American Military University

After practicing for over 25 years as a professional Geologist I hesitantly returned to school and attempted the Master's program for Environmental Policy and Management. The on-line application was a challenge for me as I was brought up in the brick an mortar days. I still prefer in class old style, that being said, I received great support from the technical side of things as well as the overall learning process. The entire process was seamless. Half way through the program I was dealt a personally loss of my wife. This program allowed me to temporary suspend my ambitions until I was able to continue. I completed this in about two years and found the classes to be 'real world" taught by real world professors not theoreticians where classes do not have true relevance. I would recommend this program to anyone that is focused and wanting to expand their horizons. I am employed as a Geologist with the federal government and this education has helped me round out my career. Jim Tarr

When I was looking at going back to school for my Masters, my family had just received orders to move overseas. I was looking at a couple of different schools, but AMU was at the top of my list. I compared course content and cost, and AMU offered the everything I wanted in my degree at an amazing cost. I had no problem transferring courses from a previous Masters program and I had no problem contacting anyone with questions I had. My biggest concern was continuing after we moved overseas. I was able to take several months off while moving and getting settled in without losing my active student status. This was a huge benefit to me and my lifestyle as a mom and military spouse. Cost was also a huge selling point. I paid for all of my classes out of pocket and AMU was cheaper per credit hour than other popular online schools endorsed overseas. My goal in obtaining my Masters was to gain employment with the federal government. Being overseas, my options for employment are not only limited but positions are scarce. I came over with the idea of at least gaining an internship for my Capstone project, but I got so much more. My program director was able to help put me in contact with key personnel before I even left the states. Because of her assistance and the course work I had completed at AMU, I was able to get a volunteer position with an Environmental Office at an overseas base, which ultimately led to a paid position. AMU helped me obtain the exact position I had only dreamed of! My family will be moving back to the states in about 2 years, so I decided to go back to AMU to obtain a graduate certificate. This will not only keep my skills fresh, but also help to keep my competitive in my field. Choosing AMU was the best decision I ever made.

I graduated with my M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management in 2011. This is a outstanding program for anyone wanting to get into the environmental field. It was not easy by any means and the professors really challenged you to think out of the box. I also like the real world experience the professors brought to the classroom, it really gave you a sense of what you could expect in the environmental industry.

Background: Full time Employee, Single parent, Degree started: June 2013 Completed: Anticipated Oct 2015 I am completing my Master’s in Environmental Sciences. I have worked in the field for nearly 10 years and my only chance of advancement was with a degree, much like many other working adults. I have read the negative reviews of some of the other departments, and while I can’t speak similarly about the Environmental Science Department, I understand about continual improvement. I found the Professors helpful, engaged in their field of teaching, most of the time themselves working full time. While I understand that some teachers were better than others, I learned something that contributed to my skill set under each of them. None were bad, outrageous or negative and they pushed me to improve myself. I did have phone numbers, and usually very prompt replies to emails. The help desk has a 24 hour policy that they work to get back to questions within that time, and generally did, unless things were outside of their control or they were overwhelmed. EVEN BRICK AND MORTORS HAVE TECH ISSUES! I take offense to calling any online college a diploma mill, you get out what YOU put in. I had to read, and research items on my own, and supplement my lessons on my own but that it what undergraduate and graduate students should be expected to do. They have a tutoring center for those that need help, make use of it! I will say that my professors were very supportive, I had an incident to which I found myself asking for an extension and got it, no problem because it was something beyond my control. I have sacrificed time and energy to earn this degree, and yes this is not expensive, but the quality is there. Nearly half the Professors worked at other colleges, so I know the level of instruction is well done. Considerations: You will need strong computer skills! Excel, Powerpoint, Word, and Ability to execute searches and a good computer and internet connection. Hours per week dedicated to the classes: 15 to 20 hours weekly, pending assignment. I never did two classes at same time. Helpful hints: Barnes and Noble had all the texts, and buying used helped cut costs. Get the APA book for citations, you will use it. Review the Syllabus, Assignments, and Gradebook to ensure that you know what is expected when and if there are discrepancies, Email the professor, they are human and make mistakes too. Hyperlinks move, so checking early in the week to make sure any in that week’s work, are still linked, and letting a professor know is critical to the class.

