American Public University

Whoever is in charge of the Financial Aid Department needs to re-train the staff. There is a lot of miscomunication causing students to lose a semester or two.

I studied at APU from 2012 to 2018, completing my BA in Emergency and Disaster Management. The classes were challenging but not impossible, and the ease of access to the required books was remarkable. My professors we're always actively engaged in the "classrooms" and always quick to help if assistance was required. I was working full-time while studying, and am now going to be working full-time while studying for my Master's at APU.

Aside from a few minor hiccups, I had a great experience during the process of earning both of my degrees (BA and MA) at APU. I never encountered any issues that held me back from graduating on time, and their 8-week course design makes it easy to graduate quickly. Admittedly, I have not yet tested my degree in the workforce, as I decided to pursue a PhD before entering into the workforce. However, I do feel that the education I received through APU did a spectacular job of preparing me for my PhD program. Not only was I accepted into every PhD program to which I applied, I also seem better prepared for both the intellectual and time management challenges associated with earning a terminal degree than most of my classmates. Therefore, I am so far quite pleased with my experience at APU.

This University has allowed me the opportunity to attain a higher education that I never thought possible. I was able to take my classroom with me everywhere I had to move. Being a widow with two small children is difficult enough as it is, but with this university, I am able to manage it all.

The library needs improvement immediately. Very difficult when searching for a particular ebook. Why should students have to continue using your email to register to different subscribers just to gain access to the material the students are paying for?

I had a great experience with APUS with obtaining my bachelor's in business. The library had issues occasionally, but I think it was due to using Safari on my Mac. The majority of the professors were fantastic! They were all great with communication, providing feedback, and with posting grades quickly. I only had issues with a few math-based courses and not receiving adequate help. Fortunately, the university asks for feedback after each course so I could let them know my concerns. Overall, this is a great school and I would highly recommend it, especially with pursuing a business degree.

I have just completed my first two classes and am halfway through two more. As a working (pregnant) mom, it was hard for me to find somewhere to finally get a degree so I could support my family with more than minimum wage job. Finding APU was amazing because it’s totally online and I can work it around my schedule. It’s also very affordable. The instructors have been supportive and flexible, letting me get an extension on an assignment if I need one. Because of the quality of the classes, helpfulness of the instructors, and flexibility, I managed to finish my first two classes with A’s despite the fact that I only get little study time. It has been an amazing experience so far and I’m very grateful as a young parent to have found APU and get this opportunity.

Instructors are responsive as are administrators, and others. So far I have received support any time I have requested -- from the time I started the transfer application and credit transfers, to needing a course extension to finish final assignments because of personal and family health reasons. The eight week sessions allow one to complete the MBA in a year, and at a very affordable cost. There is a lot to do each week: I spend about 20 hours a week per course minimum reading and writing, but I maintain an A average. Be sure to ask questions about where to find resources, etc as there are many to access. Everything can be done on your time schedule, which is a significant benefit, as long as you meet the few deadlines each week.

I just started early this year (2018) working towards a BA in Philosophy Ethics. I have 3 complaints: 1) This is my fault. I am having trouble dedicating proper time to my class work. 2) I find the Library difficult to use, even after going through the tutorials. 3) I find it frustrating to have to sign up with multiple ebook services just to get my textbooks. The best one will read it to you while the others won't. That is a feature I need. Otherwise I love it! I wish I did this sooner.

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.

Obviously I will second all of the cliche posits: "you get what you put into it," "the faculty will not hold your hand; you must be self sufficient," and "(concerning faculty) you take the good with the bad." But, I will stress the point that there is an implicit bias behind the many negative reviews posted here of this university; and that is, not everyone has the self motivation and borderline 'reclusiveness' to do well under such conditions. Somehow, in my case, I managed to receive two BA degrees in Business Administration w/minor in Religion and Philosophy all within the course of about 2.5 years. My GPA was 3.79 and 3.93 respectively. So, naturally I am quite pleased with my experience. In fact, although I am currently half the way through a Graduate degree in Philosophy at a CA State University, I have just enrolled for another go at turning that minor in Religion into a Bachelors. This final BA here is primarily for the purposes of expanding my current intellectual acumen so as to help me move even further in my scholarly pursuits. But the fact remains that APUS/AMUS is 1) a regionally accredited university (which means credits will transfer to major universities) 2) one of the most affordable distance universities (I think they achieve this affordability through the outsourcing of many educational mediums to other institutes; e.g. get ready to go to You Tube and other sites to do research or learn the weeks topic. I did find all of the content highly relevant however. It is just for the fact that many higher priced distance programs have their own proprietary content that probably accounts for the higher priced tuition costs...just saying). 3) administration seems to get smeared here on this review site. Though, I really never had any issues with them and found that they usually had the answers to my queries and produced these answers quickly. Actually I was more often very impressed with the back office staff. I would imagine that those who throw files and papers into the corner of their room, loose stuff, never mark down due dates on their calendar, and generally expect others to be on top of their shiznit are the same former students who had a poor experience with the finance and administrative staff. One needs to be thoroughly on top of their shiznit to do well at APUS. Do not expect staff to order your life - this is unrealistic. This said, many prompts will show up in your virtual classroom that will help you in keeping dates and other important obligations. 4) Most classes have a very reasonable workload. Some courses are extremely easy, others not so much, but although APUS cannot be relegated to the status of "diploma mill," many of the professors are extremely accommodating and it is quite possible to do too much for that 'A,' while other classmates simply phone it in. But the internal discipline of always operating as if you were just half a grade point from failing will serve you well in the long run. Lastly, I simply wish to state that every professor is a PhD. This is important for accreditation. The degree you earn at APUS is comparable to that of a major university in that APUS carries regional accreditation. Additionally, if you have attended universities that carry only national accreditation, and perhaps universities that are arguably 'diploma mills,' e.g. ITT Tech. Institute, and so on, APUS will except your transfer credits. In other words, APUS is the perfect conduit to turn otherwise useless credits into legitimate and useful credits. If I recall, APUS offers over 80 degree programs. This is astonishing for a purely distance education university. For these reasons APUS was the perfect fit for me and it may be for you as well. I wish you the very best in discovering for yourself. ~KM

My experience at American Public University was great! I want to thank the awesome financial aid department for always being there for me, they never let me down. I also want to thank the awesome professors that went out of their way to help me when I was struggling. Choosing American Public University was one of the best decisions I have made and can honestly say that what I learned has enhanced my thought process and decision-making abilities. The classes were structured so that everyone can succeed if they put the time in that is required. I have noticed some bad reviews on this site that puzzle me because I have never experienced anything negative. Those that post negative remarks and are attending the university or recently graduated are hurting themselves because potential employers and others will view our school in a negative manner. American Public University offers a great education and has low tuition and provides free ebooks for all undergraduate courses that helped me attain my degree without accumulating much debt. I searched other universities to pursue my master's degree, but in the end, I decided to continue my studies at American Public University.

The professors are horrid. I am now keeping a diary of every professor, my own rating system and way to keep notes on the how the professor taught so I know when signing up for future classes to purposely NEVER CHOOSE THESE PROFESSORS AGAIN for another related class! Couple this with the constant financial issues from the financial aid department and APUS causes me a significant amount of stress, which is not what I am paying for. One professor did nothing but write on my papers in various places "This is awkward language" and never explained what in the heck he meant! How was my language "awkward"?! I asked and did not get any response. I suppose this was his typical cut-and-paste response for every student and did not feel the need to explain himself. He gave instructions, I met the instructions, yet my papers still were not good enough to suit him. By about one-quarter of the way through the course, as with another course in the initial COLL100 class, I just wanted the course over with. These 'professors' really rely on CUT & PASTE for their critiques and responses to students A LOT! Very disappointing instructors. Out of five instructors this year, three were horrid...not just bad, but horrid. Two were pretty fantastic. There seems to be no in-between, they are either really good or horrid, and the bad outweigh the good thus far. I hope this changes or I will reevaluate and change schools. The professors set the tone for these online classes, and if they have a cold, removed, haughty presence online with their comments which turn students off immediately. I can see in various forums that the professor makes or breaks the class and it is sad that APUS keep professors on that get complaints by students because students are pretty easy to get along with in my opinion. They just want to enjoy their class and get good feedback from classmates and their teacher and that is not too much to ask, yet APUS keeps instructors on that have complaint after complaint because they do not wish to hire new people and move a professor on out of their system. It is annoying that students have to pay for classes they do not enjoy and are not given the option to move to a different teacher considering the cost of the class and the timeframe in which we have to finish the class. On another note, APUS/AMU sold/provided my telephone number to various 'lower your student loan debt' companies and I get harrassed DAILY by automated calls telling me 'this is the last attempt to reach you (when actually it is the 78th attempt) to lower your student loan debt' and get this, I DO NOT HAVE STUDENT LOAN DEBT!! I don't have student loans! LEAVE ME ALONE! How rotten is it for a college to SELL THEIR STUDENT'S PRIVATE PHONE NUMBERS TO COMPANIES FOR A BUCK?! They take too long to get back to your emails and the financial department is a constant cause of stress as no submission or documents ever met their needs on the first go-round and my payment plan always seem to get forgotten about when it comes time to register for new classes, which requires yet another call to the school, holding on line forever while I am trying to keep my day job, and FINALLY getting them to acknowledge they messed up and correct it. The school is mentally exhausting. So, to wrap up: the financial department's constant requirements (stress) that are very vague and confusing + the inability to reach your advisors or teachers outside of their 2-3 day response timeframes (stress) + the horrid instructors outweighing the good ones making classes a nightmare for entire semesters (stress) = APUS/AMU a very anxiety-ridden school to deal with. Life, family, work are enough stresses without adding your school to the mix of stressors. Not cool. Very, very, very disappointed in APUS/AMU.

