Want to be a Navy Nurse Corps Officer? The Navy Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP) is your ticket in. If you’re enlisted and looking to move up, this program helps you get a nursing commission while staying in the Navy.
It’s a direct path for sailors and Marines to level up their careers in military healthcare. You serve, you study, you advance. Simple.
This guide breaks it all down—eligibility, application steps, and what you get out of it. If you’re in the Navy (or thinking about joining), MECP could be the move that sets you up for a solid career in nursing.
Program Overview
The Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP) is a Navy commissioning program that allows enlisted Sailors and Marines to earn a nursing degree and become a Navy Nurse Corps (NC) Officer, designator 2900.
Active duty enlisted personnel have two pathways available to commission as NC officers.
- Direct commission: Active duty enlisted applicants with a qualifying degree and unrestricted nursing license can receive a direct commission.
- Entry Level Baccalaureate Completion: Active duty enlisted applicants can complete the educational requirements for a nursing degree through this commissioning program.
To apply, individuals must meet requirements and submit an application package to the Naval Medical Education and Training Command (NMETC).
If you are not currently serving in Active Duty, please contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter for further commissioning guidance.
If accepted, participants must extend enlisted service for training and serve at least 10 years as a Naval Officer to be eligible for retirement pay.
This program should be taken seriously. If successful, participants can serve with a highly skilled medical team and have opportunities after separation or retirement from service.
Navy MECP Direct Commission Requirements
The Navy MECP Direct Commission option requirements below are current as of February 2022, per the Navy Personnel Command. No updates have been issued thus far.
Basic Requirements
| Citizenship | Applicants are required to be citizens of the United States. |
| Gender | No gender restrictions. |
| Age | Applicants must be commissioned prior to reaching the age of 42. |
| Education | Applicants must have a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from an accredited institution (ACEN or CCNE) and an unrestricted U.S. nursing license. Official transcripts and license must be submitted to the selection board. It is the individual’s responsibility to maintain a nursing license, which can be costly. Applicants will need to acknowledge in writing that they understand the licensure requirements. If accepted, you will be assigned the Subspecialty Code 1900E. |
| Medical | Applicants must meet the physical standards outlined in the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15. Minor non-organic physical defects can be waived by DCNO N1 with the recommendation of BUMED. Applicants must also meet the physical fitness standards for weight or body fat at the time of application and commissioning and must be available for a worldwide assignment. |
| Behavior | Applicants must have a clean record for the past three years before the fiscal year of the selection board. Minor traffic violations must be disclosed. DUI violations within the past three years are disqualifying. Felony convictions and in-service drug abuse are also disqualifying. Individuals who are drug or alcohol dependent, have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or have engaged in trafficking offenses are ineligible. |
| Recommendation | Applicants are required to have a recommendation from their commanding officer. |
NOTE: Waivers are unauthorized for the Navy MECP.
Who May Apply
Eligibility for this program requires applicants to be currently serving in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps, or serving in the Navy Reserve as Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR).
Navy Reserve personnel on Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS), Definite Recall (1-, 2-, or 3-year recalls), Selective Reserve (SELRES), or Canvasser Recruiters are not eligible.
Upon Commissioning
Selectees will attend Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, RI, where they will receive several weeks of intense training that includes leadership and communication classes, physical fitness, and professional development seminars.
Constructive Service Credit will be awarded according to Accession and Retention Policies, Programs, and Incentives for Military Health Professions Officers (HPOS), DoD Instruction 6000.13 of 30th December 2015 and Appointment of Regular and Reserve Officers in the Nurse Corps of the Navy, OPNAVINST 1120.7A.
Upon selection, the candidate will be appointed as an Ensign, U.S. Navy, Nurse Corps (designator 2900). There will be no reversion to an enlisted status.
Service Obligation
Selected individuals will have an 8-year obligation to serve in a commissioned officer status.
The total obligation for active duty is three years.
Any remaining obligated time not served on active duty will be fulfilled in the Selected Reserve or the Individual Ready Reserve.
Entry Level Baccalaureate Completion Requirements
| Citizenship | Applicants are required to be citizens of the United States. |
| Gender | No gender restrictions. |
| Age | Applicants must be commissioned prior to reaching the age of 42. |
| Education | Applicants must possess a high school diploma or an equivalent certificate recognized by the Department of Education from a state, commonwealth, territory, or the District of Columbia. Acceptable equivalents may include diplomas awarded for military education experience and results from the general equivalency diploma test. To be eligible, applicants need a collegiate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and acceptance from a university accredited by ACEN or CCNE. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 45 quarter or 30 semester credit hours in undergraduate science courses. These credit hours can come from a variety of sources, such as traditional classroom courses, College Level Entry Program credit, online or distance learning programs, or military training credits, as long as the receiving school accepts non-traditional credits. Applicants are required to submit a certified copy of their SAT or ACT test scores that are no older than three years from the application due date. The minimum recommended scores are 1000 SAT (500 math and 500 critical reading/verbal) or 21 ACT math and 21 ACT English. |
| Medical | Applicants must meet the physical standards outlined in the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15. Minor non-organic physical defects can be waived by DCNO N1 with the recommendation of BUMED. Applicants must also meet the physical fitness standards for weight or body fat at the time of application and commissioning and must be available for a worldwide assignment. |
| Behavior | Applicants must have a clean record for the past three years before the fiscal year of the selection board. Minor traffic violations must be disclosed. DUI violations within the past three years are disqualifying. Felony convictions and in-service drug abuse are also disqualifying. Individuals who are drug or alcohol dependent, have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or have engaged in trafficking offenses are ineligible. |
| Recommendation | Applicants are required to have a recommendation from their commanding officer. |
Program Participants Requirement
Those who have been selected for the MECP Entry Level Baccalaureate Completion option must meet the following requirements:
Academic Requirements
- Maintain a cumulative GPA average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Remain enrolled on a full-time, year-round basis, starting in the Fall semester after they are selected.