I graduated with a Master's degree from AMU in 2013. I have undergraduate degrees from a Big Ten University and a MAC University and the level of academic challenge in 80% of the graduate courses I took at AMU was similar to upper level undergraduate / lower graduate (400 -500 level) at the other schools. The other 20% were of lower academic challenge, with texts and course work more suitable for lower level undergraduate courses. Most of the courses did not have timed exams like traditional educational institutions (1 hour exams, 2 hour finals), lowering the academic standard. In the majority of courses the grades were determined based on 2-3 page papers written for weekly assignments and 5 - 20 page papers written as midterm or final course assignments. The combination of required and elective courses provided a broad exposure to different fields of study within the major. Most of the faculty was very helpful when I had questions concerning assignments, and usually responded in a very timely manner.

Without any doubt a rewarding experience. I finished my Masters about 7 months ago. The instructors were very approachable and responsive. The books and courses were on point with what was required to complete the degree. The interaction between students was excellent due to the mandatory weekly posts in the bulleting boards. I started not knowing what to expect, but once I finished my first two couses I knew that I was on the right place. Highly recommended!!!

I started with AMU in 2004, I completed my AA while stationed in Iraq. Upon leaving the service I completed my BS in Environmental Studies graduating with honors. I rejoined the Military for another term and during that time I completed most of my MS in Environmental Policy and Management with a concentration on Sustainability. Unlike other colleges that I have seen operate there is much more flexibility in the courses offered with AMU. You are treated as an adult and expected to manage your time appropriately. Online education is not for everyone, but if you are up for the challenge and able to self motivate this is a great school to go with. The Masters level program was great I ended networking with the professionals in my field of choice simply through completing the assignments within my core courses. The online library is a priceless asset there is no cost to research your topics when you can simply locate and download relevant peer reviewed studies from their extensive database. As with anything there is the potential for human error, overall my experience with the staff has been great, but there have been times in the past that I was not satisfied with specific teachers or their ability to grade work in a timely manner. All in all after over eight years and three degrees earned I can say without a doubt that was an exception not the rule. Generally the educators are concerned with their students understanding of the topics presented, are in the field they are teaching and have similar experiences to many of their students. From a military standpoint this was an outstanding opportunity to learn in an environment that could adapt to my ever changing locations, responsibilities and ability to participate. I would and have endorsed this school to anyone trying to find a college. I know everyone in my military path has heard my take on this school and most of them have started their college career and are completely satisfied with the choice they made. Glenn

I am enrolled in the Environmental Policy and Management masters program and it is challenging. You have to keep up and present your work professionally. The only thing that is a bit disappointing is the lack of networking because you never really interact with other students. I think this is what online universities lack. You have to try a lot harder to reach out to people. By the way Dr. Polio is a gem. She anchors this major.

I'm currently in the Enviromental Policy and Management program. I chose this program because it was the only online Masters Degree I found interesting. I'm active duty military and live about an hour from the nearest university, so online was my best option. After my first class, research methodologies, I almost quit the program. I found the online class structure very confusing, but decided to give it another shot. Once you take a couple classes and catch-on to how the courses operate, it gets easier. What I've found is that the assignments and courses take a lot of planning and personal responsibility to complete on time. It is a heavy workload, but I've found I can get away with less than my best work and still recieve at least a B. I'm using military Tuition Assistance and GI Bill Top-Up to pay for the courses. If I had to pay out of pocket, I would put my money into a better school, but for what my circumstances allow me, this free degree from AMU will be just fine. I certainly won't flaunt it, but hope it will give me an edge against other applicants when I retire and move into the civilian sector. So far as professors, like others have said, it is a mixed bag. Some are totally absent, while others are very interactive.

My undergraduate degree is from UC Berkeley (also in Environmental Science). I started the MS at AMU thinking it would be an easy way to refresh my knowledge after being out of the field for a while. Imagine my surprise at this very challenging program. The professors are quite distinguished and most of the students in my classes are professionals in the environmental field. It takes a lot of reading and research just to keep up every week. The AMU on-line library is world-class. What else can you expect since the military (or was it Al Gore?) invented the internet. At any rate, the AMU library gives you access to the world, let me just say that.

I am midway in a MS in Environmental Policy and Management at AMU. My undergraduate degree is from UC Berkeley --also in Environmental Science. I started this MS at AMU just to refresh my degree to make a transition back to environmental after being away from the field for a while. I started AMU quite smug, thinking this would be an easy on-line class. Especially since I consider myself so smart. Let me tell you, the program is quite challenging--even more so than my undergraduate degree! The professors are very distinguished in their knowledge and you really have to work hard each week to stay on top of the materials. It is paying off though. I can see how much I have learned in the last six months. The military has the world at its fingertips --especially the AMU on line library -- it is world class. Very satisfied.