Higher education is what you make it. Even brick and mortar schools utilize online training/homework almost as much as APUS/AMU. Sure, you may not be sitting down in a class room but have you heard of Adobe Connect? APUS utilizes one on one Skype w/ professors or Adobe Connect with many students and professors at once. The world is transitioning into a virtual reality. Get onboard now! Professors have wide range of experience and credentials. One professor was an actual congressman. Books are digital and free. Military TA paid for my B.A. in 30 months. You can transfer APUS credits to most regionally accredited universities (i.e. Florida State, Arizona State etc.). Self-discipline is key if you attend. You will not have the convenience of an official class start time, no tardiness showing up to class, no attendance requirements. You are held accountable for yourself and for turning in quality work on time. If you drop the ball or get behind in your work and you stay quite about it, you will pay for it, figuratively and financially. I recommend this school if you are active duty military and civilian who desires a reputable education at a good price with good professors. If you need the convenience of telecommuting your education with a regionally accredited reputable university, APUS/AMU is for you.

The majority of instructors give the MINIMUM amount of time required for them to receive payment for being a "professor." I had a different instructor for each class in my 36 unit program, and only two gave valuable feedback. Most of the responses from the instructors was trite and did not encourage me to expand my knowledge. One professor stated in his first post that he intended to fail at least half of the class. Fortunately, the APU staff responded to requests from the students and the professor was quickly changed. I gained very little from instructor responses and relied on the reading material and writing papers to learn the material. The Capstone professor is supposed to guide us through the thesis writing process. My professor chose to consistently write short, confusing responses that often contradicted the material in the Capstone Manual or material she provided as examples. At times her lack of effort or caring about doing a decent job caused her to post BLATANTLY insulting comments. This lack of professionalism was CONSISTENTLY due to her cursory reading of our writings. This is not just one students opinion, but was discussed with other students privately and the conclusion was drawn collectively and supported by NUMEROUS posts from the professor. The Airport Security professor had never worked at an airport. At the time I was working at an airport in security (not TSA) and had to correct the professor on several occasions. Imparting the nuances and insights gained from ACTUAL experience is EXPECTED from QUALITY instructors. Needless to say, APU almost consistently fails to provide this valuable aspect of the educational experience. A problem develops with having multiple instructors teach the same course, mainly that the instructors OFTEN do not follow the syllabus. Some instructors refuse to even provide a syllabus or decide to revise it mid-course. As the syllabus is THE CONTRACT between students, the professor, and the institution, this should NOT be allowed. The Academic Advising at APU is PATHETIC. I had completed over half of my program before I was contacted by an Academic Advisor. To clear up a mistake MADE BY APU I had to contact and explain the issue to the Academic Advising staff five times. On the forth time I refused to discuss the issue with the staff who answered the phone, but instead explained that I had already worked with them three times to rectify THEIR mistake and that I wanted to speak with their supervisor. Several weeks later I received an email from the Academic Advising staff stating that the same problem existed. After receiving a rather terse email in response, the Academic Advising staff FINALLY fixed THEIR problem. Lesson learned: ALWAYS take screenshots EVERYTHING submitted to APU and ALWAYS follow up emails with a phone call and MAKE SURE you get an email from the person you emailed/spoke to stating the problem was resolved and how it was resolved. KEEP THE EMAILS UNTIL YOU ARE DONE WITH THE PROGRAM. Another lesson learned: NEVER write your forums directly onto the APU website. Instead, write them in Word first and then copy and paste and save your responses, and the screenshots showing submissions, until you receive your grade for the course. Website "glitches" have been known to not allow you to submit responses and then "crash" or "lose" work submitted. I earned my undergraduate degree taking courses via mail and online. I am comfortable seeking clarification and guidance from professors via various distance delivery methods. The format APU provides is adequate to allow instructors to provide valuable input. Unfortunately the majority of instructors APU provides do not take pride in their work, but instead put forth only the minimal amount of input necessary to earn their paycheck. This is NOT the way to create competent leaders of the future.

I am sad to say this was the worst experience I have had with an instructor in all of my education. I have two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees and have been teaching in a university for about 3 years now. I have a good idea of how a class should be handled and expect at least a minimal amount of responsiveness and guidance from the instructor. This was not the case. No detailed feedback on any assignment. Not more than one sentence that said "refer to the rubric." Teacher was quite literally MIA. Absolutely do not recommend. Hopefully other classes are fine and this was an isolated incident. I took one course as a pre-requisite for a doctoral program I was starting.

I just finished medical school in July,2016 and finding an online MPH that I can work on concurrent to preparing for US licensing process and residency was something important to me. I found the MPH program rigorous and fulfilling and I have been able to accomplish the goals I set prior to enrolling. I am very confident that my training is closely comparable to brick and mortar programs and that progressing into my second and succeeding years - I will be able to do the work of a combined MD-MPH just like I would have been able to do in the traditional settings.

I am 3 years removed from receiving my BA in Transportation & Logistics Management and can give you some perspective on what the degree has done for me- nothing. Having went to school for 2 years in the early 90s, then out for 16 years, APU provided just what I needed at the time- an online education majoring in a field that I had almost 20 years of work experience in. The coursework was challenging, but at the same time suited my learning style, and worked hard to earn the degree. What I later found out in my several hundred million job interviews that followed is that employers choose an employee solely off of personal opinions, instincts and biases- ONLY. If an applicants TRUE AND FACTUAL education and work experience could be fed into a program and a machine chooses the perfect applicant for a job, that would be one thing. But that is not the world we live in... and the last thing you want is to be sitting in an interview and make the employer question the school that you went to ("APU? I never heard of that. What the heck is it?") Unfortunately degrees must be obtained from a household name school, otherwise it's not going to be of any real value. APU's "career services" were for all intent and purposes laughable. I got a couple minor suggestions for improving my resume. There was not anything available that resembled job placement, and the job fairs were an absolute joke.

I will keep this brief. If anyone is curious as to some of my comments, I suggest researching what makes online education viable and a great learning experience. A little background: I also finished an Bachelor of English at APUS. Online learning is greatly enhanced by the participation of all players involved and that includes the instructor. Online learners (especially in college level studies) must be autonomous and active learners. In other words, you have to do the work to get any value from your degree. At the same time, online instructors must be active participants in the 'classroom' to provide students with guidance, timely feedback/grades, and stimulating/leading interaction. No one should pay for a class where all you get is a book, a syllabus with all assignments included, and a grade that might have been generated by the learning platform software. Even for-profit schools should demand that their teachers spend time with their students and offer the proper professional development and training to insure that they understand how this interaction should take place. Students are held to certain standards and instructors should be as well. This is not the case at APUS. Sure, in the 7 years and nearly 40 classes I have taken, I have had some incredible teachers. I have had very hard teachers, teachers who would write more in the forums than the students, teachers who gave deep feedback on assignments, both structurally and with content, and teachers who answered messages quickly and thoroughly. I KNOW it is possible, by these teachers examples, that great teaching is possible in distance learning. On the other hand, I have had teachers who, for the most part, did not exist. I have written 'test' assignments (meant to see if the teacher is reading what I am writing) and received A+ on them, because I met the word count and knew how to cite correctly. I have had teachers who did not know how to use programs required for the class, who didn't familiarize themselves with the syllabus, and new nothing of what the word "accommodation" meant and why it is so important in education. I have received perfect grades for forums where my responses had nothing to do with the subject at hand. (obviously, the instructor just relied on the algorithm to count my entries and words. So...I cannot completely say that APUS sucks...I think the classes are ok...(although some of my literature classes used the same books I read in high school 30 years ago and the first book in my first class explained how to make a dial-up connection better.......so, yes, they could work on making sure assigned texts are current). I think some of the remarkable teachers I have had offset the ones who should never have been hired...(or quickly dismissed). Nothing is perfect, but I would question your instructor at the beginning of each class and ask them their philosophy on distance learning pedagogy.

