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There are two main routes of entry into the armed services – direct from school, university or civilian employment or by promotion from the ranks. Whichever route you take and no matter what branch of the armed forces you are going into, the entry qualifications needed are the same.
All three forces recruit graduates as officer and although a degree in any discipline is general accepted in roles such as operational officer – where leadership qualities are more important that degree subject - there are certain branches of the armed services that require a specific degree subject.
Technical officers, for instance, will need a degree in a science or engineering discipline, while officers on the logistics/administration/support side will usually need a business, business with languages or IT-related degree. And it goes without saying that if you are planning on being a doctor or any other medical position you will need a suitable degree that is specific to your chosen field.
But you don’t need to wait until you have your degree before you can be recruited. All three of the armed services run both pre-graduate and graduate schemes such as the Army’s Officer Training Corps. Recruited at the age of 18, these schemes give you an insight in to life in the armed forces and some may even help with your university tuition fees, among other benefits. In addition to a degree officer applicants will need a minimum of 180 UCAS points and GCSE maths and English language (A-C).
There are also age and height restrictions. If you’re as tall as Peter Crouch or as small as Jimmy Cranky, for instance, you may need to reconsider your choice of career.
As long as you are at least 16 years old and younger than 32 (up to and including your 33rd birthday) upon entry and you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 18 and 28, then you’ll be fine. And it goes without saying that you must have good eyesight. More important is that you are a UK national with a minimum five years’ residency in this country.
Wondering what to do now? Check out our expert career advice, or find out more about working in the Armed Forces.