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Victoria.whitecotton
(In Progress) on May 16, 2012
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Impressed
Almost done with my BA in Middle Eastern Studies, and on the whole I'm very impressed with the degree and the university. I already possess a Bachelor's in International Politics from a British university and wanted to explore my area of interest more in depth. With the exception of the odd class that I was dissatisfied with (usually with the level of instruction) I am enjoying my studies. At all universities, whether online or not, there's always that one class where the teacher just isn't with the program. But I've been able to get beyond all that and work hard, do my best and I have learnt a lot over the past 2 years. I like the wide variety of courses that make up this degree, covering politics, religion, history, culture and language. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in Middle Eastern affairs, but be prepared for lots of reading, essay writing and at times some tough subjects (and opinionated classmates!). Excellent program.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
9
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Jsaadein
(Graduate) on May 10, 2012
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Take Responsibility for your Education
I find interesting some of the reviews here, as they are quite the opposite from every experience I have had with this university. At this time, I have completed 24 undergraduate courses with them and can comment intelligently about various encounters. For those using federal financial aid, the process is all fairly automated – get it right the first time when you apply and stop blaming AMU/APUS for your lack of oversight and ill preparedness. Additionally, the comment which said the university is making their family pay prior to receiving financial aid is completely false – once your package is in, AMU actually fronts the registration in anticipation of receiving federal funding. Tuition assistance is the same, there is about a two-day turn around for class-registration. As far as the instructors…there are some extremely qualified and who are attentive, and there are others that are not – this is typical with every university, even traditional ones. This university is not for those who need their hand held – attending AMU requires a great amount of initiative and time management. Furthermore, this university requires a significant amount of writing. I have taken courses at Emory University, Penn State, and Embry Riddle and they by far have nowhere near the amount of workload that AMU requires. I hope this provides a little insight into my degree program. Lastly, I have put in for three of top 20 MBA programs (traditional) and none of them have questioned my degree from AMU.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Asherm21
(In Progress) on April 29, 2012
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Do not waste your time and money.
Do not waste your time or money going to this "college". This school is ideal for individuals in the military who simply need a piece of paper that says "B.S. / B.A." on it in order to be promoted. This school isn't a diploma mill but it's pretty close. They are nationally and regionally accredited, however, after taking 5 "upper division" classes, I feel that accreditation means a lot less than I originally thought. I had completed my A.A. at a local community college and transferred to this school in the hopes of earning a degree but not having to pay the outrageous tuition rates of the local 4-year universities. In that respect (being cheap), AMU gets a win...at least until you find out what you are paying for. I began the B.S. program in information systems security and I've completed 5 classes so far. Based on my experience, I can sum up the classroom experience as follows: Read some chapters in the textbook, answer questions on the discussion boards, maybe do a short weekly written assignment, complete open-book tests and quizzes every 3 weeks or so. That is about it. You are essentially paying for the ability to read a book then talk about it with other students. In the five classes I have taken, there has been ZERO practical application. The "professors", while many have advanced degrees, are little more than moderators. The textbooks have material in them that is suspiciously similar...I don't mean material overlaps, but material that seems to have been written by the same author or group of authors, even though the book says otherwise. Furthermore, in two of my classes the "textbook" was a ridiculous DIY book that you could purchase off the shelf at Barnes & Noble. Then there is the issue of grade inflation. At first, I put a lot of effort into my assignments and I was getting perfect scores. Then, I started to half-ass a few, just to see what would happen. On the assignments that is half-assed, the lowest score I received was a 93% and that was usually due to a citation error. To further make my point, I purposely turned in an assignment an entire week late and completely BeeEssed it. I did not cite anything, I did not address any material from the current chapters in the class, I didn't make any attempt to do a good job and it was pure, unsupported opinion. I got a 100% on that assignment which indicates to me that the "professor" didn't even read it, or just doesn't care. In the end, if you simply need a degree to get a promotion and nothing more, then by all means, go to AMU. If, however, you actually want to learn something that would be difficult to learn by simply reading a book, don't waste your time. I believe that any employer who is familiar with the curriculum at AMU would toss your resume in the trash. If you managed to even get an interview, they would laugh at you and you would certainly make a fool of yourself for not knowing the answers to basic questions that any undergrad at a state university could answer. I value the quality of my education and for that reason, I will no longer be attending this ridiculous school and am instead transferring to a state university. The tuition might be high, but the quality of the education is incomparable.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 16, 2012
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Good program, terrible institutional support
Like many of the other people writing reviews I was a bit wary about attending an entirely online university, in particular one that I had never heard of. I picked AMU for a two reasons: they offered one of the few online graduate programs in History that I had found, they were regionally accredited.
The ease of application was nice, but still worried me. It felt like anyone could get in if they had a bachelor's degree. The classes were what finally sold me on the program. I've had to work hard to keep up with school while working. I've learned a lot and the teachers seem very knowledgeable. I feel like I'm getting a good value for my degree.
Materials: They provide a decent and relevant reading list for each semester. The texts are your primary vehicle for learning. The online discussions are barely more than a weekly response paper where everyone is focused on their own opinion and finding a way to chime in on two other student's posts before each other for another week. That said, the teachers typically respond to your post and ask follow-up questions that require additional research and if they take the time to really grade your posts they're a good teaching tool.
Teachers: Like anywhere, some were good some were bad. None were great in my experience.
Institution/Support: That's where I was really disappointed. The signup process was pretty easy, but when it came time to re-enroll and I was having trouble finding the classes I needed it was almost impossible to get anyone on the phone and their email responses would consistently come from a different person each time often restating their first form response without any indication they were reading my question or trying to address my concern. Seriously, i can't wait to graduate and be done with this school. They also don't pay for access to all of JSTOR, so often when you're researching a paper I had to drive to a local university and bribe a student to print the paper I was looking for.
Value: I learned a lot, but no one I talk to has ever heard of this school. For the purpose of my job (I'm a federal employee) they'll accept it at face value because it's from a regionally accredited school but they're going to have to market themselves a lot better before I'd say the degree is valuable beyond the lessons I learned obtaining it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
10
10
(In Progress) on March 6, 2012
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You get what you put in
I am taking the Master of Arts in Security Management. first of all I want to point out that I obtained my BA from a traditional school, and prior to that I had taken several courses from other traditional schools.
There is no way to "get by" in this school, or with the current coursework. This is a self starter, self motivated type of program. If you don't put the work forward, you will not do well.
I have learned more in this program about research, writing, and my current field than anywhere else. The learning is up to the student.
I gave the value an 8 because the tuition went up this year, which I was not thrilled about, however it is still a decent price.
I have definitely learned quite a bit through the reading materials, textbooks and my own research. This is no degree mill by far. To those that say it is, I challenge you to take a 500 level class, or two and find out for yourselves.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
9
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Mrmikemodel
(In Progress) on March 2, 2012
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Better than Nebraska
I have been attending AMU for two years. I began in Military History but changed due the recommendation of AMU because I was in the graduate history program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), my alma mater. I have just finished a course in which the work was crushing, far more then I had experienced at UNO. This was not usually the norm with an AMU course, but, it goes to show that you cannot take these classes expecting some kind of cake walk. I mean, who ever heard of having four book reviews due over four weeks DURING Christmas and New Years? I spent Christmas day doing school work. I am NOT complaining. This course was exceptional in the material covered and in the expectations of your accumulated knowledge.
In comparing a State University to AMU there is no difference. I have decided to transfer my credits to AMU from UNO. I "got stuck" taking a history seminar course at UNO entitled "Gender and Slavery" taught by a woman who had an issue with men. Both of us "men" had to drop the course (only 2 men in the course). With AMU I have a plethora of courses to choose from; subjects that I am interested in taking and not courses that I am forced to take because the course was the only one available when it came my time to register. My Military Studies MA has been taught so far by NYU, Naval Academy, UPENN, Harvard, and NYU professors. The professorial staff is of an extremely high caliber, and they expect much.
During a FSL issue between both schools, UNO just did not care in helping me resolve the issue. I was a number, not a person. AMU, much to my surprise assigned me an adviser in the financial aid office and she worked tirelessly to solve the problem. I was impressed. I had heard from various blogs, forums etc. before I started AMU that it was a diploma mill. This is absolutely not the case. Amu was started to assist those who serve with obtaining college degrees. AMU is now the school recommended to employees and soldiers by the government and military to obtain a degree from. It is regionally accredited by the North Central Association. So, credits transfer to and from other colleges without an issue. They are also accredited by the Distance Learning Council, UNO doesn't even have that one, and UNO does distance education.
