American Military University

I am license criminologist of the Philippines and presently working as security supervisor in Japan Gasoline Corporation  Barzan Onshore Project Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.  I just want to know if I am illegible to enroll online Security Management or any of the security courses? 

AMU is a second rate school whos site is always down. You always get outdated material and the professors always refer to the book and tell you to figure t out like your an idiot. Go to this school if you have no ambition of being successful. 

Alright people, especially to those who says professors at brick and stone colleges does a good job at teaching- I don't know what you're talking about and I want to laugh.  I attended the University of Connecticut, New England's #1 ranked public, tradition, brick and mortar university, and this is hearing from me and at least a handful of other students that I know, that professors at UConn CANNOT teach for scheiss.  I have taken the same exact high school physics course and took it again at UConn, guess what, the quality in my high school was much higher.  The advanced courses are taught with the same crappy professors.  I've had my professors read off from a projection screen of bad notes and poor handwriting, manuals written in a paragraph that could be written in a sentence and plain English.  I've also had professors who would talk off topic and rant about non relevant tangent for the entire class then expect you to answer questions.  The classes are set, and most people skip them.  Professors "curve" the grades so that people get good grades even though most people failed them.  It was so dissapointing.  I was so dissapointed with UConn's education.  also many people graduating from UConn can't even find jobs.  For those of you think you can get better teachers in traditional B&M schools, get your head out of your asses and actually attend one like I did, seriously.

I have attended this school for three terms now, and I would say it is a far cry from a degree mill. I have attended two local community colleges, and in terms of comparable course work this schools demands are much higher. For example in my international relations class I was turning in a 3-5 page essay per week, plus reading on average 100 pages of material per week. This is on top of the forum discussions (500 word minimum with two 250 word responses to other classmates) and 20-50 question tests every few weeks, including midterms and finals. AND as a final kicker, a 7 page research paper (not including title and reference pages) due the final week. This was just one class of my four that term and all were similar. I am not sure how the typical universities coursework stacks up to this, but I can tell you from personal experience it is no walk in the park. The material covered is very modern, with some of my books being published within the last six months, giving me the most up to date knowledge available. The ability to walk into anywhere with internet access and my own thumb drive and work on school is a huge benefit as well, as I am often traveling. 

My only concern for getting a degree from this school is how well it will be received by employers. It is probably not a well known school, and as such may detract from the value of the degree. However, with over 100,000 students currently enrolled, it is clearly gaining popularity and hopefully this will make it more well known in the world. 

For credentials, my last professor in my business 101 class had her P.h. D. from University of Texas, had two books out, was the state assistant attorney general for over 6 years, and had a slew of other credentials of similar caliber to back her name. There are many very highly qualified instructors at this university and I find the level of engagement between faculty and students to be as high or higher than that of the traditional schools I have attended. 

The ONLY downside I have had while taking these courses is the turn around time on asking questions. They are required to respond within 48 hours to all emails, and they do, however if a test or paper is due within two days, and you can't start the work until you get a question answered (this problem arose in my math class, when I was having trouble understanding a concept 24 hours before a test was due, which ultimately resulted in me turning in the test late for reduced credit) then it can be a problem. So this factor is something to consider when choosing between online education and traditional courses. But this will also be an issue at most online schools you go to, so it is not specific to this university.

Hopefully this helps someone make their decision! 

I attended AMU for one class at the masters level. I do not think the education is subpar. I was expected to complete the work and read. I believe the school is at a great cost. What is lacking is the support. Most support is done by email this includes finacial. I found there were alot of rules, that made getting easy routine out of class business done. I think this is due to the low amount of support staff (but this is probaly why the tuition remains affordable) i think this school is an excellent buy.  But if you need more support staff to help you along you may find you are doing your own leg work. If this is important to you, you are going to pay more. There are lots of schools that take care of the little things for you with just one phone call.  In the end it is a personal choice. 

I am or should i say was a current  student.the fsa dept waited to tell me of an error on my fasfa 3days before classes.I submitted the original fasfa 2months ahead!

I have had no problems with AMU. I have had quick responses either online or by phone. I am not graduated yet, but everything seems to be working out very well. The instructors are knowledgeable and have a desire to assist each student. Even the advisors are apt to helping students out. I am changing my degree concentration and they are very helpful.

My parents are dead.  I am 45 years old and currently enlisted. I chose this school due to the fact that I was overseas and there were others taking classes with AMU stating how great it was.  I have since found out it is only great if you are lazy and illiterate. My fellow soldiers have stated this over and over to me.  They like it because it is so easy.
Oddly enough, there are some of us in the world who would like to learn while at school, regardless of the grade we receive.
You pointed out the low level of communicative skills shown by others but then ignored that and said you "know" it is a good school. Online communication relies on positive writing skills. You cannot have it both ways.

I am currently enrolled and far from satisfied. The school is a degree mill. The instructors are not very literate, nor do they seem to have even a minimum of practical experience in their subject matter.  I am on the "honors list" but feel as if I have not learned anything in the last 6 months.
 If you have questions about a subject, it is hit and miss if you will get a response. On the off chance you get a response, but still have questions based on a different viewpoint, the teacher may launch into a personal attack rather than respond to the question.
Contacted my student adviser for assistance with possibly changing my major and was given the brush off. 

There are others, stationed with me who love this school for the very reasons why I will be transferring .  It does not challenge (or teach)you.  It is a very easy way to get a meaningless degree.

I couldn't get ANYONE from this "University" to return phone calls or answer e-mails to help me enroll.  This appears to be just another degree mill that only wants your money.  Given that I spend almost a month trying to become a student and got nowhere I'm off to find another path.  The people at UMUC are very helpful as are the folks at Capella, for what it's worth.

I am studing mba at finance. It is a great program and one of the best online University in the USA.  I LOVE AMU very much.

MOHAMMAD TOHA
ID= 4099562

Is it true that AMU dropped its graduate intelligence program and made students take MBA courses? I'm reading this on one of the reviews. 

Question, when I see comments like this I often wonder what type of University you attended. Did you attend a brick & mortar or another online University? If you were a full time worker that wanted to get their degree and only had time for an online degree, where would you go? just a thought.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you do not make a great case for AMU when you reply with all lowercase text, sentence fragments, and misspelled words.  Nevertheless, I know that AMU is a quality institution, just as many other for-profit(gasp!)schools are.

It may not be appropriate for everyone, but for those who are spewing hate and discontent on this site in the direction of AMU, it definitely isn't for you.  Stick with the brick and mortar grind and mommy and daddy's money.

Forget the North Central Association, StevenNO is now the new regional accrediting authority..

It's stupid to compare a school like AMU which is meant for working adults and deployed military with some traditional super-expensive brick & mortar. Two different animals. But both provide you with a legit degree at the end. If you want to quit your job and move in with your mother to attend full-time at a B&M then be my guest. AMU is fully accredited and fills a need. Stop drinking the haterade..

So what, the same commission that accredits Harvard also accredits kindergarten programs. Accreditation is merely a minimum requirement not a statement of quality beyond that. 

AMU is a for-profit online program like University of Phoenix and Kaplan. Not exactly where Rhodes scholars and the cream of the crop reside both at the student and instructor level. Think of two soldiers with Ranger tabs. One has taken the full Benning course the other did his on the weekends near his home with barely minimal entrance requirments. That's the difference between an AMU degree and a college degree from a traditional school. 

On the other hand if you're in the military and overseas somewhere or in a situation you can't go to a traditional school then it fills a need. The admission requirements for master's level programs at AMU are almost non-existent relative to most grad programs that require letters from academics, a respectable GRE score and an undergrad GPA average of some merit. 

hi guys, i want to study B.A in intelligence studies , any one there can share his experience, because i cant take chance...

I've been with AMU since 2002 and takin' my sweet time with my MA in Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Management via my Post 9-11 GI Bill. The Only problem I have is that they raised the tuition, making it harder to provide your co-pay. I also question the poor customer service reps who work the VA aspect of the students who apply the GI Bill. I got a letter from them but it did NOT address the lack of professionalism of their staff nor were they apologetic.

First AMU was slammed by some unknowing individuals because they were not RA. Then they achieved RA and these same individuals now proclaim they are not brick and mortar. So, if AMU were ever to have classes in a building other than the student's homes (what diff?), what would they say? They are (horrors) for-profit. So then AMU becomes public..then what..oh dear they're not Ivy League..there is no satisfying nitwits like this. In the meantime those of us with brains and actual experience know that AMU is a great school.

Some of these posts are ridiculous. AMU is regionally and nationally accredited. The Dean of their Science and Technology department is NASA astronaut. Famous alumni include Air Force Thunderbird pilots. I am enrolling in their MSIT program and will be proud to call myself a student of AMU.

To all the nay-sayers: DO YOUR RESEARCH. This is a legit and accredited institution. I recently started an MS program at Capitol College (a B&M school). They gave me nine credits towards their MS in Information Assurance degree from my AMU MBA. Oh yeah, that's online program too...

The classwork can be demanding as a lot is asked of someone who may also be working full time. I have a doctorate already and find the level of work for this masters adequately demanding.  As with any education, you get out what you put in.  I'm getting a lot out of this program as this knowledge is directly applicable to my workplace. 

Just landed a private sector job in Atlanta with my MSIT from AMU, they looked at their accreditation and that was that. I have to admit I had a few concerns due to rumors about online/for-profit/etc schools, and I am relieved to know that they were unfounded. Proper accreditation is the main issue with employers, AMU has it. My big complaint about AMU is with their finance dept, they screwed up more than a few things along the way, don't know if they're overworked or what due to rapid growth, but they need to get a new system or better training or something.

The thing about these review sites, anybody can post anything. The truth about AMU is that they are both regionally and nationally accredited. In fact, they are regionally accredited by the same accrediting council as Ohio State and many other state universities: The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association. THOSE ARE THE FACTS. This information is publicly available, do your own rsearch. Don't listen to dweebs on open chat forums who like to spread lies for some twisted reason.

What a joke. Though the curriculum may be comparable to traditional universities, the delivery is not. Therefore I would compare this education to a GED. Notice the last poster, who has a master's degree, can't spell the word knowledgeable. Lol. 
So what should you do? Go elsewhere...the human brain doesn't work this way.    

I received my MA in Management from AMU in Sep 2010.  The curriculum was very comparible to the three public universities I attended - Columbus State, Franklin, and Ohio State.  I found the courses to be quite challenging in many fashions.  The course work was challenging and the professors were extremely knowledgable and demanding.  For the price you can't beat their graduate programs.  If you want a solid valuable degree, AMU is the perfect fit.  

