American Public University / American Military University Reviews

No regrets here.

Master of Arts in Political Science
Reviewer: mike.azzarello (Degree In Progress) on November 4, 2009

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I am just a few classes from completing my Master's in Transportation & Logistics Management. I have absolutely no regrets in choosing this school.

A little bit of background. I received my BA from a "brick & mortar" school. APU was the first time I ever tried online classes. Before choosing them I seriously considered going to the University of Phoenix to receive my Masters in Business. However,after a lot of thought I decided to narrow down my degree and save some money. APU just seemed to fit me better as I pursued a new career. 

To be honest, at first I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Online classes requires a lot of discipline. I realized without this there was no way I would ever complete it. I also realized that a lot of negative complaints, with most online schools, is due to this. Student who do not have this discipline will fail, and probably blame the school for it. Online classes are not for everyone. They require a lot of reading and writing. I seriously didn't read and write this much when I was attending an actual school. Their are required assignments due each week, and if you fall behind you'll pay for it.
As far as accreditation goes and how this looks to employers, I can tell you this. I have already been on two interviews with a major transportation company on the East Coast. The only way I was able to be considered for this job is because of this school. Believe me, my previous experience and degree have nothing to do with my new major.

Hope this helps anyone who is deciding on this school. If you have any questions, just ask me.

MBA... NO WAY!

Masters of Business Administration
Reviewer: Anonymous (Degree In Progress) on July 22, 2009

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The MBA program at AMU/APU with an emphasis on homeland security resource allocation is a JOKE.  If you are forced to get a degree by your employer and want to spend the least amount of time and money to get a degree - this is the school for you.  If you want to actually be challenged and learn something... move on! 

I don't know how this school maintains it's accreditation??? I don't know anyone enrolled in the courses here that doesn't get an "A" in EVERYTHING. 

The good news is that this school somehow does maintain its accreditation and therefore you won't get labeled as a "diploma mill" recipient and will be eligible for government jobs.

Great school, great choices!

BS Computer Science - Web Development
Reviewer: annziluck (Degree In Progress) on April 17, 2009

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APU is a great school. Most of the classes are only 8 weeks so you get your degree done quickly, and the level of choice is amazing. You can work on your core and major classes first and then test out of general electives or take them when you choose. Professors are great, they have regular office hours or by appt, and are always online. Its not an easy school but if you can pace yourself you will do very well. The books are all free too - they just show up at your door before the class starts.. hundreds of dollars worth of new technical books.. they have a book grant or something and offer them all free. Financial aid is a breeze - you dont have to use Sally Mae like one reviewer wrote.. you have many to choose from. The admin staff are professional and helpful.. its a great school, and a great deal. DeVry and CO Tech both force you into their set path of courses and times,, APU doesnt. ITS AWSOME!

Amazing School - Highly Recommend

BS Computer Science - Web Development
Reviewer: gammongirlct (Degree In Progress) on March 14, 2009

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I am a student at American Public University and am pleased with the entire program.  I originally applied to Univ of Phoenix, DeVry, and Colorado State Tech.  

The financial aid dept is world class. They answer questions immediately, or call back in an hour.  The advising staff is also first rate. This school is run like a top corporation where customer service is first.  The financial aid process was painless. I had a federal loan in 2 days, and even when changing courses around the FSA process was painless.  I have had no problems what-so-ever.  Transfer credit questions are answered immediately.

The courses are top notch.  The class selections at DeVry seemed to be the best at first glance - however the APU classes are even better, and they are $750. They use state of the art programs that are certification bound, meaning they use materials that prepare you for the Microsoft Certifications and come with disks to take practice tests in preparation for these certifications.  

Professors are great and you can contact them by phone! One of the great things is.. the BOOKS ARE FREE!  They are shipped free of charge or even better are pdf files that you can download the entire book and then electronically search for things in the pdf books. I love those!  
APU also has a great transfer credit system.  I have been taking the CLEP tests to comp out of many of the general requirements like english and math.  