I know that the education I receive from AMU is as good or better than the State school I attended. Many of the degrees at AMU are those which have a direct impact on systems and people. Many times, peoples lives may be on the line and those who have graduated from AMU are responsible for those lives. Homeland security, Military intelligence, National Security studies, or Strategic Studies have real world implications on a daily basis. This review has not been an ad for AMU. I am a real and current student, and have been around during my 50 years. Situational awareness in the hallmark of security studies and of life. You have to be able to tell the shit from shineola. The UNO history department, like so many other history departments in ivory towered institutions, thinks that they are important to life, they are not. Research has its place, in truth research universities like UNO or UN-Lincoln pay their professors to research and publish, teaching students is a side show, it pays the bills. Do not hesitate with AMU, you will learn the important stuff.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
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Seanmonjon
(Graduate) on February 24, 2012
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Choose another institution
I attended AMU and graduated in 2004 with a Criminal Justice Bachelors Degree w/honors. Since then, I have been an Adjunct Professor at two colleges and earned a commission in the Army. This was all due to my completion of my bachelor's degree. In the beginning, I would tell my students and peers about AMU. It was a very good institution until what I have learned now. Late 2011, I was informed of several negative issues that were occuring with AMU. The instructors were teaching from the wrong syllabi, giving tests that were not part of the assigned reading or cirriculum, student aid dept. was not helping students, but were providing misguided and wrong information that caused students to lose taking classes because of their constant mistakes, accessing e-material has become a major issue for students, the webpages designed for easy and quick access will constantly give an "error" message only for the student to start all over again, not allowing students to proceed with their classes due to constant website errors produced by AMU, lack of communication between the students and administrators by changing school policies without informing students which ultimately affects their grades. I contacted the school and spoke with Nicole Wolf. She said these issues have been brought up before and she would contact the students I referred to resolve the problems. It has been three months and she nor AMU has resolved any issues. They haven't contacted anyone! This school is not worth what you put into it and I would strongly encourage others seeking a legitimate degree go to a more reputable educational institution who will take care of their responsibilities and the more important issue, the students. I gave the total value of AMU as a five, why, because having a degree is better than not having one, but to constantly be sucked in by the lackluster performances of AMU should not negatively affect any student; the way AMU has handled business in the past year is unacceptable as they have not moved an inch to solve multiple student issues and I don't see that being improved anytime soon.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 22, 2012
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New to AMU.....cautiously optimistic!
I am just starting at AMU, awaiting transfer of credits which should place me just over half way to my BA in CJ. The admissions process was smooth, information provided timely and accurately thus far. Financial aid was fairly easy to deal with, as well as initiating the VA process utilizing the GI Bill (Chapter 30). The only issue that I have with the requirements are related to the required course for online studies. This course is intended to teach you how to learn on line and guage your ability, according to the details, and I am paraphrasing. Here is my issue; I have taken dozens of online courses at two other schools. Having said that, and having transferred my credits which came with a current 3.4 GPA, not too shabby, the argument for me taking this class should not be to guage my ability to learn on line. Now...they DO offer the ability to waive the course. To do this you have to submit a resume, write an essay paper and request the class to be waived. Here is my problem; after you have done this, you do not receive credit for the class but credit as having not having to take that class. What happens next is the class MUST be replaced with another elective class to make up the valued credit hours. I have no issue with making those requirements to waive the class, but if you are forcing me to take a class that my record clearly reflects not needing, at least give me credit for the course in the same fashion you would with transferring credits. Outside of that, I have no problems with entering.
After reading some of the negative responses I am entering with a cautiously optimistic point of view and am motivated to finish my BA and move on educating myself from there. Good luck to all.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on November 20, 2011
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Needs improvement but worth the time.
Matierials are probably one of this schools strong suits, they don't charge you for books and the books them selves are very informative. Some of the texts I used were a little out of date but just because they are a few years old doesn't mean that the information provided in them is useles, infact it's much harder to learn much less understand the newer information if you don't have a solid base of previous applications and systems.
I liked the teachers here because they are, for the most part, working in the field that they teach. I had one professor teaching a network defense class that actually works on network security for his fortune 500 company. What I did not like about the teaching here was that is seemed too easy to just coast and they teachers didn't really enforce due dates for assignments, and while on the one hand it makes it easy to catch up if life gets in the way for a while but also on the other hand it sometimes felt like I was being babied. I think that the teachers sould consider adding penalties to late assignments, if gives the student flexability when life get hecktic but also holds the student accoutable for his/her assignments. Most of my professors didn't do this, some did to an extent but I feel like it should be across the board.
The school it self was easy to navigate and very user friendly which i feel it something that is great for students who, like myself, are to online learning.
The school's support staff probably needs the most work. Over all the staff is a very informative and helpful group; the times I have ad to call in to the school and get information or have a question answered they were more than happy to help. The problem I have run into, and this may not even be the school or the employees' fault, was when I would email and ask a question it would take them a while to respond and usually their email alone did not answer all my questions.
The value of the school is really hard to beat especially for an online school. Most schools that I have looked at for online degree programs charged around 300-500 per credit hour while AMU only charges 250 which is perfect for those of us in the military whose tuition assitance will only pay 250 an hour.
The use of technology that I saw at AMU was probably the best and most effective use of technology I had seen in a while. The majority of my text books were in PDF format which is probably the most widely used document viewing format next to JPEGs, but that would take up a huge amount of data space. Their systems and classrooms were easy to access and easy to move around in which made learning and doing my assignments easy and effective.
Overall I think this is probably one of the best online learning institutions that a person, especially a soldier, can go through. This school is regionally accredited, the classes are challenging and require a good amount of work, the value is very hard to beat, the staff is helpful and informative, and they are more than willing to help the students out with anything that comes up. The schol does need some improvement, but at the same time it's nothing major that makes the school unmanagable. I did not feel like this was one of those "on-line degree factories" because the classes were challenging and required a good amount of effort on my part. I will, and have been, recommending this school to several of my fellow soldiers and friends.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 22, 2011
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MA for cheap, but not worth much in the working world.
Like everyone one else in the field, I wanted the MA check mark when applying to a supervisory position. I went to a highly ranked school for under grad and worked very hard for good grades. This school is for profit, does not make you take the GRE, allows you to be accepted with in 20 minutes, and has no GPA requirements. That shows that it isn't a very good school right there. However if you are satisfied with just the check mark and want it for a cheap price and little work, you have your school. I tried one class and am not a fan. However my work pays for my degree, so I am in a little different position as most. I am going to go to a brick and mortal school. I personally feel it is a scam and the wrong way about getting an education, but I am glad I gave it a shot, so I can give it an honest review.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 22, 2011
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AMU - A decent educational experience
I have been attending AMU for about 3 years and am nearing the completion of my degree there. On the positive side, AMU has classes that start every month and on the military TA, you can take 6 classes per year. I am using my GI Bill benefits, which exceeds the cost of tuition. Since it is online, it is very flexible for those that do not have a lot of time to attend conventional classes.
Some of the instructors/classes have exceeded my expectations and I have really learned quite a bit from them. Not all classes have open book tests at the end, but require a research paper of anywhere from 5 to 15 pages. The classes I have gotten the most out of had engaging instructors and students that were involved almost daily in the discussion board topics. In those cases, it made me wish that we were in the classroom and could discuss issues face to face.
Some of the classes have been rather lackluster, and this can be attributed to not having face to face engagement that you could get in a classroom, busy instructors, and students trying to breeze through. I have been able to complete some classes without opening the text book, but that is mostly due to having easy access to online resources.
The bottom line is that you will get out of the class what you put in to it. I tend to work harder if I have someone pushing me a bit, but then again, an engaging instructor always makes a class better. It's not a diploma mill, since you actually do have to put forth some effort, but it's not Harvard either.
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Centinel1787
(Graduate) on September 10, 2011
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The Inevitable and Inexorable Emergence of Online Learning
My overall experience at AMU has been unequivocally positive, nonetheless there were some negatives:
1)The communication interface (Sakai) is ponderous.
2)A challenging instructor I favored was released (Mike Collier in the National Security Studies program).
3)The forums are generally based on exchange of information rather than the confrontational debate that I favor. In cases were I tried to incite heated debate, the instructor terminated the discussion before resolution.
4)The financial aid process appears to be ponderous and centered around meeting the needs of military personnel versus civilians like myself, hence I paid for all of my courses up front and out-of-pocket.
The positives:
1) Interaction with many knowledgeable peers who possessed a unique skill set acquired from working in the military. For example, many of my fellow classmates were highly specialized mid to high level 'managers' in the armed forces actively engaged in the Global War on Terror.
2)Accessibility and low cost of books and other material.
3)Unlike my previous experience at 'respected brick and mortar' institutions in which professors peddled their own textbooks in a callous attempt to make a few bucks at the expense of a captive student audience -- the textbooks required at AMU were awesome and written by acknowledged experts in the field who were not associated with AMU.
4)Courses on research methods and analytics that helped improve my overall ability to conduct, analyze, and present technical reports.
5)Objective, fair, balanced, highly knowledgeable and highly experienced instructors.
Lastly, my review has context since I have extensive and varied experience with both traditional 'brick and mortar' institutions and online schools. Both are demonstrably effective depending on the instructors and the programs. Indeed, based on advancements in electronic communications, I believe that online institutions are in ascendance.
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Meredith.tammy
(In Progress) on August 21, 2011
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Masters Program - Psychology
Myself and my spouse attend this school, I am in a masters program, my spouse is in a bachelors program. Overall, it is good for the money. I am not happy with the majority of instructors or the financail aid/military tuition office. They used to be very responsive, a quick reply within 24 hours. Now, it can take several weeks and IF you hear back at all. My husband has put in his VONAPP months ago, he has emailed and called the VA office at the school, still no response. He will not receiving his VA educational benefits because the school has not done their part. This has put a huge strain on us financially. I noticed I am not the only one who is concerned with faculty response. I have been graded prior to deadlines, and I do not receive responses to emails or questions to the professor. This is really unacceptable when you are in a learning environment. It seems to me they are collecting a paycheck and not contributing to the course whatsoever. Not a good experience. I have had some wonderful professors, but its about 50/50. Sometimes, you do not have a choice of who your instructor is. Because the class lengths are short, you do not have much time for deciding to stay in or drop the course.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 17, 2011
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Just some thoughts
Just observations, not complaints. It would appear that AMU has set itself up as the defacto university for the Military. The costs are very affordable, there are many policies in place that support a service lifestyle and all that entails. In that respect AMU is very good.
