In the past, there were over a dozen different paths for Sailors to become commissioned officers, Seaman to Admiral being just one of them.
This wide array of programs lacked uniformity in benefits, selection procedures, educational opportunities, and program requirements. This created a very confusing web of program applications, deadlines, and choices for fleet applicants and, quite frankly, is very cumbersome for the Navy to manage and administer. Consequently, there were countless Sailors in the fleet who would make outstanding commissioned officers, but due to program restrictions, educational background, or financial concerns, they did not apply.
For all of these reasons and more, the Navy combined most of these current commissioning paths into one consolidated program that preserves the Seaman to Admiral name made popular by Admiral Boorda: Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21). The STA-21 Commissioning Program is designed to meet the goals of the Navy in the 21st Century, while at the same time creating a fair and equitable system for outstanding active duty Sailors to receive a top-notch college education and become commissioned officers in the Unrestricted Line (URL); Restricted Line in Human Resources; Special Duty Officer in Intelligence, Warfare (formerly Cryptologic) and Oceanography; Staff Corps in Civil Engineering (CEC), Medical Corps (MC), Nurse Corps (NC), or Supply Corps (SC).
To apply to the STA-21 program, please visit: https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/STA-21/STA-21-program/ . The University of Wisconsin-Madison NROTC battalion, as well as the UW-Madison Admissions department is always interested in bringing STA-21 selectees to the school. If selected for the program, please contact the Alpha Class Advisor. We will work with the admissions department to get your application screened to meet the program deadlines. We are also available to assist with degree completion plans.