Life as a Midshipman | Notre Dame Naval ROTC

The Best of Both Worlds

First and foremost, our midshipmen are fully active members of the broader Tri-Campus community. Unlike traditional military academies where you are confined to a base, our students reside in regular university residence halls, eat in the dining halls, join campus clubs, and perform community service alongside their civilian peers.

From playing intramural or varsity sports to participating in unique legacy traditions like the annual NROTC Military Ball, the Naval Academy leadership exchange, and tri-military athletic competitions, you get the full, vibrant college experience.

In fact, midshipmen wear a backpack just like everyone else four days a week — it’s only on leadership laboratory days that the uniform comes out.

Naval Science Curriculum

To build your technical and leadership foundation, midshipmen take one Naval Science course each semester alongside their standard university major.

Taught directly by our assigned unit faculty, these classes count toward your degree and cover essential fleet topics like naval history, leadership ethics, navigation, and weapon systems.

Weekly Training Schedule

The military training footprint is structured to fit seamlessly into your normal academic week:

Leadership Laboratory: A mandatory two-hour weekly block where the battalion assembles in uniform for guest fleet briefings, close-order drill, and practical command exercises.
Physical Training (PT): Early morning physical conditioning sessions twice weekly. (Marine Options participate in an additional three specialized sessions).
Assessments: Regular body composition and Physical Readiness Tests (PRT) to keep you tracking toward your fleet milestones.

Naval Science Course Catalog

One Naval Science course is required each semester, counting toward your degree. Here’s the full four-year sequence.

FALL · 2 CR

NSCI 10101: Introduction to Naval Science

A comprehensive introductory study of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ history, traditions, organization, officer career paths, and the role of the naval service in supporting national policy.

FALL · 3 CR

NSCI 20201: Leadership & Management

Principles of leadership and management, including management theory, communication, counseling, professional responsibility, and the control and direction of personnel.

FALL · 3 CR

NSCI 30301: Naval Ship Systems I

Steam turbine (nuclear and fossil fuel), gas turbine, and internal combustion marine propulsion plants and shipboard auxiliary systems, with applied thermodynamics and an introduction to ships’ stability.

FALL · 3 CR

NSCI 40401: Naval Operations

Theory of ship movements and employment, including communications, sonar-radar search, relative motion, and maneuvering board, plus tactical formations, dispositions, seamanship, and signals.

ALT. FALL · 3 CR

NSCI 40413: Fundamentals of Maneuver Warfare

Foundational concepts and history of the USMC as the premier maneuver warfighting organization. Required for First and Second Class Marine Options; alternates yearly with NSCI 40415.

SPRING · 2 CR

NSCI 10102: Sea Power & Maritime Affairs

U.S. naval and maritime history in the context of world maritime development — the evolution of sea power, enduring U.S. national interests, and the role of naval forces amid geopolitical change.

SPRING · 3 CR

NSCI 20202: Navigation

Theory and principles of navigation: dead reckoning, piloting, electronic, inertial, and celestial navigation, along with navigational aids and the nautical rules of the road.

SPRING · 3 CR

NSCI 30302: Naval Ship Systems II

Theory and operation of naval weapons systems: types of weapons and fire-control systems, capabilities and limitations, target acquisition and tracking, trajectory principles, and naval ordnance basics.

SPRING · 3 CR

NSCI 40402: Leadership & Ethics

A seminar on practical leadership and management skills specific to the Navy officer, focused on the transition from student to manager, plus naval ethics, naval law, and Navy policies and programs.

ALT. FALL · 3 CR

NSCI 40415: Evolution of Warfare

Warfare as an instrument of foreign policy throughout history, examined through great leaders, military organizations, and military theorists. Required for First and Second Class Marine Options; alternates yearly with NSCI 40413.

Key Summer Training Milestones

Every scholarship midshipman’s college summers are mapped to a deliberate progression — from learning the ropes as a freshman to standing in the wardroom as a senior.

New Student Indoctrination (NSI)

Before stepping into your freshman year classes, you will head to Great Lakes, Illinois for NSI. This foundational 2-to-3 week introductory block standardizes basic swim qualifications, military customs, and drill for all incoming candidates nationwide, ensuring you hit the campus running on Day 1.

CORTRAMID

Following your freshman (4/C) year, you’ll head to Norfolk, VA, or San Diego, CA, for CORTRAMID, a roughly 4-week immersion. You’ll spend one week embedded with each commissioning community — Surface Warfare, Submarines, Aviation, and the Marine Corps — giving you hands-on exposure before you select a path.

2/C Cruise

Between sophomore and junior year, all scholarship midshipmen head to sea aboard surface ships and submarines for shipboard orientation and a firsthand look at enlisted life and the work center supervisor role. Sea Trials satisfies the cruise requirement, though midshipmen may request an additional 2/C cruise, and those who missed CORTRAMID as 3/C may complete it now if billets allow. Marine Option midshipmen instead join an amphibious cruise or embed directly with USMC units.

1/C Cruise

Between junior and senior year, First-Class midshipmen get a taste of the officer wardroom during an at-sea training cruise. Navy Option midshipmen may instead pursue aviation, submarine, or Foreign Exchange Training (FOREXTRAMID), ideally aligned with their anticipated designator. Marine Option First-Class midshipmen attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, VA — the final step before commissioning.

Have More Questions?

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page for answers on uniforms, GPA requirements, scholarships, and more.