According to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, good military leadership courses build time management, decision-making and counseling skills. Some schools -- Duke University, for one -- teach courses on military leadership ethics. Each of these skills is crucial in a military leader, from the lowest-ranking team leader to a four-star general. Minoring in military leadership can also help graduates get government and defense-related jobs. Schools such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point require military leadership courses as a prerequisite to graduation. Additionally, the Reserve Officers' Training Corps requires military leadership coursework at both the high school and college levels.
Military leadership courses taken within the military are mandatory for promotion to leadership positions. For example, noncommissioned officers in the U.S. Army are required to attend Warrior Leader Course (WLC), Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (BNCOC) and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC) before they are promoted to the next rank. During these courses, officers learn ethics, leadership techniques and tactical reasoning. Soldiers who do not attend WLC, BNCOC or ANCOC within a rank-specific time frame determined by the U.S. Department of Defense risk having their rank revoked. If the military rank is revoked, then it must be earned back the same way it was earned the first time.
According to the Molossian Naval Academy and the U.S. Army's Noncommissioned Officer Creed, a leader's primary responsibilities are mission accomplishment and subordinates' welfare. Military leadership courses are designed to instill these beliefs in military leaders and to teach them how to meet these requirements.
The U.S. government endorses military leadership courses from 12 schools. In addition to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, 11 of these schools are recognized under Title 10 of the U.S. Code. They are North Georgia College and State University; Texas A&M University; Norwich University; the Citadel; Virginia Military Institute; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Wentworth Military Academy; Georgia Military College; Valley Forge Military Academy; New Mexico Military Institute; and Marion Military Institute.