A minor in Aerospace Studies (AES) is a minor in leadership. It can be paired with any accredited undergraduate degree, and it is designed to recruit, educate and develop different, daring and diverse future leaders and give them the fundamental knowledge and skills required to lead small and large teams and organizations. Early courses cover the culture and history of the Air and Space Forces before moving into team building, followership, and leadership fundamentals; later courses focus on full-spectrum leadership, ethics, large-organization management, Constitutional authority, elements of power, National Security and the National Defense Strategy. This minor is primarily geared towards Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets seeking a commission as officers in the United States Air Force (USAF) or United States Space Force (USSF) (see https://www.unlv.edu/afrotc for more information); however, students not selected for, or not seeking a commission in the USAF or USSF may still earn an AES minor, and the knowledge, skills, and experience gained will help prepare them for future government and industry leadership and management roles.
Learning Outcomes
a. Describe the basic mission, structure, culture and history of the USAF and USSF.
b. Apply the fundamentals of leadership, followership, team building, problem solving, critical thinking, conflict management, and other leadership skills to build effective teams and achieve complex missions in a variety of future leadership and management positions.
c. Develop and refine advanced leadership skills through military-grade coursework, leadership laboratories, guest lecturers, training, exercises and practicums.
d. Recognize and appreciate the development, employment, and integration of different air and space power components, strategies, and technologies.
e. Recognize and understand the elements of power available to all nations, and how the US Constitution and US Government are organized and authorized to use these elements to develop the National Defense Strategy and other national security policies.
f. Remember, understand and apply affective and cognitive institutional competency learning outcomes from AFROTC curriculum and activities.
g. Use the knowledge, skills, and experience gained during this program in a variety of future leadership and management positions, but especially as USAF or USSF officers.
Admission Policies
Students must meet with an AES advisor before being admitted to the minor. Cadets must meet USAF and USSF academic and physical requirements to compete for commissioning.
Academic Policies
A minimum CGPA of 2.0 must be maintained in order to continue in the AES minor. Grades lower than a C- in AES courses will not count toward the minor.
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