RESOURCES FOR:
For information about the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and class schedules, please visit www.AFROTC.com or call 314-977-8227.
The objective of the AFROTC is to qualify students for appointment as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force. However, any student may enroll in the freshman/sophomore level aerospace studies courses and students may enroll in the junior/senior-level courses with the permission of the Professor of Aerospace Studies.
The Department of Aerospace Studies at Parks College of St. Louis University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) offers two and four-year programs. Through an agreement, students register at Southwestern and then attend classes at the Edwardsville campus, Parks College, or any other school offering Aerospace Studies. Aerospace Studies courses are not offered at any Southwestern Illinois College location.
The four-year program is tailored for students with three or more years of undergraduate studies remaining. Students with junior standing or above may apply for entry into the two-year program. The two-year program is competitive and based on standardized scores, academic major, grade-point average, physical examination, personal interview with the Professor of Aerospace Studies and successful completion of a summer field training session at an Air Force base. Applicants must be full-time students and must remain in good academic standing.
The Aerospace Studies program (AFROTC) program is divided into two parts: the General Military Course (GMC), the freshman/sophomore-level curriculum, and the Professional Officer Course (POC), the junior/senior-level curriculum. The GMC covers two main themes: The Air Force Today and The Air Force Way. The courses of the POC emphasize the professional development of the future Air Force Officer. The curriculum covers Air Force Leadership and Management and Preparation for Active Duty. Field trips to Air Force bases supplement classroom instruction and familiarize the cadet with Air Force operations and organizations.
To be commissioned, AFROTC cadets must:
- Pass a medical exam at a military facility.
- Obtain a favorable evaluation on an Armed Forces personal history security investigation.
- Be at least 18 years old. Flying applicants must complete commissioning requirements before age 26 1/2 and non-flying applicants must complete commissioning requirements by age 30. However, the age limit for non-flying applicants may be extended to age 35 for outstanding individuals.
- Be of good character (as determined by a favorable record with law enforcement authorities).
- Successfully complete all AFROTC course requirements.
- Complete at least a baccalaureate degree.
AFROTC cadets must also successfully complete supplemental courses to enhance their utility and performance as commissioned officers. These include university courses in English composition and mathematical reasoning. Specific courses are designated by the Professor of Aerospace Studies.
The Air Force ROTC textbooks are loaned to all ROTC students without charge. Students in the POC will receive a monthly subsistence allowance of $350 per month for a maximum of 20 months.
In addition to the AFROTC courses offered for academic credit, the Aerospace Studies Department sponsors the Arnold Air Society. Arnold Air Society is a national honorary service organization open to selected AFROTC cadets.
Field Training (FT)
Cadets in the four-year program participate in four weeks of field training. Cadets in the two or three year programs (exception for prior AF service) must attend the six week FT session, which is identical to the four week program plus 90 hours of GMC curriculum. Field training is offered during the summer months at selected bases throughout the United States, usually between a student’s sophomore and junior years. Major areas of study include: Air Force Orientation, Officer Training, aircrew/aircraft orientation, survival training, base functions and physical training.
Leadership Laboratory
Leadership Laboratory is a two-hour class, once a week throughout the student’s enrollment in the AFROTC. Instruction is conducted within the framework of an organized cadet corps with a progression of experiences designed to develop each student’s leadership potential. The first two years of the Leadership Laboratory include a study of Air Force customs and courtesies, drill and ceremonies, issuing military commands, instructing, directing and evaluating the preceding skills, studying the environment of an Air Force officer and learning about areas of opportunity available to commissioned officers. The last two years of LLAB consist of activities classified as advanced leadership experiences. They involve the planning and controlling of military activities of the cadet corps, the preparation and presentation of briefings and other oral and written communications; and the providing of interviews, guidance, and information which will increase the understanding, motivation, and performance of other cadets.
Air Force Scholarships
The Air Force presently offers four, three-and-one-half, three, two-and-one-half, and two-year scholarships to qualified students. These scholarships pay tuition, certain fees, and textbook costs. Scholarship participants receive the $150 per month subsistence allowance.
Federal and Illinois state scholarships are available for AFROTC cadets—any academic major may apply. Applications for federal scholarships should be submitted by detachment personnel to Headquarters Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC), Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. Additionally, Illinois Veterans Tuition Assistance is available for Illinois Veterans who qualify. Information on scholarships can be acquired by telephoning Air Force ROTC Detachment 207 at 888-423-7682.
AEROSPACE STUDIES-U.S. AIR FORCE
Professor: Lt. Col. Angela Johnson
- Participation in AFROTC is not required to take Aerospace courses.
- Aerospace Studies courses (AS 101 through AS 202) are basic courses designed to acquaint students with the United States Air Force and the opportunities available as an officer.
Prerequisites may be required for some courses. Refer to the Course Description Guide in the printed or online College Catalog.