American Public University

I just completed my undergraduate program in European History. I had completed my general education at a community college so I cannot speak to any of those classes or instructors. APUS easily transferred all my classes without any hassle! Never had a bad experience with my professors. The worst ones were the difficult ones and I gained valuable writing and research skills from those experiences.

I completed my B.A. in History February 2015. Yes, this university has no applications or tests, but if you wish to progress in the field of history you will have to be prepared with a good background in writing in the Chicago/Turabian style for formatting your papers. I was blessed with exceptional instructors as well as great university level curriculum. Internet learning can be a challenge in the beginning, but once mastered it worked quite well. The only challenge for me was that my professors feedback was gentle; I needed to be challenged with critical feed-back. Al in all, internet learning is not as challenging as brick and mortar institutions of higher learning. I did have issues with academic guidance, as a B.A. in history is not particularly a subject where one can find employment somewhat easily. I have no choice but to work towards an M.A. or an M.S. The instructors, I found were quite exceptional in their field. I decided on history; that is my passion. If I had to do this over again, I would choose a major that would allow me to find a job, other than teaching; I would major in environmental studies or logistics. If you have a passion for history I highly recommend you enroll in this subject. The APU/AMU program is perfect for students who have full-time or part-time jobs. Great instructors, but non face-to-face, which is unfortunate. Instructors are dedicated and will respond quickly to any challenges to questions you might have.

I earned my undergraduate degree in American history. I enjoyed the academic experience as an online learner. In order to succeed in online learning. Student's must be self-disciplined, dedicated, and committed. I learned true history from the professors at American Public University. Not only that, they encouraged me to search beyond the obvious facts for a greater understanding of our world through positive feedback, criticism, and ongoing encouragement. At American Public University, I felt like a contributing member of the diverse learning environment. I gained a greater understanding of life, the community I live in and the world. I can do more with historical facts rather than simply repeating them. I plan to challenge my history students to do the same by applying the same teaching principles I was exposed to at American Public University.

I attended a college and lived on campus. I failed because there was too much pressure and my days were too restricted. I have been with APUS for two years now and I like it and I am doing very well. You have a week to do your work and you have more freedom; you set your schedule and not the school. The professors are great and if you have a question or problem send them a message and they return it quickly. I am glad that I chose APUS, great decision.Jacob

I chose APUS because it is regionally accredited by the North Central Association. (Regional accreditation is very important) My classes were challenging with hard work and accountability. APUS will expect you to earn your degree. They will not simply give you one. Also, I am now a graduate student at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, NC. UNCG had no problem accepting my APUS BA degree as a prerequisite for their Master of Library and Information Studies program. I'm very pleased.

I have been a student at American Public University for over two years and pleased with the education I am receiving. Transferring my credits from my local college to APUS was very easy and the staff helped me work through the admissions process. When I decided to change some things in my academic program or when I had questions regarding academic planning, advising helped me through it and they were prompt on their responses and I am at least six hours behind (APUS being on EST and me being on HST). Their Financial Aid offices were the same way. Always prompt and very helpful. In addition to their administration, I am a student member in two student clubs/organizations, ISI and Saber and Scroll, to enhance my college experience. I have not been disappointed with the activity of these two clubs. It's challenging trying to conduct business in these groups when your student population is scattered around the globe, but they manage it well through social media and the Quad. After a year or two as a spectator, I've begun to make connections through these organizations and happy with the progress. The main concern most people have when considering an online university is the curriculum and quality of education. Entering my sophomore year with APU, I have not been disappointed. The professors I have had has at least one degree in the field of study, a few have more. Most of the instructors have been engaging and have provided positive and useful feedback. They let me know when I could do better and they let me know when I've done great. Just as professors should. Most of the work is reading assignments, but others include audio lectures and videos and there have been a few power point lectures. It's been engaging, educational, and I believe comparable to brick-and-motor universities, if not a tad bit better since I think the varied sources provide a richer platform. APU is an excellent university that is worth considering if you are looking for an online university.

Here's the thing. It's like anything else in life, you going to get out of it, exactly what you put in. I'm about a quarter way through my degree program and have found it to be nothing more than an extremely positive experience. It's not perfect by any means but no institution is and I have yet to run into any of the issues many here have experienced. But there is a catch, if you are poor at time management, lack self motivation or procrastinate in any way this is definitely not for you. I have found the courses and content relevant, instructors open and encouraging of discussion. Professors are quick to respond to any query either posted in the course forums or via email. Most papers are graded and returned to you well within the timeframe they are allowed. So far even with the general ed/required courses I have been encouraged to tailor my papers from the perspective of my major which has made them easier to digest but also kept me motivated and on point,it has also taught me to approach my subject from a different perspective. This is not always possible with some courses such as math but I have appreciated the accommodation when possible. It's not Havard or MIT but it's not trying to be, but I would certainly recommend this school to anyone and have done to several colleagues.

