About Us

To recruit, retain, develop and commission the future officer leadership of the United States Army and motivate young people to be better citizens through support of local JROTC programs. And to assist in the Clemson vision to fulfill the covenant between its founder and the people of South Carolina to establish a "high seminary of learning" through its historical land-grant responsibilities of teaching, research and extended public service.

Military History at Clemson

Army ROTC, Military Science, was established as an integral part of the academic curriculum of Clemson University beginning in 1893 with the institution's first full-time academic year of operation. Clemson's long association with Army ROTC began in the context of a Military College with an all-male corps of cadets.

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany, and Clemson's senior class volunteered to President Wilson en masse. A total of 1,549 served and 25 were killed in the line of duty. Medals of Honor were presented to Ensign Daniel Sullivan and Sergeant Evans Foster. During World War II, Clemson supplied more Army officers than any other institution except for Texas A&M. A total of 6,475 served and 370 were killed in the line of duty. A Medal of Honor was presented to LTC Jimmy Dyess a member of Clemson's Class of ’31.

In 1955, the trustees of Clemson College took steps toward becoming a full university resulting in the Corps of Cadets being abolished. The ROTC basic program remained mandatory for only freshmen and sophomore males until 1969. ROTC became fully an elective program in 1971 and opened to women. Three years later, Clemson had its first female leadership officer commissioned. The Army ROTC has remained an elective program for all classes since that date.

Clemson ROTC offers a general military subject curriculum. This enables the program to produce officers available for a wide variety of Army assignments in most branches.

At present, both the two-year and four-year programs are offered as a part of the Army ROTC curriculum. This curriculum is a viable academic career program for both male and female students who desire entry into the Active Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard as Commissioned Officers.

Additionally, Clemson Army ROTC is partnered with several local universities and colleges and works closely to support students from Anderson University, Southern Wesleyan University and Tri-County Technical College.

Learn more about Clemson's Military Heritage.

Careers

Army ROTC prepares college students to succeed in any competitive environment. Students' leadership training and experiences in Army ROTC will provide them with a foundation to become commissioned Army Officers upon graduation.

Upon completing the Army ROTC program, graduates will be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army, commissioning into Active Duty, the Army Reserves or the National Guard. They will then continue onto the branch training for their first branch while serving in the Army.

Upon completion of Officer branch training and a first assignment, Army Officers may pursue additional specialized training and postgraduate education opportunities. They will be assigned to advanced leadership positions and staff positions in upper management. Also, they may develop doctrine, teach military tactics or serve as advisors.

To learn more about the different branches, visit Army Officer Branches and Talent Management. Here, you can see what each branch does and which branch might be the right one for you!

To learn more about the components that a Second Lieutenant can commission into, visit Army Reserves and National Guard components for more information.

For more information on careers, visit Officer Careers and Specialties.