I wanted to give a recent review on this school. There are a lot of reviews but I can’t help noticing that a lot of the reviews are from years ago and there are not a lot of updated ones. I’m going to try and be as honest as I can be. I’m not going to slap the slogan “it’s what you make it” and call it that. I want to give a more detailed overview of what that means for people looking for a better idea of what they are stepping in to. It’s not that I disagree with the people who say it is what you make it, because I agree, but I want to go into more than that. First off, I want to address the “diploma mill” allegations that I find insulting. This is a hard college. For those of you who have only started your freshman level courses and are badmouthing the college, you have no right to do so. If you go full-time, that is, two classes at 8 week intervals at a time, you will have extremely rigorous course loads. Anyone can cheat in college, though. Anyone can just wing the forums. It is not the college’s responsibility to stop you from not taking your education seriously, that is entirely on you, the student. Anyone can wing it and receive “okay” grades, but trust me when I say, unless you are cheating, there is no way you can wing these classes and graduate with a 4.0. On the other side of this, you will notice cheating. You will find people who don’t take their education seriously. You will find this in the workplace. You will find this at Oxford. People will always look for ways to cut corners, and people will always cheat. It is up to you to not resort to those behaviors, and though it is outraging to see students being given credit for stolen knowledge or work, it does not only happen here, it happens in every college and work place. It is not the college’s responsibility to police each class. Most of these professors have full-time jobs. Do not blame the college for practices that occur. They put as many road blocks in place to deter cheating as any modern college. Three strikes at this college from plagiarism and you are dropped from the program if you get caught. There is no cheating your way to a degree unless you literally pay someone to do it for you (or you are very good at plagiarizing), and then that is up to the type of person you are. If you are comfortable paying someone to do your work for you or cheating, you can do that at any college or workplace and it won’t be limited to this one. The college is not to blame for the behaviors that occur at all colleges. They put things in place to curb this, just as much as at other colleges. On to the comparison to “brick and mortar” schools. The physical college will almost always be the best option, but you most likely aren’t here because a physical college and its time demands are realistic for you. You are here because you don’t have time to go to a physical college or you have other restraints keeping you from attending a physical college. As for the graduate program, no, there are no requirements except a 2.5 GPA, and yes, that is deterring, but it is not as if the program is large. It is a small program with typically less than 10 people graduating a year. You cannot compare yourself to the other students. You have to look at yourself and ask if this is the work you will be proud of. If you cannot take your education seriously you won’t take this program or most likely any self-taught program seriously. This is one of the cheapest colleges working adults have access to. You cannot expect the college to have professors catering to the students like at more expensive colleges. If you want access to a professor you have to pay for it, and if you are not paying for it you have no right to complain. These people have to make a living, and if you read the review by the faculty member who worked at this college, these programs are more like part-time work for them, and they are not devoting their attention to them. This is a self-taught program on almost every level, and if you are able to keep up, and you do all of the reading, the work, and you push YOURSELF you will attain a great education. YOU have to be the one to do that. If you can manage that you will step away with an expanded knowledge of your field and degree. The financial aid department is rocky. I have had my own share of experiences with them. You are going to need to take your time with this department when you come here. Plan carefully and accordingly, but if you are not already doing that with your finances I question whether it is the program or your own financial habits that are the problem. I will say, my wife went to a strictly private college with a high price tag, and that financial aid was horrific as well. We have never had a school (after three brick and mortar schools on my wife’s part) that had a financial department that was helpful. Again, when the school is this cheap, I do not see how people are expecting perfection here. It seems more like idealism than reality in terms of realistic expectations. My wife is on her third degree now, and we’ve been in college for almost seven years, and it is almost never a smooth transition to a new school, especially starting out, with financial aid. That said, in the recent years the financial aid department has gotten better. When I first started here it was rocky, but as the years went by they started getting better. They redesigned their website and have made it MUCH easier to figure out your finances. On top of that they have an app now where you can access your classroom on the go from your phone, and let me tell you, this makes forum replies that are due each week much easier to do while you are sitting at the doctor’s office or are waiting for an oil change that should take 20 minutes but gets stretched out to an hour. You will get the money that is yours here. This school does not rip people off and steal money. This is a REGIONALLY ACCREDDITED college, meaning it is on par with every major college in the country. There is no employer who will see that it is regionally accredited college and think it is not a legit college. If you honestly believe your job prospects will be effected by attending an online college then do your research. Statistics are changing for online colleges, very much for the better (though there is still a stigma). When you put this college on your resume, make sure you point out that is one of the top-rated colleges by U.S. News, and that it has received numerous awards. Build the college up. This is basic resume edict, and I hesitate to look at the resumes of the people who say they got their degree here and it did nothing for their job prospects. This is a for profit school, though. That has to be recognized as well. That puts a nasty taste in a lot of people’s mouths, but again, if you go into this with eyes open, after hours of research and realistic expectations for a self-taught program, then I don’t think you will have complaints. I started and finished my Bachelor’s in English in three and half years after taking no breaks whatsoever and always going full-time. With my degree it was very easy to be self-taught. I would read, which I would be doing in any program, and then I would discuss and read lectures on the works. For me, that made this program extremely good for me. If you have a major where this won’t be the case, or if you need someone to literally be there to show you, you are going to be frustrated and angry, but you will always feel that in a self-taught course. I’m not so sure about getting a teaching degree here, or going into the intelligence community from here. It seems more likely you would flourish in a physical college and not an online one. These are not college courses with professors standing in front of you explaining it all. It is A LOT of reading and it is ENTIRELY on you to learn the material. The professors are there as consultants and graders but not much more than that. I have never once had a professor not reply to me in almost four years of being here, though. If you send a message, from my experience, you will get a reply in almost always one day, or if it’s the weekend, two days. I have never, and I mean literally never once had this not be the case. I have read some reviews from people who are afraid they will not be accepted into Ph.D. programs after going here, and I can tell you that this is not the case at all. I know people who have been accepted into higher programs after this. You don’t have to take my word for it, I understand, but I have no reason to sit here and pretend to be supportive of this college if I did not fully believe it was worthy of what I had to say, and I hope I am honest in its shortcomings as well. This is not a college where you will have professors there teaching you. The financial aid is rocky. The students are subpar in the earlier years (they typically don’t make it to the higher level years, believe me), BUT you get an affordable degree, in which you mostly are your own teacher. It is entirely accredited. It is recognized. You cannot expect more than this for what you are paying. I stepped away with a great understanding of my degree. I don’t regret the decision whatsoever, but there are shortcomings and there will always be people who do not respect a cheaper college, but guess what, they wouldn’t respect a physical community college either. There is a stigma against these colleges, but at least in terms of online colleges, the stigma is beginning to change, and as time moves on, it will begin to fade, though most likely never entirely. Understand that when you make the decision to not only go here but any online college. One of the last things, you will have hit-and-miss professors here. My wife has experienced the same at each of her brick and mortar colleges. This will be the same at every college you attend. You will always have the professors you can’t stand. At this college specifically, you most likely will not interact with your professor a lot, and if that is important to you, ATTEND ANOTHER COLLEGE and stop leaving one star reviews that hurt this college and its reputation because of YOUR learning style and idealistic expectations after, for the most part from what I’ve seen, having had no experience with outside colleges. This college is constantly improving in the way it provides its courses and in its professors. After every class you will be given a survey so you can point out the shortcomings and good things of every class, and they use this to make changes. YOU can be a part of the reason this college is better for others. I don’t appreciate the one star whiny reviews about not being given enough attention by the professors. This is not the college for that. You are in charge, and if you can’t handle that, you will not get good grades (unless you are cheating, lying about your knowledge, or plagiarizing), and if you leave and don’t notify the college as to why, you will be dropped, this is common sense people. Please do not blame the college for your inconsistencies. Random tid bits: In reply to the textbooks being outdated, this is typically not the case from my experience. I read a review of someone stating they could pull information from their “ass” and cite it and get good grades. Again, this is entirely on the student to have an education worth learning from, but they chose to half-ass their degree and got what they put in without doing the work. I have no sympathy. This is your life, and if you want to spend it half-assing everything that comes your way, then I applaud your consistency but not your approach to life. You could have learned and earned that GPA, but you made it worthless. My degree is gold to me because I spent many a sleepless night working my ass off to earn my GPA without lying and falsely citing material. Wikipedia is not a source that is acceptable at this college. Some of the classes are in reconstruction. I had one in my entire degree. It was not necessarily a good learning experience, but not a reason to bash the college and hurt their reputation because I, myself, got frustrated and threw an adult temper tantrum, and then attempted to make the college look bad on a place where real reviews should be written. Some classes here are better structured than others. You will find this a lot in colleges. Please do not pretend this is only the case with this college. After seven years of experiencing separate colleges I can tell you that this is the case in most colleges at an average level. I will not claim to be genius here. I am sure this is not the case with Virginia Tech, Yale or Harvard, but if you can get into those colleges I don’t see what you are doing here. Overall I both hated and loved this college. I learned so much because I did the work, the reading, the papers and the forums. I didn’t judge the college because of its students who are often busy too, and their posts are not perfect. Yours won’t be perfect either, and know, just as you are tearing everyone else’s posts to pieces, they are doing the same to yours, and know this, they think you are just as inept as you think they are. This is a regionally accredited college. It is a self-taught format. It’s hit-and-miss sometimes. The professors can be amazing and real asshats. You have to commit if you want to gain an understanding. For some degrees self-teaching isn’t going to go well. I don’t see getting a teaching degree here, or going on to being an intelligence officer. I was an English major, and for that, it was perfect. I gained all that I would have elsewhere because I took the time to learn it. I am proud of my degree and this college. It is not perfect. I felt cheated at times both with financial aid and the plagiarizing I saw other students doing, but I came to realize it was up to me what this would be. I chose to make it an experience that would define me and my discipline to suck it up and do the work. I’m not here whining about how I was wronged. There will always be cheaters and slackers. There will always be both classmates and professors that you don’t like, but I’m not going to sit here and make a generalization and then apply it to the ENTIRE college. I mean come on, it’s childish. Come in with your eyes open, realistic expectations that you would have with a community college, and know you will be your teacher, coach, accountability partner and at the end of the day, judge. Call this place worthless if you will, but it’s only worthless if you let it be. It’s up to you to determine the value of something. I don’t think those who find this college worthless will find a great many things up to their “level.” This can be a great place if you make it one. You will need a support system. You will need strict regimen. You will need understanding and a positive attitude, but these things are necessary for life, not just college. Some days you will hate this college, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to come here and trash the college. If you can calmly, without heated emotion, examine your experience and consider it one star, then lay out your argument, but I see no arguments keeping anyone from coming here and gaining from it as long as they do so with proper planning and information. Good luck to you all in your pursuit and decision. I know how hard that can be, and that is why I wrote this. Each of you can accomplish your goal if you don’t give up when the hardship comes, and remember, the start of any new great burden such as college or even a new job comes with feelings of helplessness, it is overcoming those that determines what value you will gain in the end.

