Aerospace Studies Program and Minor (Air Force ROTC)

Director: Captain Larry Beer (lbeer@sju.edu)

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps participation is available through a cross-enrollment agreement with St. Joseph’s University.

Department of Aerospace Studies
Saint Joseph’s University
(610) 660-3190; rotc@sju.edu

Participation in a one through four-year program leads to a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. Scholarships are available in any major. Additional Details are available in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Special Programs section of the Villanova Catalog.

Minor In Aerospace Studies

The minor in Aerospace Studies is offered to any student completing the proscribed courses of study. Students desiring a minor in Aerospace Studies must declare this choice no later than the add/drop period of their seventh semester. Specific English and Foreign Language courses must receive approval by the Professor of Aerospace Studies to qualify.

AER 1031 - The Air Force Way I , 1 Credit
AER 1041 - Evol of USAF: Aerospace Pwr II , 1 Credit
AER 2011 - Air Force Leadership and MGT I , 3 Credits
AER 2021 - Air Force Leadership & Mgt II , 3 Credits
AER 2031 - National Security Issues I , 3 Credits
AER 2041 - National Security Issues II , 3 Credits
English Composition-Oriented Elective, 3 Credits
Upper Level Foreign Language Elective, 3 Credits

Total Required Credits 20 credits
Specific English and Foreign Language courses must receive approval by the Professor of Aerospace Studies to qualify.

AER 1031-1041: The Evolution of U.S. Air and Space Power, 2 credits
A survey course designed to facilitate the transition from Air Force ROTC cadet to Air Force ROTC candidate. Featured topics include: Air Force heritage, Air Force leaders, an introduction to ethics and values, introduction to leadership, group leadership problems, and continuing application of communication skills. Leadership Laboratory is mandatory for Air Force ROTC cadets, and it complements this course by providing cadets with their first opportunity for applied leadership experiences discussed in class.

AER 2011-2021: Air Force Leadership Studies, 6 credits
This course is a study of leadership and quality management fundamentals, professional knowledge, Air Force doctrine, leadership ethics, and communication skills required of an Air Force junior officer. Case studies are used to examine Air Force leadership and management situations as a means of demonstrating and exercising practical application of the concepts being studied. A mandatory Leadership Laboratory complements this course by providing advanced leadership experiences in officer-type activities, giving students the opportunity to apply leadership and management principles of this course.

AER 2031-2041: National Security Affairs and Preparation for Active Duty, 6 credits
This course examines the national security process, regional studies, advanced leadership ethics, Air Force doctrine. Special topics of interest focus on the military as a profession, officership, military justice, civilian control of the military, preparation for active duty, and current issues affecting military professionalism. Within this structure, continued emphasis is given to refining communication skills. A mandatory Leadership Laboratory complements this course by providing advanced leadership experiences, giving students the opportunity to apply the leadership and management principles of this course.

AFROTC Program: AFROTC objectives are to:
• recruit, select, and retain officer candidates until they are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force;
• provide college-level education that qualifies cadets for commissioning in the U.S. Air Force; and
• develop each cadet’s sense of personal integrity, honor, and individual responsibility; enhance knowledge of how the U.S. Air Force serves the national interest; increase understanding of officer professionalism in the U.S. Air Force; and develop potential as a leader and manager.

The Department of Aerospace Studies offers one-year, two-year, three-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 three-year curriculum, a student attends a six-week summer training program and then enters the POC in the junior year.
• In the two-year curriculum, a student attends a six-week summer training program following the spring semester of their junior year.

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 the emphasis on the development of air power and its relationship to current events. 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 two hour Leadership Laboratory each week. During this period 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 scholarships for one, two, three, and four years on a competitive basis to qualified applicants. All scholarships are applied to tuition and lab fees, and include a textbook allowance, plus a tax-free monthly stipend which varies from $250 to $400, depending on graduation date.