To help educate midshipmen in a major field of interest to the Navy or Marine Corps leading to a baccalaureate degree. To provide midshipmen with fundamental concepts and principles of naval science and with the professional naval knowledge necessary to establish a sound basis for future growth as a Naval or Marine Corps officer. To prepare midshipmen for service with the highest sense of honor and integrity as commissioned to foster the growth of a strong sense of loyalty and dedication to the service and the nation. To prepare midshipmen to continue their education in a field of interest to the Navy or Marine Corps later in their careers. To instill the values of civilian higher education into the naval service by utilizing the expertise of civilian faculty instruction.
Admission is obtained through national competition.
The best time for application is during the fall of the senior year of high school. The program is open, however, to college freshmen or sophomores who meet the age limitations. A student requiring more than 40 months to earn a bachelor's degree is granted a leave of absence, equivalent to the excess over four years. In certain cases, scholarship benefits may be extended to five years for students in engineering programs. Upon completion of the naval-science curriculum and the awarding of a college degree, the graduate is commissioned in the Navy or Marine Corps and serves on active duty for a period of not less than four years.