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Cornell AFROTCDetachment 520Ever Upward
Cadre and cadets in flight suits and uniforms play a strategy wargame around a classroom table with a laptop and cards.

Detachment 520Cornell University

Det 520 Cadet Life

Program & Courses at Detachment 520

Use Cornell's current catalogs to understand the academic framework associated with Detachment 520. Term-specific course and registration decisions require current university information.

View the current course catalogBack to Cadet Life

Classroom sequence

The current four-year classroom sequence

Cornell's current catalog organizes Air and Space Studies coursework from introductory first-year study through advanced leadership, national security, and preparation for active duty.

  1. First year · one credit each

    Year 1

    AIRS 1101 and AIRS 1102

    Heritage and Values I and II introduce the Department of the Air Force and the Air Force and Space Force.

  2. Second year · one credit each

    Year 2

    AIRS 2201 and AIRS 2202

    Team and Leadership Fundamentals I and II focus on leadership, team building, and preparation for Field Training.

  3. Third year · three credits each

    Year 3

    AIRS 3301 and AIRS 3302

    Leading People and Effective Communication I and II develop leadership and communication through supervised application.

  4. Fourth year · three credits each

    Year 4

    AIRS 4401 and AIRS 4402

    The senior sequence addresses national security, doctrine, military professionalism, leadership ethics, and preparation for active duty.

Cadets seated at a table working through planning papers during a leadership problem.

Applied laboratory

Leadership Laboratory across all four years

Cornell's current plan of study pairs the classroom sequence with Leadership Laboratory courses throughout the program.

  • First yearAIRS 1141 and AIRS 1142Initial Military Experiences
  • Second yearAIRS 2241 and AIRS 2242Intermediate Military Experiences
  • Third yearAIRS 3341 and AIRS 3342Junior Officer Leadership Experiences
  • Fourth yearAIRS 4441 and AIRS 4442Advanced Leadership Experiences and Precommissioning Laboratory

From the Detachment overview

Inside the two phases

The two phases differ in practice as follows. Contact Detachment 520 with questions about how they apply to your own schedule.

  • General Military Course

    A two-year introduction to military life, pairing each semester's one-credit class with two hours of Leadership Laboratory and up to two hours of group physical-fitness training per week, designed to build communication skills. Cadets who wish to continue then compete for an Enrollment Allocation, which allows attendance at Field Training. Enrollment Allocations are determined by qualitative factors assessing officer potential — college grade point average, unit commander evaluation, physical-fitness scores, and aptitude-test scores.

  • Professional Officer Course

    Entered after successful completion of Field Training. POC cadets take on greater leadership responsibility within the cadet wing, planning and facilitating the weekly two-hour Leadership Laboratory and the hour-long physical-fitness sessions alongside their three-credit Aerospace Studies classes.

Registration and enrollment

Use the catalog for current registration details

Course offerings, enrollment restrictions, prerequisites, cross-listings, and registration procedures can change. Use Cornell's catalog and instructions from Detachment 520 before selecting courses.

  • Registration hub

    Cornell Aerospace Studies course catalog

    Review descriptions and official prerequisites for GMC and POC courses.

    Cornell class roster

  • Candidate contact

    Detachment 520 contact information

    Inquire about crosstown enrollment or local academic requirements.

    Contact the detachment