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For AFROTC, do you get to complete a Master's degree or are you immediately forced to become an officer?

I want to complete an engineering degree and then follow into intelligence, but I am not sure whether I will get the opportunity to get that master's if I complete ROTC. Can someone help? #military #human-resources

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Meighan’s Answer

I completed Navy ROTC in college and have now served as a Naval Officer for seven years. Most ROTC programs require you to complete your initial service obligation immediately following graduation and commissioning as an Officer. There are rare exemptions-for example, getting accepted to the special programs such as medical school through the armed forces or qualifying for an immediate graduate education billet. However, these are extremely competitive programs.

On the flip side, after completing your initial service obligations, the Navy (as well as other branches of the armed forces) have great graduate education incentives. After four years serving on a ship for my Navy initial obligation, I rotated to shore duty for three years where I was able to complete two graduate degrees funded by the Navy.

Joining the armed forces is a big life decision, but if you ultimately decide it is the right decision for you, there are many educational benefits.

Meighan recommends the following next steps:

Learn more about ROTC Programs here: https://www.todaysmilitary.com/education-training/rotc-programs
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Jamie’s Answer

I graduated from Texas A&M Army ROTC and agree with Meighan's answer. In most cases you will have an ADSO, active duty service obligation. You can also get into programs while serving; I had a company commander that got accepted into medical school through an Army program and will return to the Army as a doctor after school and residency.
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Ryan’s Answer

Hi Bharat. I completed AFROTC between 2010 and 2014 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, and my experience was a little different from the others. I only pursued a Bachelor's, but a few of my classmates completed Master's too. So, it is possible, though rare. Whether or not you can do that depends on many factors, including the degree program, how many credits you transfer in, pre-approval, scholarship status, and more. I would recommend reaching out directly to an AFROTC Recruiting Officer at a school you're considering attending.

As the others have said too though, there are other options for getting a Masters. Some of my classmates graduated ROTC and immediately went to AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology) where they earned their Masters before reporting to their first operational unit. I went directly to an operational unit (after technical training), and then earned my Masters online, in my spare time, in just 4 semesters / 3 years (could have been 2 years, but I took a year off in the middle, due to a family emergency).
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