Shortly into my degree, I noticed that despite the words, some of the instructors aren't that engaged. This maybe due to them holding down day jobs and working for AMU in the evenings? If so, that's understandable. This might be a personality type thing but it seemed to be a theme I encountered more and more. Also, the tests aren't proctored and, in some cases, not timed. This tends to make them ineffective as far as testing knowledge.
I'm not griping, I'm just making observations that some others might find important when looking at online education.
Just to summarize: The price is right, the offerings are substantial, the reputation is constantly building and, the staff and faculty do appear interested in the individual's success.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 7, 2011
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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!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Patglair
(In Progress) on July 4, 2011
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A good school for the money
I am two-thirds of the way finished with a Master's in Political Science from AMU and I am satisfied. I work in a remote geographic location and I have a wife, two kids, a government career, and two mortgages, so going back to school wasn't an option. I enjoy the online medium and the freedom it affords. I feel that I have learned a wonderful amount so far, all of which I can apply to my life and work.
There are times when I wonder if going to an established brick-and-mortar school would have been a better road to take for a Master's. AMU does not offer mentorship from professors, lectures, or the chance to teach undergraduates, which I've always thought must be a valuable learning experience. Nor is there much prestige tied to the name, as with other schools.
But this school is evolving, and online learning is surely the medium of the future. This degree does provide ample opportunity to read, write, and to a lesser extent debate, and to explore ideas and interests, all of which turns the student on to many new concepts and sharpens his or her analytical and writing skills. I also know plenty of people with Master's degrees from mainstream schools who have either done nothing with them or seemingly profited very little from them, all the while amassing a hefty debt.
These classes are more challenging than my brick-and-mortar undergraduate alma mater in that timelines are compressed, workloads are greater, and standards are higher. I attended a small law school 10 years ago for one year only and the law classes required much more reading and included much more difficult tests. This degree falls somewhere in between.
I am not taking this degree to impress an employer specifically and if that is your goal you might want to go elsewhere. I am taking this degree to challenge and enrich myself. What job does Political Science lead to anyway? But this is an accredited Master's degree and I can combine it with my other skills, employment history, references, etc. to help achieve another promotion at some future time.
My point is that this degree will probably not magically unlock any doors for you, but neither will almost any other Master's degree. Most employers are looking at you as an entire package and your degree is only a part of that. Don't enter this degree thinking you're going to teach at Harvard some day. I'm not sure a Master's at AMU would even be accepted by most non-online Phd programs. But if you go into it with the attitude that this program is one more opportunity to challenge yourself, apply yourself, and learn something useful, you will not be disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on June 4, 2011
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Mixed bag
I am one course away from completing a Masters from AMU. The first half of my degree process encountered good instructors who challenged and actually took the time to provide feedback on papers. They provided weekly summaries (lectures) and actually took the time to critique the papers, of which there are MANY at AMU.
The last few classes however, ugh. No feed back, or a simple, incomplete sentence of acknowledgement. No lectures, no getting into the discussions, NO TEACHING.
I understand this is a Masters program, but the way I see it, I am not perfect and could probably use some "fixing" in my papers.
For the money going into this "for profit", I would expect a better product. I am one class from doing my thesis and have seriously considered dropping and going somewhere else. That is saying alot since I have invested 2 years so far to complete the program and am so very close.
I do not feel challenged in the past few courses, the interaction with other students is good, but there is a lack of critical thinking in posts. Most just regurgitate the information like a 7th grade book report.
The programs are accredited and overall, I think a degree is a degree, but I was hoping for a bit more challenge.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Sam.stolzoff
(In Progress) on May 15, 2011
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Education for Responsible, Motivated, Self Starting Professionals
Just like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. The same could be said for an Ivy League education, or one's experience in the United States Armed Forces. For those who expect their education to be given to them, I wouldn't recommend AMU. Sure, you might get passing grades, but seriously - is it worth all that for a piece of paper with no personal meaning behind it? For professionals and practitioners who take education seriously, and who are willing to put in the time to really learn, then AMU is ideal. You can really get a lot out of an education with AMU, but you'll have to sacrifice weekends and evenings to do homework and required reading. You'll be encouraged by your professors as much as they perceive your sincere ambition to learn backed up by some very hard work. For those who wish to take an education, AMU is as good as it gets. The only limits on a student's academic achievements are self imposed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Jrflipjr
(In Progress) on January 21, 2011
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Highly recommend for online newbies and veterans
I am an active duty USAF member completing my last two courses toward a B.S. in IT Mgmt. I've had experience with traditional schools (U. of S. Miss., Macon State College, Chapman U., U. of Maryland) and online courses (Macon State College, U. of Maryland, AMU). I can honestly say, with regards to online learning, my experience with AMU is phenomenal!
The courses are well developed, standardized, and easy to use. They are designed to be accessible all the time and therefore do not impose time constraints on students for when they need to attend class or log in (with the exception of weekly suspenses for work, exams, etc.) The instructors are well versed in their specialties, open to feedback, responsive and engaged with students/classes. Collaboration with other students is positive, engaging, helpful and fun. Most classes are 8-weeks long with some as long as 16 weeks. Although tuition for military members is much easier than civilians, I suspect the rates are as good, if not better than most schools, considering what you get for the price.
I would recommend AMU for anyone who is not experienced or confident with online learning as well as veterans of distance learning.
I've really enjoyed my time with AMU as they have made university-level learning fun and engaging. AMU has exceeded my expectations to the point that I hope to continue taking courses just for the fun of it!
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on January 7, 2011
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AMU HAS PROVEN TO BE A GREAT SCHOOL!!!!
Back in 2006, I was a student of International Relations at Florida International University. When I was a junior there, I was dissatisfied with the level of expertise and availability of courses that concentrate on the Middle East. After doing a little bit of research on some of the online programs, I found out that APUS (AMU) was the only online-based institution that offers in-depth concentration on the Middle East through its BA Middle Eastern Studies program. With some skepticism in the back of my head, I have transferred to AMU, while simultaneously joining active duty military.
In the beginning, it was tough being a full-time soldier and a student at the same time. I had to concentrate on my priority--obtaining a higher education. This way, whenever the Army was not able to accommodate my schooling, I had to go ahead and find time, regardless of what was going on around me. With sufficient time invested into following through with the coursework, I was able to pull up my GPA to a decent 3.4. This was not an easy task, though. In fact, I have found the online format to be more rigorous and more satisfying, as far as my education goals were concerned.
When talking about the Middle Eastern Studies program at AMU, we have to have in mind that this is a one-of-a-kind program that is mainly available within only a few traditional colleges and universities. Based on my initial search for similar online programs, AMU was the only online institution that grants a BA in Middle Eastern Studies. Today, as a graduate, I can sense that my academic understanding of the Middle East is extremely vital to myself, to our nation, and to the world in which we live. Thank You, AMU, for your academic excellence and a professional approach to education!!!!
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John.anneheim
(In Progress) on January 2, 2011
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Convenient and cost-effective!
I'm about 5 classes short of completing a BS in BA. I've only been enrolled at AMU for a year, but in that time, I've managed to complete 8 courses while in the active-duty Army. For the most part, the classes have been engaging and challenging with responsive instructors who are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt concerning any issues/problems that arise in a course. For instance, some of the exams are time-sensitive and once "opened" online, cannot be "reopened" for completion, basically giving the student one opportunity to finish a test. On a couple of occasions, I inadvertently and prematurely closed an exam to my detriment. A short email to the instructor explaining the circumstances enabled the exam to be reset for another shot at completion. The most challenging classes I've had so far have been general education courses such as History 101 and 102 as well as a 16 week literature course. These courses required extensive reading and writing requirements. Within a week or two of most of these 8-week long courses, a student will be able to grasp exactly what a particular instructor requires to obtain a decent grade. Needless to say as well, a student's work contributions within the initial few weeks of instruction also gives the instructor a better grasp of a student's capabilities. In the end, AMU isn't Harvard or MIT, but for most, getting a degree with minimal debt, if any at all, and in a format that works well with a full-time work schedule is all that matters!
