About
Way back in 1874, the Canadian government promised that educational opportunities would be available to the military. Hence, the Royal Military College of Canada (or, RMC for short) opened on July 1, 1876, in Kingston, Ontario. Back then, it was just called the “Military College of Canada” (the “Royal” part was added two years later, in 1878, by Queen Victoria herself). In 1959, RMC was given the right to grant degrees to military personnel in arts, science, and engineering.
You’ll have to enroll as either a full-time or a reserve member of the Canadian Forces to attend RMC.
There are four components to any program at RMC: academics, military training, athletics, and language.
And yes, you can expect your years at RMC to be tough, but you’ll have guaranteed employment every summer you are part of RMC and a career for as long as you want it when you are done. Plus, if you are a reg-force member, tuition is all paid for by the Canadian Forces (you’ll get a pretty hefty subsidy if you are a reservist), and, hey, you’ll never stress about what to wear to class! Oh, did we mention, too, that if you are reg-force, you’ll also receive a monthly stipend . . . so, you’ll basically be getting paid to attend school. All you promise is that post-graduation, you spend the next 5 years with the Canadian Armed Forces. That’s really not a shabby deal!
(If you’re wondering what the difference is between “reg-force” and “reserve,” check out our previous posts on army life.)
Academics
Take any program in English or French.
Regardless of your program, be prepared to take courses in math, science, arts, and engineering, as RMC sees the value for all these subjects for a military officer. You won’t have to pick your degree program until your second or third year.
Get a BA in English, History, or French, or take one of the more specialized degrees such as Military and Strategic Studies, Defense Studies, or Military Psychology and Leadership.
Earn your science degree in Chemistry, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or Space Science.
Check out all the different options for Engineering programs.
Study War.
You can even get a Business degree at RMC.
Athletics
It’s expected that students participate in physical activity while attending RMC. Why? Um, you have heard of bootcamp right? So, unlike other schools, you can’t opt out of exercising, but think of how fit you’ll be! Also, your physical fitness levels will be tested twice every year, so you won’t want to be slack here.
Participate in intramural sports and earn points for your squadron!
RMC has an excellent varsity sports program, with over 20% of the student body participating.
There’s all kinds of sports clubs you can join (plus, you can invite a non-military friend to join too!).
Take advantage of the fabulous recreational facilities on campus, including a rock climbing wall and a hot tub!
Campus Life
Cadets are expected to participate in language training to become bilingual.
You’ll take a training course the summer before your academic year starts. This first of two courses that make up basic training lasts approximately one month. You’ll take your second basic training course between your first and second year.
After you complete basic training, you’ll take a seven-week language immersion course.
All your meals will be provided by the RMC at no added cost!
Most of your summers will be spent on military training courses, so you won’t have to stress about finding a summer job!
Expect your daily routine to be pretty structured and you’ll have to follow all kinds of codes of behaviour (Well, it is the army after all!), but there’ll be some downtime too. Most of your evenings will be free, and we’ve heard that if you survive your first-year, it gets easier.
You’ll be living on campus—there’s no choice about this (unless you are married or have a common-law spouse). Upper-level students can live off campus, but you’ll have to ask permission (and yes, we are serious). Also, you may not be able to leave campus on weekends. In fact, most first-year students aren’t granted leave until Thanksgiving weekend.
To get a true insider look into the RMC, check out what happened when Rick Mercer went to visit.
At a Glance
Tuition: FREE–$3,100/year*
Population: XS
Residence: Yes
Transit: Yes
Varsity Sports: Yes
Food Service: Yes
Required AVG: High School
Language: BILINGUAL
Type: College
On Campus
Google Map
Video
Extracurricular Activities
Participate in the first year obstacle course tradition. Actually, you won’t have a choice about doing this course. You must complete this course in order to be accepted as a full fledge member of the Cadet Wing. Check out some photos here.
Sign up to participate in national Model NATO and UN conferences.
You can join the RMC band, which performs at all kinds of fun events (did somebody say Oktoberfest?).
Check out the RMC museum.
Photo Credit: Kingstonist
Contact
Royal Military College of Canada
PO Box 17000, Station Forces
Kingston, ON K7K 7B4
613.541.6000 ext. 3857
Web & Social Media
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