As the nation’s first military academy, West Point prepares young men and women to become officers in the U.S. Army. Cadets attend the academy for four years, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant. The United States Military Academy (USMA), founded on March 16, 1802, is a four-year college that builds, educates, trains, and inspires the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and nation. West Point graduates earn Bachelor of Science degrees and are commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Army.