Military Faculty Pipeline Information

 The Department of Engineering Physics consists of the Applied Physics, Optical Science and Engineering, Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, and Atmospheric Science programs.  Our faculty is a nearly even mix of civilian and military professors.  Military faculty are normally assigned to the department for a four-year controlled tour upon completion of their PhD.  While the department welcomes military members that already have doctorates in relevant fields to directly apply for a faculty position, most military faculty members apply and are selected for the AFIT Faculty Pipeline before returning to school to obtain their PhD. 

Faculty Pipeline, Approximate Timelines

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will I be eligible to be considered for program with a XXXX Academic Specialty Code (ASC) even though my master’s degree was in a YYYY ASC?  I have some justification in my educational history to support this.
   
   Maybe. Academic eligibility for PhD programs are not as rigid as MS programs, and are addressed in the application process, on a case-by-case basis.  If you meet all of the fixed criteria such as GRE scores and GPA, an academic package will be forwarded to the respective curriculum chairs for review.
   

1. I would like to attend a University other than AFIT, through the Civilian Institute program, since I will be joining the AFIT faculty.  Will AFIT send me to a CI program?
   
   For degree programs that are available at AFIT, the Air Force does not sponsor or fund attendance at a civilian school.  On a rare exception basis, the SAF A1 may approve a candidate’s waiver request to attend a civilian program if and only if the candidate has secured funding or scholarships to cover all tuition and fees at the civilian school for the full 3 years of their program.  Any requests for such a waiver must start by gaining the department’s support for attending the specific school and program and must clearly demonstrate why attending the specific school and program is in the best interest of the Air Force.  Contact the Pipeline Manager for more details.    AFIT faculty pipeline applications are not conditional based upon the success of a CI waiver.  Applicants should plan on attending AFIT for their PhD programs.