V-12 Navy College Training Program

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The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943 and June 30, 1946, over 125,000 men were enrolled in the V-12 program in 131 colleges and universities in the United States, including Bates College, Harvard University and Northwestern University.

V-12 participants were required to carry 17 credit hours and 9-1/2 hours of physical training each week. Study was year-round, and the number of terms for a trainee depended on his previous college background, if any, and his course of study. From the V-12 program, most of the Navy candidates went on to a four-month course at a reserve midshipmen's school, and the Marine candidates went to boot camp and then to the 12-week Officer Candidate Course at Quantico, Virginia. The curriculum was heavy on math and science for "regulars" (those entering college for the first time). Those students who already had some college credit, or "irregulars," were allowed to continue in their majors with the addition of courses in mathematics and science.