Marine Corps
OCS Requirements
Commissioned officers form the backbone of leadership in the U.S. Marine Corps. Although there are other routes to becoming an officer, including the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), many applicants enter Officer Candidate School (OCS) through either the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) for college students or the Officer Candidate Course (OCC) for college graduates. To attend OCS, applicants must meet some basic requirements.
Age
To attend OCS through both PLC and OCC, Marine officer candidates must be at least 18 and no older than 28. Qualified applicants older than 28 may receive a waiver to attend OCS after speaking with a recruiter and following necessary protocol. However, candidates entering the program to become Marine Corps aviators are not eligible for age waivers.
Education
All commissioned officers in the Marine Corps must have a bachelor's degree once they enter the service. For those attending OCS through the OCC program, applicants must already have their bachelor's degrees. Those applying through the PLC program must be enrolled in a two- or four-year university.
Other Requirements
Commissioned officers in the Marine Corps must have proof of U.S. citizenship. Applicants must also undergo a medical screening at a Military Entrance Processing Station and pass a background check. Applicants should have no criminal record and a minimal number of minor traffic convictions.
Special Requirements
Applicants entering the aviation or law fields must meet additional criteria.
Aviation candidates must take the Aviation Selection Test Battery standardized test and meet special eyesight requirements for pilots. Aviation applicants must have both near and distant vision of at least 20/40 uncorrected that is correctable to 20/20. Also, applicants must have myopia of less than -1.50 diopters, hyperopia of less than +3.00 diopters and an astigmatism less than -1.00 diopters.
Law candidates will complete OCS before graduating from law school and must, under both PLC and OCC, have a bachelor's degree before attending training. After OCS, applicants will attend law school and must pass the bar exam before continuing with their careers as officers. Law applicants must score at least 150 on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) to be considered.
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