American Military University : Intelligence Studies Reviews

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If you put in the work the it pays dividends

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on December 25, 2011

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I have 2 associates degrees from brick and mortar schools and I completed my BA with AMU.  There were quality professors that exceeded my expectation of quality instruction/guidance and there were a few rotten apples that always come with the territory (you know who you are).  The materials that is given to you is more than sufficient to help you on your path to education.  No extra costs for textbooks or other study aids.  The support center was always ready to help  and got back with you within 24 hours.  My only complaint was the new SAKAI classroom which I found slightly annoying.  I thought the old way was simpler but adapt and learn.   

If anyone thinks this is a bogus school and has no merit, then try it.  I dare you to pick a major that interests you and see if you won't be challenged.  I worked hard for my honors credit.  I sacrificed a lot of weekends and had plenty of late nights finishing this program.  This school will not hand you anything, you have to work to get it.

You get what you put in.

By: damian.cotto (In Progress) on November 25, 2011

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I can honestly say that although AMU is not Penn State or some other widely known school such as Harvard, I did have an instructor that was a Harvard professor at some point in his teaching career. Does that make a big difference in the level of education that I have received, no. People put entirely too much emphasis on the name and not enough on the quality of the individual student. The schools name is good to an extent because there are hash and trash students attending colleges all throughout the world and just because I can't afford to attend Harvard or Dartmouth doesn't mean that I am not a sharp or capable individual. I have learned a great deal with the classes I have taken at AMU thus far. Maybe people need to simply apply themselves a bit more before they write a derogatory review. I have attended, Columbia College of Missouri, Thomas Edison State College, Portland Community College and now American Military University...I personally think they were all good schools that taught me well as I am a student that wants to learn. I think AMU is great for me and I have interacted with excellent students throughout my classes.

Loved this school

By: jaredheintz (Graduate) on August 10, 2011

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I took courses with University of Phoenix online and brick and mortar colleges and finally started with AMU because of the cost of education. It was scary because I had heard very little about this school. Intel Studies was challenging at times (always more challenging than course I took at other colleges) but the Professors were great and very diverse. I felt as if I got the best of all over the country. Many of the bad reviews are from people that did not put time into themselves in order to achieve with this school. They will not give you a degree, you have to work for it. On the bright side I never had an instructor that would not work with me or extend if the reason was good.

Great school with a great reputation!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on August 7, 2011

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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!

Not convenient in the least!

By: Craiford3 (In Progress) on July 22, 2011

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I chose an online college for convenience. There was nothing convenient as I was instructed to treat this college as if it were any ordinary brick & mortar school. If I wanted to attend a brick & mortar school, I would have. I initially wanted a school where I could go at my own pace while managing a career and family. AMU requires that you log in very frequently so that you can interact with other students in a discussion board type format. I'm not in school to make friends or listen to others gropes and complaints. I'm here to get a degree. I know plenty of people who attended regular universities and had little interaction with other students. Social networking should NOT be part of your grade unless of course you are attending Facebook University. Because of my military job, I am only allowed to log on maybe twice a week. When I do, I have dozens of emails from instructors telling me that I am behind and that I am not "interacting" with other students.

Bottom line.....log in every day or fail. Not worth it. And by the way, I used the Pell Grant in order to attend yet the admin folks still claim I owe close to 5 grand in tuition!

It's Alright.

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 14, 2010

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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.

It was ok, but I had to walk

By: sergent15 (In Progress) on October 15, 2010

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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.

AMU is for Grown Ups

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on August 3, 2010

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If you are interested in AMU, you must remember that they do not cater to children who do not know how to manage time.  I have actively continued education with AMU (on and off active duty) and always found certain constant factors:

-They always maintained good communication (reply within 48 hrs)
-The books were in my mail once the tuition was paid
-They take the GI Bill without issue
-They allow drops in courses (if within the first week)
-They expect you to work for your knowledge
-They dealt with every road block I constructed (professionally)

If you want a quality education, you must actually read your assigned course work.  If you want a quality grade, you should know how to write properly. This includes punctuation and spelling!

