The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is a postgraduate institution and provider of professional and continuing education for the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

and is part of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. It is in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...

, near

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. AFIT is a component of the Air University and

Air Education and Training Command The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was esta ...

Overview

Founded in 1919 and granting degrees since 1956, the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is the Department of the Air Force’s leader for advanced, multi-disciplinary academic education, as well as its institution for initial technical and professional continuing education. AFIT is located at

(WPAFB),

, Ohio. Dayton's heritage and industrial base in aeronautics and aviation, coupled with the close proximity to the

Air Force Research Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Air Force Materiel Command, Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct- ...

(AFRL) and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) provide a scientific and engineering research and educational experience focused on producing future leaders of the Department of the Air Force. A component of Air University and

, its primary purpose is to provide specialized education to select officer and enlisted U.S. military personnel and civilian employees. On 8 May 2012, AFIT formally welcomed its first civilian director and chancellor during an appointment of leadership ceremony. Dr. Todd Stewart served for 34 years with the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 2002 at the rank of major general. On 28 January 2015, AFIT welcomed its first Provost and Vice Chancellor Dr. Sivaguru S. Sritharan former Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the

Naval Postgraduate School Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a Naval command with a graduate university mission, operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. The NPS mission is to provide "defense-focused graduate education, including clas ...

Academics

AFIT's four schools include: * Th
Graduate School of Engineering and Management
which offers graduate programs leading to

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

and

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

degrees in engineering, applied science, and management disciplines. The Graduate School has six departments: **

Aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...

and

Astronautics Astronautics (or cosmonautics) is the practice of sending spacecraft beyond atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere into outer space. Spaceflight is one of its main applications and space science is its overarching field. The term ''astronautics' ...

** Electrical and

Computer Engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...

Engineering Physics Engineering physics (EP), sometimes engineering science, is the field of study combining pure science disciplines (such as physics, mathematics, chemistry or biology) and engineering disciplines (computer, nuclear, electrical, aerospace, medic ...

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

Statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

** Operational Sciences ** Systems Engineering and Management * Th
School of Systems and Logistics
which teaches more than 200 professional continuing education courses in acquisition management,

logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...

management, contracting, systems management,

software engineering Software engineering is a branch of both computer science and engineering focused on designing, developing, testing, and maintaining Application software, software applications. It involves applying engineering design process, engineering principl ...

, and financial management delivered to warfighters around the globe via customer focused delivery modes including resident, on-site, and online courses. * Th
Civil Engineer School
which develops and delivers civil engineer and environmental professional continuing education and provides consultation in support of U.S. Air and Space Forces. * Th
School of Strategic Force Studies
which manages the execution of Nuclear Professional Continuing Education (PCE) via the Department of Nuclear Studies (AFIT/EXA) at Kirtland Air Force Base and the Department of Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Studies at Barksdale Air Force Base as well as the execution of Cyberspace PCE via the Department of Cyberspace Studies (AFIT/EXC) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The school provides responsive and relevant PCE courses to more than 5,000 Air Force, Army, Navy, Combatant Command, state- and Department-level, and foreign students annually. AFIT has two Centers of Excellence and seven research centers funded by a number of federal agencies with interdisciplinary scope and international footprint representing a number of scientific areas for the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense: *
Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence (CyTCoE)
*
Scientific Test & Analysis Techniques Center of Excellence (STAT T&E)
*
Autonomy & Navigation Technology Center (ANT)
*
Center for Cyberspace Research (CCR)
*
Center for Directed Energy (CDE)
*
Center for Space Research & Assurance (CSRA)
*
Center for Technical Intelligence Studies & Research (CTISR)
*
Nuclear Expertise for Advancing Technologies Center (NEAT)
*
Homeland Security Community of Best Practices (HS COBP)

Graduate School of Engineering and Management

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 and Space Force mission as well as the needs of the defense establishment as a whole. AFIT's Aeronautics & Astronautics Department has graduated nine U. S. astronauts including Guy Bluford (PhD 1978), first African-American astronaut. Since graduate degrees were first granted in 1956, AFIT has awarded more than 20,600 master's and 1,000 doctor of philosophy degrees. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Students

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) enrolls over 650 full-time graduate students. The student body consists primarily of Air Force and Space Force officers, but is rounded out by members of the other four U.S. Armed Services, select enlisted Airmen, 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. A substantial number of AFIT graduates are assigned to AFRL and NASIC upon graduation from AFIT. Many of the AFIT student thesis projects are influenced directly or indirectly by AFRL, NASIC, NRO and other Air Force and defense agencies.

Faculty

The faculty body consists of approximately a 50–50 mix of military and civilian members all of whom hold a PhD in their fields. The faculty to student ratio is typically 1 to 5 in the master's degree programs.

Accreditation

AFIT is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

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 (pronounced A-bet), formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and appli ...

(ABET).

Academic calendar

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.

Cost

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 $4,656 per quarter for full-time enrollment (based on 12 quarter hours and a tuition rate of $388 per quarter-hour). AFIT is tuition-waived for civilian employees and military members of the Air or Space Force.

Civilian Institution Programs

Through its Civilian Institution Programs, AFIT also manages the educational programs of officers enrolled in civilian universities, research centers, hospitals, and industrial organizations. Air Force students attending civilian institutions have earned more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees in the past twenty years.