I think AMU is the worst of the worst. I attended recently and can tell you it is a waste of time and money. They will rob you with fees and the instructors I dealt with were not interested in teaching at all. Here is the crappy work, go do it. Some were worse than others but none were great. Now I owe almost $5,000.00 have three classes complete and my knowledge is no greater for having made an A in each class. I have left the school and never intend to return. Listen carefully, this is one of those schools that once they get your money that really don't care about you. They are very pleasant and helpful up until they have secured your money.

I am almost finished with my degree at AMU and I have been impressed with the quality of the teachers and the tech support staff.  I have had very few tech issues and one call and they have fixed them.  Flexibility with time management is the key here.  Because some of the courses are eight weeks long they can really be tiring but the benefit of having the class finished in half the time makes up for it.    

I am thinking of enrolling in the International Relations program for my BA. Have anyone had any experiences with this program at how was it? Would like to have some general feedback from current/former students in this undergraduate program.

  I have attended American Military University (AMU) since 2007 and have zero regrets.  The school is nationally and regionally accredited and I know many co-workers who went on to get great jobs after military service in the federal government.  The instructors work very well with military students even if deployed.  The undergraduate programs also offer book grants so TA will fully fund six classes a year.  The course work will require at times more reading than you expect but no more than other colleges.  Ensure if you apply to completely apply yourself to course work and your studies will be fun and rewarding reflecting a high GPA.  I am three classes from a BA in Security Management and would rate them a 9 of 10. Go AMU!!

Try AMU's Facebook page to see if you can find better luck with your concern about the International Relations program.

Deidra L.

You should post your question regarding the BA International Relations program on AMU's Facebook page. You should have better luck with your question.

According to "Seriously", if you didn't get your degree right after high school at a b&m there is no hope for you, don't bother pursuing a degree at all, ever. What a sad outlook for us who made the mistake of having to go to work or joining the military or simply couldn't afford it at the time, only his degree is meaningful. Thanks for enlightening us O Great One. Oh by the way OGO, Harvard now has online degree programs, as do many other b&m
schools. I suppose they are useless too? Tell you what, you make a "valid school" list for us so that we don't make any more horrible mistakes, OK? Thanks OGO.
Btw, I LOVE AMU!

For all the "this is a joke" naysayers out there, some facts for you: AMU is accredited by the same commission as Notre Dame, and an ex-astronaut is dean of their technology dept. I'm a grad student and I can tell you first hand, this is a serious school. So keep your uninformed/disgruntled opinions to yourselves.

Hello,

I am thinking of enrolling in the International Relations program for my BA. Have anyone had any experiences with this program at APU/AMU? and how was it? Would like to have some general feedback from current/former students in this undergraduate program.

Thanks

Jennie, 

I asked the admissions department at St. Mary's University Law School in San Antonio if they in particular discriminate against individuals with online degrees. The representative told me no, just as long as the degree is regionally accredited. She said that some of the professors have reservations about students with online degrees but not because they don't feel the students have a grasp of subject knowledge. They worry students may not succeed going from an online learning environment to a traditional one. It really is going to depend on the school. Typically law schools look at the whole package. Degree, GPA, the person, LSAT scores, etc...

Hope this helps.

That's Impressive. 

I want to attend to graduate school at a brick-n-mortar school using my AMU degree, But I'm concerned how the schools will react to an degree being earned at an online university.

Nathaniel,
I already have a well paying job so the degree from AMU is more for what I want to do when I retire. I have been offered a position teaching part-time Civil War studies at a local Community College. A word of warning some degres from AMU are accepted in certain cirles, like the military history degree. I would have a good idea of what you want to do before you get started.

1CAV,

Apology accepted and I'm sorry If I ruined this blog for anyone else who reads up on it daily.

I'm sorry again for getting out of hand against you, 1CAV and To Seriously, an online degree? It wasn't my business. I'm sorry to all of you.

I'm glad you're a AMU Grad. What are your plans now that you have a Masters in Military History?

I was just having some from with you guys because you reacted. I am sorry if I ruined this blog for anyone. I am also a proud AMU grad, Masters Military History, there is nothing wrong with this school that is not wrong with other schools rather they be B&M or online.

I'm real sorry for getting in the way, 1CAV. Could you accept my apologizes for sound rude and interferring.

I also forgive what you said about me in the posting, 1CAV. Could you forgive my harsh words?

Look 1Cav,

I don't want to argue with you anymore. I thought you were originally aiming against me that's why i got out of hand. Could you accept my apology?

I apologize for apologize for sounding too harsh on you, 1Cav. It just got annoying between you and "To Seriously, an online degree"

1CAV,

Get a Life! You're ruining the blog for perspective students. No one cares what you have to say you, childish moron. Why don't you go harrass someone else. You sure do have the mind of a kid.

To Seriously, an online degree?

Whats wrong someone can not disagree with you? Yes I have the nerve to come here and talk trash you idiot, its a blog! My original comment was not for you, but picking on you is way to easy. 

Nathaniel
The last time I checked no one is forcing anyone to read these comments. I have a suggestion, ignore us.

I think you two (1CAV and To Seriously, an online degree) need to grow up.

Who in here is in the Philosophy program? I'm interested in the program.

1Cav,

You're the biggest. You have the nerve to come here and talk trash? I think you should go on your way and scram. You're a waste of time on arguing on here. Do you really have anything else to do, besides talk trash on here?

I don't have time to argue, I'm here to find other alumni who share how their experience was with AMU?

To Seriously, and online degree?

I think you are a bigger dumbass!

1CAV,

I have to agree with "To Seriously, an online degree?" I don't work for AMU either. But, I'am fed up people trying to bash this just because it's online. I've had the privilege to know people who went into ABA-approved Law Schools, and one person even went to HARVARD for Graduate School, using their AMU degrees to accomplish their career goals either in the Military, or public sector, even private sector.  

I, too, will defend my right to represent AMU as my Alma Mater, I worked my butt off to earn my grades. Unlike, Brick-n-mortar schools that give you time to turn-in your assignments, I had to turn-in weekly assignments at AMU in a 8-week course period. And, at times I had submit either an exam or a research paper.

1CAV, 

You're really dumbass! I don't work for the school, I actually did graduate from the school. You don't need to be working in-order to have pride in representing the school your degree was conferred.

Ok the original comment was meant for "seriously, an online degree?" I will say to "to seriously , an online degree" you are obviosly an employee of AMU and there is no need for that if the school is legit it will stand on its owned merits, canned answers do not fool anyone and since this is a blog I will "bash" who I wish to.

1CAV,

I graduated from AMU with a degree in International Relations(Latin American Studies Concentration). I'm not a big idiot if that's what you're aiming at? If you're trying to bash me for defending this school, don't bother because I admire what this school has to offer. I'm starting to apply to various Law Schools and Graduate Schools with my AMU degree.

If you want to bash someone on this blog, you've got the wrong person, buddy. Unless, You're trying to bash "Seriously, an online degree?"

To Seriously, an online degree?
Could you please tell us what school you got your degree from so I can avoid it, because if they graduated you wow! You are most certainly the biggest idiot on this blog.

If you earned an degree from a reputable university, why are you wasting your time on here talking trash about this school. Surely, the school is for-profit and maybe shady when it comes to its business practices, but they target a group that brick-n-mortar schools lack and that is WORKING ADULTS! 

IF brick-n-mortar schools didn't cry about losing enrollment and funds, WHY DIDN'T THEY JUMP ON THE ONLINE EDUCATION WAGON?? Their wouldn've been a UOP,AMU, or Kaplan, if lousy schools like Ohio State, San Diego State, George Mason, Could at offered a BA in History, BA in Intelligence STudies, a BS in Legal Studies.

Many of you should have made better decisions early-on in life like beginning college instead of putting it off so long - especially the military crowd. You talk about serving your country and all this nonsense, and in most cases, college wasn't a priority, only to find years later (many years later) you are back or starting college as an adult.

Another portion of you should probably practice safe kids (more than you can afford) and stop having kids so soon without exercising personal responsibility and common sense. If you can't afford college or make an executive decision to bust your butt and knock out your degree the right way in the first place, you wouldn't be working a low-paying job worried about obtaining an online degree that is taking you 20 years to complete.

Continued from above...

Those intelligence recruiters made it clear that the individual should immediately try to have as many online credits transferred to that brick and mortar university and complete their degree through them...

Don't be that guy who needs to wake up and smell the folder's in their cup, because I can give you a phone call tomorrow morning

On a more serious note, I have military friends enrolled in online (military/security-studies related) programs; and every last one of them, I'm sure to let them know how useless their degree is, and how they are wasting free money on courses they'll never have paid for by their service again. In fact, I made one come to tears because 3 years into their BA program with an online school, I revealed to them the error of their ways and the uselessness of their degree during a major intelligence recruiting event at a brick & mortar university.

I have a degree from a real university that carries real weight anywhere in the world with any employing party. Those of you with fake online degrees should be ashamed. The truth can be hard to swallow, just let it happen...like warm molasses running down your inner throat parts.

Has anyone taken their science courses..like Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry?

Has anyone been been accepted into a A.A.C.S.B. MBA program using their AMU B.B.A. degree? I'd like to hear which schools they were.

To receive more information about the programs offered by American Military University, simply click the button and complete the form. The requested information will be sent to you as soon as possible.

AMU's MBA program is not even accredited by the ACBSP, which is like the easiest accreditation among Business schools to have. Employers won't recognize a MBA from this school, and even assuming that they won't look at the accreditation issue, AMU doesn't have much of a reputation in the civilian world. I would look somewhere for a MBA. Just because a university is regionally accredited, does not mean that a particular degree program is accredited. In the case of a business degree, having the proper accreditation is crucial especially if you want to transfer credits.

I don't see why everyone is trashing for-profit schools. All profits do is prevent the misappropriations of funds.

I guess it's an Age of Obama, government good, business bad type of mentality.

For-profit schools are under much scrutiny these days.  Be very careful on choosing one, if at all.  The DoD is reviewing its policy... TA may be at stake, not to mention gov loans and grants.  Hopefully the institutions in question will begin providing much more detailed info on their practices.  There are online institutions who are not For-Profit, FYI, maybe do some research.

To Anonymous,

Yes its true, being in a classroom is the past, you only learn from books compared to online schools that teach you how to get hands-on information through research by your own, not depending the professors to tell you what to read and what they want.

Jeanie,

People have gone on to law school. I know of one person who went to St. Louis University school of Law, another went to Texas Tech Law School. Another is planning on going to apply to Arizona St. and University of Denver. 

I plan on applying to brick-n-mortar schools for graduate studies and law school.

Jim,
"It is worth it and the reality is that traditional class meetings are being a blast of the past. It's too outdated."

Is this some kind of joke? 

Jennie,
"Has anyone gone on from AMU to a Law School?" 

Just contact "Student Services" and ask if anyone has gone on from AMU to a Law School. Of course, this question has already been addressed throughout this thread.

