Citizen-Leader Track
What is the Citizen-Leader Track?
The first program of its kind among the nation’s senior military colleges, the Citizen-Leader Track (also known to cadets as VPI Battalion) was established in 2000 with a goal to equip cadets for professional careers in business, government, nonprofits, and more. Within the Corp’s leader development model and military structure, Citizen-Leader Track cadets take on progressive leadership positions while completing coursework in leadership, management, and ethics, and have the chance to earn an additional minor in leadership studies. Citizen-Leader Track graduates stand out from their peers at career fairs, interviews, and throughout their professional careers. Each year, over 80% of spring graduates have career-starting jobs or are accepted into graduate school before the Corps graduation ceremony in May.
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Citizen-Leader Track produce graduates of character engrained with the university’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) who are dedicated to lives of service in their community and nation. Our alumni have gone on to work at prominent organizations in the public and private sectors including Deloitte, Northrop Grumman Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, The Boeing Company, Central Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Virginia State Police, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service, Huntington Ingalls, Inc., and the Peace Corps. Some Citizen-Leader Track alumni choose to commission into the military through one of the programs available to cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track, such as the Marine Corps’ Platoon Leaders Course (PLC), Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program (AUP), or the Nuclear Propulsion Candidate Officer Program (NUPOC). Many alumni have also gone on to serve in the Department of Defense in the civilian workforce, through programs such as the new Defense Civilian Training Corps, Naval Management Systems Activity, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Naval Civil Engineering Corps.
Through the Corps’ active alumni network of over 10,000 as well as our engaged alumni board, many graduates from a wide range of career fields return to speak to current cadets offering advice, mentorship, and networking opportunities, further opening doors to future careers and forging life-long professional relationships. Citizen-Leader Track cadets are highly sought-after for their dedication to service, work ethic, and integrity. Heavily recruited due to their professionalism and experiences gained through the Corps of Cadets and the Citizen-Leader Track, graduates are ready to make a positive impact on their organization right from the start.
What does the Citizen-Leader Track offer?
Through mentorship, focused curriculum, and experiential learning, the Citizen-Leader Track offers a stable foundation that puts our graduates a step ahead of their non-cadet peers.
Mentorship
- Peer mentorship – A hallmark of this program is the bedrock belief that the Corps of Cadets and the Citizen-Leader Track are cadet-led and cadet-run. As our cadets navigate the trials of academic classes, applying for internships and scholarships, and navigating the job search process, training events and presentations are developed to share best practices to provide the most up-to-date information to cadets likely to follow in their steps.
- Industry-based mentorship – Cadets are assigned to companies within the Citizen-Leader Track based on their academic college and major. As alumni and other industry or government officials in specific fields return to campus or dedicate their time to speak to cadets, these company assignments ensure that speakers and resources are targeted to cadets with similar goals, interests, and career paths. As professional opportunities arise, these company assignments ensure that information about internships, scholarships, and potential employment opportunities are efficiently disseminated.
- Commandant’s staff mentorship – One of the most powerful tools offered by the Citizen-Leader Track, each cadet in the program meets with their academic instructor on the commandant’s staff a minimum of once every semester. These check-in meetings ensure cadets remain on track in terms of their career and professional goals, provide a personal connection to networking contacts and specialized university services, highlight scholarship, internships, or employment opportunities, and capture meaningful face-to-face conversations with students to provide a culture of care, ensuring the needs of the whole student are met.
Focused Curriculum and Credits
- Cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track participate in a two-credit course each semester focused on the fundamentals of leadership, career and professional development, advanced leadership and management, and practical skills for the workplace. These academic courses supplement practical learning through weekly professional labs and complement the training priorities within line companies in the Corps of Cadets outside of the Citizen-Leader Track.
Experiential Learning
- A weekly lab provides cadets with an opportunity to practice and supplement their academic learning in a practical environment. As first-year cadets, students focus on the concepts of followership and leadership of self. Progressing in experience, upperclass cadets will have the opportunity to hold leadership positions of increasing responsibility while also taking on the obligation of training those following in their footsteps. Cadet leaders design relevant and meaningful training plans to provide their subordinates with valuable insights such as resume-building best practices and interview skills, guidance on professional dress, appearance, and etiquette, tips on managing successful presentations, and the fundamentals of project management. Cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track also practice peer leadership and learn the skills of observation and evaluation of team members. The practical application of these skills makes our cadets highly prepared and sought after by potential employers.
