Naval Science
The Department of Naval Science, a recognized department of instruction within the College, educates and trains young men and women to serve as commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Only those men and women reasonably disposed to accept a commission in the Navy or Marine Corps should plan to enter the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Program. This affirmation must be understood clearly by everyone who applies for the program.
Scholarship Program
Graduating high-school students can apply through the national competition for a four-year Naval ROTC Scholarship. If selected for the four-year Naval ROTC Scholarship Program, they receive full tuition, all academic fees, military uniforms, a stipend of $750 per academic year for textbooks, and a graduated monthly subsistence allowance ($250/month for Freshmen, $300 for Sophomores, $350 for Juniors and $400 for Seniors) while attending college. Additionally, the College of the Holy Cross offers free room to all four-year national scholarship winners living on campus. They are required to take certain college courses, to undergo three summer training cruises of approximately four weeks duration, and to serve at least five years on active duty after commissioning.
Second-year college students can apply through the national competition for the two-year Naval ROTC Scholarship Program. If selected, during their third and fourth years they will receive full tuition, all academic fees, the annual stipend of $750 for textbooks, military uniforms, and a monthly stipend the same as a four year scholarship student. In addition, they will be required to take certain college courses and to undergo one summer training cruise of four weeks duration. They will be required to serve at least five years on active duty after commissioning.
College Program
First- and second-year students at the College may apply directly to the Professor of Naval Science for enrollment in the College Program (non-scholarship). After completion of at least one semester in the College Program, students who have achieved a GPA of 2.5 or higher and performed well in the Battalion may be recommended by the Professor of Naval Science for a Naval Service Training Command Controlled Scholarship. The scholarship includes all the same rights and responsibilities as a scholarship student detailed above.
College Program students not selected for a scholarship by the beginning of their junior year must be selected for advanced standing or will be dropped from the NROTC program. Selection for advanced standing is competitive and centrally managed by Naval Service Training Command. This program provides military uniforms and a subsistence allowance of $350/$400 per month for Juniors/Seniors respectively while attending college. College Program students are required to take certain college courses and to undergo one summer training cruise of four weeks during the summer preceding their fourth year. Second-year College Program students who receive advanced standing or a scholarship must attend New Student Indoctrination in Great Lakes, IL for three weeks during the summer preceding their junior year. Upon commissioning, College Program students are required to serve at least three years on active duty.
Naval Science Students
Any student in the College may take Naval Science courses (department discretion). Naval Science students receive credit for satisfactory completion of accredited Naval Science courses but have no official status in the NROTC Program and receive none of the benefits provided to NROTC students.
General Information
The Holy Cross NROTC Unit is composed of approximately 65 midshipmen. The Battalion is divided into companies, and the overall leader is the Midshipman Battalion Commander, a fourth-year student who is chosen for outstanding leadership qualities. The Battalion meets for drill or classroom instructional periods twice a week. In addition, each year the Battalion sponsors an active social program, which includes informal events, the Navy Marine Corps Birthday Ball, Dining In, Tri-Service Cotillion, various military and athletic excellence competitions, and field meets.
