The Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFROTC) at the University of Virginia affords students the opportunity to receive U.S. Air Force officer training while completing undergraduate or graduate studies. AFROTC is the largest of three programs available through the Air Force to earn a commission and serve as an officer in the United States Air Force.
Address
Department of Air Science
Astronomy Building
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400188
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4188
(434) 924-6832 Fax: 982-2842
Toll Free: 877-UVA-USAF (877) 882-8723
afrotc@virginia.edu
http://airforce.virginia.edu
AFROTC offers commissioning opportunities for students of all levels, both undergraduate and graduate. The four-year program is designed for students who join during their first year of college. Students take all four years of Air Science classes and attend a four-week summer field training encampment at an Air Force base between their second and third years. There are additional summer training programs offered between the 1st and 2nd and the 3rd and 4th years.
Students may also enroll during their second year of college. Those students can dual enroll in both the AIRS 100- and AIRS 200-level courses during their second year of college and attend a four-week summer field training encampment. Another option is to only take the AIRS 200-level courses and attend a six-week summer field training encampment.
Students enrolling in the program during their third year attend field training either before their third year of college or between their third and fourth years, depending upon space availability. These students attend a six-week summer field training encampment.
Depending on the needs of the Air Force, AFROTC may offer special one-year programs to certain majors (normally most engineering disciplines, legal, and nursing). Students who have at least one academic year of undergraduate or graduate studies remaining may enroll in programs offered. Students attend a six-week summer field training encampment and enroll in both AIRS 300 and 400-level courses during their one year in the program.
Unless the student earns an AFROTC scholarship, there is no service obligation inside the first two years of the four-year program. However, all students who enter into the last two years of the AFROTC program called the Professional Officer Course (POC) enter into a contractual obligation with the Air Force to serve on active duty upon commissioning.
After graduation and commissioning as second lieutenants in the Air Force, most graduates serve in any number of career fields for a four-year active duty service commitment. Interested and qualified students may compete to become Air Force pilots or navigators. Successful pilot and navigator candidates serve ten and six year active duty service commitments, respectively. Active duty may be delayed after graduation for those who wish to immediately pursue a graduate degree or other special programs—these are worked on a case-by-case basis.