The first two years of the Air Force ROTC four-year program, the General Military Course, consist of one hour of classroom work and one to two hours of leadership laboratory each week. Upon completion of General Military Course requirements, cadets must compete for entry into the last two years of the program, the Professional Officer Course. Students must successfully complete a four or six-week field training encampment at an Air Force base before entering the Professional Officer Course. This training is completed during the summer.  Cadets enrolled in the Professional Officer Course attend class three hours a week and participate in a weekly leadership laboratory lasting up to two hours.

In the Professional Officer Course, cadets apply what they have learned in the General Military Course and at field training encampments. Professional Officer Corps cadets conduct the leadership laboratories and manage the unit's cadet corps. Professional Officer Course classes are usually small which enhances leadership practice. Classroom topics include management, communication skills, and the national defense policy.

Once enrolled in the Professional Officer Course, all cadets are enlisted in the Air Force Reserve and assigned to the Obligated Reserve Section. This entitles them to a monthly nontaxable subsistence allowance (up to $500 a month) during the academic year.