Air Force ROTC at Prescott campus

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ROTC?
What are the qualifications?
Why Embry-Riddle?
How do I enroll?
What is the Physical Fitness Assessment?
How do I become a pilot or navigator?
I have more questions. Who can I contact?

Q: What is Air Force ROTC?

A: The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is an educational program designed to give men and women the opportunity to become Air Force officers while completing their degrees. The Air Force ROTC program is designed to prepare you to assume positions of increasing responsibility and importance in the modern Air Force. Air Force ROTC offers three routes to an Air Force commission at over 600 institutions throughout the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico - the Air Force ROTC Four-Year Program, Two-Year program and One-Year Program.

Four-Year Program:
The General Military Course is the first half of the Four-Year Program and it's taken during your freshman and sophomore years. This program allows you to "try out" Air Force ROTC for up to two years without incurring any obligation unless you are on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. As you attend class, you'll learn more about the Air Force and the historical development of airpower. The last two years are called the Professional Officer Course. These junior and senior level classes cover leadership skills and national defense policy.

Two-Year Program:
This program, also called the Professional Officer Course, is primarily available to junior college transfer students, sophomores, and veterans who have approximately two years remaining (undergraduate, graduate, or a combination of the two) before entering the Air Force. It's especially suited for those who major in selected scientific and technical areas such as mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science. This program is highly competitive, so it's important to apply early in your sophomore year. The leadership and national defense policy courses are the same as those offered the last two years of the Four-Year Program.

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Q: What are the qualifications?

A: To be eligible to join AFROTC, the following is required:

  • Be a U.S. Citizen (Non-U.S. Citizens may participate under certain conditions.)
  • Be age 14 or older.
  • Be a student enrolled at an accredited college that hosts an AFROTC unit or a college or junior college having a cross-town agreement with the the host institution/AFROTC unit.
  • Participate in both Air Force ROTC courses and Leadership Laboratory.
  • Be of good moral character.

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Q: Why Embry-Riddle?

A: Embry-Riddle is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious aviation and aerospace university in the world. The bachelor's degree programs in aerospace engineering and electrical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC of ABET). The bachelor's degree curricula in aeronautical science is accredited by the Council on Aviation Accreditation (CAA). Federal Aviation Administration-approved certification programs include maintenance technology (airframe and power plant); flight (private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine, flight instructor, and instrument flight instructor ratings); and flight dispatch.

The year-round flying weather and the western community surrounding the campus in Prescott, Arizona, offer students an outstanding environment in which to study, fly and enjoy recreational activities. Just like the community, the University's location is warm and friendly. Prescott is a mile-high city on the Colorado Plateau, a beautiful geologic region that is home to the largest stand of ponderosa pine trees in the world. The campus is about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix, 260 miles southeast of Las Vegas, and 375 miles east of Los Angeles. Prescott's climate reflects seasonable weather, with daytime averages of 80 degrees in the summer and 45 degrees in the winter. Prescott enjoys over 300 days of clear flying weather a year. The local mountains exhibit the spirit of the rugged West, and students enjoy taking off for snow skiing, hiking, and tours of the diverse region.

The Prescott campus has an enrollment of 1,650 students. Campus facilities include the King Engineering and Technology Center, which is electronically linked to the Daytona Beach campus, and the Robertson Aviation Safety Center, which is dedicated to the study of human factors, aircraft accident investigation, and aviation safety. The Flight Training Center offers flight instruction through a modern, well-equipped fleet of single- and multi-engine aircraft and flight simulators, including Boeing 727 simulators. Various laboratories for engineering graphics, materials, aircraft structures and composites, and basic circuits and electronic devices, in addition to a supersonic wind tunnel and shock tube, support academic instruction.

Prescott Campus students enjoy a low student/teacher ratio. Students benefit from individual attention in quality classrooms. Many of these classrooms are equipped with information technology workstations that allow for computer-aided instruction. Faculty members hold a minimum of 10 office hours per week to provide individual assistance outside of the classroom. There is an extensive network of student support structures including the 27,000 volume library, fully networked with the Yavapai Library Network and regional networks in the Southwest. The library is also a NASA scientific and technical document depository and houses FARs, advisory circulars, and NTSB accident reports. Student support services also include professionally staffed counseling offices; comprehensive athletic facilities, pool, and weight room; and staff and faculty advisors committed to ensuring success through mentorship, orientation to the University, tutorial, and support services.

