures strength, endurance, and overall physical readiness across five events:

  • Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift measures lower-body and total-body strength
  • Hand-Release Push-Up (Arm Extension) measures upper-body endurance
  • Sprint-Drag-Carry measures anaerobic capacity and explosive power
  • Plank measures core strength and endurance
  • Two-Mile Run measures aerobic endurance

The cadre administers the test to ensure cadets meet Army standards, and we work closely with each cadet to help them meet or exceed the required scores. Support and individualized guidance are part of the program.

See Army Fitness Standards

Cadet Advanced Individual Training (CAIT)

Once you've contracted with the program and are performing at a high level, you become eligible for the Army's most respected training schools. The Cadet Advanced Individual Training (CAIT) program covers a range of elite courses where cadets earn badges, donn tabs, and test themselves against the toughest training the Army offers.

All CAIT schools are available to cadets who have contracted with ROTC and are performing at a high level within the program. Selection is competitive — cadets apply for slots, and the Moccasin Battalion supports applications based on each cadet's performance and goals.

For more on advanced training opportunities, visit the Army ROTC Cadet Advanced Training page.

Learn More about Army ROTC Advanced Training

A three-week program that qualifies soldiers in parachute operations. Training is divided into three weeks: Ground Week, Tower Week, and Jump Week. Each is progressively more demanding. Cadets execute five qualifying parachute jumps, including one night jump and one combat equipment jump, exiting C-130 or C-17 aircraft at 1,250 feet. Graduates earn the Parachutist Badge.

A rigorous 10-day course training soldiers in helicopter insertion, evacuation, and pathfinder operations. Known for its physical and mental demands, the school is sometimes called "The Ten Toughest Days in the Army." The curriculum covers combat assault techniques, sling load operations (rigging equipment for helicopter transport, with loads from 1,000 to 8,000 pounds), and rappelling from a 34-foot tower and from a UH-60 Black Hawk at 70 to 90 feet. Graduates earn the Air Assault Badge.

Trains soldiers for operations in rugged, high-altitude, and cold-weather environments. Set in Vermont's Green Mountains and established in 1983, the Army Mountain Warfare School runs physically and mentally demanding courses, often with 14-hour training days. Over a 14-day course, soldiers navigate difficult terrain, rappel, and execute casualty evacuations in extreme weather. Graduates of the Basic Military Mountaineer Course earn the Military Mountaineer Badge, known as the Ram's Head Device.

A demanding course focused on combat engineering, leadership, and small-unit operations. Sapper Leader Course trains cadets and soldiers in demolitions, mountaineering, water operations, and a range of combat engineer tasks. Graduates earn the Sapper Tab, one of the Army's most respected qualifications.

Develops expertise in physical readiness training, exercise science, and unit-level fitness programming. Master Fitness graduates are qualified to design and lead unit physical training programs based on Army doctrine.

A 12-day program preparing soldiers for operations in dense, humid jungle environments. Established in 2013 by the 25th Infantry Division, it's the Army's premier jungle warfare training. The course builds individual jungle skills (dismounted mobility, land navigation, water crossing, combat tracking, tropical medical considerations, survival training) and culminates in a three-day field exercise concluding with the "Green Mile" endurance course. Graduates earn the Jungle Tab.

Cadet Field Training is conducted at the United States Military Academy at West Point, exposing ROTC cadets to field exercises and small-unit operations alongside USMA cadets. Participants experience squad and platoon tactics, weapons familiarization, and the leadership challenges of a service academy setting.

The Sandhurst Military Skills Competition is an annual international event hosted at the United States Military Academy. Teams from ROTC programs, service academies, and international military academies compete in a series of physically and mentally demanding military skills challenges over two days. It's one of the most prestigious cadet-level competitions in the world.

An intensive program qualifying military personnel in combat diving operations. Known for being highly challenging, it demands excellent physical conditioning, mental resilience, and mastery of specialized diving skills essential for maritime special operations. Training covers open and closed-circuit diving, underwater navigation, combat swimming, boat handling, and emergency procedures over six to eight weeks. Graduates earn the Combat Diver qualification badge.

Cadet Troop Leading Training gives cadets hands-on leadership experience in real Army units. Typically completed between junior and senior year, cadets are assigned to active-duty units across the U.S. and overseas (including Europe and Korea) for three to four weeks. They shadow and assist platoon leaders, gaining experience in planning, operations, soldier management, and unit leadership, and receive an Officer Evaluation Report (OER) that contributes to their overall ROTC assessment.

Questions? Let's Talk.

Whether you have a question about enrollment, scholarships, or daily life in the battalion, our team is here to help.

Ready to Take the First Class?

The Military Science minor starts the same way any other class does: by registering for the course. If you're ready to enroll or want to learn more about the curriculum, contact our recruiting team.

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