New curriculum for Air Force officers without university degree 2026

Key data

The training pathway to become an Air Force officer without a university degree changes in 2026. The Order DEF/372/2026, of April 17, modifies the curriculum approved by the Order DEF/423/2024, of April 26, introducing adjustments in the training education for integration into the officers scale of the General Corps of the Air and Space Force through the entry route without requirement of prior university degree.

For those planning their military career through this specific route, these changes directly condition the mandatory training pathway they must complete. The military teaching centers responsible for providing this training must also adapt their programming to the new curriculum specifications.

What does this regulation establish?

Order DEF/372/2026 is a modification regulation: it does not create a new curriculum from scratch, but rather adjusts the one in force since 2024. The original regulation, Order DEF/423/2024, established the base curriculum for this specific entry route. The new order introduces changes that may affect one or more of the following elements of the study plan:

• Subjects or courses included in the training plan
• Duration of the training process or specific modules
• Structure of the pathway (order, phases, blocks)
• Requirements demanded during or at the end of training

The regulation is specific to the entry route without requirement of prior university degree, which is one of the ways to access the officers scale of the General Corps of the Air and Space Force. It does not affect access routes that do require a university degree.

Economic and operational impact

This regulation does not generate direct costs for private companies nor does it involve fees or economic sanctions. Its impact is operational and planning-related for two types of actors:

• Applicants for officers: Must review the new curriculum before starting or continuing their preparation process, as the mandatory training pathway may have changed. Preparing subjects that are no longer part of the plan, or being unaware of new requirements, may result in time and resources invested in vain.
• Military teaching centers: Must adapt their programming, materials and resources to the new curriculum specifications. This involves review of lesson plans, possible updating of syllabi and internal coordination before the next call.

Given that the entry into force date is not specified in the published information, uncertainty about the exact timing of application is the main operational risk to manage. Calls after entry into force are directly conditioned by the new curriculum.

Who does it affect?

• Applicants to the officers scale of the General Corps of the Air and Space Force who access through the route without prior university degree
• Military teaching centers responsible for providing training education for this entry route
• Academies and training units of the Air and Space Force that manage or coordinate these training processes
• Military human resources managers who plan calls and integration processes in the officers scale

It does not affect applicants who access the officers scale through routes that require prior university degree, nor other corps or scales of the Armed Forces.

Practical example

An applicant who has spent months preparing for access to the officers scale of the General Corps of the Air and Space Force through the route without university degree, based on the curriculum approved by the Order DEF/423/2024, must now review whether the new curriculum established by the Order DEF/372/2026 modifies any of the subjects they were studying, the expected duration of the training process or the requirements they must meet upon completion.

If, for example, new subjects have been introduced or the structure of phases in the pathway has been modified, the applicant will need to reorient their preparation before the next call is published. Acting without verifying the new curriculum means the risk of arriving at the call with preparation that is misaligned with what the current plan requires.

Similarly, the military teaching center responsible for providing this training will need to update its programming before starting the next training process, ensuring that materials and class planning respond to the curriculum modified by Order DEF/372/2026.

What should those affected do now?

1. Consult the full text of Order DEF/372/2026 in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8955) to identify exactly which articles or sections of the original curriculum have been modified.
2. Compare the new curriculum with that of Order DEF/423/2024 to detect specific changes in subjects, duration, structure or requirements.
3. Verify the entry into force date, which is not specified in the published information, to know from which call the new plan applies.
4. Update the planning of preparation or teaching programming based on the changes detected, before the next affected call is published.
5. Consult with the corresponding military teaching center if already in an ongoing training process, to confirm whether the modifications apply immediately or only to new calls.