Qualified U.S. citizens who hold a bachelor's degree meet with an Officer Recruiter and prepare packages for consideration.

Classes advance through four distinct phases, gradually taking on greater responsibility and preparing to commission: In addition to constant physical training and rifle drill, instruction inside and outside the classroom includes: Every action is scrutinized and shortcomings are swiftly corrected.

The new officers then join their predetermined designator communities and are eligible for orders to the fleet or follow-on training.

Part of the Post-War Holloway Plan, OCS was originally established to meet the demands of Cold War officer procurement.

College graduates, recruited directly from civilian life, were placed in special rate of OCSA (E-2), "officer candidate seaman apprentice."

In final 8 weeks all candidates wore the uniform of a midshipman fourth-class with blocked "OC" letter on left shoulder.

NavCads, who had some college, but typically lacked a bachelor's degree, completed the entire AOCS curriculum but were not commissioned upon graduation.

However, whereas OCS incorporated academics such as shipboard engineering and shipboard navigation, AOCS incorporated "the Big 3": aerodynamics, aircraft engines, and air navigation, as well as land and aviation water survival training that USNA, NROTC, Marine Corps OCS, and PLC, and USCGA and Coast Guard OCS graduates concurrently attended as part of NAVAVSCOLSCOM's Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API) program for commissioned officer flight students.

At AOCS, all basic military training was administered by enlisted United States Marine Corps drill instructors, a holdover from World War II when AOCS and NavCad graduates were given an option of a commission as either an ensign in the Navy or a 2nd lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

Tradition dictated that when AOCS graduates were commissioned, the first salute they received was from their former Marine Corps drill instructor (returned with a silver dollar handshake).