I wanted to give a recent review on this school. There are a lot of reviews but I can’t help noticing that a lot of the reviews are from years ago and there are not a lot of updated reviews of the school. I’m going to try and be as honest as I can be. I’m not going to slap the slogan “it’s what you make it” and call it that. I want to give a more detailed overview of what that means for people looking for a better idea of what they are stepping in to. It’s not that I disagree with the people who say it is what you make it, because I agree, but I want to go into more than that. First off, I want to address the “diploma mill” allegations that I find insulting. This is a hard college. For those of you who have only started your freshman level courses and are badmouthing the college, you have no right to do so. If you go full-time, that is, two classes at 8 week intervals at a time, you have extremely rigorous course loads. Anyone can cheat in college, though. Anyone can just wing the forums. It is not the college’s responsibility to stop you from not taking your education seriously, that is entirely on you, the student. Anyone can wing it and receive “okay” grades, but trust me when I say, unless you are cheating, there is no way you can wing these classes and graduate with a 4.0. On these other side of this, you will notice cheating. You will find people who don’t take their education seriously. You will find this in the workplace. You will find this at Oxford. People will always look for ways to cut corners, and people will always cheat. It is up to you to not resort to those behaviors and though it is outraging to see students being given credit for stolen knowledge or work, it does not only happen here, it happens in every college and work place. It is not the college’s responsibility to police each class. Most of these professors have full-time jobs. Do not blame the college for practices that occur. They put as many road blocks in place to deter cheating as any modern college. Three strikes at this college from plagiarism and you are dropped from the program if you get caught. There is no cheating your way to a degree unless you literally pay someone to do it for you (or you are very good at plagiarizing), and then that is up to the type of person you are. If you are comfortable paying someone to do your work for you or cheating, you can do that at any college or workplace and it won’t be limited to this one. The college is not to blame for the behaviors that occur at all colleges. They put things in place to curb this, just as much as at other colleges. On to the comparison to “brick and mortar” schools. The physical college will almost always be the best option, but you most likely aren’t here because a physical college and its time demands are realistic for you. You are here because you don’t have time to go to a physical college or you have other restraints keeping you from attending a physical college. As for the graduate program, no there are no requirements except a 2.5 GPA, and yes that is deterring, but it is not as if the program is large. It is a small program with typically less than 10 people graduating a year. You cannot compare yourself to the other students. You have to look at yourself and ask if this is the work you will be proud of. If you cannot take your education seriously you won’t take this program or most likely any self-taught program seriously. This is one of the cheapest colleges working adults have access to, you cannot expect the college to have professors catering to the students like at more expensive colleges. If you want access to a professor you have to pay for it, and if you are not paying for it you have no right to complain. These people have to make a living, and if you read the review by the faculty member who worked at this college, these programs are more like part-time work for them, and they are not devoting their attention to them. This is a self-taught program on almost every level, and if you are able to keep up, and you do all of the reading, the work and you push YOURSELF you will attain a great education. YOU have to be the one to do that. If you can manage that you will step away with an expanded knowledge of your field and degree. The financial aid department is rocky. I have had my own share of experiences with them. You are going to need to take your time with this department when you come here. Plan carefully and accordingly, but if you are not already doing that with your finances I question whether it is the program or your own financial habits that are the problem. I will say, my wife went to a strictly private college with a high price tag, and that financial aid was horrific as well. We have never had a school (after three brick and mortar schools on my wife’s part) that had a financial department that was helpful. Again, when the school is this cheap, I do not see how people are expecting perfection here. It seems more like idealism than reality in terms of realistic expectations. My wife is on her third degree now, and we’ve been in college for almost seven years, and it is almost never a smooth transition to a new school, especially starting out, with financial aid. That said, in the recent years the financial aid department has gotten better. When I first started here it was rocky, but as the years went by they started getting better. They redesigned their website and have made it MUCH easier to figure out your finances. On top of that they have an app now where you can access your classroom on the go from your phone, and let me tell you, this makes forum replies that are due each week much easier to do while you are sitting at the doctor’s office or are waiting for an oil change that should take 20 minutes but gets stretched out to an hour somehow. You will get the money that is yours here. This school does not rip people off and steal money. This is a REGIONALLY ACCREDITED college meaning it is on par with every major college in the country. There is no employer who will see that it is regionally accredited college and think it is not a legit college. If you honestly believe your job prospects will be effected by attending an online college then do your research. Statistics are changing for online colleges, very much for the better. When you put this college on your resume, make sure you point out that is one of the top-rated colleges by U.S. News, and that it has received numerous awards. Build the college up. This is basic resume edict, and I hesitate to look at the resumes of the people who say they got their degree here and it did nothing for their job prospects. This is a for profit school. This has to be recognized as well. That puts a nasty taste in a lot of people’s mouths, but again, if you go into this with eyes open, after hours of research and realistic expectations for a self-taught program, then I don’t think you will have complaints. I started and finished my Bachelor’s in English in three and half years after taking no breaks whatsoever and always going full-time. With my degree it was very easy to be self-taught. I would read, which I would be doing in any program, and then I would discuss and read lectures on the works. For me, that made this program extremely good for me. If you have a major where this won’t be the case, or if you need someone to literally be there to show you, you are going to be frustrated and angry, but you will always feel that in a self-taught course. I’m not so sure about getting a teaching degree here, or going into the intelligence community from here. It seems more likely you would flourish in a physical college and not an online one. These are not college courses with professors standing in front of you explaining it all. It is A LOT of reading and it is ENTIRELY on you to learn the material. The professors are there as consultants and graders but not much more than that. I have never once had a professor not reply to me in almost four years of being here, though. If you send a message, from my experience, you will get a reply in almost always one day, or if it’s the weekend, two days. I have never, and I mean literally never once had this not be the case. I have read some reviews from people who are afraid they will not be accepted into Ph.D. programs after going here, and I can tell you that this is not the case at all. I know people who have been accepted into higher programs after this. You don’t have to take my word for it, I understand, but I have no reason to sit here and pretend to be supportive of this college if I did not fully believe it was worthy of what I had to say, and I hope I am honest in its shortcomings as well. This is not college where you will have professors there teaching you. The financial aid is rocky. The students are sub par in the earlier years (they typically don’t make it to the higher level years, believe me), BUT you get an affordable degree, in which you mostly are your own teacher. It is entirely accredited. It is recognized. You cannot expect more than this for what you are paying. I stepped away with a great understanding of my degree. I don’t regret the decision whatsoever, but there are shortcomings and there will always be people who do not respect a cheaper college, but guess what, they wouldn’t respect a physical community college either. There is a stigma against these colleges, but at least in terms of online colleges, the stigma is beginning to change, and as time moves on, it will begin to fade, though most likely never entirely. Understand that when you make the decision to not only go here but any online college. One of the last things, you will have hit-and-miss professors here. My wife has experienced the same at each of her brick and mortar colleges. This will be the same at every college you attend. You will always have the professors you can’t stand. At this college specifically, you most likely will not interact with your professor a lot, and if that is important to you, ATTEND ANOTHER COLLEGE and stop leaving one star reviews that hurt this college and its reputation because of YOUR learning style and idealistic expectations after, for the most part from what I’ve seen, having had no experience with outside colleges. This college is constantly improving in the way it provides its courses and in its professors. After every class you will be given a survey so you can point out the shortcomings and good things of every class, and they use this to make changes. YOU can be a part of the reason this college is better for others. I don’t appreciate the one star whiny reviews about not being given enough attention by the professors. This is not the college for that. You are in charge, and if you can’t handle that, you will not get good grades (unless you are cheating, lying about your knowledge, or plagiarizing), and if you leave and don’t notify the college as to why, you will be dropped, this is common sense people. Please do not blame the college for your inconsistencies. Random tid bits: In reply to the textbooks being outdated, this is typically not the case from my experience. I read a review of someone stating they could pull information from their “ass” and cite it and get good grades. Again, this is entirely on the student to have an education worth learning from, but they chose to half ass their degree and got what they put in without doing the work. I have no sympathy. This is your life, and if you want to spend it half assing everything that comes your way, then I applaud your consistency but not your approach to life. You could have learned and earned that GPA, but you made it worthless. My degree is gold to me, because I spent many a sleepless night working my ass off to earn my GPA without lying and falsely citing material. Wikipedia is not a source that is acceptable at this college. Some of the classes are in reconstruction. I had one in my entire degree. It was not necessarily a good learning experience, but not a reason to bash the college and hurt their reputation because I, myself, got frustrated and threw an adult temper tantrum, attempting to make the college bad on a place where real reviews should be written. Some classes here are better structured than others. You will find this a lot in colleges. Please do not pretend this is only the case with college. After seven years of experiencing a separate colleges I can tell you that this is the case in most colleges at an average level. I will not claim to be genius here. I am sure this is not the case with Virginia Tech, Yale or Harvard, but if you can get into those colleges I don’t see what you are doing here. Overall I both hated and loved this college. I learned so much because I did the work, the reading, the papers and the forums. I didn’t judge the college because of its students who are often busy too, and their posts are not perfect. Yours won’t be perfect either, and know, just as you are tearing everyone else’s posts to pieces, they are doing the same to yours, and know this, they think you are just as inept as you think they are. This is a regionally accredited college. It is a self-taught format. It’s hit-and-miss sometimes. The professors can be amazing and real asshats. You have to commit if you want to gain an understanding. For some degrees self-teaching isn’t going to go well. I don’t see getting a teaching degree here, or going on to being an intelligence officer. I was an English major, and for that, it was perfect. I gained all that I would have elsewhere because I took the time to learn it. I am proud of my degree and this college. It is not perfect. I felt cheated at times both with financial aid and the plagiarizing I saw other students doing, but I can to realize it was up to be what this would be. I chose to make it an experience that would define me and my discipline to suck and up and do the work. I’m not here whining about how I was wronged. There will always be cheaters and slackers. There will always be both classmates and professors that you don’t like, but I’m not going to sit here and make a generalization and then apply it to the ENTIRE college. I mean come on, it’s childish. Come in with your eyes open, realistic expectations that you would have with a community college, and know you will be your teacher, coach, accountability partner and at the end of the day, judge. Call this place worthless if you will, but it’s only worthless if you let it be. It’s up to you to determine the value of something. I don’t think those who find this college worthless will find a great many things up to their “level.” This can be a great place if you make it one. You will need a support system. You will need strict regimen. You will need understanding and a positive attitude, but these things are necessary for life, not just college. Some days you will hate this college, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to come here and trash the college. If you can calmly, without heated emotion, examine your experience and consider it one star, then lay out your argument, but I see no arguments keeping anyone from coming here and gaining from it as long as they do so with proper planning and information. Good luck to you all in your pursuit and decision. I know how hard that can be, and that is why I wrote this. Each of you can accomplish your goal if you don’t give up when the hardship comes, and remember, the start of any new great burden such as college or even a new job comes with feelings of helplessness, it is overcoming those that determines what value you will gain in the end.

