Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps

Students are eligible to participate in the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps  (AFROTC) through a cross-enrollment agreement with St. Joseph's University. All aerospace studies courses will be held on the St. Joseph's campus. The AFROTC program enables a college student to earn a commission as an Air Force officer while concurrently satisfying requirements for his or her baccalaureate degree.

The program of aerospace studies at St. Joseph's University offers one-year, two-year, and four-year curricula leading to a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. In the four-year curriculum, a student takes the General Military Course (GMC) during the freshman and sophomore years, attends a four-week summer training program, and then takes the Professional Officer Course (POC) in the junior and senior years. A student is under no contractual obligation to the Air Force until entering the POC or accepting an Air Force scholarship. In the two-year curriculum, a student attends a five-week summer training program and then enters the POC in the junior year. In the one-year curriculum, a senior or graduate student can enroll in aerospace studies and, after completing the undergraduate degree or graduate coursework, attend a seven-week summer training program and be commissioned upon completion of summer training.

The subject matter of the freshman and sophomore years is developed from a historical perspective and focuses on the scope, structure, and history of military power, with an emphasis on the development of air power. During the junior and senior years, the curriculum concentrates on the concepts and practices of leadership and management, and the role of national security forces in contemporary American society.

In addition to the academic portion of the curricula, each student participates in a leadership laboratory for two hours each week, during which the day-to-day skills and working environment of the Air Force are discussed and explained. The leadership lab utilizes a student organization designed for the practice of leadership and management techniques.

Air Force ROTC offers one-, two-, and three-year scholarships on a competitive basis to qualified applicants. All scholarships cover tuition, lab fees, and books, plus a tax-free monthly stipend. All members of the POC, regardless of scholarship status, receive the tax-free monthly stipend.

For further information on the cross-enrollment program, scholarships, and career opportunities, contact the Professor of Aerospace Studies, AFROTC Det 750, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA 19131; 610-660-3190; rotc@sju.edu.