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| Motto | Courage • Honor • Conquer |
|---|---|
| Type | Private military junior college |
| Established | 1935; 90 years ago (1935) |
| President | Col. Stuart B. Helgeson, USMC (Ret.) |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Website | www |
Valley Forge Military College (VFMC) is aprivate militaryjunior college inWayne, Pennsylvania. VFMC, known as the Military College of Pennsylvania, offers thirteen undergraduate majors.[1]
Students can choose among three distinct educational tracks:
VFMC also serves veterans and service members through its Professional College Studies division—offering flexible, accelerated online degree and certificate programs.
The college was formerly part ofValley Forge Military Academy and College until 2023, when it became a separate institution with its own board of trustees and administration.
Valley Forge Military College (VFMC) began as a two-year junior college pilot program withinValley Forge Military Academy during the 1935–36 academic year, when the first college-level cadets joined the Corps of Cadets. The institution adopted the designation of Valley Forge Military Academy and Junior College shortly thereafter.
Over the next decades, VFMC evolved into a fully independent institution, attaining recognition as a military junior college by theU.S. Department of Defense between the 1940s and 1960s.
A notable milestone came in 2005, when the college admitted female students for the first time, marking its transition to a coeducational institution.[4]
In 2007, the Pennsylvania House unanimously adopted a resolution designating VFMC as the official military college of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania[5] and is distinct as one of only a few institutions—specifically one in the Northeast—that offer the U.S. Army Early Commissioning Program (ECP), allowing cadets to become commissioned officers in just two years of study.
In 2023, the college became a separate institution with its own governing board, president, staff, and operations. While still located on the same historic campus as the academy, VFMC functions under completely independent governance.
VFMC offers thirteen Associate degrees across arts and sciences disciplines, structured around twelve core competencies such as leadership, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. It isaccredited by theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education.[6]
It also operates a Professional College Studies division offering online degree programs tailored to adult learners, active-duty military personnel, and veterans.
The college participates in theU.S. Army ROTC and is one of only four institutions nationwide—and the only one in the Northeast—to offer theEarly Commissioning Program (ECP), allowing students to commission as Second Lieutenants after two years of study.[7]
VFMC’s Cybersecurity Certificate program is recognized by the NSA and DHS as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense for Two-Year Colleges (CAE2Y), making it the only junior military college with such a distinction.[8]