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.

Overall, my experience with this university was great! Financial Aid was sometimes hard to deal with, but that is a common complaint with most universities. The rigor of the coursework was what I expected from an online university. I was familiar with online learning prior to attending APU, because I took online courses at a local community college and had a degree from another online university. I decided to pursue this degree because my other one was not regionally accredited. I wish APU would convert and use Blackboard rather than Sakai as I feel it is easier to navigate but once you get the hang of Sakai, it's not so bad. I enjoyed the majority of the course options. The professors were helpful and wanted to see students succeed. I highly recommend this university because it allowed me to juggle a full-course load with working and family responsibilities. The 8 week course offering are awesome! I never want to take 16 week courses again.

I am attending APU and should graduate later this year with my Bachelor's in psychology. Please note I am a 4.0 student, and that achievement has required a lot of work, past the normal forums, quizzes, and assignments. The quality of the virtual classroom and matching of textbooks to the lesson plan have suffered incredibly over the last 2 years. I often find conflicting rubric and assignment directions, textbooks which don't match the lesson plan (or even the questions asked), and incomplete or flatly late grading by professors. The ONLY way that APU knows when professors do not comply with the 5-day grading rule is when a student escalates it. Professors don't seem to know which book is being used, and they also appear completely clueless how to investigate or change anything. The level and depth of quality control I have to employ to challenge quiz or exam question answer keys are astonishing. 90% of the time when I challenge them, I am right that they are inaccurate and the professor or someone else changes the grade for them for everyone in the class. The course I completed last month had the wrong book provided to us, which I escalated to the professor and the associate department chair. Even after receiving the latter's responses four weeks into the course, other students in the class were not notified the book was the wrong one and information pertinent to questions on the quizzes and exam not contained the one we had. I do not know how other people in the class passed the course: I purchased the right book on my own and got permission to use it. APU has become a stovepiped organization, where accountability doesn't exist. I have held off taking my major requirements courses until this summer in hopes that at least in my departmental studies, the quality of the classroom content and management improves. I do know that the next time I have to QC a course as I did for the last two, I'm going to be asking for additional credits to do so, which is what happens at larger universities. My role is as a student, not as a person to check every single thing for APU in a classroom and make sure it's right. The fact I have to do so shows the dysfunction in APU as an organization, and it is something they need to resolve.

I have taken 14 courses from APU and I have been impressed with a only a few courses and instructors but I have never been disappointed with any of them. Just like the 60+ credits I transferred to APU. I had some good and some average instructors and materials. I would not recommend this program as the very first college experience unless you are a disciplined individual. As an older and career experienced student, this program fits me perfectly. My company is supporting me with partial re-imbursement and I am getting better than average reviews in part to my continuing education activities. This program is not perfect and neither is life. I have personally not had any issue with the program. This program fits my schedule, my budget and my career objective. I work with college graduates of "brick and mortar" schools everyday. Some of them are good people and good employees and some of them are jerks who must have skated through college because they rely on others to do their job for them. My point is that this program is what you make it.

How can financial aid manage to screw up peoples grants and loans EVERY SINGLE TIME? I swear I spent half my college career trying to get my money. Hire people who can do accounting properly, and fix your website so that students can correct your errors before hitting enter on their forms. P.S Vitalsource is a horrible program. Please switch to one that doesn't crash all the time, and mess up people's computers.

I have worked in this field for over 12 years and I still found this course of study to be very interesting. The way the course is presented is beneficial to the entry level personnel or the expert looking for the academia to coincide with work related experience.

I absolutely love this university! I recently completed the Masters TLMT program and it was worth every penny, every hour of research, and every paper written! The instructors were awesome! Their feedback helped me tremendously! I recommend APU to everyone!

My grades are for the institution as a whole, what I saw as a grad student and what I saw as an instructor. I really enjoyed the quality of most of the instructors in psych. One of them needed to be sacked. As others have mentioned, he didn't respond. But that was one out of seven! I pointed out to the department chair that case studies would be more appropriate vs. review papers for every class, but that's my only real quibble. APUS is the best of the online for-profits, nothing like the horrible diploma mills that are being shut down, thank goodness. So much for the grad program and its wonderful instructors, especially the sweetie who helped me so much in stats. Now, as to being an instructor: bad news. You may not know that all colleges are moving to a mostly-adjuncts and poverty-wage adjuncts at that, and APUS is no different. I worked very hard and was very responsive, labored hard over grading rubrics and got high marks for caring from the students. Your fellow students are the same mixed bag you get elsewhere. Some people (especially the military) are very conscientious, wonderful people to pour your dedication into, and fun to meet as a fellow student. Some are poorly prepared for college, period, really need remedial English classes; some will claim racism to try to get an A. I am proud of APUS for not knuckling under to any kind of "I want an A" pressure. I have high, fair standards and APUS always came down on the side of facts and evidence. This is not what I encountered in public community colleges, I must say, where you COULD manipulate to get a higher grade. So bravo, APUS, for academic standards. Another weakness that sadly is shared with more and more schools is the utter refusal to allow instructors to create exams, assignments or anything else; the curriculum was decided by someone else and we were all stuck with it. As I said, sadly becoming the state of higher education. I suspect that APUS, as any other school other than Harvard, is best in the specific-subject areas and weaker in the synthesis programs like generic humanities. Everyone I've ever talked to in psych or in the military specialties was very happy with the quality of their degree. I am, too!

I am a mother and work full-time. APU enabled me to complete my Bachelor's Degree in the field I am passionate about. APU provided great support. The technology was perfect. I will for ever be greatful to APU for helping me achieve my dream. I would strongly recommend them to anyone!!

I completed my Master of Arts in Homeland Security in August 2015. This was my second degree from American Public University System (APUS) because of the accessibility and affordability, as well as the kinds and quality of courses that are offered. The quality of education, in my experience, was as good as, and in some cases better than, what one would receive at a traditional in-state university (I graduated from Arizona State University in 2013). The courses are very interesting, the professors keep students engaged and promote an environment for students to truly delve into the course topics. The online library is an excellent resource APUS has while you are a student and you have lifetime access once you graduate. I know many people have reservations about attending online institutions because of the fact the school is online. I tell all those who have those reservations that I have been witness to a few of the programs for the School of Security and Global Studies; they are fully recognized in the military and the federal civilian side of the government. My experience with American Public University has been great overall. If you are looking at starting a degree for the first time, completing a degree started from another institution, pursuing an advanced degree, or looking at changing your field, the education you receive with American Public University is well worth the time and money you will invest. You will not regret your decision to pursuit your education with American Public University.

If it were not for APUS, I would not be finishing my degree. I needed to find a program that was convenient for me to fit in with a full-time job, and this meant not having to go to a brick and mortar university several times a week. APUS allows me to work from the comfort of my own home after hours. The courses I take challenge me and allow me to push myself like I never have before. As with any university, some instructors are better than others, but there have been a few that are outstanding and who strive to help students succeed. APUS also allows students to complete surveys at the end of each class to critique the instructors and the curriculum. I would highly recommend APUS to anyone who wants to complete a degree on their own terms.

