American Military University : Intelligence Studies Reviews
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 7, 2011
(email verified)
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Great school with a great reputation!
I am totally pleased and proud to be taking my degree at AMU! Sure, there are always things that can be done in a different manner, but you will also find that to be true at Harvard, Princeton, etc. I sought out AMU because it was recommended to me by people in the field I dream of being able to work in. Being a foreign student, I must tell you that AMU has an international reputation in the Intelligence and security (terrorism) field. And that reputations is very, very good! This thanks to professors as Jenny Hesterman, Steven Greer, Paul Medhurst, etc. World class teachers that make you work hard for your grade. True professionals!
But, I have spent time researching my professors, before I sign up for their classes. Read their bio's, choose those that you feel have the best experiences to teach your subject. In all my classes at AMU, I have only dropped out of 2 classes due to the professors.
As many others have written, AMU is not a school for those who need to have their hands held at every turn. The school demands that you work hard and if you do, they are there for you.
A great school that is highly recommended!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 14, 2010
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It's Alright.
AMU is okay. It's not the greatest, but you could do much worse. Admissions is very easy and almost painless, it just takes a fairly long time (like 6-8 weeks) to get your transcripts evaluated. This doesn't prevent you from starting classes, so look into taking classes for your major.
A lot of hiring managers will not take your AMU degree seriously. However, the government does, and a majority of people at AMU are there to try to get government jobs. AMU does have a fairly good reputation in the DC area, though.
The professors are like those at any other school in the nation, some are great, others are horrible. While the profs have amazing backgrounds, most have other jobs at the same time. This does reflect on the classes, as it feels a decent percentage of the profs are just there to grade your papers.
The financial aid department is horrible. They don't respond to emails or phone messages. If you try to call them, you're on hold for three minutes before they transfer you to voicemail. Everytime I've had to deal with them it takes me 7-8 phone calls in a row to get a human. However, once you get a human they know what's going on and can help you very well.
The intelligence studies program is considered one of the best in the nation, but I can't vouch for other programs.
If you have questions about going to grad/law school, lots of people claim that there are graduates who go on to all sorts of schools. While I don't disbelieve these stories, I have yet to see any student come forward to say they went on to a law/non-AMU grad school.
If you really want to succeed at AMU, you'll probably need to drink the Kool-Aid. The school is very fierce about defending its reputation, and many students are poised with very well-written, almost script-like comments and stories that all sound the same.
At the end of the day, it's just alright. I've enjoyed a good many of my classes, and the school is very affordable. With my Pell grant, I'm only going into about 5k of loan debt, which isn't bad at all. The only thing lacking with this school and other online ones is the lack of student interaction. Message boards are not an ideal medium for making friends.
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Sergent15
(In Progress) on October 15, 2010
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It was ok, but I had to walk
My experience with AMU started great. The staff was accommodating, and I was helped promptly. But once I transferred from the AA to BA program, things to a turn for the worst and I have left the school to seek better education elsewhere.
Starting with instructors, I was not impressed for these being 300 level courses. The syllabuses given to us were outdated and were cookie cutter templates with mere words changed. There was no depth to them and I was not able to consult the syllabus and get the answers I was looking for to complete and assignment because there was no breakdown of weekly assignments. It only had a summary chart of what was to be done each week. Trying to find assignment info was like playing hide and seeks: the information was not consolidated. Some of the assignments were in the course materials folder, others were in the discussion board and some were on the instructor announcements. Unfortunately, after several emails, I found out that some of the information was outdated that my instructor had posted and he had to twice fix the announcements to truly post what we were to do. So it leads me to believe that these instructors were using cut-and-paste, cookie cutter announcements that they forgot to update as the course changed over time.
There VA Office sucked! I sent my change of program to go from the AA to BA on 27 July and got a confirmation email saying they had received it, updated the VA online site and sent the hard copies to the VA from a VA Rep. Fast forward to yesterday and I learn that they hadn’t received it. After a email I forwarded, it went from “they had not received it period” to “we received it but we didn’t know why you sent it” which, in conclusion, means this $3000 in school charges will by my responsibility until the VA kicks into gear and awards my money, which could be weeks! I think this is the biggest sticking point because of the dishonesty from the VA Office. They told me something they had done and then reneged on it when crunch time approached.
Overall AMU was a decent school. I just think the level of professionalism should increase as the courses get harder, not decrease, leaving the student out and dry.
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Mcgregorjt
(In Progress) on April 27, 2010
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AMU Review 2010
I have learnt more at AMU than any on-site campus. However reading the reviews of others on this site, it does scare me. Make sure you read between the lines of these postings. The ones marked negative have the reason why. If someone was pushed back a month due to financing, then they will post a negative. I myself was pushed back a month, however that was due to the clause that my financing request was cutting it close to the class start date. Also there was an instance where I did not receive my books on time, however I did register for the class three weeks before it started when the school recommends you do it a month at least before. It takes planning.