A Structure for Future Leaders from All Backgrounds
The Citizen-Leader Track capitalizes on the senior military college environment to graduate citizen-leaders of character who embody a life of service, who are confident, competent, and prepared for careers in the public and private sectors.
Cadets are organized into a military-type line and staff organization just like their company in the Corps of Cadets regiment. This organization provides opportunities for leadership experience in addition to the opportunities in the regiment. While a cadet may not be in a leadership role in the cadet regiment, they may be in a leadership position within the Citizen-Leader Track, also called VPI Battalion.
VPI Battalion is comprised of all cadets that are members of the Citizen-Leader Track. The two names are often used interchangeably. VPI Battalion has three companies that are aligned to academic majors.
- Victory Company is the home for cadets who are majoring in any type of engineering
- Power Company houses cadets whose major falls under the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
- Iron Company is a collection of cadets from various majors from the College of Science, Pamplin College of Business, College of Agriculture and Life Science, College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, College of Natural Resources and Environment
The companies are usually about the same size and organized by colleges to maximize relevant personalized experiences, speakers, and training opportunities based on academic majors.
Like a traditional ROTC program, cadets participate in bi-weekly physical training, a weekly leadership laboratory, and academic classes.
Additional Opportunities
The Citizen-Leader Track is home to several alternative programs for cadets desiring military or government service. Participation in these programs is voluntary and not a requirement for cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track. Read about cadets that have commissioned in these programs here.
Platoon Leaders Course (PLC), United States Marine Corps:
- Members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets that participate in the Marine Corps’ PLC program are in the Citizen-Leader Track. These cadets utilize the Citizen-Leader Track and guidance from the local Marine Corps officer selection officer to prepare throughout the year to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS). Upon completion of OCS and graduation from a four-year university, these cadets (through the local Marine Corps officer selection officer) will commission into the United States Marine Corps. PLC candidates train separately during professional lab and participate fully in Citizen-Leader Track academic classes. Under the direction of the local officer selection officer (OSO), interested cadets can apply to contract as candidates in an air or ground field. Contracted candidates will typically complete OCS in one 10-week summer period before their senior year, or in two six-week summer periods before their junior and senior years.
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program (AUP):
- One of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ newest cadet programs, AUP cadets join the Coast Guard Auxiliary and earn qualifications and certifications with the goal of commissioning into the Coast Guard as ensigns upon graduation and completion of officer candidate school (OCS). Cadets participating in this program train separately during professional lab and participate fully in Citizen-Leader Track academic classes. Read our Corps Review article about cadets in the AUP program here.
- Participation in the Auxiliary is optional and has no service obligation by itself. Auxiliarist cadets train alongside other auxiliarists and perform missions in support of the U.S. Coast Guard on local and regional waterways. As a senior military college, cadets interested in applying for Coast Guard OCS are also eligible to apply for a direct commission upon graduation in addition to traditional OCS application packets. Selected direct-commissionees attend an abbreviated OCS and commission directly into the fleet soon after graduation. There are additional scholarship opportunities available for interested cadets in this program.
United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program (NUPOC):
- NUPOC is a scholarship program provided by the United States Navy and NUPOC candidates do not participate in the traditional four-year ROTC pipeline. Cadets contracted under NUPOC participate fully in the Citizen-Leader Track program, attending all labs and classroom instruction. This program is specifically geared toward students in STEM fields who wish to serve as commissioned Navy nuclear officers upon graduation.
- For more information about this program, visit Navy NUPOC: Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program (2024) (navalofficerrecruiter.com)
Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC)
- In a partnership with the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, the Department of Defense, and the Acquisition Innovation Research Center, the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) is a new program designed to develop civilian workforce talent for the Department of Defense.
- This program provides a 2-year 100% tuition-paid scholarship, generous stipend to support room, board, and other expenses, and a guaranteed summer internship between the junior and senior year of study. There is also a requirement for service within the Department of Defense as a civilian for two years upon graduation.
- Interested cadets can apply for this program in the fall of their sophomore year if they are in a four-year degree program.
- DCTC cadets participate fully during Citizen-Leader Track labs and academic classes, in addition to DCTC-required academics and activities. Read about the first DCTC cohort at Virginia Tech here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Citizen-Leader Track members considered cadets in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets since they are not enrolled in ROTC?