I started school at APUS in October, and overall I have loved it. My life is quite busy, and it was not practical for me to attend a brick and mortar school. I did a lot of research when trying to find an online philosophy program, and APUS is significantly less expensive than any others that I could find. Not only that, but it is an accredited school, and allows me to work around my schedule. The classes have been challenging, but enjoyable, and all of my teachers (minus one) have been extremely helpful and informative. With that situation, I enjoyed the class, but the teacher was just not helpful. The classrooms are set up so that each class has a forum, which makes it feel more like a real classroom. I enjoy the ability to have discussions with other classmates. I personally have not had any problems with financial aid, but I have called the financial aid department to answer questions, and they have been very helpful. I understand that some people may not enjoy this type of school, but if you are looking for a good online college, I would highly recommend APUS.

Using APUS as my institution for my degree plan was the best decision that I have ever made. I have been in the military for 25 years and with the constant deploying and missions they worked with me every step of the way. If you are looking to become a coach of any sports program they have the most up to date information that can be applied to your situation immediately. I would suggest this college to anyone that has a very busy life but still wants to progress in their education. Shade Holder

The best online university I could find for Environmental Science. In fact, it ranked high even compared to brick and mortar universities for this program. It had all of the classes I wanted. Tuition was great and the institution is accredited. I feel that I have gotten a great start for pursuing a career in this field. I am continuing on with a Masters program in Environmental Policy and Management.

Really? This program does not even compare to brick and mortar programs. Hey, did you know that there aren't any admission requirements? This means that any fool with a pulse and a checkbook can join the program. And they do. Looking for students who have a solid background in humanities and earned their place here? Not going to happen. They haven't taken GREs, or have letters of recommendation, or a decent GPA to get into this school ANYONE who wants to pay gets in. All you have to do is post in discussion forums and write a few essays over a 16 week period. The instructors are ok, but the other students don't know how to read or think about complicated issues, so good luck trying to find intellectual stimulation here. If you want your degree to be worth more than a roll of toilet paper, save yourself the time and aggravation and apply to a real, traditional school with a rigorous program.

I researched far and wide to find an accredited, affordable, all on-line option for my MPA. APUS fit the bill. The classes are eight weeks each and teach an incredible amount of material in that time. Students are required to READ a GREAT DEAL of material however all the material is relevant. I have not yet run across any professor's 'pet project' that doesn't really relate to the class. The curriculum is focused and I definitely feel I learn the important, core topics in each class. The required forum postings can be difficult. But I don't learn with stuff that is easy. The teachers clearly describe the requirements for a good grade and are quite consistent in applying the grading matrix. I have NEVER been surprised by a grade as I know how much work went into the paper/discussion/project. 90% of the professors respond promptly. The enrollment process was easy. I have no difficulty in getting direction and/or help when I need it from the central/admission office. I appreciate the opportunity to learn in this way. It works for me and it's affordable. I encourage you to try.

I was thoroughly challenged yet was very supported by all of my professors. For my Practicum and Internship the professors broke down the stigma of online learning by communicating with students frequently and making themselves available at all times of the day or night! I feel completely prepared to walk right into the School Counseling profession. Compared to others who attended other schools in the area, I feel that my experiences and learning from APU are way superior.

APUS gave me exactly what I need. APUS is one of many online universities which provide opportunity to obtain the Master Degree in Intelligence Studies and after one year of study I can confirm that it is the best option. It is very important that the school is accredited and recognized by the United Nations Staff Selection Office. The Intelligence studies program has completely exceeded my expectations; moreover, comparing with my previous in-person Master Degree education in the same field academics in APUS is better than anything I have ever experienced with the course of study being more profound and informative. The instructors have broad experiences working at the different bodies and key posts in the Intelligence community. The staff is amazing, providing a lot of additional information and help beyond the program of studying. The APUS online library deserves special appraisal with easy to search option and multitude of useful, rare and just interesting sources, which is not possible to find on open Internet. The APUS events in the different cities of the USA allow interacting with fellow students and the APUS management. You are totally in control of what you learn and how you learn it. Even with my work without a definite schedule and extra work hours I am still able to balance work, family, and education taking one eight-week online course at a time with one-month break between classes. I recommend APUS and specifically Intelligence Study program to anyone interested in advancing the career in international security and analysis as well as for United Nations Security specialists.

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.

Having limited exposure to online classroom environments, as well as having been out of school for over twenty years, I was hesitant in my pursuit of an online masters degree; however, my internet search was clear--APUS was, by far, the clear choice for accreditation, reputation, quality, and value. The APUS Humanities program is based on the Great Books of Western Civilization, which can be limiting for students who wish to explore additional areas of interest more in depth (such as the Near East or ancient Egypt). Indeed, these areas are covered in HUMN510, albeit very quickly. Opinions and reviews of professors are subjective, so I will not get into it here; however, my assessment of the professors in this programs is as follows: they are qualified, accomplished, knowledgeable, involved, and responsive. They are the real deal; I have experienced no "hacks" thus far. Indeed, they are kept quite busy; many carry several undergrad and graduate classes, as well as sit on advisory boards, attend conferences, supervise other professors, etc. Regardless of other activities and responsibilities, each of my professors was engaged throughout each week, and returned graded assignments within a week or two (at the most). Expectations are high, so bring your 'A' game. Grading is hard, but fair. Again, your mileage will vary from one instructor to the next, but this is no program to stroll through. If you are in search of a degree mill to obtain a masters for the sake of having one, you may want to look elsewhere. The admin staff--front office, financial aid, student services, librarians--is friendly, helpful, and eager to assist. The online library seems infinite; there is no shortage of resources for your papers and research. I have even had books loaned to me from outside libraries via the Interlibrary Loan System. Consistent with perhaps any other academic setting, I have had classmates who were intelligent and engaged, sarcastic and pedantic, and B.S.-ing slugs. In one of my classes I was the ONLY student! If you are serious about a solid education at the graduate level, APUS is worthy of consideration. Be prepared to read and write, and read and write. Each class is different, however, and they have creatively approached changing the work demands throughout the program. For instance, HUMN500 is a research and writing class requiring some small essays and one term paper. In HUMN510, a moderate paper is due about every three weeks. Several two- to three-paged papers are required in HUMN520. The demands are challenging, but your reading and writing ability will improve dramatically. The only downside I will assert is the inability to "specialize" in any area. Sure, there are some electives offered wherein, based on selection, one could become more learned in, say, world religion--entire classes are offered in Hinduism and Buddhism, for instance. This program is more structured in western human culture and thought throughout history, as reflected in literature, treatise, and poetry, from the beginning of recorded history (Sumer/Babylonia) through modern time. Finally, many of the required reading materials are made available at no cost to the students either by links or uploads provided by the professors. While this can be beneficial to cost savings, I have purchased many of the books through Amazon (which were cheaper than what was offered at the student store).

BS in Sports and Health Sciences. I was nervous starting an online program, but I knew I did not want to be stuck where I am. Soon I will graduate! 4 classes left and I am looking forward to a new chapter. I started at APUS in Feb. 2010 and have been busting my butt since. I am only part time due to 2 jobs and youth sports (coach) I have not had many problems yet. There is always a computer near by, my book are electronic and having a tablet and smart phone makes reading easy. No excuses. Financial aid department has always been on top of things, always answering my questions in a timely manner. I have really enjoyed my studies, only problem, I wish I would have chosen a different degree, not sure exactly what I am going to do when I am done. But the world opens doors for BS degrees.

APUS has many wonderful qualities, and for someone who is looking to get a quality education that offers flexibility and stability; it was the perfect fit. That being said, while attending APUS I had quite a bit of problems with the financial aid department, my professors and simply put the complete digital nature of the textbooks. APUS provides its undergrad students with book tuition, meaning you do not have to pay for your books unless you would like a physical copy of them. This is environmentally and economically friendly, but if you are like me, it is not very convenient and can actually become a problem if you are visually impaired, or have attention span problems. While yes, you can buy the physical copy of the book, not every class provides you with that option, thus forcing you to read your text on your computer screen. When you are reading 4-5 chapters a week, per class, with and upwards amount of 3-5 classes, it can be rather troublesome. The professors, generally speaking, are on your side and are willing to do almost anything to help you succeed and to pass their class. The downside that I kept running into is that there are some professors who simply will not work with you, no matter the circumstances. Which is something to be aware of if, like me, you live in a VERY rural area that is prone to power outages when the weather is inclement. The last major problem that I had with this school, was that of the financial aid dept. Every semester was the same thing, I would have to call up the financial aid dept. tell them that they have yet to disburse my loans and I would have to fight with them to ensure that my financial aid was disbursed and that my classes were covered. My final semester of APUS they had over-calculated my financial aid and I received a refund when I shouldn't have. Due to this I did not have enough funds to cover my final courses, and ended up having to pay out of pocket in order to graduate. While I did not have to pay an exuberant amount, I was more upset by the fact that they were the ones who had made the mistake, and I ended up paying for it. During my time with APUS, I had the opportunity to become rather engaged in the online extra-curricular community. APUS has many clubs, and student run organizations that you can join and participate in; you can even hold officer positions and help run these orgs. and clubs! Serving as a student leader was a lot of fun, and helped change my point of view about the school. There are many wonderful individuals who work with APUS, and I absolutely enjoyed getting to know many of them. In addition, APUS has many resources available to its students and alumni, including but not limited to: Career services (assistance with finding a job, resume writing assistance, career fairs, etc), Free online tutoring, a library filled with limitless references for all majors, minors, and certificate programs, an alumni rally, university ambassador program, student awards and honor societies, and SO MANY cross-networking opportunities. The graduation is also quite a to-do, and I am really excited to be able to attend this year. If I had the choice to do my education all over again, I think I would still choose APUS, mostly because of its strong sense of community, and ease of access. But there is definitely A LOT of room for improvement in regards to in-house affairs like financial services.