Hello, my husband is active duty and I am having a lot of trouble deciding on what type of college to go with. We move around quite often so online would work best for me. The problem is that I have heard A LOT of negative things about online schools and I plan to attend Law School once I have a degree or two. I am worried that I will go with an online school and have the admissions dept. of a Law School laugh at my application. Has anyone gone on from AMU to a Law School?

"Five Stars Don't",

It is worth to get an MBA online but from a brick-n-mortar school that is approved by AACSB. There are plenty of brick-n-mortar schools have MBA programs online. It is worth it and the reality is that traditional class meetings are being a blast of the past. It's too outdated.

Don't get a MBA from AMU. Go to a traditional brick and mortar for that sort of thing. Online study is okay in certain fields. Getting a MBA online is not good.

Im interested in getting a MBA at AMU starting in January. Im currently finishing up my bachelors at Kent State in Kent Ohio. My question is will employers turn their nose up at me for having a MBA from an online school? I just want to know what people's experiences were like applying for a job with an online degree. Ive been working part time for years and its time for a full time job because money is getting tight and I see online as the only way for me. Thanks!

Why would someone get two Master degrees from AMU? One worthless degree is bad enough.

I have to say, that although I have two Masters degrees from AMU (4.0 in both), it is NOT respected in the civilian world. I am in the military, so it really doesn't matter, but I have spoken to friends both in the academic community and the recruiting community, and outside of contractor gigs, the prospects are slim. Also, trying to get into  Phd program is proving tough as well. Just some heads up for you guys.

duck,
Actually, this school is very attentive toward new students; it's just that once you're in the system you'll be treated like any other cash cow...expect to be milked as long as you're flowing. Good luck!

Recently was accepted at AMU, waiting over 30 days and the transfer credit department has not even registered my documentation, let alone obtain my transcripts. But they did cash my check. Reading between the lines, admissions seems to know this is a problem. not sue why they aren't more attentive to new students.

I don't understand the complaints regarding AMU.  Everybody has to realize that it's a for profit organization but it does have regional and national accreditation.  Saying that, it means your degree will be accepted anywhere for employment or future programs.  

I have been a student at AMU for over a year now and the quality of students vary.  It is what you make of it.  Some students fly by doing the bare minimum.  Students can do the same at any other school as well.  The students that take the time and effort to understand what is being taught will benefit greatly.  

I am completing my Legal Studies degree program and most of my teachers are lawyers with JDs.  Sure there are times when teachers are all over the place but again, it's about the student and the time and energy they put forth.  

Considering AMU as school of choice, it is a good one, especially for military.  It never exceeds TA for the semester hour ($50 extra for graduate programs) and it allows personal development in any situation.  This has been different from other online schools I have attended.  I had to use my GI Bill to pay for classes becuase of the additional semester hour costs.  AMU isn't greedy and I admire that.  Of course and once again they are a for profit organization so money is an interest but I haven't seen an interference in the integrity of the programs offered.

Question: Has anyone successfully transfered AMU credits to another university? Was it online or B&M?

Hey Im a new grad student at AMU, thinking about the public health masters. Are there any PH grad students who are almost finished with their degree? I know there is a practicum, but does this major involve writing a thesis? I have been seeing alot of reviews about AMU/APUS, but the majority of them are good. I have had no problems with them so far. As far as the financial aid dept goes, as long as you are knowledgable of what you want to get done, and dont expect them to hold your hand, like HS or undergrad-then you should get the attention you need from them. The professors seem very seasoned and I am very excited about Sept. I have gone to both B&M schools for HS and undergrad and I feel that AMU/APUS fits my needs for distance learning while trying to balance a career.

Malia,

Environmental Studies vs Environmental Engineering - it is kind of like the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist.  If you have a degree in Environmental Engineering, it means you took the mandatory courses required for an engineering degree such as lots math and sciences (calculus, chemistry, physics..etc).  Environmental Studies probably cover much of the same environmental core courses without alot of the science and math.  It usually depends the person's background and work experience but an engineering degree can open many more doors than a "studies" degree.  Just like psychiatrist are pretty much psychologist in most respects but not vice versa as the latter is not a medical doctor.  People with a "Environmental Studies" degree can work as a technician and in management but it is the engineers who normally put the rubber stamp on things like designs, analysis studies...etc.   There are exceptions of course depending on the person's knowledge level and experience. I am not positive but it is probably a little hard (if at all) to get a credible engineering degree online.  If you can find a program and complete it, you are a very smart person indeed. Hope that helps.

I'm looking into the Environmental Studies degree at APU. Has anyone taken this? Furthermore, how does the Environmental Studies degree vary from a Environmental Engineering degree in?

Jacob,
If I remember correctly, you can transfer up to 90 credits for a bachelor's degree. However, the same 90 credits would have to satisfy the requirements of whatever program you choose.

Hello, I'm looking for a little information.  Does anyone know how many credits I actually have to complete at AMU to get a degree?  I know that most schools require somewhere between 25% and 50% of their credits to be completed at their institution and 75% to 50% can be transfer credits.  Is this true for AMU as well? Thanks!

Somehow all the negative responses on this board seems to be filled 95% of recycled bias responses against online collages, 95% of people who cannot muster any motivation to take any initiative and solve their own problems expecting everything to be done for them, including learning, and 95% of the negative responses are people who were probably swindled by other online colleges and did not bother to do any research on this school, bouncing from forum to forum, mad at the world, because they themselves failed to do any research before they jumped into a program. 

The bottom line is it does not matter what school you choose, you should do your research. These forums are great to get a feel for a how a college is viewed, but be thorough in your research. Compared to other colleges on this site, AMU is on of the highest rated overall and it one of the few colleges on this site that has over 100 reviews. As far as online college vs. traditional colleges, the gap is closing and online colleges are no longer shunned, like it was in past. Online colleges are great for people who do have the luxury of time. These are my 2 yen (with the exchange rates, yens are worth more).

Somehow this board seems to be filled with 95% recruiters with the  scripted responses. Same goes for the college people posing as "Alumni" and the 5% misguided people getting swindled for an online degree which is inferior to a college degree obtained from a proper university. Want to get a descent job? get military experience..then join government. My 2 cents

Jay,
Perhaps you should contact an advisor at Penn State. That way, the information you need will have more credibility and serve you directly. However, because you're not a registered student there, I would give them a call - first, since it might take forever to get an answer by email.

I am currently enrolled in AMU pursuing my BA in Transportation and Logistics Management. I want to transfer credit to Penn State University to obtain a Master's degree in Supply Chain and Information Systems. The overall curriculum that AMU provides has been excellent but does the BA in Transportation and Logistics Management co-inside with the Master's degree from PSU. In other words does AMU have a specified Articulation Agreement with PSU since they are both Regionally Accredited institutions?

I have attended several schools from tech to University. I was super cautious about AMU but when co-workers in Iraq spoke highly of it I finally registered for classes. I was not dissappointed. For the first time I was truly able to max out my potenial. Instead of spending endless hours in a classroom listening to people ask questions about reading they didn't do, I was able to work at my own (fast) pace and not waste any time. The teachers were as interested in their courses as I was (and sometimes, as in the case of math, more). I was able to get the final two years of my degree finished in just over 12 months and the school was very supportive. In my professional life (Intelligence) this school is highly appreciated and one of the better intelligence programs available to soldiers, defense contractors and deployed individuals!!

Hi, I am thinking about enrolling online for the BA in Transportation and Logistics Management as I couldn't finish my degree in the UK some years ago. I am now in Spain. I know this is an online BA, do any of you know if companies frown upon online studies and consider them to be "not as good" as a "real-life" students at a Uni physically?
Thanks!

Hello

I'm looking into American Public University. Plan on doing the English program...was curious if there's a way to do  teaching through their program? Is there a way through their school to get an intern/externship at the end of my class? Sorry if that doesn't make sense I'm trying to type fast (using friends computer)

Brian,
Looking at the Bachelor's program in Emergency and Disaster Management it states that AMU is "...recognized through the Foundation of Higher Education in Emergency Management and Homeland Security." It also says that AMU is the first online university to achieve this distinction. Now, looking at the program itself, I would say that it definitely qualifies you with a degree that would be valuable in working for FEMA or another agency. As to whether you need a Master's degree, that would make you more qualified to lead and give you more pay, but you could probably get hired with just a Bachelor's degree. Anyways, the important thing is to get the degree first and then apply to FEMA.

I had a question I was hoping could be answered here; I am looking for a program in emergency and disaster relief that will help me land a job for FEMA or a similar agency. Does the AMU emergency management and disaster relief bachelors program satisfy this? I am currently a firefighter paramedic with no military experience.  Is this a good place to start? And will I be required to get my masters? Thanks...

Mike,
"...as I am writing this Im sitting in my underwear eating cereal on a Sunday morning."

Let me guess...Fruit Loops?

I am currently enrolled in the International Relations program at AMU. Fist let me state I am not really a fan of online classes if my situation permitted I would most likely go to a traditional school, having said that AMU is second to none. I have attended traditional colleges and  there is not much difference. In fact the only reason I would prefer traditional over online is because of all the women got a chance to meet on campus. as far as all these people asking can I do this and that with a degree from AMU the answer is yes. it is true most online colleges get a bad wrap however it is also true AMU has a great reputation in the DC MD VA area amongst all the government agencies(even the ones we are not supposed to talk about) and all traditional colleges are offering online programs. for the people asking can I attend OCS with this degree it does not come down to some recruiter's discretion it comes down to accreditation which AMU has. simply put if the military pays for it than yes it is accredited so they can check a box stating you have the degree and you qualify for OCS. Online colleges are expensive and if you are not with the military or any other any other company that provides tuition assistance or rich than you have no business in an online college. besides lets say if an employer not in favor of online degrees looked at your resume and seen your credentials earned from an online school but you have several years of work experience he would most likely looked pass his biases. long story short my time (15) classes at AMU has been awesome. the work load is fair and designed for you to actually learn a subject, as opposed to online courses from a traditional college where some of the teachers think just because you dont have to take the time to physically be in class you have all the time in the world, so your just worried about meeting deadlines and passing the course with a C grade and not  critically analyzing the material. as I stated earlier Im currently in the BA International Relations program put me up against any undergrad student in the same program at another school I will crush him. my teachers have real world experience in fact my current teacher  is an ex soldier and has been on television overseas 50 times as an analyst but does not do FOX news as principle HE IS NOT A FAT ARMCHAIR ACADEMIC. 

PS 
for anyone that can point out grammatical errors in my post and say "oh see the level of education at AMU" keep in mind genius this is a BLOG and as I am writing this Im sitting in my underwear eating cereal on a Sunday morning.

Yeah,
If you are talking about Norwich's online-cohort program you might want to rethink that choice. If you have a problem with the quality of AMU boy are you in for a surprise. Good luck with that!

Fu-k this, I am transferring to Norwich.