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Carpenter7057
(Graduate) on December 1, 2010
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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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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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Oneilm
(In Progress) on November 5, 2010
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Good school
I am enrolled in American Public University. I have mostly positive comments to say about the school. The quality of people who attend the university are amazing. People who already have other Masters and PHDs, people who are teachers, doctors, lawyers, work for NASA, the government, etc, all attend this school. That speaks highly of the school. I have zero issues with admin or the VA people at the school. This school is for adults, who are self starters, and can comprehend learning somewhat on their own, An online professor can only do so much. So if you want one on one attention eveytime you are in class then go to a brick and mortar school. I can gurantee you that even there you won't get the one on one attention you think you will get. Do what you feel comfrtable with. This school is highly accreditied with the same profesors you would find at any major college or university (same skill sets). You will work hard at this university. If you have no inititaive and are still a baby don't attend. If you are disciplined, need flexibility, and want a challenge, then enroll. Statistics show that online learning will grow in the next decade with 50% of all graduates in America earning an online degree. That number will increase and the brick and mortar schools of the past will fade into obscurity in the next 50 to 100 years. I have learned more online than I ever learned sitting in a classroom because it forces me to do research and go through the website, etc. Mike O'Neil
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Mustangxmike
(Graduate) on October 26, 2010
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AMU - Transportation & Log Mgmt Bachelor's Degre
I got my degree done (19) classes from January 2010 - October 2010. It was extremely challenging. Some teachers seemed out there, others were really good (Scott Brown, Bob Jaffin, Jennifer Batchelor, Roxie Ostlund, Craig Magee) Were a few that really stood out for me. I read a lot of negative reviews before I started, but if you really need the 1 on 1, you need to go to an IN CLASS classroom. To me the online degree was harder to get because you had to motivate yourself, and there was a massive amount of reading.
If you are deployed, or simply don't have enough time to take classes actually in class, go AMU. This was perfect for me.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 7, 2010
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Great Degree For Bragging Rights Or Not?
I am a "Graduate" student at AMU. I don't plan to use this degree for employment purposes, as the value of this degree doesn't appear to be very high, so this is more like a hobby. The personal value I have for this degree is enormous, and I plan to show others my degree with pride.
AMU has done right by me. No problems with my financial aid so far. The instructors are professional and appear to be among the best in their respective fields. The material is challenging and relevant. The classroom technology is annoying, but they have plans to change it. This university is geared towards military, and people who need a quick degree to get a promotion. Graduate students are not treated as budding academics and there is very little support given to students who wish to pursue a PHD. Students who have a poor idea of what pursuing a PHD entails are looking for AMU/APUS to start a PHD in History online program. They will probably be waiting forever. My advice is... if you want to eventually get a PHD, you are better off going to a traditional university. There are teaching, research and funding opportunities there and you won't have to worry about whether a PHD program will accept your M.A. or not.
Overall, AMU is good for those who like to earn degrees for fun. It is an excellent value if you are able to get your employer or Army to pay for it. I wouldn't pay more than $10,000 for a degree from here. For those looking into the institution's professional programs, beware of the accreditation of the program. The university may be regionally accredited but it may not have the actual accreditation for that profession.
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Justin
(Graduate) on September 4, 2010
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AMU is no "free ride"
I received my BA in History from Excelsior College and while working towards it, I took classes at a half dozen schools (online and in person) and transfered credit to Excelsior. I just started with AMU and am working towards an MA in History. Comparing the two History classes that I took at AMU versus Excelsior, U of Idaho, Cal State Northridge, U of Texas at Arlington and Brigham Young, the classes at AMU were (hands down) the most challenging - academically and the challenge posed by the professors. Idaho was a close second. I can say this: the online classes were harder than a class I sat in at the Cal State schools. The Excelsior classes were easier than AMU and the Brigham Young were mid-way but required more discipline as they were "at your own pace" classes. The AMU classes not only required a lot of writing, the STANDARD was very HIGH in that no amateurish work was allowed. Each paper had to be to standard: documentation, thesis, logical and FLOWING argument, punctuation, etc.
AMU is no "easy way" out - really, the only advantage in going the AMU route versus your local "brick and mortar" school is the 8 week class length & the ability to work from home (or in my case, Afghanistan). You aren't getting a "free ride" by going to AMU and I can't imagine ANY school or entity not taking the degree seriously if they know the crucible that the student must pass to finish a course.
Oh, and 8 week classes are no joke; expect 200% the work load of a 4 month class. And only take 1 at a time; I took two once and it was near academic suicide.
Typical AMU 8 week course consists of reading 3+ textbooks cover to cover, writing at least one 4 page paper + a ten page research report, weekly discussion boards (and no "simple" posts - you are required to post a 250+ word argument that is backed up by documentation and reference to the texts and/or outside sources), TWO answers to other students that also require documentation and reference to the texts, a mid-term - usually a term paper), a final exam (another paper), bi-weekly quizes, etc. Yeah, its a lot of work. You should expect to spend 10 to 12 hours OR MORE in front of your computer each week. Its like having a part time job.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 30, 2010
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MS Environmental Studies
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.
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Thomasgibsondmt
(Graduate) on August 6, 2010
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American Public University/American Military Unive
I found the university to be both challenging and intellectually stimulating. If this is your first online course, initially you might not comprehend the amount of work that is required for a successful learning experience. The majority of the coursework consists of researching material and then writing papers about subject. Make no mistake about it, you will be writing paper after paper and they are dissected word by word and comma by comma.
Every week a different topic is put up for discussion and you must respond to at least two students with some meaningful dialogue. The response should contain references to your subject matter and be at a scholarly level. Your papers also must be of a scholarly nature complete with intext citations, references and according to APA 6th Edition writing guidelines. All written papers are subject to plagiarism review under TurnItIn. If you are unfamiliar with TurnItIn, it is a plagiarism review site that generates a specific report as to the percentage of copied material. It is impossible to copy and paste information into your written papers, so all work is original.
I typically spent 2-3 hours per day during the week and all of Saturday and some of Sunday, researching the material and writing. It was necessary to devote this much time to keep up with the academics and to respond to my fellow students with clarity of thought and that the material I wrote was pertinent to the discussion.
I graduated with a 3.9725 GPA, and earned every bit of it. Based upon my transcripts and GPA, I was accepted into two different doctoral programs, and have just finished my second quarter of doctoral work, holding a 4.0 GPA. The professors at APUS-APU/AMU prepared me for the rigorous academic work required at the doctoral level, and for that I am grateful.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 20, 2010
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Perfect for Military, Great for all Others
I am about to complete my BA in Military History. I have to say, for the military people who transfer in, you will get a substantial amount of transfer credit. I recieved 33 hours for just military experience. This may vary depending on your job, but you will get something none-the-less. Potentially, you can save yourself an entire year of school(about $7,500).
Most of the teachers are amazing. Some have little quirks that can get annoying, but that is normally the case when studying under anybody. Also, getting course materials for free is always great. I would highly reccomend this school and program to anyone that has an interest in history or military strategy. I can honestly say I have learned a massive amount from this school and will be forever better for it, even though I will not have an opportuinty to work directly in the field.
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Yourexodus
(In Progress) on July 18, 2010
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Challenging, But Not Enough Technical Focus
AMU's Information Systems Security (ISS) program is still in its "beta" phase apparently. Since signing up for the program in 2008, they changed the program to include a Digital Forensics class (but made the class unavailable to "older" ISS students).
The course material is relevant, but most of the books are very outdated. For some reason, many of the core and major classes use CIW training books, which are between 4-7 years old - an unacceptable amount of time for Information Security. It was only with one or two core/major classes that a real up-to-date book was used.
Also, there are next-to-no real hands-on labs that can be practiced. AMU does not take advantage of Virtualization Technology to help students practice the labs included in the books. Multiple students have recommended that AMU setup a practice environment for students to practice what they've learned (i.e., setting up a practice server to perform enumeration, scanning, and exploit techniques on, etc.), but the request has fallen on deaf ears.
The ISS degree does teach students a lot of theory on the Information Security field - something that can prepare them for a more management-focused position. Where they fail is on the technical Information Security "side of the house." I wish I would have known about the IAE/CAE accreditation before signing up, but I am now just a few months away from graduating. I plan on transferring into a graduate program that is IAE/CAE distinguished, so AMU's regionally accreditation will help with that.
Most of my learning came from the final papers I had to write (average of 10-15 pages per class). Since I conducted the research on my own, I was able to learn a lot about specific subjects. Also, some of the students have a good amount of experience in the IS field, and they can be awesome resources for information during the discussion boards.
Most of the courses went smoothly, but some classes had exams and quizzes with questions unrelated to the course material being studied. It seems like the instructor(s) copied and pasted questions off of exams they've taught in other courses, leading many students to answer incorrectly.
To summarize, AMU's program is acceptable if you already have experience in the IS/IA field. DON'T expect it to turn you into a technical practitioner with penetration and auditing abilities. DO expect it to teach you a broad view of the Information Security field; DO expect employers to accept the degree as being regionally accredited; DO expect flexibility with your military/working schedule. If you want to learn how to be a "hacker," many of the labs included in the books can be practiced on your own time, with your own security lab (don't expect to conduct any teacher-assigned exercises during the program). If you're a new undergraduate student looking for a Information Security degree, try to find other alternative programs that are actually IAE/CAE distinguished.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on June 15, 2010
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Good Program
I recently completed my M.A. in National Security Studies with a concentration in Terrorism Studies from American Public University (APU). My biggest complaint is that much of the assigned reading material was dated. I would have liked to see more handouts also - some teachers used very interesting ones and others did not. Like other schools, there are good and not so good instructors - APU is no different. I've taken graduate courses with Auburn and the Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC)- both in-residence, I enjoyed the subject matter the most with APU but liked the school and professors better at Auburn. I would have graduated with Auburn but my assignment was completed and I had to relocate so I wasn't able to complet my graduate work with them. JMIC had the worst instructors in my opinion although the subject, Strategic Intelligence, was timely and interesting. Looking back, I find that I prefer an actual classroom enviornment to the on-line format; however, the on-line classroom met my needs based on convenience, affordability, and time/attendance. APU had the best support staff and tech response out of the three institutions I attended. Bottom line, if you are looking for affordability and convenience - you can't go wrong with APU/AMU. If you want mental stimulation and the ability to learn from fellow students in an actual classroom enviornment go with the more traditional "live" learning format.