I graduated with my BS in Criminology, Fall 1994, from a brick and mortar institution. I commenced working on my Masters Degree November 2015 after a 21 year absence!! Honestly, my BS has NOT been put to use in security, law enforcement, or corrections. I will admit that it was a scary endeavor at first because I wasn't even certain about returning to school, especially with changing majors. My first two weeks were the hardest and I considered giving up at least three times (maybe more). I am elated that I did not. I had to re-learn APA style (actually I didn't even remember it). The biggest challenges have been finding the balance with family life, working full-time, and going to school full-time; completing what seems to be excessive readings; and writing scientifically since I'm more of a "free-styler". Faculty has been great in working with me and providing great recommendations. I do miss my free time but this is worth the investment. Two years is not a long time. I am grateful that I ran out of excuses on why I should NOT pursue my Masters. The biggest recommendations that I can give anyone is to assure that you are disciplined enough to pursue online (a scheduled is still required and time management is mandatory) and to be 100% positive that this is the best route for you. I am now in my third class and continuing to push forward, anticipated graduation Fall 2017. Aim high, rise higher!! ALF

I had a wonderful experience at APUS. The Professors were very good and always ready to assist you. We also had well-behaved colleagues. During the course of my MBA program, I worked too hard because it was difficult to contact colleagues from different time zones. However, being online made it easier for me to work from three continents. In fact, wherever there was Internet. I worked from France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Washington DC, Chicago in the USA, Montreal, Sherbrooke in Canada and Lagos, Nigeria just to mention a few. With perseverance, hard work and determination, the sky is your limit. Enjoy the moment.

I have enjoyed my experience with APU these last two years. I have tried other schools online, but was less than pleased with what I was offered. Throughout these two years I have been able to take course work and relate it to my present job.

A top line value for any on-line school. Professors were informative, easy to access, encouraged and provided meaningful feedback. I have recommended to friends and co-workers to consider furthering their education through APU. I graduated this last November, and say I miss being in the classes.

This isn't a pre-licensing degree, please note, it is designed to allow you to teach and do occupations related to human services. The stats and ethics and physiology profs were exceptional. Only one was MIA and awful, which exceeds the quality level of any other school I've attended. This is my second master. APUS overall is an excellent institution and value. They are innovative users of tech. Every class makes you write, use critical thinking and discuss politely, a skill so lacking in many workplaces. This degree was perfect for me, as a professional hypnotherapist and energy healer. It was very intellectually stimulating to be learning. I do wish the department chair would allow the I n instructors more innovation in how they teach. Assessments other than the same old papers - more case studies - would h ave helped me more in my work. But the instructors and materials are excellent. Sign up today!!

The curriculum for the degree exceeded my expectations and the instructors were knowledgeable and approachable. Being able to study under Dr. Steven Woodworth for two classes is an experience that I will never forget.

I just graduated February 15, 2016 with my bachelors degree in Legal Studies. This was the right school for me. I also worked full time, I was able to transfer my Associates in Paralegal Technology and graduate in about a year with my bachelors. I highly recommend this program and University.

I have attended several online universities over the years, and APU is my least favorite. As compared to other online universities, the weekly assignments and expectations are way overloaded. This is my biggest complaint with APU. Too much is expected on a weekly basis for the class. The other issue I have is that many professors somehow twist the rubric to their liking and grade papers too harshly. They say they use a rubric, but deduct way too many points for small infractions like a period or a comma in a footnote or bibliography. Another issue is that each instructor has the right to choose whether to use MLA or Chicago-style or Turabian, and there are many small differences between these styles. I wish they would choose one style and stick with it. In the Humanities program, classes remain at 16 weeks, which is way too long for one class to last. Eight weeks is plenty of time for one class, and I don't see the point in dragging out classes for 16 weeks.

I am so happy that I decided to attend American Public University. The teachers are great, the class room set-up is the best, and everything is easy access. If you need assistance, you will receive feedback in twenty-four to forty-eight hours, which is good. If you send an email, you will receive a quick feedback, also. The books are online, and you have a choice to purchase off line. The only regret that I have, is that I did not attend this university sooner. Jacqueline Greenwood, MS

At first I wasn't sure how well an online program would work in obtaining my Master's degree. However, APUS made the process of being admitted, enrolling in courses and completing courses very easy. I have finished my 12 courses and, once I pass my final comprehensive exam, will graduate. I recommend APUS for those who want to expand their education in a flexible fashion.

I loved studying at American Public University the teachers were great they helped me with the work, understanding the subject as well as when my work was due and what books could help me on my research paper. I recommend this school to anyone including single mothers who work this school allowed me to do the work on my own time.

After taking some classes at a community college and completing my general education, I took a couple years off. I'm a single parent and have a full time job. I don't have a lot of help around me so I always put school on the back burner. Even through my first three years at the community college, I attempted online studies, but was never successful and didn't really care for it. Once I realized all of the factors pilled against me, I decided to give it another shot. That is when I came to APU. Starting out was a little rough. There is definitely an adjustment period that you have to get through. It is possible though. I am on my final semester here at APU. Most of the professors that I have encountered have been extremely supportive and helpful when needed. I also really enjoy the forums for each course. This is where you give your view points on each week's lesson and readings. You also get to review each of your classmates view point that are sometimes different than yours. I feel this always allowed for keeping an open mind concept because there are things in every aspect of life that not everyone is going to see the same way as you. In reference to a previous, and I might add poor, review on the university could likely be to poor communication and consideration on the student's part. Not everyone is going to have nice things to say, but when you are in an online class you have to keep in mind that you should be considerate of others, for it is their learning environment too. I have four classes left with APU. I can say that I would go back and do it again after I complete my BA in Psychology. I would attend this school for my MA degree too, however the university doesn't have a program that fits the proper courses required for my states licensing requirements. I gave a 9 for each of the components listed in the review because nothing is just absolutely perfect anywhere. There will always be kinks to work out. There are things that you have to learn the school's process for and learn that financial aid has potential to take forever or get hung up anywhere that you go. However, this university is truly amazing and that is why I give an excellent review.

I was on a two year work assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2012 when I enrolled for my Masters degree. I have never been happier with the support I got from my Professors. They were very thorough and particular with whatever they taught and were always available to help. The classes were manageable and the quality of education was beyond reproach. For as long as I completed by class work assignments and research papers on time; ;life was good. I applied my life and work experiences in my studies which made my research work exciting. I am using all I learnt at my place of work and have no regrets whatsoever for having enrolled for my Masters degree at APUS.

I had read some bad reviews of APU from several years ago and entered a bit worried. There was no need for worry as the program far exceeded my expectations. The instructors were fantastic, the hours flexible, and the tuition affordable. I am on my final capstone and thesis now. My instructor and I communicate almost daily.

I am five classes away from receiving my Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, and I am constantly amazed every session that I made it this far!!! I am very 'ole skool' and have spent years going to brick and mortar classrooms. I was very skeptical at first, but the more classes I took, the better I got. I have to say, except for two instructors, I have been fortunate enough to have some great professors. I have never had a problem with the support system at APU with either Student Services or Financial Aid. Any questions I ask, they usually get right back to me within 24 hours. One of the things that I had to overcome was the face-to-face contact with the professor and classmates. If I needed assistance, I could just go to the professor and talk about it. Online, I have to wait for a response, so that was something I had to get used to. Eventually, I got used to that as well. All in all, it has been an eye-opening experience, and I am really proud of myself!!!!!

I stated attending American PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS in January of this year 2016. I am now participating in my fourth class and I'm loving every minute of it. The professors are brilliant and easily accessible, and they grade fairly. The topic's in all of my classes so far have been up to date in its teachings and the course work has been challenging. The coll100 course that new online learners are required to take was very helpful to me, especially when it came to the writing styles like APA standard or MLA ect. The books and course materials are all up to date and mostly new. Love having the forum space to post discussions and critique and be critiqued. You really do feel like your part of a community at APUS. Financial aid was so easy to get, never had any problems and the financial aid staff are spectacularly nice people and well informed. Because the course work is so challenging and the professor's are shoo easily accessible I plan to continue attending till I achieve my desired degree which in the end will be Space Studies when I change majors from English next year. Also another thing I like about apus is the sorority opportunities offered, I just applied to one recently. There so many wonderful things Apus offers, including many degree program's. I would encourage anyone who is SERIOUS about there education and obtaining there degree to go here. It's fantastic and I'm really glad I chose to go here first.