That Guy,

No one is complaining, Why don't you mind your business and not get yourself involved in other people's questions like mine.

Why keep arguing about this school? Nothing but cry and complain and then some.

ET1 Odom,
Okay, good to hear. However, it's definitely, not definately. Hope this helps!

Do we have here alumni who made the transition to brick and mortar schools for their graduate studies or law schools? Could you also mention which schools did you ended up attending after AMU.

If we do have them wondering around on this website, tell me how did your transaction went from online to sit-down and listen to the professor?

Oh yes, this definately helps. Thank you for pointing out such a simple mistake. I know how to spell college, I simply type faster than i can think sometimes.

ET1 Odom,
I noticed in both your comments you had misspelled the word - college. So, in effort to push back the frontiers of ignorance, it's college, not collage.

Hope this satisfies your educational needs.

To anonymous-how was the example bad business practice? Was it the fact that when they realized the problem, and solved the issue right a way? Was it the fact that I was not able to reach the right person, because of a long weekend and I am stationed overseas? Or was it their display of effort? I am not too sure what you are mentioning. AMU does not hold your hand, as my example states. I believe as a collage student, you should not expect to have your hand held. In my example I noticed the possible error, I reported the possible error, and they fixed it. In what part of my example did they hold my hand? Errors occur, computer systems are not perfect. If they were we wouldn’t need computer technicians. The fact that my issue was resolved in a decent amount of time, all things considered, will keep me going back to AMU for my educational needs and continue to recommend AMU to my fellow military personnel.

ET1 Odom,
I had a similiar experience at AMU, where my financial aid got messed up. I was supposed to be classified as a 3/4 time student and there was a mix up, where I received only the money for a 1/2 time student. I called AMU and it took a week to resolve, but in the end I was classified correctly and they even overnight mailed me the difference in money that I was supposed to get. How many schools, once they realized they made a financial mistake, would send a check overnight to me to make up the difference? All I can say is that AMU is awesome and I agree that AMU is one of the best.

ET1 Odom,
Sorry...but APUS is a "For-Profit" institution; they're in the business of HOLDING HANDS, administratively speaking. In doing so only makes good business sense. As a self-employed contractor, I wouldn't have a company very long if I conducted my business in the example you gave our readers. Clients will go elsewhere. Period.

Commenting on a recent experience with AMU...an error in their system caused one of my dropped classes to be improperly processed in their computer system which resulted in a balance on my account. I was informed that my account was placed on financial hold, and could keep me from getting my diploma on time. It took me a few attempts, mainly due to the long weekend we just had, but I was able to reach the correct person. The error was discovered and my account was cleared the same day I contacted the right person. This displays the effort the AMU staff puts into making sure students are taken care of. It also displays a student has to take the initiative to solve problems, and cannot expect all problems to fix itself. I know that the error may not have been discovered if I did not call, and initiate the investigation.
AMU is a great school. You get a relevant education and great at tentative staff. AMU may not be a B&M school, but compared to all other online collages, AMU is definitely one of the best

I have gone to several online school and I believe that AMU has been my favorite. All but one of the instructors there have been very personal and very into the class. I did read some reviews on here that their instructors were almost absent. I only felt that way in one of the many classes I had taken there. Overall the sylabus and coverage of the classes have been great.

Apologies- the show is called College, Inc. not College 101

I saw something the other night on PBS- go to pbs.org and look for a Frontline program called College 101- interesting stuff. Not enough detail on online learning or the hard work it takes, but still interesting- they go into UOP alot...posting this info over on the UOP area, as well

I can tell you that Troy, which used to be called Troy State, I believe had kind of a bad rep in the army back in circa 1988-1990. It was known to be fairly easy. But, back then you only had a choice between Troy and the Univ of Maryland. They actually had instructors from these colleges at bases in Germany, combined with correspondence courses.

I firmly believe AMU's biggest battle is getting its name out to the civilian world. When they get to the point where an admissions committee from USC knows who they are, they've truly won. Sure, it can fix some academic issues, but once again, the place hasn't been around that long.

Looks like I'm back to square one. Or Virginia Tech.

Hello Hector,
I am in the Military History graduate program, but I have completed AMU IR graduate courses for electives. I considered Troy before I went with AMU and talked to several students in the IR program there, and they were less than impressed. So was I, when one of the students was gracious enough to e-mail a copy of her syllabi. They were asking me about AMU! LOL. If Troy has a better reputation than AMU solely because it has a long history as a B&M, that is very unfortunate. And I realize that alot of high-ranking military personnel do have degrees from Troy.

Here at AMU, graduate students can realistically expect to read a book or two each week (or at the very least, several long chapters of a book or two), read at least two to three journal articles that are around 30 pages each, and write a discussion board posting that is really more like a mini research paper. This is the min. if you want to submit high-quality A work, and depending on your research and writing skills, this may not even be enough for an A.

Really, Are you in the I.R. program at AMU, Jessica H.? SO much for Troy being a "challenging" brick and mortar school.

The syllabi for Troy's graduate International Relations courses look similar to the syllabi of extremely easy undergrad courses. At least AMU professors require you to read several books in addition to articles and government documents on a weekly basis. I don't see much to brag about with Troy.

Thanks for the info Scott. I do remember in the late 80's when I was on active duty, people were able to take Troy classes from the education office. They've been around a while.

Hector - Not sure where I want to go for my PhD, or even if I want to go that far. I'd be content to teach at junior/community college level, so getting a respectable Masters is important to me.

If I do pursue the PhD, I'll probably go somewhere local. I'm just outside of Philly and have plenty of schools around me for PhD programs. It's just a matter of finding one with the program I want. Would have to put Rutgers at the top of my list right now.

Scott,

 Where do you want to go for your PhD?

One other quick note. Troy has also been named by Forbes as one of America's Best Colleges and was selected by The Princeton Review as the Best Southeastern College in 2009.

Again, I'm not bashing AMU. I received my bachelors from there and, for the most part, was pleased with my courses and the amount of work I had to do for my classes. I had previously attended a major B&M and found several of my AMU courses to be just as demanding and research intensive. I've just decided that for my Masters I want a more recognizable program in case I want to pursue a PhD.

Ray - If you go to the main admissions page for Troy, you'll see they're accredited by a whole bunch of acronyms. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the big one, but also CACREP, NCATE, NASM, NLNAC, CSWE, ACBSP, CAATE, CORE, and NASPAA. Troy is also a B&M school with Division I sports teams (they've even put players in the NFL!). They are military friendly and have been offering advanced degree programs for attendees of the Air Force's Air University for years. If you look at many general officer and some older colonel biographies for the Air Force, Troy is very common among them. That was how I found out about them in the first place.

Quick note, Troy does require minimum GPAs and GREs to get into their Masters program, but if you fall below the minimums, they have a conditional status you can enter into.

I have looked at SHSU, they're very limited on enrollment for its program. I much rather go to a on-campus university. I just won't pursue at a CSU or maybe UC.

I looked into the Cal State DH HUX program, but I think a MA Humanities is about worthless if you want to teach history. If you want to go for the traditional school, check out Sam Houston State. And, they do post where and what their alumni are doing.

Hey Ray, 

I wish they offered more online History programs at the Cal States. I do want to pursue a graduate degree at a traditional university. I want to make sure i don't get looked down upon for having an online degree from unknown university outside of the public sector. 

UCLA is hurting too big time, its good that you didn't pursue your degree with them. USC is way too expensive that i agree.

Hey Hector, I'm in California too. I wish just one of the Cal State schools had an online MA History program. UCLA only wants full time people and USC is about the price of a large luxury yacht 200 times over. For me, it was Sam Houston State or AMU. I chose AMU because the installment plan was better and you can get into classes every month.

Hey Scott is Troy regionally accredited? I was on their website a few days ago and couldn't find anything about their regional accreditation. Might want to confirm that.

Completed my Bachelors in International Relations from AMU. Have considered completing my Masters from there, as well, but have decided that my Masters is too important to risk it not being recognized by the world outside of the DC Beltway. So instead of studying IR from AMU, I'll be doing the online IR program from Troy instead. Same program, little difference in cost, but much more recognizable. However, because of the course offerings, I do plan to come back to AMU for the National Security Studies program at some point.

ET1 Odom,

I apologize is i sounded too naive and cold based on the last two replies, it's just been frustrating to get feedback on where alumni gone to pursue their PhDs. Don't get me wrong i really like the curriculum the school has to offer, but i only wish they could know where have potential law school students, potential doctoral students gone on to get accepted. 

I Don't blame you and others pro-AMU alumni supporting and voicing their experience studying at AMU. The school is better than majority of online institutions. 

Once again, I do apologize for rude comments. It's not fair for anti-online universities people to get on here and try to bring down graduates and current students for choosing an semi-new, unorthodox education instead of a traditional way. 

I'm looking at going here because of the drama the California State Universities are dealing with and need a back-door option that will enchant my studies and not provoke me from losing lecture time because of "cutbacks", furlough days, and reduced enrollment. 

I want to make sure i get a damn good education with a goal to pursue graduate school at traditional university and law school since attending state university sucks right now.

I think the fact that an AMU student got into a decent B&M PHD program speaks volumes. If anyone else on here as heard or read about AMU students being accepted into PHD programs please post.

Hector, 

The comment was not direct at you, but since you took offense to...

The comment was direct at everyone else, who has complained over the years that I have been reading this post, and the same complaints are posted over and over again. It just so happened that I had some free time to reply. I apologize if I offended you.

Getting back to your questions, every school has room for improvement. I believe the limited cases maybe due to the fact that most people, after their masters degree pursues job opportunities that become open to them because they completed their degrees. Not everyone is going to want to pursue a doctorate after their masters. Most people find a good job and work instead. I would like to get a doctorate at some point, but now that I have completed my masters, I am more interested in getting employed. There is also the fact that not all people will report back to the school. I am an alumnus of another school, but I do not report back everything I do to that school. Some people do not have the time. Are all these cases the fault of the school? Is the school to blame because they do not keep track of what EVERY SINGLE GRADUATE is doing? Would it not make more sense to spend resource supporting current and prospective student then keeping tabs on everyone who graduated? Some schools cannot support very large staffs.

ET1 Odom,

 Why don't you mind your own business about promoting the school and leave the reply comments to people who could help solve my question, and anyone else. Capisce!

Hey ET1 Odom,

 No one is complaining about the school's curriculum, we're only wondering why hasn't APUS improve its student services and posted where its alumni has gone to pursue its advanced studies.

Bottom line, if you want to go to a traditional school, sit through classes, being taught what to think and how to think, then by all means go to a B&M school. If you are self motivated, want to do things on your own terms, not have everything done for you, come up with your own ideas, and actually learn how to think for yourself then online schooling is exactly the environment you need. AMU is a great online school. 