- Yes. Citizen-Leader Track members are cadets in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, and they are fully integrated with ROTC cadets within the Corps. Cadets from the ROTC programs and cadets from the Citizen-Leader Track are housed together and participate in Corps events together. The Corps does not separate cadets based on membership in the ROTC programs or the Citizen-Leader Track.
Do Citizen-Leader Track cadets have physical training like ROTC programs?
- Yes. Physical training is an area of emphasis in the Citizen-Leader Track. Multiple studies have shown the importance of physical health and well-being to academic success and positive mental health. Promoting a healthy lifestyle is a benchmark of the Citizen-Leader Track program. Formal physical training is held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before formation, and additional workouts may be authorized at the cadet commander's discretion. Citizen-Leader Track cadets will take a physical training assessment every semester to gauge personal progress and demonstrate continued eligibility for the leadership minor, if applicable. Workouts typically last for one hour, including warm-up and cool-down periods. Personal fitness activity, in addition to the minimum required, is highly recommended.
Are there specialized opportunities for cadets based on their major or career goals?
- Yes. While many training sessions are generalized to apply to a maximum number of students, there are multiple presentations, speakers, and activities offered throughout the semester based on majors, interests, and professional goals. Some presentations are annual, while others are specialized and offered on a limited or one-off basis.
Can I switch from the Citizen-Leader Track to an ROTC or switch from ROTC into the Citizen-Leader Track?
- Yes. One of the strengths of the unique partnership between ROTC programs and the Corps of Cadets is the ability to “try on” an ROTC program or the Citizen-Leader Track without worrying about falling behind. Many cadets will start with an ROTC and join the Citizen-Leader Track during their first year. The reverse is also true with some Citizen-Leader Track cadets deciding to join an ROTC program at any point in their cadet experience. Corps staff members work closely with ROTC cadre to ensure a smooth transition in either direction.
Do Citizen-Leader Track cadets serve in the military? Is there a service commitment?
- There is NO service obligation upon graduation from the Citizen-Leader Track. Cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track may choose to pursue commissions in the military upon graduation. The Citizen-Leader Track does offer opportunities for cadets to participate in PLC, Coast Guard AUP, and NUPOC.
Can Citizen-Leader Track cadets serve in the military?
- Cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track can pursue military service if interested. Some cadets choose to enlist in the National Guard or commission into the military after graduation, but those are not required.
I want to join one of the alternative programs like NUPOC, DCTC, PLC, or Coast Guard AUP. Who should I talk to?
- Email or call the Citizen-Leader Track director, Mr. Ken Mallory, at kemallor@vt.edu or 540-231-8595.
I’m in the Citizen-Leader Track. Can I earn a leadership minor?
- Absolutely. One of the first leadership minors in the country and the first at Virginia Tech, the Corps of Cadets Minor in Leadership Studies is available for all Citizen-Leader Track cadets to pursue. The minor requires 22 hours of academic instruction (many of which are already included in Corps curriculum), successful completion of leadership positions, and a passing score on the physical fitness test.
What’s the benefit of joining the Citizen-Leader Track if I don’t want to be in the military?
- There are many reasons to join the Corps of Cadets, even if military service is not desired. Citizen-Leader cadets gain in-depth leadership and time management skills learn that place them far ahead of their non-Corps peers. Cadets practice professionalism, learn how to perform in stressful situations, master peer communication, and apply those skills for better career readiness. Cadets also enjoy developing lifelong friendships from the moment they set foot on campus and being a part of Virginia Tech’s oldest tradition.
Are there scholarships available for the Citizen-Leader Track?
- Currently, there are no direct scholarships offered solely through the Citizen-Leader Track, but the Corps of Cadets does offer scholarships. The Emerging Leader Scholarship is available for admitted cadets upon the submission of a current FAFSA with the university. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, meet Corps fitness standards, and remain in good military standing. Also, all rising junior and senior cadets who are in good military standing, maintaining a 2.5 cumulative GPA, and with a current FAFSA form, will receive a scholarship of $3,500 each year towards the total cost of attendance. Additional scholarships may be available to cadets taking winter or summer session classes, valued up to $3,000. These scholarships are available to all cadets, not just cadets in the Citizen-Leader Track.
I still have questions. Who can I contact for more information about the Citizen-Leader Track?
- Please feel free to reach out with additional questions.
- Mr. Ken Mallory, Director, Citizen-Leader Track kemallor@vt.edu or 540–231–8595
- Ms. Sarah Fleenor, Associate Director, Citizen-Leader Track scfleenor@vt.edu or 540–231-8620