West Point Military Academy - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Most students at West Point feel that academics are both challenging and competitive. The professors are there to teach and not to do research. As a result, they are more than willing to go out of their way to help students, as long as the students themselves are willing to expend the necessary effort. The poise and professionalism associated with the military is definitely present in the classroom. Also, students should expect to be challenged. Students will tell you that collaboration, especially with the smaller class sizes, can be essential to educational accomplishment. That’s not to say that the faculty isn’t there to help you, though. At West Point, everyone has a stake in your development, and although students are competitive, most would agree that this does not override the need to work as a team.

Succeeding academically at West Point involves two major skills: working with other people and managing time. West Point is as rigorous academically as it is physically demanding of cadets. With all of the other requirements of the Academy, it can be hard to find time for studying. Cadets have to learn early how to fit everything in when the days seem so short. Still, students seem to agree that if you were accepted and are willing to work hard, you can make it through. Everyone agrees that cadets receive one of the finest educations in
the world.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

The teachers here are definitely... The teachers here are definitely not focused on research. I don’t think they care too much about money, either. The majority of the professors are focused on ensuring that they do everything possible to give cadets the opportunity to succeed. But they also recognize that there are standards in place and that these are not flexible. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

The majority of the instructors,... The majority of the instructors, military, and civilian alike, want to do everything to ensure that you succeed. Occasionally, however, you get that eccentric captain who seems to resent West Point. You know, they applied to West Point when they were seniors in high school, but they got rejected, and now they come back to teach. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Some departments are extremely... Some departments are extremely strict; others are more laid-back. A few departments go out of their way to recruit the best civilian professors. But, then again, some of the civilian professors have been here for a while; maybe too long. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Academics suck. After I come back... Academics suck. After I come back from football practice and finish up my duties, there is no time. I routinely find myself staying up to 1 a.m., working on projects or studying for exams. There just isn’t enough time. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

What makes academics so difficult... What makes academics so difficult is that you never ever have enough time! The academics here are on par with most universities rated ‘most competitive.’ But what makes academics here extremely difficult is that you have so many other things that you have to do, and you never have enough time to do it all. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

West Point conducts the Invitational Academic Workshop (IAW) for high school juniors going into their senior year. It is a fast-paced program of academic workshops, military training, physical fitness training, and intramural athletics conducted during the second or third week of June each year. West Point cadets serve as squad leaders for all aspects of the week-long workshop. Four hundred high school juniors can attend the workshop each year from an applicant pool of approximately 800 to 1,000 annually.

West Point offers 21 majors and 24 different fields of study. A major requires a cadet to take 10 to 13 electives in a specific major and write a thesis or complete a design project. A major is a more enhanced, enriched academic experience with greater depth in the area of concentration. A field of study, which is usually recommended for cadets who are struggling academically (GPA around 2.0), requires nine electives be taken in order to graduate. Approximately 75 percent of the cadets elect to take a major.

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