Department of Aerospace Studies (AFROTC)
Faculty: Professor (USF) Colonel Montgomery; Assistant Professors (USF) Major De Jesus, Captain Maynard, and Captain Ranucci.
The Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFROTC) is offered under an intercampus agreement with the University of South Florida. All courses and the Leadership Lab are taught at USF. Registration for all courses is through The University of Tampa, and UT grants course credit.
The curriculum includes 14-16 credit hours of instruction by Air Force officers over a three- or four-year period. A student who completes the AFROTC program receives an Air Force commission as a second lieutenant and a position in the active-duty Air Force at a starting salary of approximately $45,000 per year, not including basic allowance for housing.
AFROTC is offered as either a three-or four-year program. The four-year program normally requires students to successfully complete all degree requirements for a bachelor’s degree, 16 credit hours of AFROTC classes and a two-week Field Training encampment between the sophomore and junior years. The three-year program gives students who do not enroll in AFROTC during their freshman year the opportunity to complete AFROTC. Cadets attend a two-week Field Training encampment in the summer prior to entering the junior class.
AFROTC cadets take a 1.8-hour noncredit Leadership Laboratory in addition to the academic classes. Students wear the Air Force uniform during these periods and are taught customs and courtesies of the Air Force. Two hours of physical fitness each week is another part of this zero-credit course. Leadership Laboratory is open to students who are members of AFROTC and are eligible to pursue a commission, as determined by the Professor of Aerospace Studies.
AFROTC four-year scholarships are available to highly qualified high school students who complete the scholarship application process early during their senior year of high school. Three- and two-year scholarships are available for eligible cadets. Depending on student qualifications, these scholarships pay tuition, most fees, and a book allowance. Additionally, a scholarship cadet student receives a monthly tax-free stipend. Those interested in more information about scholarship criteria should contact the USF AFROTC department at (813) 974-2273.
A new student to this program must complete a pre-screening process as well as an enrollment paperwork session by the summer prior to enrolling in Air Force ROTC classes. Contact the Air Force ROTC Department at (813) 974-2273 for additional information including the pre-screening process. Active-duty enlisted personnel are encouraged to contact the education office at their military installation for information regarding enlisted commissioning programs.