History

General Info

Benefits

Program Information

Program Support

Examinations

Air Reserve Component Seminar

Contact Information

Joint PME Phase I Credit – All ACSC graduates receive joint professional military education (JPME) phase I credit. Phase I emphasizes the fundamentals needed for a sound basis in joint operations and provides a foundation for follow-on study for phase II education. Current JPME objectives for intermediate-level joint learning are listed in the Appendix to this Guide.

IDE Credit – All Air Force officers earn Intermediate Developmental Education (IDE) credit upon completion. If you are a USN, USA, or USMC student, you will need to contact your service PME office to ensure you receive Intermediate Service School credit for successfully completing ACSC’s nonresident program.

Graduate Credit – The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends approximately 21 graduate credit hours be awarded for completing ACSC. Refer to their website for specific details (http://www.militaryguides.acenet.edu/). The final decision on how many hours you will receive rests with the school to which you have applied.

Reserve Points – Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC) determines ANG and USAFR retirement credit points.

Program Information

Eligibility

IAW AFI 36-2301, the following military, civilian, and international applicants are eligible to enroll in the ACSC Nonresident Studies Program:

Military – O-4 selects and above on active duty, non-extended active duty, Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard; sister-service active duty, Guard, and Reserve O-4s and above; and Civil Air Patrol.

Civilian – Federal civil service employees in the grade of GS-12 or above or NSPS pay band 2 or above, with at least 2 years civil service and a bachelor’s degree.

International – International Applicants for nonresident ACSC must be O-4 major-select or higher, or equivalent grade civilian employees of the military department of a country or international organization assigned to a DOD billet. International Officers must enroll through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) training sponsorship program and have an acceptable Test of English as a Foreign Language score.

Enrollment

You will be enrolled in ACSC upon verification of your identity in the Air University Student Information System (AUSIS) at https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil. You will remain enrolled through completion, provided you stay in good standing. If you ever need to verify your standing, please contact ACSC-Student-Services.

Course Materials

Upon enrollment, you will receive the first two books for the LC and NS courses packaged together. Upon each test completion, the next coursebook will be individually packaged and shipped to the address you maintain in AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil). For this reason, it is imperative you keep your address current throughout your enrollment. All course materials necessary to successfully complete the program can be found either in your coursebooks or on the CD-ROM or DVD affixed to the inside back cover of the coursebooks. The CD-ROMs and DVDs contain video presentations, digital workbooks, and all the readings in electronic format. For your convenience, course materials are also available on the ACSC website.

System Requirements

The minimum system requirements needed to complete this ACSC DL program are:

• Windows XP or Vista, 2GB hard disk drive with 650MB free
• 512 MB RAM
• DVD-ROM drive
• VGA or higher resolution video monitor
• Sound card with speakers or headphones
• Keyboard and mouse
• Internet Explorer 6.1 or higher
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.01 or higher (plug-in for web browser)
• Adobe Flash Player 9.0 or higher (plug-in for web browser)

The web browser and associated plug-ins can be downloaded from the Internet at no cost. The minimum system requirements listed above will adequately present the course materials; however, a more advanced or upgraded system will provide faster access. You will require Internet connectivity to access the required online portions of the DL program, either through a local or wide-area network, or via a local Internet Service provider (ISP). Costs associated with the use of a local ISP are your financial responsibility. ACSC does not subsidize online services.

Methods of Study

The ACSC nonresident program may be completed either through seminar or via self-study. The completion requirements are identical for both methods. Personnel records (SURF or RIP) will not specify which method was employed, but will simply list those who successfully complete the program as “ACSC nonresident” graduates.

Self-Study - The self-study method permits you to choose the time, pace, and place to study. As with the seminar approach, the faculty is always available via e-mail or telephone to discuss learning objectives and help you to interpret the readings. This method is ideal if you are notear an installation with an active seminar, or if your schedule does not support attending regular seminar meetings.

