Welcome to The Department of Military Science, Army ROTC, Panther Battalion

Our mission is to recruit, retain, train and commission future Army officers.

Want a job after graduating with your bachelor's degree? Becoming an Army Officer will help ensure you are employed after graduation.

Army ROTC is an elective curriculum you take along with your required college classes. It prepares you with the tools, training and experiences that will help you succeed in any competitive environment. Along with great leadership training, Army ROTC can pay for your college tuition, too, provided you meet certain requirements. You will have a normal college student experience like everyone else on campus, but when you graduate, you will be an Officer in the United States Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves.

Army ROTC prepares college students to succeed in any competitive environment. The leadership training and experiences that students have in the Army ROTC will provide them with a foundation to become commissioned Army Officers upon graduation. Upon completion of the Army ROTC program, graduates will be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves and will embark on specialized training in their Army branch.

Army ROTC is one of the Nation's top leadership programs, with many benefits to joining. Through Army ROTC you can:

• Get help with your college tuition with an Army ROTC scholarship
• Gain experience you can't find anywhere else
• Gain the respect of your peers and future employers
• Train to become a leader and manager

Army ROTC Cadets gain valuable experience that will help them excel in college and beyond. Being an Officer in the United States Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves means you're a leader, a counselor, a strategist and a motivator. It's similar to being a vital manager in a corporation. As an Officer, you lead by example and you will lead other Soldiers in all situations and adjust in environments that are always changing. They are driven to achieve success with their unit on every mission.

Teaching the Leaders of Tomorrow

The Department of Military Science, Eastern Illinois University commissions cadets as Second Lieutenants in the United States Army, the United States Army Reserve, and the Illinois National Guard.  EIU ROTC promotes good citizenship in all cadets through adherence to the Army Values and the Code of the Army Officer. 

It is a leadership development program and academic minor that culminates with a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.  ROTC can be completed in two, three, or four years by cadets in conjunction with any field of study or academic major offered by the University.