The basic courses, normally taken in the freshman and sophomore years, provide instruction in the fundamentals of leadership, management, and the national security structure with emphasis on leadership development. The advanced courses normally coincide with a student's final two years at the university, including a six-week advanced camp usually attended during the summer following the junior year. Instruction includes advanced leadership development, group dynamics, organization and management, small unit tactics, military law, and administration. The program is flexible enough to accommodate almost any NIU student who is interested in participating. The two-year program is designed specifically for transfer students or other NIU students who were unable to take Army ROTC during their first year or two of college.
Application is made in the spring.
Students transferring to NIU from a community college and attending ROTC basic camp may also be eligible for the Illinois State ROTC Scholarship which can be awarded by each Illinois community college. In most cases, active military service and 60 academic credit hours will suffice for placement credit so that veterans may enroll directly into the advanced course. In addition, there are two ROTC scholarship programs, a federally funded program and a state-funded program. Each year the Army awards four-year, full tuition scholarships to qualified high school graduates. Each scholarship covers full tuition, books, laboratory fees, and other educational expenses.