| Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1919 |
| Type | graduate school, professional and continuing education |
| Commandant | Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence Ph.D. |
| Location | Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA |
| Website | www.afit.edu/ |
The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been offering degrees since 1956 and was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to provide continuing specialized education to select officer and enlisted US military personnel and civilian employees at the graduate level. Previous names for AFIT include the Air School of Application and the Air Corps Engineering School.
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) serves a similar purpose. The United States Army currently does not have a similar institution, choosing instead to send its members to either NPS, AFIT or civilian institutions. NPS and AFIT should not be confused with Command and Staff colleges or War Colleges, which concentrate instead on staff functions, civil-military affairs, tactics and strategy.
Under a recent joint agreement between the Air Force and Navy, and codified by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, AFIT and the Naval Postgraduate School have realigned their academic programs to reduce duplication, and both schools will be under the oversight of a common oversight panel. As an example of the consolidation, Navy officers are sent to learn aeronautical engineering at AFIT, while the Air Force officers learn meteorology at the Naval Postgraduate School.
AFIT's three resident schools include:
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AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management is a graduate-only, research–based institution and the sole degree granting element of AFIT. The Graduate School focuses on studies and research that are relevant to the Air Force mission as well as the needs of the defense establishment as a whole.[3]
The Graduate School enrolls over 700 full-time graduate students. The student body consists primarily of Air Force officers, but is rounded out by members of the other four U.S. Armed Services, international students from coalition countries, U.S. Government civilians, and civilians (U.S. citizens) not affiliated with the Government. Selection of officers for graduate education is fully funded by their service and is based upon outstanding professional performance as an officer, promotion potential, and a strong academic background. Admission of non-Government affiliated civilians is based on academic preparation and requires U.S. citizenship.
The faculty is drawn from prestigious academic institutions and are highly respected scholars in their disciplines. The faculty body consists of approximately a 50-50 mix of military and civilian members all of whom hold a Ph.D. in their fields. The faculty to student ratio is typically 1 to 6 in the master’s degree programs.
AFIT is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504 to offer degrees to the doctorate level. Eight engineering programs in the Graduate School of Engineering and Management are accredited at the advanced level by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Note: programs identified with an asterisk (*) are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.
Note: programs identified with an asterisk (*) are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.
The Institute operates year-round on a quarter calendar which includes the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms. The quarters are 10 weeks in length plus a week for examinations. Typically, the Fall term begins in late September and ends in mid-December; the Winter term begins in early January and ends in mid-March; the Spring term begins in late March and ends in mid-June; and the Summer term begins in late June and ends in early-September.
The educational expenses for full-time military students assigned to AFIT are paid by their respective uniformed service. For tuition-paying students, the approximate cost is $3,900 per quarter for full-time enrollment (based on 12 quarter hours and a tuition rate of $325 per quarter hour). The tuition for distance learning students is $360 per hour.
AFIT's Civilian Institution Programs support Air Force educational requirements through graduate and professional continuing education and research at civilian universities, hospitals, research centers, and corporations.
Master Chief Cortana Avery Johnson Miranda Keyes
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