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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.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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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.
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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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on February 10, 2010
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You ARE YOUR degree
I am a Professor at AMU and I’ve read these reviews and I see nothing out of the ordinary. Some pleased, some not. I offer my two cents. For clarification before I start, I have an undergraduate degree from a small, brick and mortar, four-year University, private school and a graduate degree from one of the Top FIVE of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools:
1. EVERY University has poor professors. Period. Professors fall into three categories. Poor; great ones that students love and great ones that students hate. A Professor is not supposed to know more than you. His/her responsibility is to challenge you and in the process make you a better student. College is a developmental milestone, not a Game Show.
2. You ARE YOUR degree. I do not care where you attend college; Harvard or some mail order Dental School, YOU GET WHERE YOU GET IN LIFE on merit. I have colleagues with degrees from Cornell and Princeton and I would not let them babysit my cat. On the other extreme, one of the most successful people I know (small business owner, retired at 35 and lives very comfortably) barely finished high school.
So, if you expect a COLLEGE DEGREE to define you. DO NOT ATTEND AMU. I don’t want you in my classes. I build decisive leaders with a strong foundation of academics and most importantly an understanding of academia’s place in the ‘REAL WORLD’. I build people the type of people I want next to me in my profession.
On a personal note; if your post is riddled with misspellings and poor grammar, forgive me if your opinion of higher education does not hold water.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 3, 2010
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Very Impressed
I am concluding my first year of study with AMU I am very impressed so far. I am seeking my Bachelor's in Religion and I love it! Now, that being said, do not enroll if you just want an easy degree. I have to work very hard to make the grade in my courses. The only complaint that I have is that the instructors are never very involved in the discussion boards, and you learn very little from them unless you ask a specific question via email. I have attended the University of Tennessee, and the difficulty of those classes pale in comparison to AMU. At UT, I was the typical 18 year old college student, partying constantly with occasional Cliff's Notes. Not so with AMU--I spend much more time studying and retaining what I learn. Online study is much more difficult than I originally thought. Much more discipline, time, and effort required. Overall, can't complain and would recommend to the serious student.
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Michael.odom
(In Progress) on February 2, 2010
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Over all a great experience.
I am currently enrolled and am taking the final requirement for my MA in Intelligence Studies. I chose this school at first because it fit my budget (Military TA) and schedule (Full time Military). Nearing the end of my program, I have to say that the experience at the school has been an outstanding one. First off, the assignments and course work was challenging. At times it was a bit easy, but that may have been because I had prior insight into subject. The subjects I did not have any insight on, were very challenging and educational. The teachers were for the most part, engaging and gave useful feed back. I did have a few teachers that were not so interactive, but every school has those teachers. The support was outstanding. When ever I needed to speak with student services, they were helpful, understanding and responsive. If I sent an email, it was replied to the next day. I am stationed in Japan, so saying that the service was outstanding means a lot considering the time differences that had to be overcome. Over all AMU is an outstanding option for anyone in the military.
Now I feel I must address some of the negative comments. Every person's experience will differ, but here something’s that should be considered when starting a program with AMU. The support will help, but as an adult you cannot or should not expect everything to be done for you. I had to stay up late at night to contact support, but when I called, they were always helpful. I cannot speak about being deployed, but again, as an adult you should be responsible enough to plan ahead. As far as the teachers and lack of teaching, you are taught in high school and in some undergraduate classes. The part of being a Graduate student is that you have learned to develop your own ideas. You accomplish the reading and formulate your own opinions. After all, you will soon receive the title of MASTER in a given discipline. The teachers do not "teach" you because after you are complete with your program they expect you to be almost on par with their education or close to it. One thing I should also note about some of these complaints. They sound recycled and have read the same complaints from other college reviews. AMU is a great option. It is not Harvard or other well known universities, but why even compares AMU to these Universities? With an open mind, effort, and responsibility, AMU will get you to your goal.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on January 26, 2010
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Current Student
I am currently enrolled in AMU in there B.A. in History degree. I have attended a "Brick and Mortar" college in the past. Keeping those points short, I can continue to my current experience with this University.
I have had a couple of problems with AMU, none too dissimilar from those who posted negative comments here. I have taken 5 classes and withdrew from my 6th course. Within the first five courses there were a few issues that arose that were aggravating but none that were real "deal-breakers" for me. The first course (COLL100) was one that I initially felt I did not need to take. I am 35 years old, have attended college before, and have been doing online research for years; taking this course seemed to be a waste of time for me. However, once I put my ego aside and committed to the course, I found it actually very informative. Granted, from an academic learning standpoint, it was useless, but I did learn how to assess my learning habits and it helped me develop a routine for successfully navigating my online learning experience.
I did take issue with one instructor for his lack of activity in the Discussion Boards but my grade was not effected because of this. I actually ended up having quite a discussion with him (course related) through emails.
I did have one instructor who's computer did not meet the schools minimum technical requirements and, thus, had to adapt my assignments to formats that met the instructor's computer capabilities.
These were aggravations, but did not I did not hold the school responsible for this. The materials in these courses has been challenging and assignments have been, overall, demanding.
The sixth course (the one I withdrew from) was an entirely different "beast". The instructor set very high demands on grammar and format, yet her syllabus and online writing was atrocious. As a student, I was informed that I would be marked down one point for every grammatical and format error, yet she did not seem to hold herself to the same standard. The class also had "weird" deadlines that were very different from my previous classes. We had assignment deadlines on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday with some assignments to be turned in on a Monday following "X" week. The schedule she laid out would put me in front of the computer just about everyday and, I felt, this was a bit too demanding. So I dropped the class and will take it under a different instructor at a later time.
I really do not feel that I would have any different experience with any other college. Overall, I am satisfied with the materials and the school. I agree there is definite room for improvement, but that seems to be consistent with every school I have researched. The price of this school and my overall experience (so far) is the reason that I recommend this school to friends.
Thanks
J.D.
Current Student
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Mendez.de.russell
(Graduate) on January 15, 2010
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Wonderful School
I completed my BA in Legal Studies from AMU in November, 2008 and, after carefully researching several universities, I recently started my MA in Criminal Justice at AMU as well. I began AMU in 2004 while I was active duty. When I registered for both my BA and Masters I have gotten and immediate response from AMU staffs either by e-mail. Considering it is an on-line school I believe this practice to be perfectly acceptable.
While in active duty I deployed and went TDY several times; I never had an issue getting an extension or dropping my classes. The professors where extremely knowledgeable and experienced on the materials they were teaching, often challenging students to do well. Discussions were posted by the professors and all students participated. I was able to contact my professors frequently if I had personal issues or if I had questions about my assignments. English is my second language. Professors where understanding of that. I never felt that I was put in the back burner for not being an English native speaker.
When you register for a class you are provided a list dates the classes are offered and the names of the professors who will be teaching the class and their biography. This is an outstanding practice since everyone has different personalities, thus you might work better with some professors than others. I’ve never had my schedule or professors changed out on me.
One great perk with going to school at AMU is that text books are included in your tuition. Not only did I get my text books deliver to my home, they also got delivered to my places of deployments and TDY’s. I’ve even gotten my books in Puerto Rico while I was there on vacation. You get good quality text books that you sell back to the store they buy them from. Yes, you get a free text book that you can sell back and get some cash in your pocket. The same text books are provided to you online at the library.
I am not saying that everything was perfect all the time, but it was at least 90% of the time. The negative was overcome by the positive. I was setting my own schedule, going to school from anywhere in the world, having my books delivered at my door (wherever that was), not having to schedule vacations around school, having the flexibility to manage my military and civilian life (I am now in the reserves) and finally graduating from a bachelors program and now having a degree that makes me more marketable.
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Miguel.hdz
(In Progress) on January 5, 2010
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American Military U. review
Various AMU reviewers on this site have an unrealistic view of what a college education is for. They seem to think that the reason you go to college is "to get a job." In a way, this is not the reviewers' fault as AMU and indeed most colleges and universities actively promote this idea. While it is undoubtedly true that having a BA, an MA and even a PhD is a path to getting a job, the principal reason for getting any of these academic credentials should be simply to become an educated person and getting a job may be one of the consequences. I say may, because there are probably many, many examples of people with degrees who are unable to find work and comparatively few people who are actually employed in the field of their undergraduate and graduate studies and, regardless of the institution in which they studied. To me it is a breech of ethics for AMU and indeed any liberal arts school such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc. to state or even to imply that their degree will result in a job after graduation.
Now as to AMU and its on-line graduate military history program. It is just fine and perhaps even better than most I have looked at including those at "brick and mortar" (BM) schools. All of my AMU professors have the PhD credential from prestigious schools and have been published. Furthermore, many are still employed at a BM institution and some are currently in the military or have served. As an example one of my professors is a graduate of U.S. West Point Military Academy, the Army War College and Has a PhD from Duke and headed up the Army's History program. In short many if not most of the AMU professors have multiple degrees are published and even better, have practical on the job experience. Accordingly they would get Thucydides unreserved approval, He said: "The state which separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by fearful men and its fighting by fools.”