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Q: How do I enroll?

A: To enroll in Air Force ROTC at Embry-Riddle, you simply register for ROTC as you would register for any other course. First-term freshmen register for AF-101 and AF-101L. First-term sophomores register for AF-201 and AF-201L. Air Force textbooks and uniforms are provided free of charge on a loan-out basis.

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Q: What is the Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)?

A: The PFA is taken every fall and spring term while a cadet is enrolled in Air Force ROTC. Cadets in the GMC not on scholarship must attempt the test but do not have to pass. Scholarship cadets and cadets in the POC, however, must pass the test each fall and spring term.

The PFA is composed of three events in the following order:

  • Sit-ups
  • Push-ups
  • 1.5-mile run

All events must be completed. There is a short rest period between each event. There is no minimum passing score. As long as you achieve the minimum passing standard for each of the three events, you pass the PFA.

How to pass the PFA

(You should consult with a physician before starting any exercise program.)

  • Take the entire test early in order to get a baseline for improvement.
  • Compare your scores with the individual minimum scores for each event.
  • Develop a plan to improve your physical fitness.
    • The plan should include exercises to improve each event score.
    • Identify the events with the scores below or barely above the minimum. Place added emphasis (extra exercises, repetitions, etc.) to improve these event scores.
    • Make the plan a part of your lifestyle.
    • If possible, find a friend (or friends) to work out with on a regular basis.
    • Stay positive and stay with it.
  • Set short-term and long-term goals for yourself.
    • Set six-week goals, semester goals and Field-Training Board goals for improving individual event scores and the overall score.
    • Ask your instructor for the average scores of those programs for which you want to be selected.

Work the PFA exercises and running into your overall lifestyle. Use small amounts of time to improve overall fitness.

  • Break periods of study by performing individual exercises. (Read a chapter or finish an assignment and do some push-ups.)
  • Clear the mind after a long study session by going for a run.
  • You don't need to be at a gym or fitness center to improve on your PFA. Be creative.
  • Work on sit-ups and push-ups in your room.

Just remember that you don't need to be an athlete to pass the PFA. You just need to get in and stay in "PFA" shape.

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Q: How do I become a pilot or navigator?

A: Competition for rated slots is based on merit and is very competitive. The Air Force seeks the highest qualified applicants for Pilot, Navigator, and Air Battle Manager career fields. A selection board at AFROTC Headquarters, not at local detachments, determines rated positions. Selection for a rated position is based on a cadet's Order of Merit, which is determined by the following criteria:

  1. Cumulative GPA
  2. Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) results: based on a 100 point scale and consisting of sit-ups, push ups, and a one and a half mile run.
  3. Pilot Candidate Scoring Method (PCSM) results:
    Comprised of:
    1. Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Pilot score: a standardized, multiple-choice test similar to the SAT in format. AFOQTs are administered several times during the school year. Cadets may take the AFOQT twice (6 months apart) with the most recent score being used towards the PCSM score.
    2. Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS) score:: Consists of five subtests that measure psychomotor skills, cognitive aptitude, and personality traits.
    3. Total flying hours: While flying hours contribute to the overall PCSM score, they constitute only a small percentage of the total. While helpful, it is not necessary to have flight hours to get a rated position.
    4. Field Training (FT) Results: Cadets train and are selected for FT. This is a mandatory program designed to develop leadership and discipline, and to determine potential for entry into the Professional Officer Course. FT typically occurs between the sophomore and the junior year using a standard 4-week or extended 5-week program at one of several Air Force bases.
    5. Commander's Ranking: The Detachment Commander evaluates cadets based on the "whole person" concept and ranks them in relation to their peers. Overall officership potential is determined based on (but not limited to) a cadet's maturity, judgment, and overall performance within cadet corps.

NOTE: Academic major is NOT a factor for rated selection, contrary to popular belief. A cadet interested in a rated slot and majoring in Aeronautical Science or Aerospace Engineering, for example, is not given higher consideration over a cadet majoring in Psychology.

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Contact Information

For more information, please contact our Unit Admissions Officer:

Captain Donald Hutchison
AFROTC Detachment 028
Prescott Campus
1-800-888-ERAU ext. 3868