Air Force Institute of Technology The Air Force Institute of Technology ( AFIT ) is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education for the United States Armed Forces and is part of the United States Air Force . It is located on Wright - Patterson AFB , Ohio . Overview . A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command , AFIT has been offering degrees since 1956 and was founded in 1919 . Its primary purpose is to provide continuing specialized education to select officer and enlisted U . S . military personnel and civilian employees at the graduate level . Previous names for AFIT include the Air School of Application and the Air Corps Engineering School . The Naval Postgraduate School ( NPS ) serves a similar purpose . The United States Army currently does not have a similar institution , choosing instead to send its members to either NPS , AFIT or civilian institutions . NPS and AFIT should not be confused with Command and Staff colleges or War Colleges , which concentrate instead on staff functions , civil - military affairs , tactics and strategy . Under a recent joint agreement between the U . S . Air Force and U . S . Navy , and codified by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission , AFIT and the Naval Postgraduate School have realigned their academic programs to reduce duplication , and both schools will be under the oversight of a common oversight panel . As an example of the consolidation , Navy officers are sent to learn aeronautical engineering at AFIT , while the Air Force officers learn meteorology at the Naval Postgraduate School . On 8 May 2012 , AFIT formally welcomed its first civilian Director and Chancellor during an appointment of leadership ceremony . Dr . Todd Stewart served for 34 years with the United States Air Force retiring in 2002 at the rank of Major General . AFIT ' s three resident schools include : After a long history of program disasters starting with the founding of the U . S . Air Force , the AFIT finally established an acquisition center of excellence in 2012 . Graduate School of Engineering and Management . AFIT ’ s Graduate School of Engineering and Management is a graduate - only , research – based institution and the sole degree granting element of AFIT . The Graduate School focuses on studies and research that are relevant to the Air Force mission as well as the needs of the defense establishment as a whole . Students . The Graduate School enrolls over 700 full - time graduate students . The student body consists primarily of Air Force officers , but is rounded out by members of the other four U . S . Armed Services , select enlisted Airmen , international students from coalition countries , U . S . Government civilians , and civilians ( U . S . citizens ) not affiliated with the Government . Selection of officers for graduate education is fully funded by their service and is based upon outstanding professional performance as an officer , promotion potential , and a strong academic background . Admission of non - Government affiliated civilians is based on academic preparation and requires U . S . citizenship . Faculty . The faculty is drawn from prestigious academic institutions and are highly respected scholars in their disciplines . The faculty body consists of approximately a 50 – 50 mix of military and civilian members all of whom hold a Ph . D . in their fields . The faculty to student ratio is typically 1 to 6 in the master ’ s degree programs . Accreditation . AFIT is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , 30 North LaSalle Street , Suite 2400 , Chicago , Illinois 60602 - 2504 to offer degrees to the doctorate level . Eight engineering programs in the Graduate School of Engineering and Management are accredited at the advanced level by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology ( ABET ) . Note : programs identified with an asterisk ( * ) are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET ( http : / / www . abet . org ) Academic Calendar . The Institute operates year - round on a quarter calendar which includes the Fall , Winter , Spring , and Summer terms . The quarters are 10 weeks in length plus a week for examinations . Typically , the Fall term begins in late September and ends in mid - December ; the Winter term begins in early January and ends in mid - March ; the Spring term begins in late March and ends in mid - June ; and the Summer term begins in late June and ends in early - September . Cost . The educational expenses for full - time military students assigned to AFIT are paid by their respective uniformed service . For tuition - paying students , the approximate cost is $ 3 , 900 per quarter for full - time enrollment ( based on 12 quarter hours and a tuition rate of $ 325 per quarter hour ) . The tuition for distance learning students is $ 360 per hour . Civilian Institution Programs . AFIT ' s Civilian Institution Programs support Air Force educational requirements through graduate and professional continuing education and research at civilian universities , hospitals , research centers , and corporations .