Army | Challenge Yourself

Learn the art of leadership

The Royal Military College in Duntroon has been training world-class leaders for the Australian Army for 100 years. At RMC, you'll learn invaluable leadership, management and personal skills. Plus you'll get paid while you train.

RMC currently offers the following courses:

• General Service Officer Course
• Specialist Service Officer Course
• Army Reserve Officer Training

General Service Officer Course

If you want to become an officer in the Army, the General Service Officer (GSO) course is the most direct path. You don't need a university degree or any prior military experience.

This intensive 18-month course (12-months for ADFA graduates) is designed to hone your leadership skills and equip you with the knowledge and confidence to lead a team of soldiers. You'll learn military command and leadership, infantry tactics, navigation, weapons training and other military subjects.

It's designed to turn you into a qualified Army Officer in just 18 months. When you graduate, you'll be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army, where you'll be in command of a number of soldiers.

Course structure

The 18-month GSO course is divided into three classes, each conducted over a six-month semester. As you progress through each class, you'll be introduced to further levels of leadership training. Beginning with the basics of soldiering, you'll move through to Second Class and eventually First Class where you'll learn complex warfare strategies and, ultimately, how to command a platoon.

Initial Cadet Training

In the first few weeks of GSO training, you'll do Initial Cadet Training (ICT) at Majura near Canberra. This training is designed to teach you the necessary skills to be a soldier; things like weapons handling, first aid, and radio communications.

General Service Officer Course

If you're already a qualified professional such as an engineer, doctor, or nurse, you may be eligible to become an officer in just 32 days.

Because you'll be an Army Officer serving in a specialist capacity, you'll be required to learn military command and leadership skills during two modules of study, Foundation Skills and Officer Skills. Each module takes 16 days to complete.

Army Reserve Officer Training

Both the GSO and the SSO courses are available on a part-time basis if you want to become an Army Reserve Officer. This course is designed to fit around your existing work commitments. You'll study the same topics as regular officers, however, you'll be given more flexible study options. The Army Reserve General Service Officer Course involves five modules totaling 104 days of residential training, but you'll be given up to three years to complete the course.