OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL

So you're just out of school, and you're ready to take your shot in the big world. You're ready for responsibility and recognition. Only every employer you talk to is giving you the old "you'll have to start at the bottom" speech.

We're different. We give college graduates who can pass the tests of our Officer Candidate School (OCS) the chance to be in charge of missions in just 17 weeks.

OCS is a rigorous course of instruction which prepares candidates to serve effectively as officers in the United States Coast Guard. In addition to indoctrinating students into a military lifestyle, OCS also provides a wide range of highly technical information necessary for performing the duties of a Coast Guard officer.

Graduates of the program receive a commission in the Coast Guard at the rank of Ensign and are required to serve a minimum of three years of active duty. Graduates may be assigned to a ship, flight training, to a staff job, or to an operations ashore billet. However, first assignments are based on the needs of the U.S. Coast Guard. Personal desires and performance at OCS are considered. All graduates must be available for worldwide assignment.

Eligibility Requirements:

Age:

Temporary commission (current Coast Guard members only): between the ages of 21 and 34 (applicants must have reached their 21st birthday, but not their 35th birthday as of 30 September of the fiscal year in which the panel convenes)
Reserve commission: between the ages of 21 and 30 (applicants must have reached their 21st birthday, but not their 31st birthday as of 30 September of the fiscal year in which the panel convenes)

Military Status:

If you are currently serving in another branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or are enrolled in a ROTC program, you must provide a release from your service obligations prior to entering the Coast Guard. Applicants with six or more years of non-Coast Guard active duty service are not eligible.

If you are a Coast Guard member and apply for OCS-Temp, you WILL NOT be eligible to apply for the OCS-Reserve program.

Citizenship:

All applicants must be United States citizens.

Qualifying Tests:

All applicants must provide a qualifying score on the SAT, ACT, or ASVAB. No waivers will be considered. Minimum qualifying scores are as follows:

SAT Reasoning Test: Combined 1100 on Mathematics and Critical Reading.
SAT (taken prior to 1 April 1995): Combined 1000 on Mathematics and Verbal.
ACT: 23.
ASVAB: 109 on ASVAB General Technical (GT) Aptitude Area after 1 July 2004; 110 prior to 1 July 2004. The GT score is obtained by combining the VE (Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension) and AR (Arithmetic Reasoning) test scores.

Physical:

A full medical screening will be conducted in accordance with your application.

Educational Qualifications:

Reserve Commission Applicants must be in their senior year or hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Temporary Commission Applicants (active duty Coast Guard personnel E-5 and above with at least four years of active duty in any Armed Forces) must have a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university,

OR receive the ACE recommended scores on the five general CLEP exams, including the college mathematics exam.

OR have completed at least one year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) at an accredited college or university (including a college level math class).

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

Receive a favorable recommendation from an Officer Interview Board (coordinated by your recruiter).
Must meet character standards and be eligible for a security clearance.
Must meet financial standards • Must meet dependency standards (Single parents with sole custody or primary custody are ineligible)

Application Process:

If you are ready to apply, you must visit the program forms and deadlines page and follow the application process, which includes downloading the forms and all necessary application elements appropriate for the OCS program.

For more information download the OCS Guide below. It will help prepare you for your initial transition to your OCS class. file download

OCS Pre-ReportingGuide_2013.pdf (4.9 MB)