Now as to on-line education, students should realize that in fact there is no such thing. You get an education by reading. At Oxford, the Sorbonne, the Universidad de Salamanca and other top European schools its graduates say. "I read history" meaning that there were extensive readings and that often they had to read their papers or at least share them with their classmates. Learning also highly depends on the individual's self disciple and motivation to learn. So it still comes down to the effort that the students put into their education that ultimately determines how much they will retain and how beneficial the overall experience was to their future career.
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Tiger28227
(In Progress) on January 5, 2010
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great experience
I'm having an excellent learning experience at apu. I've read through many of these posts. I can't get over the negative ones! The majority of their complaints are because the school won't refund their money because they dropped a course, or, I'm having problems with financial aid. The policies were in place before you signed up. I find it very, very hard to believe that someone who does very well at this school, would go back and post something on the internet about how easy it was, how they got a 4.0, how its such a joke. It makes absolutely no sense. Do excellent at a school, whether online or brick and mortar, then immediately go onto the internet and write a complaint about how easy it was. You would be hurting yourself as much as the University, and simply would not do it if you were an intelligent person.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 30, 2009
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Don't Waste Your Time or Money at AMU.
I am convinced that AMU/APUS is a scam. I received conflicting messages from the people at Financial Aid which made me extremely leery of this institution, so I left. I was also discouraged by the comments of current students who say that it is extremely easy to make good grades at this school and the frequent complaints about the discussions being canned. If I am going to use federal student loans for a Master's degree, I figure it should be used at an institution that has a solid academic reputation. If I am just reading books and learning entirely on my own with little to no interaction from the instructor, I am financially better off if I go to the public library. I was told by several professionals within the Intelligence community that this university is not a good place to go if you are looking to successfully switch careers, go into highly competitive areas (such as Intelligence) or further your education at the PHD level. Contrary to various online sources, AMU Intelligence graduates are in for a rude awakening upon graduating, because when they are up against someone from one of the more reputable Intelligence programs, or even someone from a more reputable school period, AMU graduates will loose every time unless they have substantial military experience and a Top Security Clearance. As far as PHD aspirations are concerned, any reputable school will frown on a Master's degree from AMU, not because it is online, but because the curriculum is severely lacking in crucial areas. I even had an "Intelligence Studies" academic advisor admit this to me. This college is good for retirees, those already financially well-off and who can afford to pursue degrees in their hobby/special interest, or those who have already established a solid reputation at their job and just need to get a degree at the dime of the military or their employer.
Any graduate school that does not require the GRE, a min. GPA, or at least two letters of recommendation is not a legitimate graduate school. Graduate school is suppose to be competitive, not open to anyone who can submit a transcript of their undergraduate academic record. I understand that some people don't want to go through the process of applying to grad school and some may not be good with the GRE, but anything worth having never comes easy or cheap. Think about that before you enroll in AMU, especially if you are trying to further your education and taking out loans from Sallie Mae to finance your education.
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Stephan.andrus
(In Progress) on December 28, 2009
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My two cents...
Ok, first off I would like to say that I am not as advanced in this system as most. I have taken about 5 classes with these people thus far..
Good:
-The classes are all covered by the TA for active duty.
-The books are FREE!! for undergraduate classes
-There is a $100 fee to get all your trascipts together, but they doo all the footwork.
-You can transfer from degree path to degree path if you chose, you just have to submit the right paperwork. I originally started as courses for transfer because i had other plans. however, now I am continuing with a degree from these guys as I was impressed.
-The instructors worked around my field time and allowed me to catch up. This is easy to do unless you are just that much of a tool.
-Customer service has been very quick to respond to any of my concerns regard degree plans and changes to my courses being taken.
-Great feedback from students and instructors alike.
-The website is accessible via the military computers and work can be completed at work. However, other school websites are blocked for one reason or another and you have to wait until you get home.
Bad:
-some may think that the $100 fee utilized in getting your transcripts together is too much to ask.
-Courses are in fact $750 each, which is a bit much compared to other schools, BUT concidering books are free AND TA covers the cost...is it really too much?
-I did run into an instructor that was very rigid in her ways, but that was only 1 out of 5. I was still able to work around her guidelines and my field time, but it proved to me a little more challenging. Thank God the other instructors were more flexible.
All in all, there are TONS of schools that one could attend. Yes a degree from Harvard would be MUCH more prestigous than an AMU degree, but if you you could attend Harvard...why are you even talking about AMU? For Active Duty folks, I think this college is great!
If it works for you, then great! If it doesn't and you prefer to go elsewhere then do so and good luck to you. AMU isn't for everyone. Nor is Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 28, 2009
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Wow...
I have been attending AMU for 9 weeks now; and so far, I have been far from impressed. I wrote my final paper and received the feedback from my professor stating that my paper was too short. I pointed out to her that the final paper requirements stated that the length of the paper was to be the amount of pages I wrote-so she kindly bumped me up a couple of points. Then in my other course, I had the same problem. The professor wrote: "Paper should be two-three (3-5) pages in length". Okay, so what is it, 2-3 or 3-5? Then to top that off, there was no emailing her because she took it upon herself to take the week off for Christmas.
I know I am not the perfect student, and that there is no such thing as perfect professors. However, I would think that we can and should expect a little more from a UNIVERSITY. I recently earned my BA from another online university, I took 14 courses there, and not once did I have these types of problems. I guess you really do get what you pay for! I am presently looking into different colleges and I am hoping that I can find one that lives up to the same type of standards as my previous college.
Oh and I almost forgot to mention, you make your own schedule here, choose the professor you would like to take the course with, and they change it on you without even telling you. You log into your portal and tada! It has been changed!!! This has happened to me twice in 9 weeks. What is the point of choosing your courses and professors if they are just going to change everything to how they want it anyway? I should have known to stay away from this university. I had applied and no one bothered contacting me about how to go about the rest of the process, and I tried calling and I got a voicemail, left a voicemail, never got a call back. So I withdrew and then they called wondering why I withdrew I let them know, and they asked if I would give them another chance. I did, and now I regret it...
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Robert.lee.hawkins
(In Progress) on December 14, 2009
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AMU is worth the price
I just completed my AA in Personnel Administration and am currently enrolled in the BA Criminal Justice program at AMU. As a law enforcement professional and Army Guard soldier, I was concerned with having the time to go to school and not having time for my family. Not to mention getting a quality education online. My brother graduated from AMU with his MA in Sports management and recommended AMU to me. I have found the entire AMU experience to be positive. Enrollment, financial aid, educational advisors, etc. have all been prompt and efficient when dealing with any issues I have had. The flexibility of the online delivery has eased my concerns on being able to manage all of my time committments.
The instructors have been very good and for the most part easy to get along with. As with any organization, there will be an instructor or two that a person just does not care for, however that is not indicative of the institution. I have found the coursework challenging and insightful, as well being able to utilize real world scenarios to apply the concepts being presented. Instructors do a solid job of facilitating discussion amongst the class via the discussion threads.
I am extremely happy with AMU and would recommend it to anyone, especially adult learners, who are trying to earn a college degree. With AMU being regionally and nationally accredited, a degree from AMU is worth the price of admission.
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Hugonaut
(In Progress) on October 30, 2009
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Good School
One of the best things about this school are the instructors. Many are involved in the field of study in which they teach. I like the fact that they bring in people who have knowledge (not just academic) about how the "real" world utilizes the information that they pass on to students. Instructors like Dr. Steven Greer, Dr. Anna Simmons, and Dr. Edwin Bundy are examples of those who actually practice what they teach.
The only issue that I have is how they schedule their Master's thesis course. For those of us using federal employee vouchers and who have to submit them ahead of registering, they make it difficult when registering for that final course. Even though I tried to get my academic advisor to understand that I am capable of carrying that course plus an elective (GPA: 3.85, now higher after this term) and explaining my voucher process, my complaint fell on deaf ears. Other than that issue, I like the school. It is tough, a lot of research, reading, and writing required.
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Robalvarado
(Graduate) on October 5, 2009
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Great Online School
I went to AMU for the past 2 years, and recently got my MA in American History. I had a few reservations at first with going to a 100% online school, but the professors and expectations were great. Plus, most "regular" Universities have already started offering online, distance education courses. Cinncinati, UCSB, UCLA, etc., all offer some degrees online. AMU is one of the best because they offer many programs. All I know is this: I'm a teacher and the last thing my district wants to do (especially right now) is pay more money for a MA degree. My district verified that the credits earned at AMU were legit and no different than my credits at a "brick and mortar" university, and I got a pay raise. As far as I'm concerned, that's all the confirmation I need that AMU is a great school!!!! (That and the quality of the courses as well...)
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 16, 2009
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It's College
Okay. I am the fence-straddler reviewer. My time at AMU has been mixed, but I look at it from the perspective of someone who has in the past attended brick-and-mortar institutions as a full-time student.
For the part-time student with a full-time job, crazy schedules, children, or any other distractions, AMU is unparalleled in the support they provide. I managed to eek out 24 hours while I was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom for 15 months, and I traveled within the country extensively! If it were not for AMU's compassionate system and professors willing to give me the time and space needed, I could not have even approached college work while participating as a combatant. For the full-time student, AMU provides an excellent opportunity to finish your degree early. I am taking 9-12 hours per 8 week session which equates to around 18-24 hours per semester. The price is not all that bad either considering the book grant for undergrad's, Lexis Nexis access, and many other perks.
