Naval ROTC

Upon receiving a service selection for Surface Warfare, Midshipmen will enter the training pipeline to become a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO). SWOs are Navy officers whose training and primary duties focus on the operation of Navy surface ships at sea and the management of various shipboard systems, which vary from being in charge of weapon systems to specific electronics. SWOs can be on a variety of ships including aircraft carriers and cruisers. The ultimate goal of most SWOs is to be in command of a Navy surface ship. Later in a SWO’s career, they become a department head, which leads to becoming the Executive Officer and eventually the Commanding Officer of that ship. Within a SWO’s first tour, their main goal is to become qualified as the Officer of the Deck thereby earning your SWO pin.

As 1/C Midshipmen, you will participate in ship selection with all the other future Surface Warfare Officers across the nation. Once you have selected a ship, you will report to Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) in San Diego, CA or Norfolk, VA for 9 weeks. From there, you report to your ship and begin your Surface Warfare qualification process.

Upon graduation from Miami University, Midshipmen will begin the nuclear power training pipeline. The first stop is Naval Nuclear Power School (NNPS) located in Charleston, SC, a 24-week graduate-level course of study that provides a foundation of knowledge in topics such as differential equations, thermodynamics, and reactor dynamics. Following this is Advanced Nuclear Operator course at the Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) in Charleston, SC or Ballston Spa, NY. NPTU is a 26-week phase that provides hands-on, operational training of a nuclear reactor. The third phase is Submarine Officer Basic Course (SOBC) located in Groton, CT, a 12-week course where officers learn about submarine operations, such as safety, damage control, seamanship, and the responsibilities of leading a submarine crew. An officer is then assigned to their first submarine. Once he/she has completed a rigorous qualification process while on the submarine, an officer will be authorized to wear the Submarine Warfare Device (golden dolphins).

To be selected for this career, Midshipmen must interview with the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and pass multiple technical interviews at Naval Reactors in Washington D.C. If accepted into this community, Midshipmen will recieve a $15,000 signing bonus and a $2,000 bonus upon completion of Nuclear Power School and Prototype. 

After successfully completing the ASTB and passing the flight physical, Midshipmen await selection as either a pilot or a naval flight officer (NFO).  After commissioning, new Ensigns begin an extensive series of training schools, beginning with basic aviation education at NAS Pensacola, FL. The aviation training pipeline takes approximately two years to complete, where Ensigns learn the fundamentals of naval aviation. Once the basic training pipeline is completed, Ensigns will be sent to specialized training in rotary (helicopters) or fixed-wing. Fixed-wing is later specialized into jets and multi-engine. Upon completion of flight training, naval aviators are assigned to a fleet replacement squadron, earn their wings, and train to operate their specific aircraft.

Special Warfare/ Special Operations

Midshipmen interested in SEALs or Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) start the process during their junior year of college. Midshipmen must complete the Physical Screening Test (PST) and get selected for a SEAL or EOD cruise.

Midshipmen who desire to join the Navy’s special forces must complete a special summer cruise between their 2/C and 1/C year in the program. These cruises are meant to resemble BUD/S and are very competitive to attend. Special Warfare requires midshipmen to be both physically strong as well as mentally strong in order to complete the tasks that lie before them. 

The Warriors of Tomorrow club at Miami University is a club run by Midshipmen to prepare those who desire to pursue the special warfare community. 

Candidates begin their training in San Diego, California. The first test for a SEAL officer is the three week Basic Orientation, which prepares the candidate for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S). BUD/S consists of three, seven week phases: basic conditioning, combat diving, and land warfare training. After BUD/S, candidates must complete the SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), which prepares SEAL candidates for integration with a SEAL platoon. Before the SEAL candidate officially becomes a SEAL, the candidate must complete SERE School and parachuting qualifications. Once all these steps have been completed, candidates will officially become SEAL officers and will get to report to their SEAL platoon.

Candidates begin their training in Panama City, Florida. The candidates attend nine weeks of dive school at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center. Candidates will learn about scuba diving, physiology, and basic dive medicine. After dive school, candidates will transfer to the 42 week Basic EOD School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The school teaches candidates about air ordnance, improvised explosive devices, nuclear ordnance, and underwater ordnance. EOD candidates then attend three weeks of Basic Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia where static line parachuting is taught. The last phase of EOD training is three weeks of EOD Tactical Training in San Diego, California. EOD officers learn small unit tactics, weapons training, and helicopter insertion. After the Tactical Training, EOD officers are assigned to an EOD Mobile Unit.

Between their junior and senior years of college all Marine option midshipmen will complete 6-weeks of training at Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia where their minds, bodies, and character are put to the test to evaluate their capabilities both as a warfighter and as an officer.  Upon successful completion and graduation from OCS and college, the midshipmen will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

All Marine 2nd Lieutenants report to The Basic School (TBS) upon graduating from Miami University. Marine officers are given their MOS based upon their performance at TBS and the needs of the Marine Corps.  As the nation’s naval expeditionary force in readiness, the Marine Corps has to be able to fight and win our nation’s battles under austere conditions within contested maritime spaces across the globe.  Due to the austere nature of the Marine Corps’ mission, it deploys task-oriented forces that have to be organized for self-sustainment.  The Marine Corps organizes as a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with Commend Elements, Ground Combat Elements, Aviation Combat Elements, and Logistics Combat Elements.  2nd Lieutenants have opportunities to compete for Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) within the Air, Ground, Logistics, and Special Forces.

• Command Element (CE): Intelligence, Communications, Manpower Management, Cyberspace, Communication Strategy and Operations, Reconnaissance, Military Police, Financial Management, Judge Advocate
• Ground Combat Element (GCE): Infantry, Field Artillery, Combat Engineer, Light Armored Reconnaissance, Assault Amphibious Vehicles
• Air Combat Element (ACE): Naval Aviator, Air Traffic Controller, Air Defense, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Electronic Warfare
• Logistics Combat Element (LCE): Logistics, Mobility, Supply

Cryptologic Warfare Officers are directly involved in every aspect of Naval operations – delivering information to decision makers by attacking, defending, and exploiting networks to capitalize on vulnerabilities in the information domain. The cryptologic warfare communities are seeking MIDN with degrees in technical fields, preferably one of the following: information systems, electrical engineering, computer engineering, information systems, computer science, systems engineering, general engineering.

Once selected into this community, newly commissioned officers will attend an eight-week Information Warfare Basic Course of instruction in Pensacola, FL. There they will learn the fundamentals of everything from electromagnetic theory to tactical cryptology to signals intelligence reporting.

As an Officer in the Nurse Corps, you’ll provide high-quality nursing care wherever there’s a need, from Navy medical facilities and ships to humanitarian aid missions across the globe. You will provide general nursing care for Sailors, Marines, other service members and their families at the best military nursing facilities on shore, at sea, and in the field. You will collaborate with Physicians, Surgeons, Cardiologists and other specialists to create and administer treatment plans. You will lead and direct Hospital Corpsmen while providing quality patient care.

Miami University NROTC Nursing program is only available to applicants via the national 4-year NROTC scholarship specific for the nursing program. Due to the demanding hours and clinicals of the nursing program, Nurse option MIDN have an abbreviated training pipeline. Nurse option MIDN are required to participate in weekly NROTC drill instruction periods, participate in two summer training periods of four weeks, and complete the following naval science courses:

• Introduction to Naval Science
• Seapower and Maritime Affairs
• Leadership and Management I and II