Requirements & Standards

Do you consider yourself to be a sharp, energetic, well-rounded person with the drive and tenacity to make your own way in life? If so, then Air Force ROTC is for you, but you have got to be willing to give it everything you have got.

Air Force ROTC is just like any other college course – it has its own admissions requirements. And since we offer a wealth of real-world leadership experiences and the opportunity to earn a commissioncommissionBestowed upon an AFROTC graduate by the President of the United States recognizing them as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. as an Air Force officer, you will need to meet some additional requirements as you progress from the General Military Course to the Professional Officer CourseProfessional Officer CoursePOC - ROTC course for juniors and seniors. . Scholarship applicants and recipients must also meet requirements specific to the scholarship that they are applying for.

Feel free to give us a call or send us an email if you have questions concerning admissions. You can also contact a Regional Director of Admissions for your area.

General Military Course Requirements

The General Military Course (GMCGMCGeneral Military Course - an ROTC course offered to freshmen and sophomores designed to improve communication skills and provide instruction about the Profession of Arms. ) is offered to freshmen and sophomore students who meet the following minimum membership requirements:

• Enrolled in an accredited college that hosts or has a crosstown agreement with an Air Force ROTC detachmentdetachmentThe Air Force ROTC unit at a host university.
• United States citizen (if on scholarship)
• In good physical condition
• Of good moral character
• Age 14 years or older – 17 years old to receive a scholarship
• Attend both the Aerospace Studies class and Leadership Lab each semester

The following credentials may preclude you from Air Force ROTC membership, but will not keep you from enrolling in an Aerospace Studies class:

• Conscientious objectors – one who has or had a firm, fixed and sincere objection to participation in war, in any form, or to the bearing of arms because of religious training or belief, which includes solely moral or ethical beliefs.
• Present or former commissioned officers of the Armed Forces.
• Officers of the Health Services and Mental Health Administration and members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Those medically diagnosed with asthma or who have been prescribed Ritalin or any other medication for ADD and/or ADHD at any point in their life may be precluded from military service, but they may be waived depending on diagnosis and treatment.
• Individuals on active duty with any military service – enlisted/warrant officers of Reserve or National Guard unless conditionally released.
• Nonimmigrant students from nations not approved by the Department of State.
• Students who do not or cannot meet required standards of weight, appearance, decorum, discipline and military performance.
• Individuals who have dropped out of a previous officer training program (e.g., Officer Training School, United States Air Force Academy, etc.). This may be waived depending on individual circumstances.

Professional Officer Course Requirements

The Professional Officer Course (POCPOCProfessional Officer Course - ROTC course for juniors and seniors. ) is offered to juniors and seniors who have already committed to a four-year post-graduation service commitment with the Air Force.

• You must meet all the GMC membership requirements and:
• Be a United States citizen
• Be of legal age as required by the state in which you will be attending ROTC or 17 years old with parent or guardian consent
• Be in good academic standing
• Four- and two-year Program: have two academic years remaining in a degree program (undergraduate, graduate or combination of both)
• Participate in both Aerospace Studies classes and Leadership LaboratoryLeadership LaboratoryLLAB - ROTC course for all cadets to learn management and leadership skills. each semester
• Meet the age requirements:
  • Rated (pilot or combat systems officer) – commissioned before reaching the age of 29
  • Scholarship applicants – be less than 31 years old as of December 31 of the year you will commission
  • Tech, non-tech and non-rated – commissioned by age 30 (waiverable up to age 35)
• Be physically qualified:
  • Meet Air Force height and weight standards
  • Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness TestPhysical Fitness TestPFT - an exam composed of three events in the following order: push-ups, crunches, and a 1.5-mile run. The test is used to ensure cadets maintain an acceptable level of fitness. (PFTPFTPhysical Fitness Test )
• Have a military certified/qualified physical
• Pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying TestAir Force Officer Qualifying TestA standardized test similar to the SAT and ACT that measures aptitudes, and is used to select applicants for officer commissioning programs or specific training programs. A required test for all cadets and students on scholarship or in the POC. (AFOQTAFOQTAir Force Officer Qualifying Test )
• Be selected by a board of Air Force officers
• Complete a Field TrainingField TrainingFour- or five-week encampment in which cadets receive officership training course
  • Four-year Program: four-week Field Training Unit
  • Two-year Program: four-week Field Training Unit with AS100AS100Aerospace Studies. Freshman-level course focusing on the structure and missions of Air Force organizations, officership and professionalism. and AS200AS200Aerospace Studies. Sophomore-level course concerned with the beginnings of manned flight and the development of aerospace power in the United States. classes provided in a two-week period immediately preceding Field Training
• If you are single with a dependent or married to a military member with dependent, a dependent care plan must be completed. A dependent is defined as anyone incapable of self-care, e.g., child, parent, etc.