- Submit official transcripts after each school term to:
Naval Medical Leader and Professional Development Command
NMLPDC (Code O3C HMDT) Officer Graduate Programs
8901 Wisconsin Avenue Bldg 1/16th Fl (Tower)
Bethesda, MD 20889-5611
- If a selectee does not disclose complete academic transcripts or evidence of tampering, they will be dis-enrolled from MECP.
- Non-mandatory co-op or work-study programs cannot be allowed if they cause a delay in the projected graduation date.
- Must stay at their initial university and cannot extend their graduation date, stop attending classes, change majors, enter exchange programs, or transfer schools without specific approval. Failure to get prior approval may cause dis-enrollment.
- Participants must complete the requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited institution within 36 consecutive months from the enrollment date into the MECP.
- Full-time distance learning programs are not allowed.
- Candidates may be dis-enrolled for academic reasons or discipline/moral problems, such as drug usage or civil convictions.
Licensure Requirements
- In order to practice as a registered nurse in NC, officers must hold and keep an unrestricted license from a state, territory, or the District of Columbia, which is obtained through the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
- The appointment as a NC officer can happen before getting licensed, but it is necessary to take the NCLEX examination as soon as possible after finishing the baccalaureate program.
- An officer who fails the licensure examination three times will be re-designated. Once placed in the re-designation board process, it cannot be rescinded, even if the member passes the NCLEX.
- Officers who are not chosen for re-designation or retention will be discharged according to the Administrative Separation of Officers, SECNAVINST 1920.6C. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&R)) can relieve officers of their active duty obligation after considering the input from DCNO N1, if it is in the best interest of the naval service.
- The cost of obtaining and maintaining a license to practice as a professional nurse is the responsibility of the individual.
- Applicants must acknowledge in writing that they are aware of licensure requirements before being appointed.
NOTE: Waivers are unauthorized for the Navy MECP.
Who May Apply
Eligibility for this program requires applicants to be currently serving in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps, or serving in the Navy Reserve as Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR).
Navy Reserve personnel on Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS), Definite Recall (1-, 2-, or 3-year recalls), Selective Reserve (SELRES), or Canvasser Recruiters are not eligible.
Upon Selection
Get selected? You’re locking in a six-year reenlistment the moment you get orders. No exceptions. That’s the deal to start MECP training.
First stop: Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, RI. Expect weeks of intense training—leadership, communication, physical fitness, and professional development. But if you’re in NROTC? Different path. You skip ODS and head straight to your first duty station.
You’ll also get Constructive Service Credit, calculated under DoD Instruction 6000.13 (Dec 30, 2015) and OPNAVINST 1120.7A. That’s based on policies for military health officers.
Once you finish your nursing degree—bachelor’s or entry-level master’s—you get a permanent commission as an Ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps (designator 2900). No going back to enlisted. This is a one-way door.
Service Obligation
Get commissioned? You’re in for eight years. Four on active duty, no way around it.
After that, if you’re not staying active, you’ll serve in the Selected Reserve (SELRES) or Individual Ready Reserve. Either way, you keep your enlisted status and stay eligible for promotions under the Navy advancement system.
Drop out or get kicked from MECP? No free pass. You’ll get reassigned to a new duty station in your enlisted rating to finish your active-duty commitment.
Salary and Benefits
While in school, you still get full pay, allowances, and can rank up like any other enlisted sailor. But tuition, books, and fees? That’s on you.
No Navy Tuition Assistance (TA) for MECP students. Instead, you’ll need to tap into other options—Montgomery GI Bill, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans Educational Assistance Program, or help from the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. If you qualify, use what’s available.
More Information
For current crucial dates for application, visit the Navy Medicine MECP guidance page.
For further inquiries, contact the office below:
Naval Medical Leader & Professional Development Command
Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP)
16th Floor, Rms 16141, 16148
8955 Wood Road
Bethesda, MD 20889-5611
Phone: (301) 319-4520 (DSN 285-4520)
301-295-0925 (DSN 295-0925)
FAX: 301-295-1783
You might also be interested in the Navy Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program (MSC-IPP).