    If you have any reservations then, go some where else. If you are skeptical, despite all the positive feed back this school gets from this website as compared to other schools on this site, then go somewhere else. “The school hired people to write the positive feedbacks!” then, how come more schools do not do the same thing? “The others school don’t have to!” Quite you complaining and go somewhere else then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
“This school is not as prestigious as other schools!” A degree will not get you a job (except maybe Harvard or Stanford). A degree demonstrates you can complete something, you are motivated, and you can learn, nothing more. If you still have reservations about this school, than as a wise man once said “Quite you complaining and go somewhere else then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

    For all the people who have had bad experiences with this school, ask yourself this question: Was there something more you could have done FOR YOURSELF? I have just graduated from this school with a MA in intelligence studies, and in two years have had very few issues. The issues I did have, were easily resolved, because I actually took the initiative after I reported a problem and followed up, instead waiting for someone else to solve my problem. I am an adult. As such, I should not expect to have things done for me. So I guess the real question is: Are you an adult, or are you just still a student?

Hector, I'm not currently planning on pursuing a PHD. Although, I might get a MA in Mil History as well. Not sure. Here's some info I found from AMU's June 2009 online newsletter. You can also find it in the archives section. SIU calls their History department the Historical Studies Dept. So, here's one guy who made it into a B&M PHD program. I think if they posted this stuff, it would be great. Instead, you have to root it out. 

Make Way Southern Illinois University Carbondale!
American Military University (AMU) is proud to announce that graduate Nathaniel Davis has been accepted into the Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s PhD program in Historical Studies. In addition to being accepted to SIUC’s PhD program, Nathaniel has been awarded “The Delyte and Dorothy Morris Doctorial Fellowship.”  Read More

Maybe, they might even begin a law school like Concord. But, i'am disappointed with them not giving you information about all of its students accepted to law school and PhDs. 

Do you plan on pursuing your PhD anytime soon, Ray?

Yep, I agree Hector. They need to post some information concerning students who were accepted into PHD and Masters programs. I do like my AMU experience though. My biggest problem is the GI Bill. I didn't pay into it when I was a 2LT in 1988 and now I'm paying the price, literally, every month with my credit card.

I think AMU is on the precipice of being a really well-known good school. They just have a few bugs to work out of the system. Folks, most of these B& M schools have been around a long time. AMU has been around since, what 1993? Not even twenty years. 

Just think how cool AMU will be in 2030. I have confidence they'll fix any issues that bother people now.

And, for those desperately waiting for an online PHD program in History or Poli Sci, etc, give the online world about five more years. The programs will appear at AMU and B&M schools.

The future is online education. Just think how much more productive all of us could have been in grade school or high school with online school. Check out Khan Academy on You Tube. Khan, AMU and other online programs are the future.

Ray & Jessica H.,

 Thank you too for your replies to my questions. And Jessica, Thank you pointing it out too. I get the same dilemma from the Alumni Relations about where have students gone on to purse their graduate schools outside of APU/AMU. Its balderdash that they can't find a straight-up answer and facts about alumni. It irritates how they will accept you, but yet they won't tell where students going after wards, far as career and pursuing graduate studies. 

I'm fed up with the whole PhD granting (no offense Ray) at AMU, they need focus a lot more on enhancing its courses for its students, for example, Foreign Language (for those in History, Philosophy & Religion, and International Relations fields). They need to offer more courses that get into further detail about the topics.

They should have 1-2 employees who advise and help students on getting an internship on the field they want to work in ( this is essential for the International Relations and Business, and Computer Information Technology fields). 

They should also offer Fellowships, grants to its Graduate students to help ease the financial burden of paying the school with loans (This pertains mainly to civilian students). Also, Offer more merit scholarships, or just scholarship programs that rewards outstanding students for their dedication into the field of academia. 

Finally, they need to offer more programs to study, for example, i contacted a Mr. Garry Berry about possibly adding Economics into the undergraduate program. He said he would need to have a director look at it. Economics is a field that is in demanding because of the financial meltdown.

I had to let all of this out. It would very nice and motivating if they improve these things.

Great school. Works around my schedule. Dont enroll in this school if you are not able to work independently and need someone to hold your hand at every turn. I agree with the previous reviews before me that you get what you put in. Did I mention free books for undergrad students and no admissions fee?

Hector, I've only contacted some community colleges here in Southern California about teaching there. They don't have any problem accepting an AMU degree. I haven't talked to anyone concerning being accepted to a Ph'D program with an AMU degree. As far as Jessica's comments, I do wish AMU would publish a list of their history students who have gotten into MA and PHD programs. Although, I can tell you that one of their newsletters from about four months ago mentioned an AMU grad who was starting his PHD at Southern Illinois University. I can only speak for my own experience with AMU, which I have enjoyed. First of all, I went to Southern Methodist Univ in Dallas, which is a pretty good school. AMU's MA History classes are harder than any graduate level history classes I had at SMU during my senior year. There is simply just a lot more writing. As for me, I love the online format. I don't need to sit in class. With modern technology the world is now your classroom. I do agree with Jessica, that an AMU grad, probably has to have a pretty good resume to get into a PHD program, but that PHD grad will have to be pretty good to survive in the post PHD world anyway. I hope AMU gets an online PHD Mil History and History program. I think it would work. With Skype and email and everything else, it probably can be done. In conclusion, AMU's biggest battle is to convince the non-military,non- government world of who they are and what an AMU grad has to offer.

*They have a name brand degree.

Another thing. It would really help if AMU could at least compile a list of students who have been accepted into graduate school or PHD programs. Every Proud History department has a list of universities that have accepted their students in graduate or professional school programs. It just makes sense. The fact that the advisors are clueless or try to change the subject whenever I ask really irks me. Ray and Hector, thank you for asking this important question and you should be applauded for taking your education seriously. There may be individuals who will try to personally attack you for asking this question, but keep at it. It's your money and your time, find out as much information as possible before making a decision. I see too many individuals on the AMU student forums and on this website, attacking students who dare to ask question or point out the flaws of AMU. I am convinced that some of these people are plants.

Ray and Hector,
Ask the graduate schools that you are interested in about the acceptance of AMU's degree programs. I have contacted PHD programs (since I couldn't contact any AMU graduates who have went on to pursue PHDs through my advisor (weird)), and the graduate admission officers have told me that I need to gain competency in at least two critical foreign languages related to my field of study, and I need to get really good scores on the GRE and letters of recommendation. It wouldn't hurt if I was published and presented a paper at a conference and found some way to participate in research. AMU's degree programs are okay, but they lack alot of things that you will have to work hard to make up for on your own (in time, resources and money). Graduate school admission officers realize that, so you can't just get into a PHD or graduate program with just a AMU degree by itself. You really need to stand out and show that you did more than log in. I know there are some AMU graduates who want a PHD and are trying to get out of taking the GRE because they already have a Master's degree. That's not going to happen. The rather lax admission standards of AMU graduate programs and its less than stellar reputation as an "online university" requires you to take the GRE.

After talking to a professor and gathering more information on completing a PHD, I decided against it. It doesn't make sense for me to waste years of my life working on a PHD when the job market is already over saturated with history PHDs. If you can't find a job after three years of getting the PHD, your chances drop dramatically. There is a significant number of people who have been out of school for 12 years, and have had to work in retail because they couldn't find a job as professor. And they have a brand name degree.

When I think of AMU possibly offering a PHD in Military History, I sort of laugh because there is no possible way that a person with a PHD in Military History online will be taken seriously in academia. Traveling to historical archives to work your dissertation, the oral part of qualifying exams, putting together a dissertation committee... there's no way that someone could do all of this through an online program. This sort of thing requires physical interaction that only a B&M could provide. Would AMU devote alot of time and resources into a PHD program to really do it right? I don't think so.

Hey Ray,

Have you looked at applying certain schools? if so, what have they told you about accepting a degree from AMU?

Does anyone have any new information about AMU grads being accepted into PhD programs at B&M schools? I'm currently halfway through AMU's MA History program and think it's pretty darn good.

Everyone be aware that Jerrod's real name is Jim Holcomb. I worked with him for a year and he was a nightmare until he got fired. His opinions of AMU are only a mere reflection of his disatisfaction with life in general.

I'd like to know if alumni undergraduate students have gone on to pursue graduate degree at traditional on-campus universities? I'am still concerned with the legitimacy of having an undergraduate from an unheard of in the civilian world, online university would my chances of getting admitted to traditional on-campus school? By the way, i'm looking at their BA in history. 

I need responses from alumni, or soon-to-be graduates from the online institution.

Jessica: I must have misunderstood the verbiage about the grades.

Sara,
I agree with Joey, what are you worried about. My bachelor's is from Central Pennsylvania College, 100 percent online and it has served me quite well.

Joey, I was never able to look at the grades of other students and never said that I did. I was saying that I do not wish to look at the grades of other students if this option was available to me as that would be invasion of privacy, but I would like to know how I compare with my classmates academically. I see individuals turning in very sub-standard work and not following the directions as outlined in the syllabus. I assume that they are still in the class because they are happy with their grades thus far.

I am being challenged, I will say that. The work is definitely getting harder and harder. I suppose I am making good grades because I am a perfectionist and I follow all of the directions, and I take my education seriously. I made 100% on undergraduate papers and quite a few A+ on my transcripts, so I guess I could just be that awesome. Although, I do feel sort of better when I get that occasional 90 or 91%. It makes me feel that the instructor is critically examining my work.

Hi Folks - If you are interested in chatting with actual AMU students and alumni to hear their experiences first hand, try AMU's Facebook group... just search for "American Military University" and you'll find 'em... several thousand members.

Sara- what are you worried about, exactly? My bachelor's is from Indiana Wesleyan University- 100% online. IWU bashers need not reply.

I am currently an APU student I have earned my associated from a community college in a health field and would like to continue to get my BS in public health.  I have read some of the comments and now a little worried.  I would at some point like to apply and get into a master program.  Any thoughts of the how difficult it may prove to be with a BS from an online school.

It seems to me that the only negative comments I see on here are those by people who cannot handle graduate study, let alone online graduate study. No school is perfect, but if you are not ready to do your own hard work or study enough, then online learning is not for you. Does it really matter what the school is like if the degree you achieve is regarded as equal to other types? I will be getting a Master's degree in Military History from AMU and I have no problems or complaints because I work hard to succeed. I do not come on this site to complain about my shortcomings and then blame AMU for why I fail as a student. If you do not want to work for your degree, then do not become a student. As for AMU, it is a great school that challenges me and I will be very happy when I graduate.

