Students are required to take NSTP for an academic period of two semesters according to Section 6 of the NSTP Act (Republic Act No. 9163).

Each NSTP component (ROTC, CWTS, or LTS) is designed to run across those two semesters as a formal part of the college curriculum. In related implementing guidelines, this two‑semester period is typically equivalent to about 54–90 training hours per semester, depending on the school’s specific implementation.

Section 6 also allows an alternative setup: a one‑summer program may be designed in lieu of the usual two‑semester arrangement, if approved and properly implemented by DND, CHED, TESDA, and the school.