Aerospace & Military Science

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Aerospace Studies

Peter Oertel, Chair
Telephone: (919) 660-1862
Fax: (919) 660-1871
Email: poertel@nccu.edu

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) functions as the Office of Aerospace Studies. It selects, trains, and commissions college men and women as officers in the U.S. Air Force. AFROTC is a four-year curriculum leading to a commission as a second lieutenant, but can be accomplished in as little as two or three years under certain circumstances.

Aerospace Studies Program

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) functions as the Office of Aerospace Studies. It selects, trains, and commissions college men and women as officers in the US Air Force. AFROTC is a four-year curriculum leading to a commission as a second lieutenant but can be accomplished in as little as two or three years under certain circumstances.   

The four-year program consists of both the General Military Course (GMC), a course sequence taken during the freshman and sophomore years, and the Professional Officer Course (POC), taken during the junior and senior years. Entry into the POC is competitive and requires successful completion of a field-training encampment during the summer between the sophomore and junior years.

The GMC is open to freshmen and sophomores. Students who complete both the freshman and sophomore years of the program and successfully compete for entry into the POC will attend a four-week training encampment.  All other successful POC applicants that entered the program after their freshman year will attend an extended encampment.  Between the junior and senior years, POC cadets are given the opportunity to volunteer for advanced training in a variety of different areas.

The freshman class is taught at NCCU and Duke University.  All other AFROTC courses are taught at Duke University. Students will register for the freshman course at NCCU just as they do for any other course. Leadership Laboratory is mandatory for all Air Force ROTC cadets and must be taken in conjunction with each course.

Cadets may compete for two- and three-year scholarships.  The scholarships pay up to full tuition, a $900 book allowance, and include a monthly tax-free stipend of up to $500.  Even if not on scholarship, members of the POC receive a nontaxable stipend.  Upon graduation, all cadets are assigned to active duty with the US Air Force for a period of at least four years.  Below is the four year course progression:

Military Science – Army ROTC (MILITSCI)

The Department of Military Science offers students from all disciplines within the University an opportunity to study the following subjects: leadership theory and practice; management of time, personnel, and materiel; ethics; the role and responsibility of the military in a contemporary society; and the philosophy and practice of military strategy and tactics. Freshman- and sophomore-level courses are open to all NCCU students and do not require full participation in the Army ROTC program.

The leadership laboratory provides students a unique and dynamic hands-on leadership experience in addition to an opportunity to put military skills and tactics into practice. The laboratory is offered as an optional course for non-program students enrolled in the freshman courses; it is mandatory each semester for contracted cadets (both scholarship and non-scholarship) and for students who intend to contract or apply for a scholarship.

The Army ROTC program is made up of a two-year basic course of study (freshman and sophomore level) and a two-year advanced course of study (junior and senior level), which includes a five-week leadership camp, usually completed during the summer prior to the senior year. To be eligible for participation in the advanced course, students must successfully complete the basic course (unless direct entry is approved), be physically qualified, be of good moral character, be a U. S. citizen, have a minimum of two years remaining as a student (undergraduate or graduate level), and sign a contract to accept a commission in the United States Army, the Army National Guard, or the Army Reserve as directed by the Secretary of the Army. Direct entry into the advanced course is sometimes permitted if an applicant has previous military training or experience or when a five-week leader’s training course is completed.

Students who are interested in full program enrollment and scholarship opportunities should consult the Department of Military Science by telephone 919-530-7195 or 919-660-3091 or 1-800-222-9184 toll free for more detailed information.

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