Seminar – A seminar is typically composed of five to eighteen members, although it can form anytime two or more students are enrolled. This method is ideal if you prefer a regimented approach to your studies. It is also helpful for retaining the material and exploring it more deeply, undoubtedly the greatest benefits of the discussion that characterize the seminar approach. Note, however, that the seminar is not a substitute for individual study. Whether in seminars or completing the program through self-study, you will test individually. If you are interested in forming/joining a seminar, contact your Base Education Office.

 

Program Support

Online Services – ACSC/DL manages the ACSC section of AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil) which takes you one step closer to achieving real-time information transfer in a distance-learning format. The website is unique to the version of the program in which you are enrolled and is active for the duration of a program version.

Course Content – AUSIS is an alternate method you can use to access course materials and related documents and information if you have not yet received your course materials in the mail or if you are away from your hard-copy course materials and want to study. Most course materials are available in both an online, viewable format and as downloadable files. If you have uncertainties with your materials or want the latest announcement or policy guidance, refer to AUSIS first.

Extensions – We know that you will have personal and professional hurdles to overcome during ACSC. Sometimes these hurdles can derail even the most diligent students from maintaining their study schedule. If you fall into such circumstances, e-mail ACSC-Student-Services. If you do not complete the program within 18 months and do not request an extension, you will be disenrolled.

Completion Status – All requirements, including retesting, must be completed within 18 months of enrollment. Your final test and/or exercise must be posted before the program completion date in order for you to graduate. Your official start date and your scheduled completion date are available through the AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil) should you need to review them.

Personnel Record Updates – The AU Registrar’s office inputs PME program completion data into USAF officers’ records through the PME data center. Students’ program completion information is transmitted to the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) or to Headquarters, Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC for both AFRES and ANG) as appropriate. AFPC updates local Military Personnel Flights’ computer files. Your personnel records should reflect that you have completed ACSC within ten days following successful completion of your final assessment (either test or exercise). Sister-Service officer and civilian records must be updated through appropriate channels. Civilian students need to take a copy of their completion certificate to their civilian personnel office to ensure their records are properly updated.

Program Completion Certificates – The AU Registrar’s office automatically issues a certificate upon successful program completion. The completion certificate will display your name and rank as it is reflected in AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil) and will be mailed to the address on file in that database. If you do not receive your completion certificate within thirty days after AUSIS reflects your status of “Program Complete,” you should e-mail the AU Registrar's Office.

Program Transcripts – The AU Registrar’s office will furnish you a transcript upon receipt of your written request. The request format is at http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/cf/auregistrar/transcript_request.pdf. Be sure to include your name, and address (former name if applicable), last four of SSAN, program number and/or title, year completed, and name and address of school or agency (for official transcript). Unofficial transcripts will be mailed directly to you. Send requests to the AU Registrar's Office.

Examinations

Types of Exams

We employ evaluations to measure how well our students understand concepts and information presented during the course. Our primary evaluations are administered via electronic testing (e-test) – the preferred method – or via printed test booklets. You must complete seven multiple-choice tests before receiving an ACSC completion certificate. Minimum passing score for these multiple-choice tests is 70 percent. You will have 90 minutes to complete each test. Your test score is based on the number of correctly answered questions divided by the total number of questions.

Exam Administration

ACSC primarily uses the e-test and they are ordered through AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil) by the student when they are ready to take it. Most Air Force bases have e-testing capability, but if e-testing is not available, you will take the paper test. If you must paper-test, order them early to allow for mail transit time. They will be sent directly to your servicing Test Control Facility (TCF) or assigned proctor. You are responsible for scheduling your exams with the TCF or proctor.

Exam Scoring and Feedback

E-exam results are instantaneous. Paper-based exam answer sheets are returned by the TCF to Air University for electronic scoring. Exams scores can be accessed on the ACSC Distance Learning web site and will also be e-mailed to you when they post.

E-exam results are posted to AUSIS generally within 10 days after taking the test while paper tests will take longer due to mail transit times.