Daniel Hopkins, M.A., Professor, Chair
Paul Gillett, M.A., Naval Science Instructor
William Walker, B.A., Naval Science Instructor
Naval Science Laboratory. One weekly two-hour laboratory. Emphasis is placed on professional training which is not of an academic nature. The laboratory is intended for topics such as drill and ceremonies, physical fitness and swim testing, cruise preparation, safety awareness, preparation for commissioning, personal finances, insurance and applied exercises in naval ship systems, navigation, naval operations, naval administration, and military justice. Other topics and special briefings are conducted as determined by the Naval Service Training Command or the Professor of Naval Science. Required of all Midshipmen. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
An introduction to the customs, traditions, missions, rules and regulations of the Department of Defense and the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Topics include rank structure, uniform regulations, military law, terminology, ships and aircraft types, naval history, and present naval missions. Required of all Midshipmen; intended for first-year students. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Fall
Detailed study of ships' characteristics and types including ship design, hydrodynamic forces, stability, compartmentation, propulsion, electrical and auxiliary systems, interior communications, ship control, and damage control. Included are basic concepts of the theory and design of steam, gas turbine, and nuclear propulsion. Also discussed are shipboard safety and fire fighting. Required of all Navy option Midshipmen; intended for third-year students. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Fall
An introduction to the principles and behavior of electronic and electromagnetic systems to provide a foundational understanding of the interrelationships with naval combat systems. Topics and concepts explored pertain to a wide range of maritime applications, such as radar, sonar, communications, electro-optics, computer, missiles and electronics warfare systems. Required of all Navy option Midshipmen; intended for third-year students. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Spring
A survey of U.S. Naval History from the American Revolution to the present, with emphasis on the Navy's role as an instrument of U.S. national security policy and foreign policy. Includes in-depth discussion of naval developments, key maritime strategies that have shaped the sea services, and naval contributions throughout various periods in American history, including major battles and campaigns in armed conflicts through the Gulf War. Required of all Midshipmen; intended for first-year students. One unit.
Restricted to NROTC students. Department consent is required for non-NROTC students.
GPA units: 1
Common Area: Historical Studies
Typically Offered: Spring
Practical piloting in restricted and open water to include discussions on tides, currents, electronic navigation, and celestial navigation theory. Coast Guard Navigation Rules, maneuvering board concepts, and a brief introduction to weather are covered. Required of all Navy option Midshipmen; intended for second-year students. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Spring
This course includes discussions on Rules of the Road and basic ship handling practices. Covers command and control and Naval Operations as they apply to each warfare platform. Required of all Navy option Midshipmen; intended for fourth-year students. No degree credit.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Fall
This course is designed to cover the causes of continuity and of changes in the means and methods of warfare during major periods of history. It addresses the evolution of strategic principles and the influence of economic, moral, psychological, political and technological factors and strategic thought. It also examines the interrelationships between technological progress and military changes in rendering obsolete the successful strategies, policies, doctrines and tactics of the past. Required of all Marine option Midshipmen.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Alternate Years, Fall
This course focuses on the theoretical and practical concepts of leadership and management. It includes discussions of the principles and processes required of managers including: planning, organizing, controlling, motivation, communication, and decision making. Examples from both general business and the Naval establishment are used. The social, ethical and moral responsibilities of managers are also discussed. Required of all Midshipmen; intended for second-year students.
Restricted to NROTC students. Department consent is required for non-NROTC students.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Fall
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the foundational concepts and history of the USMC as the premier maneuver warfighting organization. This class focuses on the theory of maneuver warfare by utilizing both historical examples from previous military operations as well as current doctrine thereby developing an individual who is both a critical thinker and a scholar in the profession of arms. The goal is to educate the student to read military history analytically and foster professional development that creates officers that can think in a dynamic, rapidly deteriorating situation. Required for all Marine option Midshipmen.
Restricted to NROTC Students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Alternate Years, Fall
GPA units: 1
This course is designed to prepare students for success at USMC Officer Candidates School (OCS) and The Basic School (TB S). Emphasis is placed on leadership skills, basic infantry tactics, and general subjects including Marine Corps organization, history, customs and courtesies, and traditions. Practical application of skills such as land navigation and issuing combat orders is a central feature. Required of all Marine option Midshipmen.
Restricted to NROTC students. Department consent is required for non-NROTC students.
GPA units: 0
Typically Offered: Spring
This course completes the final preparations of ensigns and second lieutenants for service in the Navy and Marine Corps. The course integrates an intellectual exploration of Western moral traditions and ethical philosophy with a variety of topics, such as military leadership, core values, professional ethics, the UCMJ and Navy regulations, and discussions relating to the roles of enlisted members, junior and senior officers, command relationships, and the conduct of warfare. The course provides midshipmen with a foundation of moral traditions, combined with a discussion of actual current and historical events in the USMC, to prepare them for the role and responsibilities of leadership in the Naval Service of the 21st century.
Restricted to NROTC students. Department consent is required for non-NROTC students.
GPA units: 1
Typically Offered: Spring