Community College of the Air Force reveals plans for new degree program

The Community College of the Air Force announced plans for a new degree program slated for launch in 2021.

The new Associate of Applied Science in Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management degree is a flexible alternative for enlisted personnel serving in Air Force specialties lacking enough formal skills training to meet current degree program requirements, said Dr. Hank Dasinger, the dean of CCAF.

Approximately 12,000 students in the following Air Force specialties will benefit from the roll-out of the MTASM degree:

• 1C5X1 Command and Control Battle Management Ops

• 1N7X1 Human Intelligence Specialist

• 2A5X1A Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft

• 3D0X1 Knowledge Operations Management

• 3E851 Explosive Ordnance Disposal

• 3F4X1 Equal Opportunity

• 3N0X2 Broadcast Journalist

• 3N0X5 Photojournalist

• 3N1X1 Regional Band

• 3N2X1 Premier Band

• 8A200 Enlisted Aide

• 8C000 Amn and Family Readiness Non-commissioned Officer

• 8B100 Military Training Leader

• 8F000 First Sergeant

• 8P100 Defense Attaché

• 9L000 Interpreter and Translator

“This degree also provides a pathway for enlisted personnel from other U.S. military services participating in CCAF-affiliated education and training programs as authorized by the recent National Defense Authorization Act of 2020,” Dasinger said.

There are several key differences between the MTASM and existing vocationally based degree programs: 

• Introduces requirement of 39 total semester hours for leadership/leadership-related courses and military science and technology courses in lieu of technical core and elective courses.

• Reinstates an oral communication requirement of three semester hours in lieu of a second written communication requirement.

• Eliminates the physical education requirement decreasing the total hours required for degree completion from 64 to 60 semester hours.

• Introduces opportunity for six semester hours in open elective courses.

The MTASM degree also permits students to pursue a concentration in specific topics of compelling interest to the Department of the Air Force. Anticipated topics include areas such as space operations, cybersecurity and ethical leadership.

In addition to developing this new degree program, CCAF has also made several academic policy changes regarding existing degrees. The following changes took effect April 1, 2020:

• Reduced technical core requirement from 12 to nine semester hours

• Discontinued awarding apprentice-level specialty internship credit (INT3000/SDI3000)

• Discontinued special duty internship credit

• Replaced specialty internship credit (INT5000/7000) with upgrade training credit (UGT5000/7000)

For more information regarding the new degree program and policy changes, visit https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/.