I am honestly sick and tired of those who are so self- righteous in believing that a degree should be served to them on a silver platter.  Just because you pay a university and log on to it once a week does not mean you have substance in your thought.  It certainly does not mean you have EARNED a degree.  Once you accept you must put some work into the classes, you just may succeed.

Once again, AMU is for grown ups.  You can be over 18 and still act like a child.  Put the work in, use your brain, and you will be amazed at the end result! This school is highly recommended for those who can define two words: comprehension, accountability.

AMU Review 2010

By: mcgregorjt (In Progress) on April 27, 2010

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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.

Fantastic Accredited School

By: codenameprofessor (In Progress) on April 25, 2010

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Being in the military and living overseas for the past 8 years, there was few if any paths for me to get a degree. I found AMU from an Army education counselor and started the degree a little over two years ago and I have loved it. I have done the job in which I am getting a degree for several years and I still learn new things and new ideas every day. The school is nationally and regionally accredited, the professors are incredibly experienced (the anatomy and physiology class was a former air surgeon general in Ohio), and the advisors and leadership are quick to respond and assist in questions. As I have read some people claiming that these reviews are not true, I can assure you this one is and I am incredibly glad that I found AMU and am almost done with my degree. Honestly, had I had the ability to go to some well-known institution, I would have, but I don't and I am very happy to have the degree I do now.

AMU is the Best Decision I Ever Made

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on January 15, 2010

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AMU has changed my life. As soon as I saw the program I knew it was for me. I am a civilian and have been working towards my MA in Intelligence at AMU for the past 2 years. The teachers and even students are quality and intimidating. This program, the material, the calibre of people are a challenge, hands down. You have to be 100% committed. At first I had to fight past this intimidation and now I am learning to be stronger leader. All this I learned online; incredible how this can translate over into your actual life. It gives you "ammo"! 

Because of AMU I am now president of a local political committee. I use the confidence and substantive material that I learned now and I will continue to use it. I cannot see how anyone undermines this program - the books and amount of reading and writing is intense. I still cannot remember everything! I have one more year left and I have faith that I will find a challenging line of work in which I can apply this degree. AMU churns out U.S. leaders, even from civilian students. Love it; proud to be a part of it. God bless AMU and USA.

Skeptical at first

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 17, 2009

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I graduated from a traditional private B&M school in May 2009 with a duel BA in History and Political Science with honors.  I am 23 and started AMU in October 2009.  At first, I was extremely skeptical about taking online classes because I did not think the quality of education would be comparable to a B&M school.  To my surprise, the course was very challenging.  I took a few Master's courses from the B&M so I had something to compare the online course against.  I learned a great deal from my course and will continue taking classes.  For some of those who complained, almost every school has BS classes.  There will more than likely be a mandatory intro class.  It sucks but get over it.  I had to take a piano class and religion as a requirement for my undergrad.  School Policy.  The Professor at AMU gave me excellent feedback on my work.  A research paper for the class ended but being 18 pages-10pt font and single space.  I am used to writing because of my History degree; however, this paper was definitely a challenge and graded strictly.  As with all universities, you get what you put in.

Very Tough Program

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 13, 2009

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I'm several courses into an AMU masters program.  It's turned out to be a very informative (and tough) course of study.  All in all, I wouldn't change a thing.  All the courses have provided great insight into the areas of intelligence and national security.

Generally a great school, BUT...

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on June 17, 2009

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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?

Socratic Tradition

By: dfranpelej (Graduate) on March 29, 2009

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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.

Very proud graduate, great school!