My review: I have received great grades here as well as two (C)s. Do not for once think that you will be handed easy grades without doing the work. As for the work, it is really really really easy because all you have to do is read the material and take the test showing you have read it. Same as any on-site campus. In my history class, the instructor even posted quiz questions from the side boxes to make sure you read all the material such as additional did you know at the end of the chapter. There were also two times when I had to drop a class because it was so much work. When going to this school, take two classes at a time, or contact the instructor beforehand for a course load assessment to avoid having to drop a class. The INT Comm class has a lot of reading and books. Some classes taught here will have you reading roughly five chapters a week. On top of that, you have other classes at the same time to read the material as well. Make sure not to overdo your course load.
Accreditation: I originally was sketchy about online schooling. I contacted tan INT agency and requested verification they would accept a degree from AMU. I was informed that yes they will. I also went to an Air Force recruiter to talk about enlistment. When I stated I was attending AMU they looked at me in shock and stated they have a lot of soldiers who use AMU to better their education. They were also amazed that a civilian at the time even knew about AMU. They recruiter stated that AMU is a good school and even changed their body posture and treatment to more accepting after mentioning AMU for my schooling.
Instructors: When registering for a course, I do not just select an instructor. I use the faculty link to view their picture as well as credentials to determine which one I feel would make a good fit. A lot of instructors from AMU are very credible as well as veterans within the INT community. You never know if you will be taught by an FBI agent which is very comforting.
Student Involvement: The school offers a mentoring program that cannot be beat. You have direct access to a professional within the field of study you are in. I found this helpful since I am in the INT field to be able to contact and talk about career paths for the government as well as what any setbacks may be.
Closing: AMU so far has proven to be a great school choice for myself. It may not be for you. I would recommend the school to anyone as well as recommend anyone attempting to use the school to investigate and do your research just as you would for an on-site school. As far as it goes for competition when applying for a job, there will always be someone from a better school, however an employer does not only focus on your education. Be sure to get involved within your local community since you are not able to with an online school such as extracurricular activities. Also make note that some people graduating from Princeton and Harvard work at walmart as a cashier due to the economy. Just because you have a degree does not make you entitled to a position. Get involved in a co-op program with an agency or offer to work there as a volunteer free of pay to gain more experience hands on for your resume.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on June 17, 2009
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Generally a great school, BUT...
I agree with those commenting negatively about the "Intro to Learning" course. I, too, absolutely did not need to take it, but was forced. The instructor advertises himself as an "expert" in, like, 20 different "careers", beginning with real-estate, and everything in between; he blasts his own trumpet quite loudly, and demands perfect grammar from his students, tells them to "shine" and then posts and out-dated syllabus, with mistakes throughout-spelling and grammar mistakes, no less! The instructors teaching the Intelligence courses, however, are absolutely excellent-all are senior level professionals in their field, intelligent, and responsive. Other than the intro class, other nightmare experience with one of the science courses-the instructor did not use the website/online resources that came with the textbook(a really good one), and instead had students trying to navigate their way through a nightmare website meant for professionals already working in this particular field of science! I have had no problems with financial aid, because i pester them...don't leave them alone, they get sick of me, everything's all set real fast. I, too, have been to B&M schools (2 of them), and can say that AMU is higher academically than either of the 2 I attended. I really like it at AMU, and already now (mid-BA) am hoping to do Master's there as well, and even P.h.D if they have it by then! Go, try it out, I do not believe you will be disappointed, and yes, there is TONS of work to do, but that's why you enroll in college, right?
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Dfranpelej
(Graduate) on March 29, 2009
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Socratic Tradition
I completed my undergrad degree in intelligence studies in 2003. In 2007 I entered into the graduate program. At that time it was Strategic Intelligence, and has since become Intelligence Studies for grad school as well as undergrad. During my active duty years I attended Long Beach State University, and graduate level classes at many military campuses. In my opinion, AMU/APUS is as Socratic a program as exists in the world today. I would not recommend AMU to anyone who is looking for an easy way to translate their training and experience into a degree. That's not AMU, not even close. AMU's programs stack up against those of the world's leading institutions of higher learning, and that is the level of dedication and effort a prospective student needs to be prepared to take on. That's not to scare anyone away - anyone of reasonable intelligence and dedication, who commits themselves to earning an undergraduate or advanced degree will succeed as easily at AMU as they would anywhere else, and the staff is there to see you achieve your academic goals; very supportive. This is a regionally accredited institution that will someday be among the most prestigious in the world, it's only a matter of time. So if you're reading this and you have reservations because you've never heard of AMU - put your self at ease and check out the University for yourself. You will not be disappointed. I'm very proud of my education. Education transends social interaction, and in terms of purely Socratic academics, AMU is as good as it gets.
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