To Jennifer: your post from April 13, 2010 at 6:11 p.m- "where is the instruction?" - I've done around 80% of my B.S. in Management online and am now in AMU's MA in Emergency Management- guess what- we teach ourselves. I don't feel there is any instruction at all in online schooling. We get assignments and then we are evaluated for what we turn in. That is the self discipline, self management, organization and rigorous work load involved in online schooling. I'm taking two classes and this isn't a walk in the park for me. There's alot of material to be absorbed in a short amount of time and then write papers, create presentations, what have you. On April 14th you asked about how can a school not want entrance exams- for Pete's sake, we've already gotten a bachelors and been through enough tests- let us move forward instead of yet another test to determine our worthiness of further education.
Jessica: How are you able to see anyone else's grades? 
And to all of you who are fortunate enough to have your employer/military pay for your school- count your blessings; some of us actually have to foot our own education. $11 K or 30 K on top of what it cost for the B.S. degree (20K) 
With all of that said, I'm working hard for my knowledge- yes, I can get the same books and read on my own, but the days of knowing something and not having the degree and moving up the ladder are gone. Most of us need that piece of paper.
As a comment on the books-some of them are a little dated, some are very current. That does bother me, that they are not more updated.

C'mon people... You know, there should be some sort of screening service that verifies these comments. Not only is AMU top-rated, as is APU; but APUS is used as a role model for other schools. Do your research. According to the Dept. of Education's own website, AMU has an 89% retention rate from year-to-year. A bad school doesn't achieve that. As far as your credits for transferring is concerned, whatever you are trying to transfer has to be relevant to what you are enrolling in elsewhere; it is that way between all colleges. AMU is Regionally & Nationally accredited. The negative comments posted here are from those that merely wanted to take a few tests and get a degree. They are also the types of comments you see posted from individuals that always start out with an excuse, i.e. 'because of a personal problem' or 'there was a death' or blah, blah, blah... suck it up people and keep your end of the deal. You want easy or free? Then no, AMU/APUS is not for you. You want real world education with real world applicability? Then AMU/APUS is for you. 
mmbsrUSA - Counter-Terrorism Studies

I am currently enrolled at AMU for my Masters degree on Emergency and Disaster Management and plans to enroll National Security Administration after and i know i made the right choice when i choose AMU. I am an international student anyway based in the United Arab Emirtes.

I would like to give my opinion about AMU. I am a grad student about half way through a Masters in Military History/Civil War. I am retiring in a couple of years and decided I would like to do something since I will be relatively young. I chose AMU becuase they offered the degree  I wanted, I am ex-military, and I know several people who have graduated from AMU. Is this school perfect, no, are some of the professors not up to standards yes, however there are some very good professors and I have found some of the courses to be very solid. I inquired with  the community college I graduated from and two other colleges in this area and they all stated that they would certainly hire me to teach various types of history courses. I am only talking part time however I have found that not everyone looks down on AMU. In the military historian community AMU is held in high standards. If you are just looking for employment, go to PSU, Central Pennsylvania College or your local college or university and get a degree in criminal justice like I did. AMU is not a total watse as some believe, however have a good plan and know what you want to do, and maybe not criticize others for thier choices.

I've attended many online colleges through the years from UOP, CTU, South University, to local community universities, AMU classes are quite more challenging. 

Many people who have left bad reviews about AMU are just were not discipline enough to do the work. The price is best out of the online colleges for the quality of work you’re receiving for 8 weeks. When I attended UOP I never read any of the books, but with AMU you must study the material. This college is not easy; you have to do your homework to get a good grade. 

Like any other colleges, you have good teachers and bad teachers, don’t judge this college by just a few bad apples. I’m very pleased with the education I’m receiving from this institution. No complaints. Your credits are transferrable to any other colleges please don’t believe the hype.

Has anyone majored in  the Child and Family Development program? Would like to know what you thought of the classes.

Jennifer,
"...you transferred to a less credible online university because their history program is better than an established public university that is known for being research intensive? That doesn’t add up to me." 

Yes. According to the Dept. of Education, both degrees are one and the same. And that adds up to me. 

"You are choosing to pay double for a degree with the fraction of the recognition of UCF?"

Yes. I choose to pay nearly double for the convenience of taking online classes at a school with a better program. Of course, the word "better" is subjective.  

"I am familiar with UCF’s history program; they have a pretty good program."

Yes, it's not bad. But it doesn't fit my needs.

"As a history minor, I think they have an excellent selection of classes and many of the professors have previously taught at Penn State and other highly ranked schools. How can they be inferior to APU?"

They're not inferior. But the same can be said about some of the History professors at AMU/APU.

"11,000 dollars for a masters degree is bound to look attractive when compared to other degrees that cost $30,000-50,000."

Perhaps the latter comes with a lot of fluff. For me, even $11,000 is too much.  

"The schools mission policy is nice and all, but that still doesn’t make up for the lack of quality and instruction in their courses."

The truth is, this school wasn't created for the likes of you and me. AMUs expansion is due to its success. So it must be doing something right.

"However schools like UCF have policies that ensure that professors are doing their job correctly. They are held accountable and are constantly evaluated to ensure this."

Yes, and APUS also complies to the same standards to meet accreditation. That's why there are surveys and evaluations after completing each course. In fact, I had to take a survey today which applies toward its accreditation.
 
"I have been researching APU since October because I was very interested in their program, however in my research I came across the same complaints over and over again, on this site and many others. Students talked about ineffective feedback, uninvolved professors, and material that is not challenging. The amount of complaints for such a small school is an indication of a pattern."

This site is for ranting and raving. And because I'm probably twice your age, I would argue that "online research" should be taken with a grain of salt. My advice is, as a teacher and a student, don't trust everything you read on the internet.     

"There are also several faculty members who are graduates of the University of Phoenix. No reputable university would hire an instructor from such an infamous institution."

I'm not sure, but I have a friend who teaches General Psychology there and she's very good.

AMU students have been published in professional academic journals. They have also been admitted into PHD programs in History (after successfully taking the GRE). I talked to an individual who earned his master's in military history and is currently pursuing a PHD at Duke University in military history. He assured me that it can be done and the sky is the limit. There was also a gentleman who wrote a best-selling book who had a MA in History from AMU. That's all I need to know. I plan to work my butt off, go beyond the course requirements, and make a name for myself. I won't be hiding behind the name or reputation of my degree, although I am not ashamed of my degree. I have spent entire days working on coursework and written assignments for one class! And I am not a 4.0 student right now. I have received substantial feedback from my professors, and I have become a better student because of it. And I am not one to kiss ass or say things to make nice.... if I felt I wasn't learning anything, I would transfer tomorrow. But I plan to stay here to complete my degree program. For $11,000 (not even that for me because my employer is paying for it)... if the degree can open even a fraction of the possibilities that it has offered individuals who have taken on the responsibility to take their education and destiny into their own hands, that's fine with me.
Graduating from a respectable university is great, but nothing is guaranteed in life, so why pay such a high price for a degree? A humanities degree at that. My field, military history is not offered at many universities. I cannot afford the price tag of Norwich university, and their courses do not appeal to me like those of AMU. I have checked out Sam Houston and the others, but here at AMU I am able to take electives in Propaganda, Geopolitics and Unconventional Warfare in Asia for example! I can't find another university that offers half the courses AMU offers.

Not to sound callous, but you transferred to a less credible online university because their history program is better than an established public university that is known for being research intensive? That doesn’t add up to me. You are choosing to pay double for a degree with the fraction of the recognition of UCF? I am familiar with UCF’s history program; they have a pretty good program. As a history minor, I think they have an excellent selection of classes and many of the professors have previously taught at Penn State and other highly ranked schools. How can they be inferior to APU?

Being strapped for time is not an excuse for the easy admission requirements. If you have time to devote to graduate study, then you have the time to put together an application. As for the cost of APU, it is extremely cheap for graduate study. Other graduate programs can range as low as $550 to $1,300 per credit. 11,000 dollars for a masters degree is bound to look attractive when compared to other degrees that cost $30,000-50,000. 

The schools mission policy is nice and all, but that still doesn’t make up for the lack of quality and instruction in their courses. And yes, some professors may be better than others. However schools like UCF have policies that ensure that professors are doing their job correctly. They are held accountable and are constantly evaluated to ensure this. I have been researching APU since October because I was very interested in their program, however in my research I came across the same complaints over and over again, on this site and many others. Students talked about ineffective feedback, uninvolved professors, and material that is not challenging.  The amount of complaints for such a small school is an indication of a pattern. There are also several faculty members who are graduates of the University of Phoenix. No reputable university would hire an instructor from such an infamous institution.

Jennifer,
I won't argue about the easy admission requirements at APUS, but I will argue about the school's tuition cost. Like most online universities, this school is not cheap. Before transferring from UCF, I was paying much less in tuition – perhaps half.  However, AMU has a better History program than UCF in terms of which courses they offer. Granted, some professors at this university are more demanding than others. But the comparison between good and bad professors can be made at any institution throughout the world. 

Also, I don’t think students are attracted to easy admission requirements because they’re “strapped for cash.”  I think students are attracted to easy admission requirements because they’re strapped for time, as you also pointed out.

Lastly, you might want to have a second look at the school's "mission" policy.

Well, I already stated above what my decision was, but I will get to that in a minute. Also, that quote above stated what my initial impression of APU was before I dug a little deeper. My impression drastically changed after researching the university. I don’t think students should get hooked by APU’s cheap cost and easy admission requirements just because they are strapped for cash right now. I am choosing to work full time to save money for the grad school of my choice because I know student aid and scholarships only go so far and do not usually cover costs of living. I know working adults do not have the same luxury of moving home to save money for a year, but they still deserve the same quality education regardless of where they go. APU doesn’t seem to be doing that that is what my problem with the university is.  The university can do better by obtaining the proper accreditation: such as the NASPAA for its Masters in Public Administration. I called the university to see if they were working on obtaining this accreditation, they are not. If adults really want to go back to school, there are many options available that would be more respected than APU. It is not fair for students to get deluded into thinking they are earning an actual masters degree. These degrees are only good if a person is already in their field and they need that slip of paper saying “Masters Degree” to get a promotion or go up on the pay scale. For a student who actually wants to learn something and be challenged, they will be disappointed.

Jennifer,
Yes, it's your opinion. But you also stated, "Relocation to a traditional grad school is out of the question right now because of financial issues. I really wanted to attend APU because the program seemed interesting (International Relations and Conflict Resolution) and the professors are impressive." 

So what's your decision?

In response to anonymous, I’m stating my opinion and what I know from my research on this school so other prospective students can make the right decision about their studies. There are too many reviews on here that are obviously from APU/AMU faculty and staff disseminating false information about the quality of their program. I have nothing against online learning as long as it is done correctly. Schools like GWU, Penn State, The New School, and Virginia Tech offer online masters degrees and their programs work just fine with the online format. My professor who advising me on graduate study thinks online study is fine, as long as it is a quality program. APU is simply not doing it right. Students like Jessica should not be cheated out of a quality education by a school that purports itself to be a “Graduate” school when it just churns out empty degrees that haven’t challenged the student.