By: scottpeters2006 (Graduate) on February 4, 2009

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I recently completed the BA in Intelligence Studies program. I was a former military member (E-6) who completed about 5-6 classes during my nine year military career before I started taking classes at AMU.  AMU was able to credit me with about 45 credits (Smart transcript and other classes).  I took most of my core classes right off the bat and completed about 7-8 classes within the first year of the program. I was able to complete the program in three years with a steady workload of two classes at a time. I took breaks when I was feeling the heat but after things cooled down I was right back into it. The intelligence courses were great. There was alot of reading and writing and the classes were full of students with Intelligence Community backgrounds. Sometimes I questioned if an eight week class needs 3-4 novels and a couple other reference books, and some professors did not even fully utilize all of the "required texts" but that didn't matter because all BA student receive a book grant. I learned so much during my time with AMU and altough there were a few hicups along the way (Financial Aid, ect.) I am completely satisfied with AMU and it's instructors.  They are the best!  I am planning on staying with AMU for a master's degree. Their prices are very good after looking around at other schools and I really like the fact they offer both 8 week and 16 week courses.

AMU - Good For Undergrad Degree

By: jpparker19 (In Progress) on January 29, 2009

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I received my Bachelors Degree from AMU, so I thought it would be a good choice to continue on for my Masters. After speaking to others who are/were enrolled in several of their Masters programs, it would seem they put more effort in supporting the Undergrad side the house with regard to curriculum and have become overall sloppy in administrative housekeeping across the board. As an Educational Services Officer for my organization, I was a huge advocate of AMU as one of the pioneers in the books & tuition model for Undergrad. However if they don't start to shape up people will go elsewhere.

Great School

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on October 29, 2008

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I am still working on my Masters in Strategic Intelligence but so far I have nothing but great things to say about this University. The instructors are great, and I mean that! They are very understanding with issues that come up that may require an extension or extra help.  The instructors all have a ton of experience and it shows.  I was a bit intimidated by the extensive backgrounds of the instructors and even some of my fellow students at first, but everyone has been very friendly and helpful.
My only complaint is with some of the materials being somewhat out dated.  Due to the nature of the subject being studied, much of the current data is still classified and material on the changes in policy are constantly being modified, so if you have a text that is 8-10 years old the concepts may be the same but the data is often changed.
Price is better than most online Universities, and what you get is priceless, but if it wasn't so expensive I could take more classes and almost be done by now.

I love AMU!

By: hoorayformom (In Progress) on October 24, 2008

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I've learned SO much at AMU...I returned to school for a Masters in Strategic Intelligence after a 12 year hiatus from the educational system (my undergrad degree is from a "regular" university) and I do not regret a minute!

The educators are amazing.  The curriculum is rigorous.  Yes, the financial aid department is a pain, but even with problems there I've always been able to start my courses on time.

With a full time career outside the intel field and two small kids, I've still been able to keep up a 3.8 GPA.  This is not because the course work is simple, it's because I've worked my fanny off.  If you're looking for an easy degree, keep looking, but if you want to actually learn, try AMU :)

Bent over backwards

By: bardling (In Progress) on October 1, 2008

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The past year was tough - I started my grad program and two months later, was put in the hospital. I applied for an extension for my classes, and then started them back up six months later. Shortly after starting the classes, my husband was ill and I had to get an extension on another class. Through all of the ups and downs, APUS worked with me. There were a couple of times I got frustrated with just how much paperwork was needed - but the school is fully accredited and they are a business. They have the tools in place to work with students in all types of situations and the ability to work my way through the difficulties of the past year and still not jeopardize my chances at a grad degree has been amazing. The brick and mortar school I attended, would have had me paying for each dropped/extended class, and retaking them, paying for them again. Not with APUS. Definitely a case of using the system and tools set in place, and having advisors and appeals folks that bent over backwards to make sure I could keep working on my goals.

AMU Financial Aid NIghtmare!!

By: txgal717 (In Progress) on April 8, 2008

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I don't know how to rate any portion of the academics b/c I haven't been able to enter a class since I enrolled in January!! The financial aid process is a complete NIGHTMARE and all I have heard is excuse after excuse about why my financial aid package has not been submitted!! I was bumped back from a March start date to April and now it looks like I will have to be bumped back AGAIN to May b/c they still can't seem to get their stuff together!! Thanks a LOT AMU!!

Education Coordinators

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 29, 2007

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If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact the Education Coordinators for AMU, you can find your regional representative on the AMU website.  They are SUPER helpful and you can contact them via email or personal phone number!

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