Course Instructor
Jack E. McCrae, Jr. received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1997, an M.S. in Physics (Optics) from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1993, and a B.S. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984. He is a retired Air Force Colonel with 27 years of service and currently a Senior Research Associate with the Center for Directed Energy at AFIT. His research interests include optics, lasers, quantum and non-linear optics, laser radar, atmospheric propagation and imaging.
Delivery Approach
This course is offered in distance learning mode which is primarily asynchronous. The lecture content
is prerecorded and can be viewed at any time at the convenience of the student. Lectures are viewed
in a web browser and can be downloaded from - or streamed over - the internet. (Both methods are
available in case a student has problems with one or the other.) More detailed access instructions
will be provided upon registration.
The asynchronous lectures are supplemented by synchronous sessions using a webinar service.
These sessions are designed to give instructors live "face time" with students, for Q-and-A, and for
reinforcing lesson concepts. These meetings also facilitate student-to-student interaction, which is often
a valuable tool in the graduate learning setting. To join these web conferences, students will need an
internet-connected computer and a telephone. These sessions meet for an hour or so; attendance is not mandatory
but highly encouraged. Specific meeting times are determined after students have been polled at the outset
of the course.
Aside from the weekly webinar sessions of 60 - 90 minutes per week, students can set their own schedule
for the course. Nevertheless, students must complete the course within eight weeks.
System requirements include high-speed internet access and a telephone. AFIT uses Microsoft Live Meeting
as its webinar service provider. To join the meeting, ideally a small plug-in is installed on the student's
computer. This is a one-time installation. If this cannot be accomplished, such as for lack of privileges
on the employer's network, the student will still be able to join.
Note: This distance learning course is now available on your iPad or iPhone.