The Air University Distant Learning Master's Course

ATTENTION: The new Operational Warfare Concentration, based upon the MOA between Air University, Air Education and Training Command, and the USAF Weapons School, Air Combat Command, is specifically designed to award 12 Graduate Credit Hours of concentration credit for graduates of the 23-week Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) program graduating after January 2009.

The new leadership concentration is specifically designed to prepare captains for the leadership responsibilities they will face as they progress through their careers in the USAF. Eligibility -Military - Active Duty USAF O-3s who: 1) Have 6 years TAFCS or more, 2) Completed SOS, 3) Do not have a master’s degree. Please note that civilians are not currently eligible for this program.

Application and Registration Windows

• Academic Calendar

Concentration Information

• Joint Warfare Concentration
• Leadership Concentration
• Operational Warfare Concentration

History of the Online Master's Program (OLMP)

In April 2006, the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff authorized Air University to design, build and launch an online master's degree program. Launched in 2007, this program provides Air Force majors and civilian equivalents an educational opportunity to meet the needs of our service while also accommodating today's high operations tempo. The OLMP has a proven track record, garnering praise from students and instructors alike. Additionally, it has been reviewed and approved by both regional and joint accreditation teams.

In August 2009, the Air Force decided to leverage the success of the existing OLMP to offer more tailored professional education opportunities and expand those opportunities to mid-level captains under a new “concentration” construct. Within this construct, seven of the existing OLMP courses (21 credit hours) will become the core curriculum required of all students. For captains enrolled in the expanded program, other 12 credit-hour concentrations, which examine specific educational/professional areas in more depth, are being developed. The first new concentration to be implemented, the “leadership concentration,” includes four leadership courses specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of captains.

In January 2011, based upon the MOA between Air University, Air Education and Training Command, and the USAF Weapons School, Air Combat Command, is specifically designed to award 12 Graduate Credit Hours of concentration credit for graduates of the 23-week Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) program graduating after January 2009.

OLMP Concentrations

Joint Warfare Concentration

(Open to majors, major-selects and civilian equivalents)

Previously referred to as the Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) OLMP, this concentration mirrors the ACSC resident program's learning outcomes through asynchronous, online interaction between faculty and students. The academic program consists of 11 eight-week courses (7 core courses, and 4 concentration courses) for a total of 33 semester hour’s credit. Students graduating from the joint warfare concentration will receive intermediate level PME (non-resident) and JPME Phase 1 credit along with the master’s degree.

Courses

Core Courses (21 SH):	Concentration Courses (12 SH) Joint Warfare:
Leadership In Warfare (LW) Air, Space & Cyberspace Power Studies (AP) Regional/Cultural Studies (CS) International Security Studies (NS) Warfare Studies (WS) Research/Electives (RE) I & II	Practice of Command (LC) Joint Forces (JF) Joint Planning (JP) Joint Air and Space Operations (JA)

NOTE: This is a separate program from ACSC's traditional distance learning, non-master's program (NMP - previously called the correspondence course), and not an addendum to it. Course credits will not be transferred from the NMP to the OLMP. Officers may elect to take whichever program meets their particular needs best, based on eligibility requirements.

Benefits

JPME Credit - Graduates receive JPME Phase I credit. Phase I emphasizes the fundamentals of joint force organization, planning, and operations. It also serves as the foundation for follow-on study at the Phase II level.

IDE Credit - Graduates may earn Air Force Intermediate Developmental Education (IDE) credit upon successful completion of this program.

Accredited Master's Degree - Air University (AU) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Thus, all graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better earn an accredited Master's in Military Operational Art and Science degree (the same degree awarded to ACSC's resident students) and will receive a diploma.

Eligibility

Military - O-4 selects and 0-4s on active duty, non-extended active duty, Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard. Individuals with either a Master's Degree or who have completed IDE, to include ACSC, may apply. However, individuals that have completed both a Master's Degree and IDE are not eligible.

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

Application Instructions

If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to apply, follow the steps below:

Military - Prior to applying for the OLMP, you need to ensure your military records accurately reflect your current educational level. Refer to the Air Force Personnel Center Website, Education and Training link, to do so. You must confirm that the education level data accurately reflects all college degrees you have earned.. If it does not, contact the Office of the Registrar/AFIT at 937-255-6234 and select option 6 to have this information updated.

You also need to be sure that you can log into the AF Portal, either with a user ID and password or your CAC.

Steps to Apply

• Log into the Air Force Portal (AFPortal).
• Once logged in, perform a search for either the "AU Portal" or "AUREPMPROD" items.
• Create a new account by clicking under the red bar.
• Select the "Distance Learning" link at the left side of the web page and then choose, "Online Master’s Degree Program (OLMP)", then chose “Apply.”
• Under “Step 1- Select a Curriculum”, select the “OLMP - Joint Warfare Concentration”, then select “Check Eligibility.”
• Step 2, click “Next” and fill out any required missing information and click “Save.”
• Step 3, click “Submit Application.”
• Shortly after submitting your application, you will receive an E-mail confirming receipt of your application

Civilians - Scan and E-mail a completed AF Form 4059 to the AFPC/DPIF Leadership Development group box (can be found in the global) no later than the date identified in the current ACSC Nomination Call (contact your local civilian personnel office for this information).

