OCC: Officer Candidates Course


What is OCC?

Officer Candidates Course (OCC) is designed specifically for college seniors and graduates with ambitions to become Marine Corps officers. Candidates in this program attend a ten-week course at Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. Those who graduate from OCS are offered a commission as a Marine officer, and those who accept are immediately assigned to active service and begin attending The Basic School.

Building a Corps of Leaders

The common denominator for Marine officers is leadership. Marine officers must lead and are selected based on their potential to lead and to continue to develop as leaders. After selection and commissioning, the Marine Corps devotes nearly an entire year to training new officers before they take charge of enlisted Marines. You'll be thoroughly trained and entirely prepared for that moment when you first stand before your Marines and utter the words, "Follow me." Read on to find out more about our officer programs-- if you're already interested, click her to Contact Us.

What are my pay and benefits while at OCS?

While training as a Candidate:

  • You will be paid as a sergeant (E-5, click here for Military Base Pay Tables while attending ten weeks of OCS. This means during your 10-week course, you will earn approximately $4,530.

  • You will receive the best leadership training in existence. No matter where you go after your military service is complete, the leadership lessons you learn in the Marine Corps will benefit you in whichever walk of life you pursue.

What are my pay and benefits as a Commissioned Officer?


As a Marine Officer:

  • Your starting salary as a Second Lieutenant (O-1, click here for Military Pay Base Tables) will exceed $43,000.00 per year, with pay increases annually. Additional bonus pay is available.

  • Full medical coverage for you and your family

  • Full dental coverage and family plan

  • 30 days' paid vacation annually

  • 100% Tuition paid for any further education you pursue on active duty

  • Post-graduate educational opportunities

  • Retirement after 20 years of active service, with a guaranteed 50% pension for the rest of your life

  • Adventure, travel, and daily professional challenge in environments around the world

  • Tranferable and marketable skills. Inc Magazine has described Marine Corps officer training as "the best management training in the world."

  • Unmatched camaraderie, pride, and espirit de corps. The bond between Marines is one which is lifelong, and is unmatched in the other services.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena--whose face is marred by dust, sweat, and blood... a leader who knows the great anthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause--who, at best if he wins, knows the thrills of high achievement, and if he fails, fails while daring greatly--so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

I want in... What are my contract options?

When you apply to Officer Candidates Course, you choose the area that you want to go into. If you are unsure as to what you want to do, you can apply for one or more options to increase your chance to getting selected. The basic requirements for each program vary, Contact Us to go over the details.

  • OCC Ground
    • As a ground officer, you will have over 20 military occupational specialties to choose from.
    • Infantry, logistics, air defense, artillery, intelligence, and military police are just a few examples of the fields you can specialize in.
    • Click here for more information of ground contracts.

  • OCC Aviation
    • Want to fly? The Marine Corps is the only branch of service which will guarantee you a seat in flight school as early as your freshman year of college, provided you complete Officer Candidates School.
    • Check out the Marine Corps' equipment page to learn more about our aircraft.
    • Click here for more information about the Aviation Contract.

  • OCC Naval Flight Officer
    • Does the idea of operating an airborne weapons system/sensor platform thrill you?
    • Would you like to fly in an F-18 Hornet or an EA-6B Prowler?
    • If so, you may want to be a Naval Flight officer. Click here for more information about the NFO contract.

  • OCC Law
    • Accepted to law school?
    • In law school?
    • Just got out?
    • Still want to serve your country?
    • As a Law contract, you are guaranteed a position as a Marine Judge Advocate. Click here for more information regarding Law Contracts.

What is the typical timeline for an application?

Applications to Officer Candidates Course are submitted through your local Officer Selection Office or OSO. The following is a basic overview of the application and training process:

  • Prospect Phase: The first step in the application process is to conduct an interview and basic screening with your OSO. If you pass the initial screening and appear to be basically qualified, you may begin the application process.

  • Applicant Phase: As part of the application process you will undergo a physical examination, undergo a background check, obtain recommendations, secure waivers (if necessary), and run a Physical Fitness Test (PFT), to determine if you are physically, mentally, and morally qualified to serve as a Marine Officer. Once your application is complete, it is ready for submission.

  • Candidate Phase: When the application is submitted, it is sent to a selection board made up of Marine officers. The selection board selects only the most qualified applicants for OCC. If you are selected you become a candidate and you are guaranteed the opportunity to prove yourself at Officer Candidates School. You will continue to prepare mentally and physically for OCS until the day you ship. Below are report dates and graduation dates for upcoming classes:

OCC Class Schedules Report Date Graduation Date
OCC-203 2010-01-22 --------
OCC-204 2010-06-03 --------

  • Marine Officer Initial Training Phase: Once commissioned, all Marine officers begin their active service by attending The Basic School (TBS) for a period of about six months. As the name implies, TBS will give you the basic skills needed to serve as a company grade officer in the Fleet Marine Force. At OCS, you prove that you possess the potential to be a Lieutenant of Marines, whereas at TBS, you learn how to be an effective lieutenant before assuming your first assignment of leading Marines. Upon completion of TBS, you will be assigned to your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) school. Officers with an Aviation contract will begin flight training in Pensecola, Florida. Officers with a Law contract will attend the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. Ground officers are assigned to their particular MOS near the completion of The Basic School-- a decision that take into account your personal desires, your performance at TBS, and the needs of the Marine Corps. You will attend an appropriate MOS school based on this assignment-- for instance, Artillery officers are trained in Fort Sill, Oklahoma while Infantry officers are trained in Quantico, Virginia. Upon completion of your MOS school, you will be assigned the the Fleet Marine Force.


What are the Basic Qualifications?

To apply for selection, you must:

  • Be an upstanding, competitive and physically fit man or woman between 18 and 28 years of age

  • Have no felony convictions

  • Hold a U.S. Citizenship--if you hold dual citizenship, you must renounce the citizenship of the other country before you enter OCS

  • Currently be a college senior or graduate from an accredited, four-year college of university

  • Hold a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Marine officers lead in the classroom as well as the field

  • Meet Marine Corps Height/Weight Standards

  • Be physically qualified (score a 225 or higher on the USMC Physical Fitness Test; click here for a more in-depth discussion of physical preparation

  • Be mentally qualified (e.g. meet at least one of the following)
    • SAT Score of 1000 or higher (Math and English)
    • Complete ACT Score of 22
    • AFQT Score of 74 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

  • To hold an Aviation contract, you must meet these additional requirements
    • Be less than 27.5 years old when commissioned a Second Lieutenant
    • Pass the Navy/Marine Corps Aviation Selection Test Battery(ASTB)
    • Be found medically qualified for flight training
    • Have a minimum vision of 20/40 (this must be correctable to 20/20)

  • To hold a Law contract, you must meet these additional requirements
    • Complete law school and pass the Bar Exam before shipping to OCS
    • Hold an LSAT score of 150 or better
    • Be less than 33 years old when transitioning to active duty

I'm interested... How do I get started???

Your journey starts by Contacting our OSO Office.

Top of Page