page_title: United States Military Academy
section_title: Curriculum
hierarchical_section_title: United States Military Academy / Curriculum
caption_attribution_description: The West Point Class of 2008 toss their covers after "class dismissed" is announced
context_page_description: The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, Army, Army West Point, The Academy, or simply The Point, is a four-year federal service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort that sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles north of New York City. It is the oldest of the five American service academies.
  The academy traces its roots to 1801, when President Thomas Jefferson directed that plans be set in motion to establish the United States Military Academy at West Point. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments. The majority of the campus's Norman-style buildings are constructed from gray and black granite. The campus is a popular tourist destination, with a visitor center and the oldest museum in the United States Army.
  Candidates for admission must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Other nomination sources include the President and Vice President.
context_section_description: West Point is a medium-sized, highly residential baccalaureate college, with a full-time, four-year undergraduate program that emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions with no graduate program. There are forty-five academic majors, the most popular of which are foreign languages, management information systems, history, economics, and mechanical engineering. West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Military officers compose 75% of the faculty, while civilian professors make up the remaining 25%.
  A cadet's class rank, which determines his or her Army branch and assignment upon graduation, is calculated as a combination of academic performance (55%), military leadership performance (30%), and physical fitness and athletic performance (15%).
caption: Class of 2008 toss their hats after "class dismissed"
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