American Military University : International Relations Reviews
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Carpenter7057
(Graduate) on December 1, 2010
(email verified)
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Overall a Solid Program - Effort In, Results Out
I completed an M.A. in International Relations with a focus on International & Transnational Security Issues in about 2.5 years. Overall, it was a solid program that required honest hard work, sound writing skills, and a reasonable amount of time and effort. It would have been easy to do less work, but as a professional and a military officer that was not an option.
Cons: Instructors are hard to vet and most did not put in the effort to build any rapport with the students. Unfortunately, neither did many of the students. This doesn't mean that they were bad teachers, rather they just were not very good with the people side of an online community. I was also very disappointed with several of my peers' writing abilities. I guess there's a reason for the GRE. Also, after several honest, and occasionally scathing, course reviews I never heard back from the school or the instructors. While all this sounds very negative I also experienced a couple above average prof's and one utterly fantastic prof from whom I took three classes (out of twelve).
Pros: The course work and topics were interesting and relevant. (My projects and papers were normally on something that made me smarter at work as well.) The technology used by AMU is bomb-proof and the online library was adequate. One of the biggest draws to AMU for me was the frequency of the courses in my program and the flexibility with which I could enroll or disenroll if work picked-up and it looked like I needed a break. (You can drop a course in the first week after reviewing the syllabus without penalty.) I had some trouble with the grading of my comp exam, but after laying out my case to the instructor and his boss they fixed their error, but even then the comp exam was fair and challenging.
Again, overall I think AMU is a sound investment of your funds & your time. Like most endeavors in life you will get out of it what you put into it.
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Ucflt
(In Progress) on June 3, 2010
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MA International Relations
I have completed three courses so far towards my M.A. in International Relations and Conflict Resolution. When I was trying to decide on what school I'd like to get my Master's in, I chose AMU because it fit with my budget, using military Tuition Assistance and my schedule on active duty. I was very cautious about a school that didn't need an entrance exam or minimum GPA, but I decided to take a couple classes and see how it goes. After all, if you are not capable of completed your degree, it shouldn't matter what requirements there are to get in - only graudates are those who represents the degree.
I got my BA in Political Science from a B&M school and I feel that the subject material I've had so far is an appropriate step up from a Bachelor's program. You are expected to have prior knowledge and experience with the issues. I did take a year of online courses through my B&M school and AMU is far more organized and feedback is much more helpful and specific.
My only concern about AMU is the reputation it has. I would like to consider continuing my education at a Ph.D level at a B&M school when get out of the military, but I'm afraid I will not be competitive or schools simply might not accept a degree from AMU. When speaking to a representative, they told me they couldn't guarantee acceptance to a Ph.D program. I plan on going to law school regardless, so an extremely cheap Master's degree (after TA) only improves my knowledge and credentials on a subject I have a lot of passion in.
Another issue I had with them was trying to get them to sign my form to defer my federal student loans I took out for my undergrad degree. I still havn't resolved this issue, and while I have no problem continuing to pay my loans off, I feel that I have a right to deferrment as a part-time grad student.
Overall, my professors have been very good. I am enjoying a smaller class size tha my undergrad classes and the attention it brings. I feel like I'm getting to know other students in my classes because we seem to be in the same program and taking the same classes. If you're looking for a professor to tell you what to think or if you need your hand held, the online format is not for you in general. With that said, AMU has done a great job with the online format.
2
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Makido
(In Progress) on May 18, 2010
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If you want quality, go elsewhere
AMU is largely hit and miss... If you have an instructor who is teaching at a traditional school while teaching at AMU on the side, chances are you're going to get the short end of the stick when it comes to attention because they are more concerned with their work with "real" students.
Check the instructor bios; if they only teach at AMU, that's a good indication you'll get the attention you deserve.