Do not apply directly to ACSC. If selected for the program, you will be notified by AFPC/DPIFA with instructions for applying with the school. If you have any questions, please contact AFPC/DPIFA at DSN 665-2524 (210-565-2524) or contact your functional Career Field Team (CFT).

Civilian Program Quotas - Anticipate 150 Air Force civilian quotas per year.

Contact Information

We prefer you contact us by E-mail, but a telephone call is also fine for simple and quick questions. Please use the E-mail addresses or telephone numbers listed below:

Air University Registrar (AU/CFR) - The AU Registrar tracks resident and non-resident PME for all AU schools and oversees the proper documentation of program completion within the Air Force personnel system. The AU Registrar oversees prospective students’ admission process, and generating and forwarding transcripts in response to students’ and academic institutions’ requests. E-mail the AU Registrar's Office or call us and select option 1.

Personnel are available to answer the phones from 0730 - 1630 Central Time, Monday - Friday.

Blackboard ® Technical Support - This support function provides 24-hour technical assistance to users requiring help with accessing or using the AU Blackboard system. Go to the AU Blackboard Support Center website, or call us and select option 2.

Student Services - Student Services answers questions about administrative issues dealing with enrollments or other concerns not addressed above. E-mail Student Services or call us and select option 3.

Personnel are available to answer the phones from 0700 - 1630 Central Time, Monday - Friday. Most phone requests for service will require an E-mail confirmation for tracking and recording purposes.

Phone Numbers

Please use phone option numbers above to direct your call to the type of support desired. The following numbers connect to our call management system:

Toll Free Number: 1-800-316-7042
Commercial: (334) 953-7901

Fax Numbers

Should you need to fax anything to us, please include a fax coversheet with details of the faxed communications and contact information and send to: :

Commercial Fax: (334) 953- 4003

Leadership Concentration (open to eligible captains)

The new leadership concentration is specifically designed to prepare captains for the leadership responsibilities they will face as they progress through their careers in the USAF. The academic program structure remains unchanged: 11 courses with 7 core courses, and 4 concentration courses for a total of 33 semester hour’s credit. Students graduating from the leadership concentration will not receive IDE or Joint PME credit, but will receive a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree.

Courses

Core Courses (21 SH):	Concentration (12 SH) Leadership:
Leadership In Warfare (LW) Air, Space & Cyberspace Power Studies (AP) Regional/Cultural Studies (CS) International Security Studies (NS) Warfare Studies (WS) Research/Electives (RE) I & II	Expeditionary Leadership in Intercultural Environments (EL) Foundations of Officership (FO) Organizational Leadership (OL) Team Building Leadership (TL)

Benefits

Accredited Master's Degree - AU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Thus, all graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better earn an accredited Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree and will receive a diploma.

Eligibility

Military - Active Duty USAF O-3s who:

• Have Total Active Federal Commission Service of 6 or more years
• Completed SOS
• Do not have a master’s degree

Civilian - At this time civilians are not eligible for this program.

Application Instructions

Captains will have an opportunity to apply for admission each eight-week term. Due to resource and programmatic constraints, space is limited and not all who apply may get selected. Eligible students can apply for admission through the AU portal (see below). Students will be notified within 7 days after the application window closes if they are selected.

More information on the application process will be provided as it becomes available. Please check back for updates.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to apply, follow the steps below. You also need to be sure that you can log into the AF Portal, either with a user ID and password or your CAC.

Steps to Apply

• Log into the Air Force Portal (AFPortal).
• Once logged in, perform a search for either the "AU Portal" or "AUREPMPROD" items.
• Create a new account by clicking under the red bar.
• Select the "Distance Learning" link at the left side of the web page and then choose, "Online Master’s Degree Program (OLMP)", then chose “Apply.”
• Under “Step 1 - Select a Curriculum”, select the “OLMP - Leadership Concentration” and the application form will appear.
• Step 2, click “Next” and fill out any required missing information and click “Save.”
• Step 3, click “Submit Application”. Shortly after submitting your application, you will receive an E-mail confirming receipt of your application

Operational Warfare Concentration (open to eligible captains)

The operational warfare concentration, based upon the MOA between Air University, Air Education and Training Command, and the USAF Weapons School, Air Combat Command, is specifically designed to award 12 Graduate Credit Hours of concentration credit for graduates of the 23-week Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) program graduating after January 2009.

The academic program structure remains unchanged: 7 core courses (21 credit hours) and awarded credit (12 credit hours) for a total of 33 semester hour’s credit. Students graduating from the operational warfare concentration will not receive IDE or Joint PME credit, but will receive a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree.

