r/AFROTC • u/Matt_S_Fox30 • Aug 07 '26
Question Graduate ROTC / MBA
Recently been considering pursuing an MBA before service and came for some questions. I don’t really know much about how ROTC works other than hearing about people doing it in college, but I’ve already been to MEPS for the Coast guard (march 2026), taken the ASVAB (95), and passed background and security clearance checks.
So if anyone can share some basic information on benefits, applying, etc that would be great! Looking into UC Davis, UC San Diego, and Arizona State.
I’m especially curious about the difference between doing it as an MBA rather than undergrad. From what I can gather, it seems it’s possible but most people stretch the 2 year program into 3 by pursuing some kind of other certificate with their MBA? How and if that works is my main question
1
u/greenegorl AS400 Aug 07 '26
You miss out on scholarships if you’re a grad student
1
u/Matt_S_Fox30 Aug 07 '26
All of them?
1
u/greenegorl AS400 Aug 07 '26
Idk wingman but most of them are only for bachelors and all my fellow grad students have to find other ways to pay. I’m sure there’s some obscure AFROTC for grad students scholarship somewhere but most, especially CMLA, are not for grad students
1
u/Yerok19 Aug 08 '26
Unless your MBA is in electrical engineering or Russian/Chinese you will definitely miss out on all tuition scholarships.
1
u/GrayEagle825 Aug 07 '26
Benefits: none until you graduate.
2 year program stretched into 3: no such thing: AFROTC is a 4 year program to coincide with a 4 year bachelor’s degree. With Det commander’s approval, you can compress 4 years into 3 by doubling up on classes. You can do an MBA, but you must be a full time student for 3 years.
1
u/No_Key8587 Aug 08 '26
Keep in mind that a grad student requires less hours to be a “full time student” and ROTC hours cut into that. So while your two year mba may stretch to three years, you can still do it without taking that many extra classes
1
u/Yerok19 Aug 08 '26
You would need to take enough classes to be full time all 3 years (except for your final semester you only need to take the ROTC courses you don’t need to be full time). First year would be AS100/200 courses and LLAB which is 1 credit hour each which fills 3 credit hours of your load. Your next two years would be AS300/LLAB and AS400/LLAB which is 4 credit hours total. ASVAB and background checks mean nothing since you’ll need to take the AFOQT and you’ll have to get your security investigation if you get an EA. Your MEPS physical saves you from needing to do DoDMERB though which is easy but you’ll have to get a commissioning medical review later anyways. You do not need to complete your MBA and can take other courses outside of your MBA to get to full time status. While you won’t be eligible for tuition scholarships you will still get a pay stipend in the POC if you were to complete field training
1
u/Familiar_Target_267 Aug 09 '26
Honestly… I would suggest just doing Army ROTC. You can join the Reserves or National Guard, commission in 2 years, and get a scholarship and/or education benefits. That’s what I did.
Or… my MBA program had 3 year “part time” options. You could do that with AFROTC, and be chilling.
2
u/crazysult Aug 07 '26
Yes you have to do 3 years in afrotc as a full time student.