Air University Catalog 

AFIT History

The institute's history closely parallels the history of military aviation. The Air School of Application, established to provide proper technical training for the officers of the US Army Air Service, officially opened on 10 November 1919, at McCook Field, located north of Dayton, Ohio. Before the first class graduated in 1920, the Air Service became a combat arm of the Army, and the school was renamed the Air Service Engineering School. The young school produced many of the test pilots of early aviation, including Lt John A. Macready, a parachute pioneer who set many altitude records, and Lt James H. Doolittle, who went on to fame as both an aviation pioneer and a warrior.

In 1945, the Army Air Forces Scientific Advisory Group (AAF SAG) issued a report concerning the role of research and development in the post-World War II era. This report directly impacted the future success of AFIT. Dr. Theodore von Kármán, the director of the AAF SAG, stated that "the men in charge of the future air forces should always remember that problems never have final or universal solutions, and only a constant inquisitive attitude toward science and a ceaseless and swift adaptation to new developments can maintain the security of this nation through world air supremacy." The report concluded that the Air Force Institute of Technology "should be made into a graduate school of engineering ranking with the best civilian schools in the category, and having specific objectives derived from the needs of the Air Force." Today, the resident programs at AFIT reflect von Kármán's vision of top-quality graduate technical education.

In 1954, the 83d Congress authorized the commander of Air University to confer degrees upon students completing certain programs in residence at the institute. The commander granted the first graduate and undergraduate engineering degrees in 1956 and awarded the first graduate degrees in business in 1958. The first doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees were awarded to four engineering students in June 1969. To date, more than 335 students have completed doctoral programs, and more than 11,000 have completed master's degrees.

In 1967 the Air Force Institute of Technology became a member of the Dayton-Miami Valley Consortium, now the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE)--an association of several colleges, universities, and industries in the greater Dayton area. In the fall of 1995, the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (DAGSI) was founded. DAGSI is a unique partnership between the University of Dayton (a private institution), the University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, and Ohio State University (state supported institutions); and the Air Force Institute of Technology. DAGSI's primary goal is to become a world-class graduate and postgraduate research institute, ranking among the top of such institutions in the United States. DAGSI coordinates, integrates, and leverages the formidable resources of the partnership--including the combined faculty, facilities, equipment, and other supporting elements of all three institutions. The benefits of this partnership are exceptional for all involved, and especially for the DAGSI graduate students.

AFIT Campus

The institute's campus at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, consists of Bane Hall, which houses the Graduate School of Engineering and Management; Twining Hall, home of the School of Systems and Logistics; and Kenney Hall, which houses the Science and Research Center and connects Bane and Twining Halls. A fourth building, opened in the fall of 1994, is connected to Twining Hall and is the home of the Civil Engineer and Services School. A fifth building, shared with the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management and the Aeronautical Systems Center, is the current location of the Civilian Institution Programs and the institute's operations and headquarters staff. Construction has begun on a new, dedicated engineering laboratory facility to be located adjacent to Bane Hall. The 30,000 square-foot building is scheduled for completion in the end of fiscal year 2000 (30 September 2000).

Admission

AFIT's graduate education programs are designed to meet specific Air Force and DOD needs. Eligibility criteria for admission vary from program to program and are targeted for officers and DOD civilians. Academic qualification for admission to the institute's graduate programs, either in residence or at civilian institutions, is comparable to that of any quality graduate institution. In addition, the military accomplishments and potential of the candidate are considered before assignment to a resident program.

Attendance at AFIT's PCE courses is determined by functional duty requirements. The level of the course and the educational and professional experience background of the candidate are considered to ensure that the participant will be able to benefit from the learning experience.

International Military Training

International officers and international civil service personnel are eligible to apply for graduate and professional continuing education at AFIT. Prospective students apply for AFIT education through the US Embassy in their home countries. While attending AFIT, international students are introduced to America's culture, history, and government processes through DOD objectives established in the Informational Program. The program is designed to acculturate international officers and their families while in the United States.

The objective of the program is to give the international student an opportunity to obtain a balanced understanding of the United States through personal contact and observation of its people and its governmental and cultural institutions. This objective is met through planned social activities, visits to points of interest within the local community, and a five-day tour of Washington, D.C.