Notable alumni

* George W.S. Abbey – Former Director of the Johnson Space Center * Brigadier General Russell J. Anarde, USAF, Ret. * Captain Milburn G. Apt – The first pilot to achieve Mach 3 * General George T. Babbitt Jr., USAF, Ret. * Brigadier General Rosanne Bailey, USAF, Ret. * David Barish – Developer of the

paraglider Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness or in ...

* Lieutenant General Ted F. Bowlds * Brigadier General Cary C. Chun * Lieutenant General Roger G. DeKok, USAF, Ret. * Lieutenant General William J. Donahue, USAF, Ret. * General Jimmy Doolittle – Doolittle Raider * Lieutenant General Hans H. Driessnack, USAF, Ret. * Colonel Arnold L. Franklin Jr. USAF, Ret – In April 1986, as the 493rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Franklin led the USAF raid on Libya. * Dr. Russell Merle Genet – Pioneered the world's first fully robotic observatory * Lt Col George E. Hardy, USAF, Ret –

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...

* Brigadier General Harold R. Harris, USAF, Ret. * General Robert T. Herres, USAF, Ret. * General Charles R. Holland, USAF, Ret. * Robert P. Johannes – One of the developers of the control configured vehicle (CCV) concept * Lt Col Frank A. Kappeler, USAF, Ret – Doolittle Raider * General George Kenney, USAF, Ret. * Major General Donald L. Lamberson, USAF, Ret. – Considered the father of lasers in the Air Force * Major General Louis G. Leiser, USAF, Ret. * Donald S. Lopez, USAF, Ret. – Deputy Director of the Smithsonian's

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

* Lieutenant John A. Macready – American Test Pilot and Aviator * Lieutenant General Forrest S. McCartney, USAF, Ret. * Lt Col Harry C. McCool, USAF, Ret – Doolittle Raider * Lt John A. Macready, USAF, Ret – American test pilot and aviator * General Bernard Schriever, USAF, Ret. * General Lawrence Skantze, USAF, Ret. * Major General Joseph K. Spiers, USAF, Ret. * Lieutenant General James W. Stansberry, USAF, Ret. * Lieutenant General William E. Thurman, USAF, Ret. * Major General Jerry White (Navigators), USAF, Ret. * Colonel Richard V. Wheeler, USAF, Ret. – American Test Pilot and Aviator * Lt Col Archie Williams, USAF, Ret. – Gold medal winner of the 400 m sprint – 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin * Michael Wynne – Former Secretary of the Air Force * Dr. Steven M. Cron - retired

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

engineer and co-inventor of the Tweel.

Notable military leaders

* Lieutenant General John D. Lamontagne, USAF * Lieutenant General Joseph P. DiSalvo, USAF * Lieutenant General John E. Wissler, USMC * Major General William T. “Bill” Cooley, USAF * Major General Dwyer L. Dennis, USAF * Major General Scott W. Jansson, USAF * Major General (S) John M. Pletcher, USAF * Brigadier General Roy-Alan C. Agustin, USAF * Brigadier General Kenneth T. Bibb Jr., USAF * Brigadier General Eric T. Fick, USAF * Brigadier General Gregory M. Gutterman, USAF * Brigadier General David W. Hicks, USAF * Brigadier General Linda S. Hurry, USAF * Brigadier General Carl E. Schaefer, USAF * Brigadier General Donna D. Shipton, USAF * Brigadier General Brad M. Sullivan, USAF * Brigadier General (S) Kristin Panzenhagen, USAF * Colonel Bree Fram, USAF, USSF

NASA astronauts

* Kevin A. Ford * Michael E. Fossum * William Anders * Guion Bluford * Mark N. Brown * Gordon Cooper * Albert H. Crews * Donn F. Eisele * John M. Fabian *

Gus Grissom Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (April 3, 1926 – January 27, 1967) was an American engineer and pilot in the United States Air Force, as well as one of the original Mercury Seven selected by the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration fo ...

* James D. Halsell * Steven Lindsey * Richard Mullane * Donald H. Peterson * Major General Robert A. Rushworth, USAF, Ret.

Notable civilian senior leaders

* Eileen A. Bjorkman * L. Wayne Brasure * Kevin W. Buckley * Bruce A. Busler * Charles G. "Chuck" Carpenter * Mark A. Correll * Daniel DeForest * Mark A. Gallagher * James F. Geurts * Mr. Michael M. "Mike" Hale * Kelly D. Hammett * Robert Scott Jack II * Brian A. Maher * Charles L. Matson * Richard W. McKinney * David C. Merker * Billy W. Mullins * David F. O'Brien * Gary A. O'Connell * Charles N. "Pete" Peterson * Steven K. Rogers * David E. Walker * Joseph D. "Dean" Yount

Former names

* Air School of Application 1919–1920 * Air Service Engineering School 1920–1926 * Air Corps Engineering School 1926–1941 * Army Air Forces Engineering School 1944–1945 * Army Air Forces Institute of Technology 1945–1947 * Air Force Institute of Technology 1947–1948 * United States Air Force Institute of Technology 1948–1955 * Institute of Technology, USAF 1955–1956 * Air Force Institute of Technology 1956–1959 * Institute of Technology 1959–1962 * Air Force Institute of Technology 1962–present

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Air Force Institute of Technology Military education and training in the United States Staff colleges

Institute of Technology An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

Engineering universities and colleges in Ohio Naval Postgraduate School Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Military units and formations in Ohio Universities and colleges established in 1919 Universities and colleges in Dayton, Ohio Education in Montgomery County, Ohio 1919 establishments in Ohio