Jessica,
It’s really a shame that AMU/APU chooses to be more profit driven than student driven. I bet there are students there just like you who have the intellectual capacity to flourish in a traditional graduate program, but are held back by professors who are too lazy and overworked to provide constructive criticism and insight. The school takes advantage of people who are constrained by time, money, and location to profit instead of creating something revolutionary. That is APU’s problem. As for the professor who just gives out B’s, and others who just give 100’s, it just shows that they are not serious instructors. I have no doubt that you can earn high marks in a graduate program, but those people who graduate “cum laude” are few and far between for a reason. Graduate school is supposed to be rigorous, painful, and kick your butt into becoming a master in your field. In my experience the classes that I learned the most in were the classes that were the most difficult. I have earned my share of C’s that would surely be A’s at a less competitive school and I am thankful for that. It would be so easy to make APU a more legitimate school. There needs to be more faculty oversight, students should be allowed to evaluate professors and have their opinions matter. Admissions requirements would not exclude people; it would just weed out the ones who are not fit for graduate study so they can save their time and money. Even community college has entrance examinations, how can a “University” that grants bachelors and masters degrees have none? I can understand that APU caters to military and working adults so admissions requirements would not be the same for recent college grads like me, but there are several ways APU can get around that. Simple requirements would not be excusatory to older learners and members of the military.  They would maintain the quality of the academics and integrity of the institution. Yes these admissions requirements would be bothersome if you are a busy person, but if you are serious about graduate study, it’s a sacrifice you should be willing to make. 

Jessica, I hope you are able to get into a graduate program that suits you better. I suggest you check out Penn State's World campus online, it is not the cheapest program but it is fully online and you have the comfort your degree will be respected. 
go to : worldcampus.psu.edu/TuitionTable.shtml

Jennifer and Jessica,
I agree, but all of this has been stated before; using a virtual college to earn an undegraduate degree is fine, but not for a master's for the same reasons you've provided.  

However, the strongest argument for Michael and "Current Grad Student" is, that's their prerogative. Don't let it bother you. Move on with your lives. Do what you think is right, and good luck!

Jennifer, I want to thank you for your comments. You give an honest opinion regarding AMU that is very rare to find. If AMU wants to be a respected university outside of the online world, it should take opinions like yours into consideration instead of trying to silence or argue with them. You bring about very legitimate points that just cannot be disputed. 

The fact that anyone with a bachelor's degree can attend AMU/APUS grad school is not good. It reeks of "profits over quality". It doesn't look good to employers or PHD admissions, I know because I have asked and they have asked "So anyone with a bachelor's can go there? Oh Sweetie, your too good for that". I agree, if you wish to continue your studies at the PHD level, AMU is one of the worst places you can go for a Master's. The academic advisors don't particularly know anything besides what courses you are suppose to take for your program, and they look at your grades, which is something that you can do on your own. In fact, most of them don't even have Master's degrees, so its not like they can offer you any constructive information on how to pursue doctoral studies. So you have "graduate" students being mentored or advised by B.A., B.S., B.B.A, etc. 
The very name "American Military University" has raised so many eyebrows, that I don't even tell people that I go to AMU, I lie and say that I go somewhere else. I went to cash my residual check at a local bank, and they thought I was trying to defraud them with a check from "American Public University System". The Bank teller had to call the place to confirm it actually existed (Thank God their number was on the check) and she said "You guys really call yourself that?" Embarrassing.

My grad school experience so far as been.... kind of a joke. I am not pulling straight A's right now, I have a solid B in one course, so I suppose that I can't say its too easy or maybe the professor just likes to give out B's. Seriously, how can you take so many points off for one of my discussion board replies that were like three paragraphs long but only offer one or two sentence contributions to the discussion topic yourself? Oh, I forgot, he can do that because he is the professor. Oh, okay.
The other two classes, I have solid 100%s, as if such a thing can be done in a legitimate grad school program. I know I have some smarts, but I don't know if I am worthy of a perfect score. Funny, I get the same comments every week on my work. "Excellent job, keep up the good work!" Nothing different. Different week, same comments. Its like they just copy and paste it. I have no way of knowing how I compare with my classmates (I don't want to look at their grades), but I wonder if they are getting the same grades that I am? 

All and all, I think this might be my last semester here at AMU. Something just doesn't seem right.

Michael, 
Once again you confused my point or you are not prepared to address the other points I brought up. At the graduate level, there are very few 8 week courses, even in the summer. Penn State only offers 16 week classes for graduate study unless it is a small (very small) seminar. The same is with other universities comparable to Penn State. Yes, traditional universities offer 8 week summer courses, typically in gen-eds such as public speaking, intro-level humanities, and Spanish classes at the undergraduate level. You say you took an 8 week course as an undergrad and learned the same amount of material as you would have in a 16 week course, but I am talking about the graduate level. They are different. They simply do not compare in terms of the workload and caliber of the material.  I am curious you want to debate this point despite the many others I brought up.

Jennifer,
In regards to your comments on 8 week courses and how they cannot be used for real learning and meaningful research, I would like to say that many traditional universities offer 8 week summer sessions. As an undergraduate, I took an 8 week summer session course and I found that it was fine academically. I learned the same amount of material as in a 16 week course and that was at a traditional university. Online universities offer 8 week courses for the same reason as traditional universities do, they want to make more money. It does not matter whether the school is online or traditional, they both offer 8 week courses.

Continued from above:

I am glad you are happy with your program of study; APU can be great for personal enrichment. I would not write APU off entirely because there is the potential for it to become a very good university. The university should instill some admissions requirements because not everyone has what it takes to become a graduate student. Open admission cheapens the quality of education for everyone. If Penn State lowered its admission requirements to let all students attend the main campus (the most academically competitive) academics would suffer because courses would have to be adjusted to make the material more palatable to a wider variety of intellect. 

I believe that online education will be a very useful tool to bring higher education to marginalized populations. It needs more regulation and predatory for profit institutions need to be shut down (UoP) However, just because an institution is non-traditional, it does not give it free license to throw out the traditional graduate program in favor of accelerated courses and open admissions. Nothing about graduate school is “accelerated”, you are there to master the subject, and you cannot master a subject in 8 weeks.

Yes, an online education will be different from a traditional one. But that is not the argument here; I am not questioning the delivery method of the course. I am questioning the academic rigor of APU. It’s not that all online education is bad. In APU’s case, it’s the lack of admissions requirements and the material given in the courses which are not on par with traditional graduate programs. Do they even deserve to be called graduate programs if they are not comparable to programs at other schools? For traditional universities that provide online programs, the requirements to get in are the same. The coursework given on campus and online is the same. I have taken many online courses as an undergrad and while they do have their merit, without the proper material and implementation, the student will suffer from watered down lessons and inattentive instructors. The complaint I commonly hear about APU instructors are that they are spread too thin between teaching classes at other for profit institutions to provide effective feedback and instruction. I have been very fortunate in my online experience that I had great instructors and the material was challenging. The difference here is that my instructors are tenured professors that are passionate about teaching and the material is exactly the same as the material being taught on campus.
 
I feel bad for the students who want to pursue PhD programs because they will be shocked at the difference between their experience at APU and the world of academia. The 8 week courses are particularly unsettling. How can a student gain a solid understanding of the subject and perform quality research in just 8 weeks? I am not an education snob who looks down on non-traditional universities, I just feel that it is wrong to provide a graduate program in name only. If a university wants to provide a low cost graduate program online, that is fine, as long as it is a quality program that will not cheat the students into believing they earned something they did not. A master’s degree from APU cannot rival a master’s degree from a traditional school. By traditional I mean courses that are longer than 8 weeks, admissions requirements, tenured faculty, and a strong emphasis on research methodology.  A master’s degree from a lower tier university would have a better chance for PhD candidacy than a master’s degree from APU because of these differences.

Jennifer,
You may be right in some of your assertions, but you are comparing apples to oranges. An online education will be different from one done at a traditional university. I understand that an online education will raise some eyebrows by Universities and Employers, but I am willing to take that risk because I prefer online learning. I also understand that if I go for my PHD someday, I might have to prove my worth to get in. You do raise valid points, but online learning is not the same as traditional, nor should it be. If you feel more comfortable going to a traditional university, that's fine. But some of us do appreciate online learning and are willing to give it a try, rather than to immediately reject it wholesale. I am happy being an online graduate student and it really does not bother me how people say it's bad, because I feel that it does challenge me and is rewarding. If you decide to go to a traditional school vs. an online one, I wish you luck. As for me I do not regret doing an online education and hope that others will follow my example as well.

Continued from above:

Maybe APU will get better as time goes on, but right now for recent college grads looking to get into a cheap/easy to get into grad school, you'll get what you paid for. The diploma says "Master's Degree" but is it really? I see that a lot of you say you are learning a lot, that is nice but anyone can pick up the same books without paying tuition and will learn the same amount. Where is the instruction? At the graduate level students are assigned a mentor to help guide their research, and students collaborate on research projects together. Where is that at APU? Education is a serious investment and a degree from APU might not see as much as a return as other degrees. Plenty of schools are offering online degrees. Penn State is even offering a masters degree in Homeland Security. If you have an UGPA of 3.2 or higher the GRE is not necessary. If you do not have the right GPA the program will admit you conditionally into the certificate program and provided you get a 3.0 after a semester or two, you are admitted into the masters program.  

Sorry for the long response, but I feel that in this economy students like me are taking a serious look at APU and do not fully understand that this degree will not be respected in academia or most employers. If you feel that you have to sell this APU degree to yourself to feel good about going here, then how do you think you are going to sell it to an employer? To my fellow college students in the same boat, work your butt off and live at home for the next year and master the GRE. Research programs that interest you. Do not take the easy way out and sign up at this school. I am going to do just that because want to invest in a serious degree.

I am a student at Penn State University and I am studying political science. I am graduating in May and was considering attending APU because of the affordable cost per credit and because I could live at home. Relocation to a traditional grad school is out of the question right now because of financial issues. I really wanted to attend APU because the program seemed interesting (International Relations and Conflict Resolution) and the professors are impressive. However that is just how APU seems on the surface. I did more research into similar grad programs at B&M schools, such as Penn State, George Mason, and Temple. APU does not compare. I did further research by looking at the syllabus APU has on file in the virtual library. The reading materials were the same that I had in my undergrad classes. (Hoffman's book Inside Terrorism, Huntington's Clash of Civilizations Theory and many journal articles that I had read in my undergraduate classes) From the looks of the syllabus the courses seem as equally demanding as the courses I have now, maybe even less. This may be because my undergrad program is more rigorous and research intensive than most schools, but for a graduate level class I was expecting more. I did not see much about doing quantitative research on these syllabuses, which if you are serious about getting a PhD in Political Science, that skill is a must. 
I don't want to bash APU, it seems like a great option for some people, such as active duty military (obtaining a college degree while serving in the military will impress any employer) and working adults that are already in their career (APU's reputation of lack thereof will not hurt that segment because they are most likely using the degree to move up on the government pay scale IE:GS5 to GS7). For civilians and recent college grads like me, I feel that a degree from APU will only raise eyebrows, and not in the good way. This is especially important if you have PhD aspirations. 
I am a work study in the Department of Undergraduate studies at Penn State and I was able to talk to graduate admissions officers and my professors about taking someone on as a PhD candidate who has a master’s degree from an online university with very little admissions requirements. Because I work with these people I was able to get honest answers about their professional opinions on these degrees. They said they would be reluctant because PhD candidates NEED to be able to do research, they do not want to take on a weak student because it hurts their own research.

