Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program
Valley Forge Military College offers a unique and challenging accelerated leadership path called the Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program (ECP). Successful completion of this two-year program results in the cadet earning a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon graduating as a sophomore from VFMC. Cadets who are not enrolled in the ECP program have the option of participating in the first two years of a standard four year Army or Air Force ROTC program while at VFMC.
Army ROTC
All qualified U.S. citizens at VFMC are required to enroll in Army or Air Force ROTC classes during their first year. There are no additional prerequisites for enrollment in the Basic Course other than U.S. citizenship. After graduation from Valley Forge, students enrolled in the basic program may elect to apply for the Advanced Course at any of 265 colleges and universities.
Air Force ROTC
VFMC students are eligible to participate in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) through a cross-enrollment agreement with St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA. Aerospace Studies courses are held on the St. Joseph’s campus. Students take one AFROTC course per semester, attend a four-week field training encampment during one summer, then are commissioned as Air Force officers upon graduation from a four-year institution. For more information, call (610-660-3189) or email or contact the AFROTC website at www.sju.edu.
The College has a long, successful history of preparing cadets to attend the Service Academies. Valley Forge cadets have successfully matriculated at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and the United States Coast Guard Academy at New London.
In order to best serve the cadets who are either directed by a Service Academy or who are seeking a nomination on their own, four major areas of preparation are addressed. First, all potential Service Academy cadets follow a College curriculum prescribed by the Academy to which they are applying. Second, Prepsters are assigned to a faculty member who serves as their Academic Advisor and as a liaison to the Academies and their associated organizations. Third, cadets pursue and maintain superior standing academically and militarily, as validated by the Office of the Commandant. Fourth, cadets are connected to groups and organizations that serve as links to the respective Service Academies as they engage in the preparatory/application process: the Association of Graduates (AOG) for USMA, the Falcon Foundation for USAFA, and the Naval Academy Foundation for USNA.
Sophomore Study Abroad Program
The American Institute for Foreign Study sponsors a program in conjunction with Richmond University, the American International University in London which offers an academic semester at their Richmond Hill campus, located 35 miles outside of London. Qualified Valley Forge students attend in the first semester of their sophomore year. The London study abroad experience immerses students in a diverse, multicultural educational environment consistent with the VFMC mission, preparing its graduates for leadership roles in civilian and military fields in the global community. Richmond University offers small classes in a wide variety of disciplines taught by outstanding European and international faculty members. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. To be eligible, a student must demonstrate academic competence with a minimum 3.0 career cumulative GPA and be “in good standing” tactically.