The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

, known as Detachment 720, provides undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a commission as a second lieutenant in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

immediately upon graduation from Penn State. The Air Force ROTC program takes 3 to 4 years to complete. Students do not incur an obligation to the Air Force unless they have accepted a scholarship or have entered the Professional Officer Course.

Crosstown arrangements

For students not attending the University Park campus, crosstown ROTC agreements are available for students attending one of the many Commonwealth Campuses. Students at the Altoona Campus commute to University Park two days a week, while students in other parts of the state can train with Detachment 730 at the University Pittsburgh, Detachment 752 at

Wilkes University Wilkes University is a private university in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It has over 2,200 undergraduates and over 2,200 graduate students (both full and part-time). Wilkes was founded in 1933 as a satellite campus of Bucknell University, and bec ...

, or Detachment 750 at

St. Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...

. PSU AFROTC offers an optional New Cadet Orientation Program (NOCP) for students every August.

Course of instruction

AFROTC is broken up into two sections, General Military Course (GMC) and Professional Officer Course (POC). Usually between junior and sophomore years, students will attend 24 days of field training at Maxwell AFB in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

. This is also where Officer Training School (OTS) is conducted and AFROTC cadets use the same campus and facilities as their OTS counterparts. OTS trains officer candidates for their commission after they have already graduated from college, OTS has different application and completion requirements.

General Military Course

The first two years of the program consist of the General Military Course and does not incur a military service obligation, unless the student is on an ROTC scholarship. GMC involves one hour of classwork and two hours of leadership exercises each week.

Professional Officer Course

Students who wish to continue on through ROTC must complete the POC after completing Field Training to earn their commission. POC involves three hours of classroom lecture and one or two hour leadership training lab each week.

Scholarships

Full and partial scholarships are available, depending upon major. Scholarship opportunities exist for high school students who will be attending Penn State, Air Force active duty enlisted personnel, and students currently attending Penn State University. In addition to tuition and lab fee assistance, ROTC students receive up to $500 monthly living stipend and an annual textbook allowance.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penn State Air Force Rotc ROTC programs in the United States Pennsylvania State University