APUS has a variety of instructors, and so far into my degree path at APUS, I have only had a few true professionals. Most of what I get assigned to me are sub-standard 'professors' that do this as a part time retirement income, or they are simply people that do not have the resume to teach at a known school so they contract for APUS. Of the Professors I have been assigned to me that actually teach at a brick & mortar school as their profession, are too busy to respond in a timely fashion because this job is their second and least important job. But my main complaint with APUS is the instructors that were hired simply because they hold a degree in my major. I have multiple instances where they miss-quote sources, do not understand Chicago-Turabian format, use out dated syllabus that need to be corrected, and simply cannot spell. I don't think I have taken a course yet where there wasn't gross spelling errors. Turnitin.com: This is the primary grading tool used by the Professors at APUS. If it comes back 30% or more, you will get a zero applied to your grade, making it the students' responsibility to ask the instructor to actually READ the paper. My point being, plagiarism software uses a Boolean search to match words, and if 100 students were to write about the Lincoln assassination, then all 100 would use similar verbiage to accurately describe the events. I did get a "event of plagiarism" turned in to the university by one Professor that no matter how I rewrote the subject, she wouldn't accept it. This instructor, Professor Virginia Mayer, searched the web for similar verbiage and found a remote source at a high school in Delaware! -I live in Tennessee, how would I gain access to this High School? or even want to? This is a college level history course. Watch for the usual discrediting of me, "the complainer" in response to this post. -It is normal business practice for this institution.

A great university! I have attended Brick and Mortar schools and online schools. This one challenges them all! I had some professors that were easier to get by with, just like in regular brick and mortar schools, and I had some that challenged by understanding of history and important watershed events. I was challenged to produced better written works, with more complex arguments, better research materials, and stronger critical thought processes behind my arguments. The university staff were always helpful. I have enrolled in a Masters program with this university!

AMU and APUS are the best value for your money in higher education. You do have to be self-motivated however, in order to succeed. You will be learning primarily from the textbooks offered, and from your research paper that you have to write for each class. There is a great deal of class interaction in the online forums with other students, and therefore you do feel a part of a "real" class. Your instructor is available for any questions you may have, and most get back to you on a very timely basis. The grading is very fair. Tips for success: Read the entire syllabus first and refer to it often; Read the entire textbook, which is usually available online in an easy to access format. You can take notes within the textbook via "vitalsource", which is similar to Amazon's Kindle; Start your research paper within the third week, and plan to finish it by the seventh week; Keep on top of the forums and the assignments, including the quizzes for that week, paying particular attention to the deadlines and the amount of words required for each post inside the forums; If you would like a hard copy of the textbook, you can obtain a used book from online sources like Amazon.com. Whether you are reading it in a hard copy form or online, you can and should start reading the textbook before the first day of class, because you will then be ahead of the game instead of always trying to play catch-up; always write more words than are required, and always use more sources for your paper than are required; And, never take more than one class at a time, unless you overlap the start dates by one month. Do these things are you will be able to obtain a high GPA, and enjoy that degree in no time. It is possible to take 12 courses per year if you overlap each of them in one month intervals. In summary, this is a fantastic way for working people, and other busy people, to get a four year college degree for the lowest price available.

I am enjoying my time with AMU. I have completed about ten classes thus far. I love online learning as I am able to, for the most part, make my own schedule while still learning. History is my favorite subject, and AMU is able to challenge me as there is plenty of reading and writing associated with my degree. Plus, being able to start classes on a monthly basis is a huge benefit for anyone looking to complete their degree in a timely fashion. Whether I utilize tuition assistance of my VA benefits, I have had no difficulty utilizing either of them quickly and accurately. The professors are flexible, helpful, and knowledgeable.

I have been attending APU for a year now and have not been disappointed. A concern I had when considering switching from the standard college/university to an online college/university was the course content. I didn't want to be paying for an education that wasn't of quality, but I didn't want to be paying an arm and a leg either. APU hasn't disappointed me yet. I feel that the coursework is challenging and offers an opportunity to learn and grow. The instructors are engaging and provide answers to questions in a timely manner. To top it off, everything has been smooth sailing since I decided to apply. The admissions process, final aid, books/materials, registering, everything is done smoothly and I had no problems. If I had a question, it was always answered, by email, within 24 hours.

