Military Science Department

Contact Information

Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Shipper
Department of Military Science
Classroom Building 113
(605) 394-2769 or (605) 394-6038
E-mail: Gregory.Shipper@sdsmt.edu

Faculty

Professor LTC Gregory Shipper; Assistant Professors CPT Andre Hill, MSG John Wirth, and Mr. Jason Cautrell.

General Information

The School of Mines maintains a unit of the senior division of the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). The unit was established in 1950 and is administered by commissioned and noncommissioned officers of the United States Army nominated by the Department of the Army and approved by the president of the university. The ROTC program is open to both men and women. Military Science and Leadership (MSL) courses complement any course of study providing leadership training unavailable anywhere else on campus. Participation in the ROTC Basic Course (MSL 101 to MSL 202 ) incurs no military obligation.

ROTC training opportunities include Engineering Internship Programs, Airborne School (Ft. Benning, GA), Air Assault School, Cadet Troop Leadership Training with active duty units, Cadet Field Training (West Point, NY), Cadet Summer Training Basic Course (Ft. Knox, KY), Cadet Summer Training Advanced Course (Ft. Knox, KY), Ranger Challenge (Camp Ripley, MN), and Bataan Memorial Death March (White Sands, NM).

Curriculum

ROTC provides leadership training and experience demanded by both corporate America and the U.S. Army. ROTC consists of Basic and Advanced Courses of instruction. The Basic Course consists of the first four semesters of MSL (MSL 101 to MSL 202 ). It is designed to provide all college students with leadership and management skills that complement any course of study. There is no obligation or commitment to continue in ROTC or serve in the Armed Forces.

The Advanced Course consists of the last four semesters of the ROTC program (MSL 301 to MSL 402 ). The Advanced Course is offered to students possessing the potential to become Army officers and who desire to serve as commissioned officers and lead U.S. Army Soldiers in the Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. The objective of the Advanced Course is to select, train and prepare students for military service.

The ROTC program is designed to provide an understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles of military art and science; to develop leadership and managerial potential and a basic understanding of associated professional knowledge; to develop a strong sense of personal integrity, honor, and individual responsibility; and to develop an appreciation of the requirements for national security. Attainment of these objectives will prepare students for commissioning as a Second Lieutenant and will establish a sound basis for future professional development and effective performance in the Army or any chosen career field. In the traditional four-year program, students enroll in eight consecutive semesters of MSL courses, 2 credit hours each semester the first two years, and 4 credit hours each semester the last two years. Leadership laboratories are offered concurrently with each of the classroom courses.

Non-traditional two-year programs include eligible veterans with prior military service, current members of the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard, and students who have had high school junior ROTC or Civilian Air Patrol experience. A two-year program is available for any student having four academic semesters remaining or enrollment into a School of Mines master’s degree program after attending a summer ROTC Cadet Summer Training Basic Course at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. Participation at the basic course does not carry any commitment to participate in ROTC but it does satisfy the prerequisites necessary to enter the final four semesters of ROTC. Students must additionally complete a course in the following areas to satisfy commissioning requirements: 1) American Military History, 2) Communications, and 3) Computer Literacy.

Tuition, Credit, and Equipment

Military Science and Leadership courses are tuition free. Books and equipment are provided by the department. Associated fees assessed for all courses do apply. MSL credit may be applied as free electives toward graduation. MSL 101L or MSL 102L may be used to meet physical education requirements. Tuition is charged for courses when used to meet physical education requirements.

Financial Information

Financial support of $420 subsistence per month for up to ten months of the academic school year is paid to contracted students enrolled in the ROTC Advanced and Basic Courses. Students attending the four-week ROTC Leadership Training Course or the 37-day Advance Course receive approximately $800 plus room, board, and travel expenses.

Additional financial aid is available to eligible freshman, sophomore, and junior students in the form of four-year, three-year, and two-year Army ROTC scholarships. The scholarship provides tuition, fees, and a textbook allowance, in addition to the monthly subsistence allowance paid during the school year. In addition, all non-scholarship, South Dakota resident advanced-course Cadets receive a 50 percent reduction in tuition costs.