Core Courses (21 SH):	Concentration (12 SH) Leadership:
Leadership In Warfare (LW) Air, Space & Cyberspace Power Studies (AP) Regional/Cultural Studies (CS) International Security Studies (NS) Warfare Studies (WS) Research/Electives (RE) I & II	Successful completion of the Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) program graduating after January 2009. Note: Concentration credit for WIC will not be awarded until the core (21 SH) courses are successfully completed. Foundations of Officership (FO) Organizational Leadership (OL) Team Building Leadership (TL)

Benefits

Accredited Master's Degree - AU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Thus, all graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better earn an accredited Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree and will receive a diploma.

Eligibility

Military - Active Duty USAF O-3s who:
• Have Total Active Federal Commission Service of 6 or more years
• Completed SOS
• Do not have a master’s degree

Civilian - At this time civilians are not eligible for this program.

Application Instructions

Captains will have an opportunity to apply for admission each eight-week term. Due to resource and programmatic constraints, space is limited and not all who apply may get selected. Eligible students can apply for admission through the AU portal (see below). Students will be notified within 7 days after the application window closes if they are selected.

More information on the application process will be provided as it becomes available. Please check back for updates.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to apply, follow the steps below. You also need to be sure that you can log into the AF Portal, either with a user ID and password or your CAC.

Steps to Apply

• Log into the Air Force Portal (AFPortal).
• Once logged in, perform a search for either the "AU Portal" or "AUREPMPROD" items.
• Create a new account by clicking under the red bar.
• Select the "Distance Learning" link at the left side of the web page and then choose, "Online Master’s Degree Program (OLMP)", then chose “Apply.”
• Under “Step 1 - Select a Curriculum”, select the “OLMP - Leadership Concentration” and the application form will appear.
• Step 2, click “Next” and fill out any required missing information and click “Save.”
• Step 3, click “Submit Application.”
• Shortly after submitting your application, you will receive an E-mail confirming receipt of your application

Course Materials

The majority of course material is available online at no charge to the student. However, some courses may require students to purchase books from public sources at their own expense. They are not available for purchase directly from AU.

System Requirements

• Participants are required to own or have access to a computer with high-speed Internet capability and possess at least an intermediate level of computing skills, defined as the ability to:
• Organize and manage files and folders in the operating system of choice
• Receive and submit electronic course materials
• Use a word-processing program effectively
• Use a spreadsheet program for grade book purposes effectively
• Send and receive e-mail (including attachments)
• Download and execute files from the Internet

Technical Requirements

Hardware / Platform	Apple Macintosh	Microsoft Windows
Operating System	MacOS X 10.3 higher	XP	Vista
Browser	Safari 2 or Later	Internet Explorer7	Internet Explorer 7
	Firefox 1.5 or Later	Firefox 2.0 or Later	Firefox 2.0
	Netscape 7.1 or Later	Netscape 7.1 or Later	Netscape 9
CPU Memory	512 MB of RAM	1GB of RAM	2GB of RAM
Java Runtime	http://developer.apple.com/java/	http://www.java.com/
Processor Speed/Type	800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, or better	1 GHz Intel Pentium III/AMD Athlon processor, or equivalent/better
Monitor Resolution	1024 x 768	1024 x 768
Internet Connection	Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)	Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)
Hard Disk Space	9GB	20GB
Free Hard Disk Space	3GB	15GB
Audio (Sound) Card	24-bit sound card	24-bit sound card
Video Card	Virtual memory turned on and allocated to at least 128 MB	64 MB VRAM with True Color (24-bit or 32-bit)

Browsers needed for Blackboard 8.0

Term	Definition
Certified	fully tested and supported by Bb 8.0
Compatible	key application areas are tested and found compatible with Bb 8.0
Not tested	specified Browser is not supported for the Operating System

Microsoft® Internet Explorer® Web Browsers

	Windows XP	Windows Vista Desktop	Mac OS 10.3	Mac OS 10.4	Mac OS 10.5
Internet Explorer 6	Compatible	Not Support By OS	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested
Internet Explorer 7	Compatible	Certified	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested
Internet Explorer 8	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested

Mozilla® Firefox and Netscape® Navigator Web Browsers

	Windows XP	Windows Vista Desktop	Mac OS 10.3	Mac OS 10.4	Mac OS 10.5
Firefox 1.5	Not Tested	Not Tested	Compatible	Certified	Not Tested
Firefox 2.0	Certified	Certified	Not Tested	Certified	Compatible
Firefox 3.0	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested

Apple® Safari® Web Browsers

	Windows XP	Windows Vista Desktop	Mac OS 10.3	Mac OS 10.4	Mac OS 10.5
Safari 2	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Certified	Certified
Safari 3	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Compatible	Compatible

The web browser and associated plug-ins can be downloaded from the Internet at no cost. Links are provided in the Student Orientation Course.