The classes are 8 weeks is a good pace for me. Also there are no restrictions on how many classes you have to take.  There are classes that sometimes overlap and thats ok.  DeVry has a schedule that you have to stay on that was hideous, and you could not structure your classes the way you wanted to.  Colorado didnt either - you had to stay on their track, take the general requirements first, and couldnt make your own plan.  APU offers flexibility to do your coursework any way you want to as long as you fulfill the pre-requisites. 

The online environment is great!  You click on enter course and you are in your whole environment easily.  You have your class assignment list, the discussion board links, can see if other students are online and instant chat with them as well.  There are online resources also that are amazing. The online library is intense.. I  have used it extensively. 

I read some of the other review of APU and couldnt believe what I was reading.  If someone had difficulty with the financial aid group they must not have known how to pick up the telephone and call an 800 number.  The person who wrote the review that you had to use Sally Mae was wrong.  I was offered about 12 choices or could have used my own bank if I chose to.  

This is one of the best decisions I have ever made.. and thank goodness I didnt choose DeVry which costs over 60% more just for the classes - and doesnt include books! To find out for yourself - www.apus.edu.
Ann
BS Computer Science candidate 2010 Web Development Concentration.

No regreats!

BA in Management
Reviewer: mepnhva (Degree In Progress) on February 24, 2009

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This school has been fabulous and it works for me.  I have been attending APU for a year and I have no regrets what so ever.  The course are fast paced and I have learned so much.  More than I ever thought I would. For those of you who think these classes are easy, they are not and you get what you pay for.  When I have to get a hold of my advisor, they are always prompt in returning my call.  Out of all the instructors I have had there is only one that I would say I wasn't thrilled with but we don't always see eye to eye with everyone we meet.  I even signed up for another class with her.  So she couldn't have been that bad.  With regards to financial aid, each student's experience is different.  Some have no problems and there are some that experience lots of problems.  If they are diligent and proactive in resolving the issues when they are contacted there should be no reason why a student should not get into classes on time.

Bad Experience with University

BA History
Reviewer: Anonymous (Graduate) on December 30, 2008

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Transferring to APU was the biggest mistake I made. With less than 30 credits to graduation this institution has managed to mess up my graduation timeframe.

The staff, or lack of, are unprofessional, arrogant, rude and of no help at all. I have yet to have anyone return a phone call, they prefer to email you back at their convenience, Whenever!!! I have attended other online schools that were just the opposite. I would highly recommend anyone interested in online learning to look elsewhere. There are quality institutions out there; APU is just not one of them.

Nothing but problems

AA General Studies/History
Reviewer: Anonymous (Degree In Progress) on August 27, 2008

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I am had nothing but problems with their financial aid department. They turned down my federal aid because I would not sign a promissary note with Sallie Mae. Yet I got federal aid thru the State of Alaska and they turned that down. It is Sallie Mae or nothing I was told. I will not ever go with Salli Mae. My advisor was useless and would not even answer my questions. I will finish the school year then I am out of there.

Great degree!

Master of Arts in Political Science
Reviewer: Anonymous (Graduate) on September 29, 2007

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I was able to complete my political science degree in just over a year.  The professors were very professional and helpful; most had had real-world experience as well as concern and care for the students.  I can truthfully say that a few became friends of mine, with whom I remain in contact.  The degree included some interesting sidelines like UN certification in peacekeeping operations, and I was able to take a good slate of classes in the field of economics in addition to the political science/international relations courses required for the degree.  Doing online education of this sort requires a person to be a self-starter, but for those who have the drive, this is a great place.

AMU: MA Land Warfare, International Perspective

Military Studies: Land Warfare
Reviewer: Anonymous (Graduate) on August 3, 2006

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The program was a good balance between structure and flexibilty, in that it was focused, but allowed me to study what I wanted within the area. I had easy contact with my profesors, who gave me constructive, useful feedback on my papers, and all but two of them responded to questions very quickly. The books I had to buy were almost all very good; in fact, I kept most of them. I wrote a lot, and believe that I developed as a writer because of it, even to the extent of having two papers published on a military history website. As for technology, I experienced no real problems -- the online classroom environment was intuitive and never unavailable; registration was easy; and the school's support staff was easy to contact and gave prompt, useful answers.


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