I transferred into AMU and now have just 15 classes until graduation, and I have loved it. The only problem I've had is with financial aid, however, it was NOT any worse than dealing with any other school's financial aid office. I have had some absolutely fantastic professors who not only teach their subject, but offer real advice about pursuing careers and furthering education. My adviser has been nothing but great, leading me to not only receive my degree but show me ways to improve my career opportunities by pursuing a minor.

I've transferred to APUS in January 2012 with the full allowable credit hours to continue my BA History, after I had exhausted all online classes offered at my local brick & mortar university. I am glad I switched, and I only regret not transferring earlier. Cost-wise, APUS is less expensive than my local public university, as APUS' tuition includes all textbooks for undergraduates. Time-wise, APUS offers students to complete their degree in less time than a traditional university because of the 8-weeks semesters. With that said, the workload is the same, if not more, than what I did at my local university. Since my general ed classes and electives all transferred, all I have taken at APUS are History classes. They are by far more work intensive and time consuming than the classes I took at my local university. On average, all of my upper-level History classes at APUS required a weekly short paper (3-5 pages), a 10-page research paper, a mid-term and a final exam on top of the weekly discussion board posts (usually around 4-6). As for History instructors, I have no complaints: They are all very well educated in their field, and most of them will go out of their way to ensure that you succeed in class. For anybody who works full-time and has a family, APUS is an excellent choice in getting a step closer to achieving your academic dream.

I have no regrets in choosing APUS for my BA in History.I am 21 hours away from graduation and to date have had no majors problems with Financial Aid. Yes, there was a minor issue but it did not hold up my aid package as the Fa department was right on top of the issue and all it took on my part was faxing my tax return into the school. I have actually has less trouble with Financial Aid here at APU than I did with my daughter's at a PA brick and mortar school. Being prepared and paying attention to the forms that you are filling out is key to avoiding most of the problems. Also not waiting until the last minute to take care of your registration and financial aid is crucial. My classes have been mainly fantastic, very challenging. APU/AMU is not for a student that needs the motivation of sitting in a physical classroom. You have to be able to manage your time and commit to the reading and writing that is required to get the work done weekly. If you have a physical issue that keeps you from attending a traditionsal school this is a wonderful option. I had surgery one semester and was able to stay on top of things while recovering; something that is difficult at a B&M school. Deadlines are not hard to meet with planning. The instructors that I have been involved with have been on top of things and returned emails, phone calls, and grades quickly and fairly. Have there been classes that I hated, certainly, but it was not the fault of the school or the instructors. Everyone has a least favorite subject. The fact that the texts are provided to an undergraduate student has saved me thousands of dollars. Many of them are ebooks or pdf's a remarkable use of the tech advances, and lighten the load in any students backpack. Tuition is extremely reasonable and affords almost everyone a chance for higher education. I have had no issue with the acceptance of my credits and future degree at the 4 universities that I have applied to attend. Now I have to decide which program that I am going to attend. The only reason that I am leaving APUS is the fact that they do not offer enough courses in the my historical field of interest. However I will be returning to APUS for an additional masters in English.

I am very satisfied so far. I'm a junior in undergraduate studies of American history and have no general complaints. The school provides an expansive online library, the professors are knowledgable and accessible, and the textbooks used are all very current. I love the flexible schedule as I am a migraine-sufferer who cannot commit to a set schedule of class times. As I progress through the classes, I am definitely being more and more challenged, which is great! Most of the courses are only 8 weeks long, so they are very compact -- this causes the student to have to do a lot of research and self-teaching on his own, so if that's an issue for you, you may not like this school, but that may be the case with many online schools. Thus far, I am very happy at APUS/AMU and would recommend it to anyone considering an online school.

This is a good school. Studying for Masters degree Have never experienced any major problems. The only complaint is that with financial aid, it takes longer than it used to to get in touch with someone.

This is THE WORST UNIVERSITY EVER!! Their financial aid department is the biggest joke. No one there has ANY clue what they are doing!!!!!! They screwed up my financial aid every single semester so far and they offer very little help in correcting anything in a timely manner. The classes are good and the teachers are pretty on top of things, but Lord help you if you need to go through the financial aid process with them. I had to get in touch with the presidents office just to get things resolved. If you want hassle and headache and nothing but problems, then by all means, please go to APU, but if you want a good experience, go somewhere else!!

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.