However, students must remember that the curriculum is NOT set by the instructors, it is set by the school; thus, the curriculum you are required to complete is often out of synch with the text you are required to read. That is, if you are lucky enough to get a textbook. In order to cut costs, AMU will often require students in the United States to use E-text; in other words, you have to read off the computer. I don’t know many people who prefer this, and unless you have an iPad or something, it is very inconvenient.
The instructors, on a whole, were generally well meaning, but without the ability to set the curriculum they are teaching, their impact is minimal.
Of course, it could be worse, and it is. In some classes, you aren’t given a text at all. Instead, you utilize materials online. While much of the materials used in this way are relevant to what you are studying, they are often excerpts from various textbooks and do not provide students an opportunity to develop continuity of the information they are learning. Online materials can be valuable, but they should be used in addition to a text, not instead of one. This would not be too bad if it were for an introductory 100 level class, but when I saw AMU doing this for complex 400 level classes, I decided it was time to go.
Sure, AMU is accredited. Sure, you’ll get a degree. But the education you receive will be of low quality, and being that AMU is a for-profit school, your degree will be viewed in the same light as those from University of Phoenix and the like.
AMU can be useful. Take classes that are difficult for you here since you are not subject to proctored exams. Also, with 8 week semesters, this is a good school to use to get those pesky general education requirements out of the way quick, then jump back to a real school to finish the core requirements and actually learn something.
Overall, the education to be had at AMU is of very low quality, and I could not in good conscious recommend them to anyone.
10
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on May 8, 2009
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Recent Graduate
I recently completed my degree requirements for a BA in International Relations, and thought I'd write a little about my experiences at AMU and the program itself.
In terms of support, I have no complaints. During my three years at AMU, I never had any difficulty communicating with my student adviser or program director. Additionally, I was able to utilize my TA, MGIB, and Financial Aid without any problems. Naturally there's a process I had to go through to get my funding 'online'. However, I was able to accomplish everything I needed through email and phone - calls and questions were returned promptly, and the entire process was painless.
Tuition. At 250 per credit hour, it's cheaper than most 'for-profit' educational institutions, but keep in mind that 750 a class adds up - even with the help of TA & MGIB. If you follow APUS President W. Boston's blog, you'll know that the current tuition rates are likely to remain unchanged.
Professors at AMU: Some are good, some are great, some I didn't like at all. Over the course of three years I found most professors to be engaging and demanding. Creativity, discussion and feedback are major components you'll come across in your academic plan. Overall, most online classes are writing intensive, and typical coarse loads included major research projects (15+ papers), 7-8 pg papers & LOTS of reading. Lower level classes typically demand multiple 4-5 pg papers, multiple question & essay exams.
Now, did a few instructors run on 'autopilot'? Sure, I've come across two or three. Although, I should note that the university system is constantly providing opportunity for students to submit online assessment surveys & feedback - in fact one is available for each course you complete. If someone is dissatisfied with a course, they should annotate that dissatisfaction on a survey, or write the program director/school dean. Too easy.
Overall, I found my time at AMU to be rewarding and challenging. Although still relatively unknown in the civilian sector, APUS has become highly regarded within the military and federal government - A fact which underlines the value of AMU's School of Security and Global Studies.
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Cda0598
(In Progress) on October 1, 2008
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Great Online School
I found the American Military University while I was looking for online degrees for International Relations. And, I was completely shocked when I actually found a school where I could obtain this degree 100% online. Even foreign language classes are done online, they use Rosetta Stone. A person will not become fluent but will have a good handle on the language.
The only down side is, as another poster complained about, the required "Intro to learning" course. I had taken similiar courses at two other places, but the one at AMU is by far the best one out the bunch. It is not the funnest or most interesting class but it does give a new student a solid base.
The course work is a reasonable amount and also challenging. But, if you have the will, you can do it. I have a full time job, two children, and a husband, and was able to take 3 courses at the same time and made A's and B's.
The best advice is:If there is a will, there is a way.
Don't expect it to be easy, but do expect a wonderful experience.
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