The actual academics and workload can, admittedly, seem too easy at times, but there are facets of the experience that make you "earn your degree." Discussion boards continue to be a pain in my side since many of my peers only provide what is required by the syllabus and give no extra effort to synthesize and analyze materials. Non-essay tests are often a joke since they are non-proctored (however, I prefer this) and rarely timed. However, essay tests and timed tests can often be a thrilling challenge. In my particular field of study (philosophy major and history minor) there is extensive writing. I have calculated upwards of 2000 words per week per class to include discussion boards and responses. The science classes I have taken thus far have been interesting, and I have particularly enjoyed the virtual labs.
For a final thought I leave you with this - I was going to transfer to Georgetown University this fall (2009) but was unable to due to family issues. Georgetown calculated that ALL of my credits earned at AMU were transferable. I believe it, and I am going to stick out the last 30 hours of my BA with AMU.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 3, 2009
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A lot of bitter, petty reviews
I am working towards a MA in Military History, and I have had a challenging and rewarding experience with AMU. I have not had any of the problems the minority (complaints) have cited, and it seems that many are merely being petty based on what seem like relatively minor points.
I can only speak as to the graduate level courses, but people do not simply coast through with a 4.00. I was kept off of the President's List because I had two A-, but my GPA is not representative of the whole. Of those I have taken classes with, I have only seen one other make the Dean's or President's Lists. If everyone was skirting through with 4.00's or close to it, shouldn't we all be on the list?
I have had relatively few problems with financial aid, and no more than I have had with other schools. It seems a few bitter reviews revolve around some minor mistake, or they couldn't get transfer credit for "life experience." Most schools that will give you such credit are diploma mills.
I also have not had professors that completely checked out. They have taken part in discussions, have given content-specific feedback on papers, etc. I have not agreed with or been chums with all of my professors, but my grades never suffered because of their personal biases, etc.
I will also say that AMU is most assuredly not a diploma mill. I write more papers in one semester than most other people that I know write in a year at B&M schools.
Also, the person that said accreditation does not matter because AMU is private is a moron. All accreditation is done privately by the regional organizations. In reality, anyone could argue that the entire system is bollocks, but it is what we operate under. AMU is accredited under the APUS by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission, which accredits some of the best universities in the US. AMU may not be on par with the University of Michigan, but they have to meet the same standards to be accredited by the HLC.
Most of the negative reviews appear to be petty, bitter, and full of misinformation.
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Alkalinecreative
(In Progress) on August 28, 2009
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The point is.. I AM LEARNING
I am finishing my 5th class with AMU. I jumped on this site looking to see what others have said about the school, and I have to say I don't think it's fair to rank down an institution with all "1"s if you had problems funding your first and only class, if you had a problem with registration ect. EVERY college has bureaucratic B.S. you have to go through when you are getting up and going. I had the same problems. I had to drop classes, cancel TA, get my dates pushed back into a new FY. That meant less money for me to complete my degree, messing up my timetable. But I can't say "DONT GO TO THIS SCHOOL" like I have seen some people say on here, because that would not be fair. That is just the way it goes with many organizations. Now, as for the teachers, yes, it would be nice to get a little more attention and personal feedback on assignments, especially considering how much time I have spent on certain papers. But they always respond to questions, they always make corrections that need to be made (and that are constructive) and they have been reasonably flexible with my professional obligations. The point is, I AM LEARNING. I am learning a lot, actually. My readings and class material are challenging, but not impossible. If you put the work into it, just like anything, you can maintain a 4.0 average. Sure, some classes are easier to get "A"s in than others. But that is the truth for any school, isn't it? I have one I am in right now that is DAMN hard, the professor grades his essays real tough and weights them heavy in the grade. A student has to be on the ball. My point is if you are looking up reviews to choose a school to go to, don't listen to the "bah humbug" reviews in the thread. Take a class, one class (not the "Foundations of Learning", that is a B.S. mandatory class. An example of easy "A"), and see for yourself. Good luck.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 23, 2009
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It’s true! AMU is not entirely a diploma mill.
At first I thought the complainers here were just idiots who couldn’t follow the school’s policies and procedures. But after completing 6 classes I began to realize how overrated the education really is at AMU.
The instructors provided simple, cookie-cutter questions that any average 5th grader could answer. Of the 15 books that were assigned for my classes, I never cracked one open and yet I received an ‘A’ in 5 of my classes. The mid-term and final exams were never proctored and the instructors never gave less than a week to complete the exams. Even more surprising, my assignments were never adequately addressed; my personal feedback seemed very general and could’ve been written for any student. Though many of the instructors are experts in their fields, it seems they hold primary jobs at brick & mortar schools and work here for extra income. For those who disagree, just do a little research.
Unfortunately, because placement testing is not required for enrollment at AMU, I would say that over half of the students I encountered couldn’t string more than two grammatical sentences. As part of the standard workload, students are required each week to answer Discussion Board questions and in turn respond to their classmates’ work. It was very frustrating at times to co-exist with students who have little or no basic analytical skills.
Could AMU improve its education system? Sure, especially if AMU itself believed that “education is what you put into it.” If AMU delivered both asynchronous and synchronous learning, then perhaps the bar could be raised. Some possible improvements: mandatory placement testing; web conferencing tools to help build better communities (live meetings, face to face); pre-recorded video lectures on all classes; ALL exams to be proctored and timed (no open books). Otherwise it’s too easy to attain a 4.0 GPA and hard not to feel guilty about it later. Before I transferred with an A.A degree, I had some experience with online classes at a community college, but those classes required proctored exams and only 3 hours to complete – not all week with an open book.
For obvious reasons, I cannot recommend AMU as a means of gaining a higher education. I understand this institution is regionally accredited, but what is accreditation without quality education? It’s a no-brainer.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 27, 2009
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What the hell!!!
I just finish my third class with AMU, and I got mix feelings. My first and second classes, sometimes I seems that the profesors were not there, ONLY to get and attitude about a paper and to reply, "This is Grad School". My last teacher, swears up and down that he is this and that, BUT his instructions are misguiding, the class references are a bit old, and if you don't write the way HE wanted, well, he will flunk you. Last time I check, GRAD school papers were done either APA, or MLA style!!! Well, can't complaint too much, I only pay the difference of the TA and books...Good luck everyone.
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Xpilky1
(Graduate) on July 15, 2009
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Quality of Education Stands up to the Best
I recently finished my BA in ME Studies. I had previously attended Brigham Young University as an Economics major for 2 years. After joining the Air Force, I became genuinely intrigued by Middle Eastern Affairs and switched majors. Over the last 2 years, I tried hard to do all the assignments and readings that were assigned by the instructors. I had always thought that the education I was getting might somehow be second-hand simply because it is an online-degree. But the materials and the expertise of the instructors to me was very similar to those I had interacted with while attending a physical campus. Nevertheless, there was still that uneasiness. That was until very recently.
About 8 months ago I applied for a State Department Critical Language Scholarship for overseas Advanced Arabic Studies. This is a very competitive, merit-based scholarship awarded to students from all over the country. Well I got it. Imagine the inadequacy I felt during the orientation introductions in Washington, D.C. where I was surrounded by students from all of the Ivy League schools, and many other prominent ones...yes, ALL of the Ivy League schools, as well as some very good schools known for their developed regional programs such as UCLA, UCSB, UT Austin, George Washington University and Georgetown. Some students were pursuing their Bachelor's degrees, but most had already completed theirs and were now pursuing Masters, and even a few Doctorates. Most were focused on Middle Eastern Studies, International Relations, Islamic Studies, History, etc. I felt for sure that my ignorance would soon be revealed by simply participating in intellectual discussions that would undoubtedly arise.
Well I have been in Jordan (scholarship) now for almost 2 months with these students and I have come to realize that I have been very well prepared and educated in ME studies and issues by the instructors and materials from American Military University. Of course, I do believe that one could easily skate through classes without putting in the effort that I did, but I know from experience and from talking with these other students that this can also be easily done in the nations best schools. The school (AMU) does indeed prepare the student; the materials are excellent, I had some professors better than others (which I made a point to bring up on each end of class review), and some classes were cake while some I wanted to throw out the window. It is the same at a regular university.
I guess I expected much less out of an online school, but I got a much better education than what I expected, and as it turns out, one that can stand proudly next to the best schools in the country.
My only CON would be the cost. I guess I shouldn't complain since TA paid for it all, but for those of you who do not receive some sort of tuition assistance, I feel like $250 per credit hour might be a little steep.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 14, 2009
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AMU Review
I have attended AMU for the past 4 years. Overall an outstanding school.
Several things drew me towards AMU -- online flexibility, doesn't exceed TA reimbursement, undergraduate book grant, and regional accreditation.
My experience with instructors has varied from excellent to fair. However, I have also attended other colleges as a resident (not online), and found the same issues with instructors.
As for faculty support, I have had success and good, accurate answers.
The majority of my classes have had hard copy books. Once AMU receives TA payment, the book order goes to the book provider. Since I am in an undergraduate program, the books are paid for.
How can I ask for more than the military to pay 100% TA and the college covers books? For me, a huge selling point.
A person will only get out of a school what they put into a school. In other words, if you don't want to do the research, reading, etc then I don't know what you are going to get out of it.
