About NU NROTC : Unit Staff : Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

Our officers bring their fleet experience to the classroom as professors within the Naval Science Department at Northwestern University. While mostly attended by NROTC midshipmen, these courses are listed in Northwestern's course catalog and are open for general enrollment. Here, you will learn the basics required for a commission in the United States Navy or Marine Corps.

Captain Otis
NS 341 A Seminar on Wartime Leadership and Ethics
Where military and civilian students learn the fundamentals necessary for them to evaluate wartime decisions made by U.S. Presidents, Cabinet Secretaries, and military commanders at all levels. Seminar discussions focus on evaluating historical case studies. Papers and exams evaluate current wartime events. Syllabus [secure].

Commander Tooker
NS 230 Leadership and Management
Consisiting of fundamentals of leadership and management of an organization; emphasis on the Naval officer as leader and manager, concentrating on areas such as professional ethics, organizational theory, and the characteristics and roles of successful leaders.

Marine Officer Instructor
NS 336 Evolution of Warfare (Marine Corps option only)
This course covers the evolution of warfare from the Alexandrian period to the present with broad coverage of the history of warfare. Actions and decisions of opposing commanders are evaluated in terms of classic theoretical principles of war. Syllabus [secure].

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NS 346 History of Amphibious Warfare (Marine Corps option only)
Covers the evolution of amphibious warfare and the development of amphibious concepts and principles. The course discusses major amphibious operations from Gallipoli to the present. Syllabus [secure].

First and Second Class Advisor
NS 210 Marine Navigation
This class introduces the theory underlying marine navigation including basic piloting, dead reckoning, terrestrial lines of position, and set and drift. Practical elements include extensive chart work, celestial navigation, solution of the navigational triangle, use of the sun, moon, stars, and planets in position finding at sea and actual sextant observations of the sun/moon (weather permitting). Syllabus [secure].

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NS 331 Naval Operations
Furthering of skills developed in NS 210, students examine or practice nautical rules of the road, use the maneuvering board, and study deck seamanship, basic ship handling theory, and weather systems. Syllabus [secure].

Third Class Advisor
NS 345 Naval Ship Systems I (Naval Engineering)
This course is an introduction to thermodynamics and basic power cycles used in naval propulsion and non-propulsion auxiliary systems. It includes the basics of electrical theory and shipboard electrical systems, along with ship design and stability characteristics to achieve safe operation. Syllabus [secure].

NS 220 Naval Ship Systems II (Naval Weapons Systems)
Consisting of theory and concepts of naval weapons systems. Topics include ballistics of both powered and free-flight modes in single or multiple environments, theory of target acquisition, identification and tracking, and command and control systems. Students develop the ability to analyze, synthesize, and critically evaluate representative naval weapons systems.Syllabus [secure].

Fourth Class Advisor
NS 110 Introduction to the Organization and Culture of the Naval Services
Which consists of: composition and organization of the Naval Services; diverse missions, makeup, and manning of naval sea services with emphasis on duties and responsibilities of officers, rank and enlisted rating structure, training of subordinates, promotion and advancement, and military courtesy. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of the formal and informal structures of the main warfare communities and how each contributes to attaining the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps mission. Syllabus [secure].

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NS 120 Seapower and Maritime Affairs
A survey of U.S. naval and maritime history in the context of world maritime development, including the historical evolution of American sea power and the role of U.S. naval forces in an era of geopolitical change. Syllabus [secure].