Naval Science

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In addition to the coursework required by individual degree programs, NROTC battalion members are required to complete various courses in Naval Science. All of these courses are designed to provide prospective naval officers with a fundamental understanding of the roles and missions of the modern Navy/Marine Corps team.

Naval Science courses cover a wide variety of subjects from navigation to leadership and ethics. All courses are approved university courses and are considered electives in all degree programs. The Professor of Naval Science is the Commanding Officer, who is ultimately responsible for the administration of the courses. NS courses are taught by the members of the unit staff in South Hall.

• NS101 – Introduction to Naval Science
  This course introduces Midshipmen to the naval service through an historical overview, general discussions of the broad concepts of seapower and studies in the organizational structure of the U.S. Navy and its major components.
• NS102 – Naval Ship Systems Engineering
  Midshipmen learn the fundamentals of ship construction, stability, damage control and repair, basic thermodynamics and steam/nuclear propulsion systems.
• NS105 – Pre-Bulldog
  This course introduces Marines and Marine Options to the rigors of Officer Candidate School (OCS) to include how to small unit tactics, patrol orders, and other materials on which they will be tested at OCS. Only offered in the Spring.
• NS201 – Weapons Systems
  An introductory course in the theory and principles of operation of naval weapon systems including types of weapons, fire control problems and solutions, equipment and systems capabilities and limitations, theories of target acquisition, identification and tracking, trajectory principles, and basic naval ordnance.
• NS202 – Sea Power and Maritime Affairs
  Seminar course based on the premise that the student must develop his or her knowledge and interest in seapower and maritime affairs. This course is oriented towards the general concept of seapower, the role of various warfare components of the Navy in supporting its mission, the implementation of seapower as an instrument of national policy, and a comparative study of U.S. and Soviet naval strategies.
• NS301 – Navigation
  Studies and practical application of theories and principles of marine navigation including tides and currents, piloting, dead reckoning, celestial and electronic navigation, and collision avoidance (Rules of the Road).
• NS302 – Naval Operations and Seamanship
  This course introduces Midshipmen to the naval service through an historical overview, general discussions of the broad concepts of seapower and studies in the organizational structure of the U.S. Navy and its major components.
• NS310 – Evolution of Warfare
  A study of the evolution of strategy, tactics, weapons and leadership from the earliest times to present. Also examined are the development of military policy and the impact of war on the political, social and economic structures of nations.
• NS401 – Leadership and Management
  An introduction course to the basic concepts of management and organization, their application to operations and personnel management. Practical application at laboratory reinforces traditional management principles as practiced within the Department of the Navy.
• NS402 – Leadership and Ethics
  The Naval Science Leadership and Management II course, Leadership and Ethics, is the capstone course of the NROTC academic syllabus. It is intended to establish the ethical foundation, basic leadership tools, and knowledge of the military justice system necessary to be an effective junior officer and an outstanding leader. Additionally, the course provides an overview of naval service legal and administrative matters and of the duties, responsibilities, and expectations of a naval service junior officer.
• NS410 – Amphibious Warfare
  A review of the history and development of amphibious warfare, the principles and techniques of amphibious warfare and the application of these principles and techniques to selected examples from recent history.