Michael and Current Grad Student,
To teach History (Social Studies) at the Early, Middle Childhood, or Secondary level, you will need a bachelor's degree and a certificate or a required number of college credits in Education. Even if YOUR passion is to teach History, most SCHOOLS only hire those holding degrees in Social Science Education. For this reason, finding a school that will hire you to teach strictly History is extremely rare, being that most History teachers are expected to teach Psychology, Geography, Economics, etc. 

To teach History at the college level, even a Ph.D. in History will barely produce enough classes to pay the bills. Why? THIS FIELD IS TOO CROWDED, which is why there are only part-time positions available. (This includes online teaching.)           

In either case, to hold only a History degree will not suffice, since History has been merged into the Social Science curriculum. Also, it is one thing to know History, but it is another to know how to teach History, which is why most schools (Early, Middle, Secondary, and College) require you to have Education credits, not to mention three years of teaching experience. 

Bottom line: The more marketable you are the more successful you will be in becoming a teacher.

Hello Michael,
I am also in the Military History program. I love this degree program, and I would love to be able to find a teaching job after completing this degree. It is from my understanding, the Military History program is one of the more respected programs at APUS/AMU. The professors I have all earned their PHDs at B&M schools and have years of teaching experience at a variety of B&M colleges. They are also published.

Current Grad Student,
I am also learning a lot as a graduate student as well. I do find that some professors are more difficult than others, but that is the same with B&M schools. I am in the Military History program, which program are you in? I am just curious how other programs are in difficulty, like Criminal Justice or Humanities for example. Well, good luck.

Learning an awful lot here, but I wonder if I will be able to use this degree.

I've been with AMU for over a year now and it has been a good experience. You do have to be disciplined for self-study, but it is well worth it. I had one class where there was not a lot of contact with the professor. I like this school in particular because it has a degree in what I like and I am communicating with people who are working in my major right now.

I start my first class in MA in Emergency & Disaster Mngmt next month. I like the curriculum and it took me a long time to choose a school for my grad degree. I am not a newbie in online schooling, and I do not mind their email preference, but if they do not respond, it makes it hard. There have been a couple times I’ve sent emails to financial aid and registration, no response. If I send one to my advisor, I might get a response. So, that’s my biggest beef right now. I’ll post more after classes start.

You need to stop. LOL.

I thinks that AMU not good. I learnd not much there cause the Porfessors is not good. My bachlors was easy, but the Comp Exam is just question and stuff. A master degree is diffikult to study and I was expectin a real education. Man, I dont think AMU is good and I tell evryone to stay away from it.

I had great experiences with AMU for my Bachelors. Instructors were very helpful always. However during the course of my Masters program I had a lot of issues and none of them were properly addressed. The fnal comp exam they require is not a comp exam at all, but several mini formal research papers and is given in an 8 week course format(that they didnt bother to let me know about, until 2 weeks before I was suppose to graduate). The exam is just writing the questions and then seeing if the Professor thinks you wrote at a "Masters" level in their opinion. You also have to have 5 citations/references at a minimum for each 2-3 page paper. Basically they want you to rwrite other peoples data/perspective, it has nothing to do with what you learned during your degree program. Also they dont want you to take the actual exam(which you pay $250 for) if you dont do the practice questions before hand. Wehn I complained about all this and wound up receiving a fail becasue the Porfessor refused to grade my exam I was given the run around and I am still getting the runaround. I have a complete for a degree program and no diploma. They also will not give me emails and numbers to higher level school officials to brooch these issues with. Very unprofeesional group of people. I would not recommend this University to military at all. I am filing a complaint with the IG/AG and I am going to try and get some substantiated complaints so the military will put this school off limits.

I have been trying to tell people, that something is not right about this university. It needs to be investigated. They are too money hungry and they are hard to contact when you have questions regarding your own financial aid. Lauren, I hope they don't screw you over. Keep all your documentation somewhere, get this straightened out. There is absolutely no reason why you should have to pay for a loan that you specifically told them to reject. That sounds really serious. The financial aid process here works very strangely, I haven't seen anything like it, and I have attended other online colleges and a B&M in the past.

Lauren,
The financial aid office can be a nightmare. Just stay on hold until someone picks up the phone.  If the school emailed and acknowledged the rejection, then everything should be okay, given that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. 

I had a situation last year when I contracted the h1n1 virus which left me in bed for 2 weeks and in recovery for 1 week. Because I got behind in my assignments, I requested an extension.  The problem is, since I wasn't able to start the following semester on time, I was booted out of school. The financial aid office had contacted the federal government who then called my loans. I now have to pay a higher interest rate on the loans I defaulted since I fell below half-time status. It took me 5 months to get back into school. 

I would advise anyone who's reading this, don't get sick and drop below half-time status. The financial aid office will not hold your hand and the government will be demanding its money. I would imagine that rejecting a loan, once approved and dispersed, would have the same ramifications.

Does anyone know how to get the financial aid office to answer the phone? 

I am being charged for student loans that I rejected. It seems AMU didn't get the memo. Even though the school emailed and acknowledge the rejection. Please any help would be great!

I am in the final year of my BA in Emergency and Disaster Management.  Like anything else, you get out what you put in.  With any program, you can probably get by with doing the minimum if that's what you want.  AMU treats its students like adults.  That means the responsibility is on you.  I attended one class UOP.  We were required to work in groups so the slackers got the same "A" that the hard chargers got. At AMU if I work, I do well.  If not it's on me.

I find it odd that on Yahoo Answers, an employee or professor of AMU usually responds to questions about AMU. That is very strange, very UofP-ish. Are these employees being paid extra to do this? I would think that these people would have better things to do with their time then surf Yahoo Answers and answer questions (like do their jobs, teach). If you click on their profiles, it appears that they are only answering questions about AMU. Here are some examples. Tell me that this doesn't remind you of UofP who plants people on certain websites to say good things about the University of Phoenix.

answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqYObh14cX4TM6_.GbeyUHAjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20091216053331AAoYBda

answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqWktz970RddiknizRM9e04jzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100203103805AAflXeN

answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Augkbc8IZc7S1XtSJhKktWEjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100201043246AAedekR

Weird.

On one of the job descriptions for a job opening, one of the skills that AMU looks for is the ability of an advisor to encourage the student to enroll in a second academic program, after completing the first one. Red flag. One degree should be enough, especially at the graduate level.

Are these people targeting members of the military and taking advantage of their military educational benefits? 

I wonder what their cohort default rate is among the civilian student population. It is probably not high among those in the military considering that most people use their military benefits to get a free or really cheap education.

This university appears to be a mickey mouse college. Very cheap. Students don't even have appropiate e-mail accounts. 

Take a look at their student store. The products look so cheap, but they are so high!

$20 for a copy of your official transcript! At my 200+ year old B&M university with 20,000 students, a copy of your official transcripts is like $5. AMU with 50,000+ students charges $20 for transcripts?

I don't get it.

easy does not mean that it is quality either. Quality is quality. I was responding to post where someone was saying that because AMU is difficult in thier opinion, it is a quality education.

Easy education is never quality, just busy work used to BS gullible students into thinking that because they are completing many of these easy assignments, that they are actually learning something. It is the ultimate insult to the intelligence of students who wish to become better thinkers, writers, and intellectuals. And the hallmarks of a diploma mill.
When you go up against graduates from other schools that have taken on the "graduate challenge" and you are there looking like a damn idiot because you skated through grad school, it will be a sad sad day.

I found the graduate level classes at AMU to be very easy however just because something is difficult does not mean it is quality. Some professors can make the easiest assignment difficult if they wnat to. Difficulty does not always equate to quality, A two dollar steak is much more difficult to eat than a fourteen dollar staek, does that mean the two dollar steak is of better quality?

If that truly was an AMU professor posting, all I can say is that all of the negative things people have posted about this school must be true. That post was so stupid it is beyond words. If this is an indication of the quality of this school's professors all I can say is OMG.

How many credits will transfer from my CCAF degree?  I did not complete my CCAF degree prior to getting out...but I was honorably dischagred after 12 years active service for being a single father....after 10 overseas deployments I just couldnt do it anymore.  I have 55 semester hours with no electives completed such as (Math, Science..etc). All 55 semester hours were leadership, training, and occupational specific in residence courses.

Ditto!

It is totally inappropriate to have AMU professors write reviews on AMU! Hello! AMU professor, please stop surfing this website and go grade some papers or read some discussion board postings! And try actually providing useful feedback to show that you actually read the papers and DB posts, and that you are not doing it for a easy paycheck (at the expense of tax-payers). Many of these professors get so hammered with work or teaching, they forget how many rinky-dink courses they are suppose to teach, they get behind on their grading, and it makes for an awful academic experience.

I meant to add that I ONLY took one course from LU because I decided to pursue another degree that's more suitable to my interests.

There seems to be a lot of disagreement about the quality of an AMU education. 
I was seeking an MBA from Liberty University online and several people chuckled at the idea and some described it as "Falwell's school." I took one course because I've decided to pursue my MA or MS in CJ. There are several good B&M schools that offer MS/MA in CJ entirely online. I am concerned over name recognition, quality, costs, value etc. I am highly considering FSU's online MSCJ program which requires a GRE and recommendation letters. 
It seems the only reason one would pick AMU over a well known college is the fact that GRE/GMAT/MAT are not required and it is cheap. Not to mention some of the degrees are AMU specific. But a MSCJ? Why bother going to AMU when I can get it at FSU, Boston U, etc? Why?

Also, there has been a question posted a few times on here which I've yet to see a reply: Is there anyone who has been accepted to an ABA law school with with a bachelor's from APU/AMU?

After two years in the Marines I decided to start school, I couldn't be more happy with choosing AMU I am currently graduating with my two year and starting full time in the fall for my BS in physical education! Great school and anyone can do it with the right mind set.

Just to inform, I am a current student, taking the last requirement which will complete my degree. I have a projected conferral date of May. My B.S. is from excelsior and my A.A. is from UoP. Being military limited my options, but would not trade my education for anything. Working full time, overseas, I can say I EARNED my degrees.