I would recommend AMU to my fellow military brethren. I enjoy th flexibility of classes (8 weeks only), the book grant, and the education I am getting through AMU.
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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?
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on June 5, 2009
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Scam!
APUS is just another college scam. None of the instructors are supervised, none of their credentials can be checked out(so you might be getting "educated" by somebody who has an AA, best case scenario). Department of Education can't do anything about them because they are a private college,a business and not an actual school.
Any private school can get accredited, i is not based off quality of education.
The books they claim to give for free as often just low quality pdf files. Somebody needs to report them to the publishing company.
Now instructors at AMU do whatever they want to do. They give assignments that are not related to class, they will fail you if they do not like you or your ideas, they will not explain anything, not mentioning teach.
If you try to complain to school officials, they will try their best to cover up for the instructor and convince you that you are either :
1) an idiot
2) a foreigner and therefore an idiot
That being said - not foreigner friendly. You will be filing discrimination complaints like there's no tomorrow.
Not military friendly as it claims to be either. If you will get deployed and try to drop out of classes - good luck getting your money back. You will keep fowarding copies of your orders and they will keep having "system errors".
I love the PR team though, so many great comments that sound way unrealistic. Good job guys!
Anybody who had a bad experience with AMU please do not "let it slide", file a complaint with the "office of civil rights" or at least create an online blog describing your problem. People need to know the truth and the school needs to get shut down.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on May 29, 2009
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UOP VS AMU
I actually transferred to AMU from the University of Phoenix in Sept 2008. My experience has been different from UOP. First, I must admit that at UOP I never read my books I just read enough to complete the assignments. There were discussion questions, shorts papers, and power point presentations and that was it. I passed every class with an A, which was about 16 classes. Now imagine passing a class without reading and completely comprehending the reading materials. My professors provided the same feedback “Excellent work” “great job” etc…I was expecting concise feedback in reference to content, critical thinking etc… However, at AMU is slightly more challenging I actually received A’s B’s and C’s. This is mainly because they have quizzes and exams and if you do not know the answer or if you are not able to find the answer than you are SOL. Also, some of the exams are timed and require a proctor. Overall, an online degree is easier than the traditional school as I have attended traditional college as well but it just depends on the individual. In other words, my degree is not going to get me a job because I already have a career but it will be nice to say that I have one and I can say that I have learned a lot from my courses at AMU and I would be able to hold a conversation with someone who graduated from a traditional school.
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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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Tjcaucutt
(In Progress) on May 7, 2009
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A great choice
I'm sorry some of you had poor AMU experiences, but mine has been just fine. Yes, teachers will sometimes run the course on autopilot, but education is always about self-motivation anyway. AMU gives you good resources--books, lecture notes, a great online library--but leaves it up to you to learn something.
I write a ton for this program--more so, in fact, than my wife who attended a brick-and-mortar, accredited, private college. In fact, most mid-terms and finals are some sort of writing assignment.
For some, the grad program is beneficial; however, I want to become a professional in my field, and am postponing my Masters until I EAS. A "normal" college will give me more research opportunities, internships and contact with professors. If I had no alternative, a graduate degree from AMU rivals any other online graduate program.
Bottom line: Any school is what you make it. Both B&M schools and online schools have students who merely "show up to class," emitting no effort. A degree from AMU, combined with maturity, poise and a military background is sure to impress many employers.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 14, 2009
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Profs Unresponsive. Classes on Autopilot?
I don't think any of the graduate profs at AMU actually TEACH. They post an outdated syllabus and canned questions, then sit back and grade papers. That's IT. They don't participate in discussions, or even tell students if they are on the right track, barking up the wrong tree, etc.
You are on your own. Literally!
To ask a question, you must email the prof. The books says they have 24 hours to respond, but I have had to send followups days later just to get an answer. And although the department head says papers will be graded within 7 days, I personally have had to wait three weeks to get a paper graded.
Study groups are not allowed. You are basically getting your degree completely on your own. No teacher, no classmates. In one class, there is actually NO BOOK required. The prof posts the questions along with "key terms for web surfing" (I'm not kidding) and you have to Google your way to the answers.
The materials they do distribute are outdated (many before 9/11), and are full of typos and grammatical errors. The profs are sticklers for using APA format, but then contradict the examples in their own syllabus and mark papers down.
I kept thinking it was "just this professor" and things would get better. It hasn't. If I wasn't so many classes into my masters, I would quit.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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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.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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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.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on June 23, 2008
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Excellent School
I am a military officer who elected to complete my Masters with AMU because of the flexibility of the program. It best fits my schedule, and my concentration in strategy makes sense for my career. I attended Boston University for my bachelors degree, gained admission to Brandeis University for grad school (but did not attend) and completed one graduate course at Saint Mary’s University of San Antonio. AMU better fit my needs for graduate school, offering the courses I needed when I could take them, and maintaining an electronic campus I could access from anywhere.
The work is almost all research and writing, and the professors definitely challenge students. The caliber of my classmates is almost universally excellent, and I learned as much from interactions on class discussion boards as I have from assigned readings and my own research.
The three best aspects of AMU as a distance learning experience are the faculty, its accreditation status and its affordability:
Faculty: I have studied under ten different professors at American Military University. Eight held PhDs: Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, and the University of Alabama for those who studied in the United States, University of Manitoba, York University, and the University of New Brunswick for the Canadians; and Bosphorus University. The two who were not PhDs held masters degrees from the Naval Post Graduate School and Duke respectively. Three were published authors of academic books, while all have engaged in preparing published articles and studies. Professionally, seven served as officers in the American, Canadian and Turkish armed forces; including service in combat. Five have taught at the University level in a variety of “brick and mortar” institutions including UW-Bothell, USMA, and USAFA. In contrast to my undergraduate experience, of which I can recall no significant interaction with professors, I have had significant contact with, and support from, all of my AMU professors.
Accreditation: Accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association, the same accrediting body for schools such as Ohio State. This means it is a legitimate school, despite being relatively unknown. AMU is no diploma mill.
Affordabilty: $275 a credit hour for graduate students is the best price for an accredited school of which I am aware. With tuition assistance and inter-library loan, I paid less than $800 out of pocket for my entire degree.
Bottom line: There is no “better” school available for the distance learner than AMU in my opinion. There are many “better name” schools with distance learning programs out there today, but they cost a lot more, and I doubt the extra cost means anything in terms of a better education. I highly recommend AMU.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on June 8, 2008
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AMU: An Excellent Choice
For a military member in a time of instability due to deployments, TDYs, and more work with fewer resources, AMU is an excellent alternative to traditional schools. Where I am stationed, there are plenty of local opportunities; however, none were as accommodating as AMU.
The issues I have with local schools are the travel time to the campus, the fixed/inflexible schedules, and those of the faculties who are not very empathetic to your situation.
The positives of AMU are it is regionally accredited, TA covers the class AND books, career related programs (mine is Space Studies), flexibility to manage your time, and most of the facility are/were in the military and very understanding. In addition, AMU is now part of the Air Force's, Air University-Associates to Baccalaureate Cooperative Program adding to the school's creditability.
AMU and distance learning are great alternatives to the in-residence universities, because these allow for personal management of your most valuable resource, time. If you possess self-discipline, time-management skills, and personal accountability, AMU is an excellent choice.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 11, 2008
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Great value
I enrolled in this program for personal growth and professional development. As you might expect "National Security Studies" is not a common degree program at many colleges so I took a chance and enrolled for this completely online program. Having earned my BA Degree at a Brick & Mortar institution, AMU was my first online experience and I was unsure what to expect. Since being in the program I have been very pleased with everything. The online classroom is very easy to use and the instructors and support staff are very responsive to my questions and concerns. The instructors' syllabi are very detailed and their expectations are clear. I especially liked the cost for graduate tuition which is very affordable compared to other institutions. Most affordable program I could find.
If you enroll at AMU be prepared to READ & WRITE A LOT. I have already completed several graduate level courses at a B&M and comparitively the amount of reading and writing at AMU is huge. Now in my opinion this writing was not really busy work. Rather it was a result of much research and critical thinking which was compiled into many assignments. As expected we are expected to synthesize current events with the information being studied. Many of these assignments are posted on discussion boards for other students to read and comment on. Hence you are also reviewing your peer's work and engaged in discussion.
One thing I like about AMU is the common bond I feel between the students. AMU has cornered a niche market with military, government, and public safety personnel as its biggest clientele. This becomes obvious when students introduce themselves during the initial week of the courses. These are people I enjoy learning with because they are in my shoes. I would bet if you attend most other online schools you would have a very wide variety of people who you may not relate to. These might include soccer moms or people in the private sector who can't offer much insight. In the end it is the niche market which creates the networking opportunities. I have already met people at my own agency that are enrolled in AMU and our mutual coursework and common career goals create great dialogue.
The worst thing about AMU and probably any "legitimate" online school is that self-discipline is absolutely required to complete the courses. Undisciplined students will fall behind and will not suceed at AMU. AMU is for self-starters.
With all of this said I recommend AMU for people if they are interested in topics related to the NARROW fields of military, government, and public safety. These are its real strengths and main stay. Of course this would also include History (especially military history where AMU has really sharpened its teeth) and management (defense management and logistics). If you want to study arts, sciences, humanities, etc., then find another school because AMU does not specialize in these areas.
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