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

Going to college online seemed like a good idea because it offered the flexibility that I needed, however if I could do it over again, I would absolutely choose a different school. I am two classes away from getting my Bachelor's Degree and have been attending off and on since 2013. There were problems almost every single semester, mostly with the financial aid office (I got my last refund 2 1/2 months late). There were a few helpful people in that office, but most of them had no idea what they were doing. Most of the teachers were barely present in the class, and some were downright terrible. I had one teacher, ONE, out of 3 years that was a great teacher. Shout out to Professor Pittaro! Your advising team is a joke. No one has ever even told me who my advisor was. And their departments don't communicate with each other. I switched my degree plan a little bit so I could graduate six months earlier, and they didn't tell me I should have waited until the semester was over. And then when it messed up my financial aid disbursement, the Financial Aid office was rude and told me it was my fault because I switched degree plans in the middle of a semester. The university claims they value and encourage differing opinions in the classroom. They don't. If you disagree with someone in the forums, they act like you're a cyber bully because you don't apologize for disagreeing with them. And God forbid when you back it up with facts! They think you are attacking the other student. I was appalled by how many of my fellow classmates could not spell or form a complete a sentence. I also had to report several students for blatant plagiarism. They copied online sources word-for-word; actually they just copy and pasted it, which you could tell because they didn't even bother to change the formatting, so it stood out like a sore thumb. Most of the other students, when replying to your forum, don't even address what you wrote. Rather, they are just talking at you, regurgitating their own forum post, in order to meet the word requirements. (I understand the word requirements to some degree, but I really think people would provide more substantive answers if they were not having to meet a ridiculous word requirement. The number of words does not equate to the amount of substance). The amount of reading assigned is astronomical, which is partly why I hardly cracked a book while I was here. It is nearly impossible to read all of the material before your first forum post is due, especially if you work at all. I have heard, and agree somewhat, that your education, no matter what college you attend, is what you make of it. However, if you are a bright student and really want to get the most out of your education, this is definitely NOT the school for you. I highly recommend a brick and mortar school if it's at all possible. If not, at least make sure that the school offering the online program has a brick and mortar campus. Trust me. At the end of the day, the only thing this university has going for it is that it's cheaper than most (in cost and value) and one great teacher.

I am from Texas,and even with the extra steps I must take to be certified in Texas, I have learned so much! I could not be more pleased with my decision to go with this online school. Great learning expense, great professors (only 1 less than stellar experience and even it was still valuable).

After being "tricked" by a traditional, private college I initially attended, I switched to APU in November. I have finished three courses as of today and my semester, and remaining two courses, will be finished in February. So far, I am more than impressed with APU; the instructors and staff are amazing! They are readily available, genuine and get back to you very quickly. The textbooks and other resources provided to us are exquisite and professional. The courses, depending on whether you choose 8-week or 16-week duration, vary in complexity, however, staying to the outlined lesson and seeking help through classmates and instructors are guaranteed methods to lead you to success. In any online school, focus and persistence are required, and APU is no different. All you need to succeed at APU is the right state of mind; the school provides you with everything else and more with no hesitation. They are truly willing to help you every step of the way, and their consideration and flexibility is breathtaking. Do NOT hesitate--- APU IS the right choice, for everyone. Good luck, guys, and give APU a try!

I am currently taking my fifth graduate level class and have had a very good experience. Classes are much more intensive than my B&M underdraduate classes. Professors have been excellent to good, the good instructors graded fairly and gave feedback but just weren't as engaged as the excellent ones. The excellent instructors graded fairly but more strictly and gave more detailed feedback. The online format used at APUS is best suited to self starters. You could skate by with low B to C grades as with any other school but if you put in sincere effort you can get a good education. The same can be said of the forums, if you use them as an opportunity to expand your learning they are an excellent way to learn from your peers. Textbooks and supplemental reading assignments are current. Financial aid has been responsive, I have not had to drop any classes while attending APUS. Instructors will work with you when you need an extension due to work conflicts. This is an excellent school to attend if you are already in the work force.

I am pleased with my first class. The instructor was exceptional and the support from the librarians, bookstore and academic team were great! Every time I needed something they were patient while explaining things to me and were willing to give of their time. I first thought of pursuing a masters degree four years ago. I spoke with many counselors from many online universities across the country and also considered brick and mortar schools in my area. When I came across the online Masters in Humanities degree at APUS, I said, "Bingo!" I found what seemed to be a perfect fit for me. I was anxious about starting and nervous the first week of my first online class, but I'm very pleased so far and look forward to my future classes.

I have been attending APUS for almost a year and enjoy every minute. There has been only one teacher that I felt could have done better and by that I mean actually show up to class more than once every 2 weeks. Financial aid has always been on time and I have never had any issues with that aspect. I have received A's and B+ in all of my courses and I worked very hard for my grades and hope to soon have my Accounting degree.

I took three classes this semester, one of which is still in progress but the other two my "Intro to programming" class and the class they require you to take which is an online class to learn how to take classes online and has classes that teach you nothing about taking a class online, I learned nothing in those two. My math was great and continues to be fantastic and the actual school seems to be really good but be very careful what classes you take and which instructor you choose. To learn my programming class I had to find someone at my work that could teach me because the instructor was basically MIA, the school handbook said that instructors were required to have your work graded within 8 days of the due date and in my programming class, it could take 3 weeks to get grades. I will definitely be transferring to physical classes at my community college instead of registering for anymore here.

I started my previous degree program in October 2011, this being the BA in Intelligence Studies. Before enrolling in this program I had went for an undergraduate certificate in Terrorism Studies to see how the university is and if I would enjoy it; I had no college experience and was a high school drop out. I loved the certificate program and with the guidance of an academic advisor I enrolled in a Bachelors program. The advisor talked to me about the certificate. She asked what I thought about it, what my favorite courses were and what my future interests were/are. Based on this, she recommended that I enroll in either a BA in criminal justice or intelligence studies; I choose intel. The degree took about 3 years; I took 3 course at once for a semester to finish sooner. I felt that all of the professors have knowledge related to the subject of the course. Most professors that I had graded my work pretty strictly; sometimes if citations were off they let me know so I can fix it; it is challenging when some courses use different citations/references. But this made me a better student. I felt that by the end of the program I was writing on a professional level. The reading material is the best I have read! I normally hate reading; but because the material was based on what I like, I enjoyed it, even if some of the reading was difficult to understand. Unlike some students, I had no problem with financial aid, registration and so on. If I had any questions I called the school and they explained things to me. At first I didn't understand what credit hours meant when I was talking to the admissions team, the lady explained it to me, but I was still confused (which I let her know) so she explained it another way that made sense to me. It is good that they know these things can be confusing sometimes. I would rate this university a solid 10/10. It is the only university I have attended and it is the best. Following graduating with my BA (with honors), I took some time off to decide what I wanted to do next. This is when I decided that I was going to go back to AMU/APUS for a Master's degree. Again I called the school and spoke to the academic advisors about master programs. I didn't want a MA in Intelligence Studies, I wanted something to complement my BA. An advisor recommended criminal justice; which is what I was already thinking about. I am now on my fifth course for my MA and love it! My BA is helping with some of the topics and I feel that I fit in very well; even though I felt out of place when getting my BA. I would highly recommend APUS if you are willing to put in the effort. You are sort of teaching yourself here.. So if you don't have the drive, determination and time to put in your best effort, don't go here. At APUS the more you put into your work and studies, the better you will do. I've seen a family member attend AMU for forensics; he didn't have the drive to do it, as a result he flunked out. I recommend AMU to friends, but tell them it is not easy; simply because it isn't. The assignment are made to challenge your knowledge, they are made to make you a better student. The amount of reading varies for each class; I was reading 50-75 pages a week for my BA, which seems a little more than average (I didn't mind). Now for my MA, I am reading 100-150 pages a week. If you attend AMU and do not do your best, don't blame it on the university or the professors. If I didn't do as good on an assignment, it was because I didn't give it my best effort that week, it was my fault and no one else's. If you give your best effort, you should receive a fair grade. Always remember to do more than your best.

I have been taking courses up here for several years earning my degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in forensics. I wish they had a biology degree or one for forensic science as a stand alone. I haven't had any problems with any of my teachers except for one. A 1600 mile move and computer glitched caused me to fail the class (the last project was worth so much it was pass or fail). I retook the course and obtained an A. I get plenty of financial aid and have paid for nothing out of pocket unless it was by choice. My books are all digital so I only have to pay for them if I want a physical copy. I love that I get to pick my own classes and I can pick when I take them and how many I take. The important thing to do is to keep yourself on a set schedule. On these days you do your reading, on this day you do your initial forum post or quiz and always do them early. The more active you are the more likely a teacher will help you out if there's an issue.

I feel that APUS provided a well rounded course of studies. I only had one professor that was not up to caliber of the other professors. Other wise I feel that my experience here was excellent. When I had an issue with the one professor my academic advisors stepped in as well as the Academic Vice-Provost. I passed the class but was very dissappointed with the professor not the class or the school. I would recommend APUS to anyone.

I was looking for a college to get my Master's in History from and through word of mouth from a friend found this school. It has been everything that I hoped for. The classes are rigorous and it's not just a diploma mill. All of my instructors to date have been very knowledgeable and very helpful. I have had to contact several departments within APUS and everyone I have encountered has been professional and helpful. I have 3 A's and a C. The C only because I hated the course and had no interest in it whatsoever but it was a requirement for my degree. So I only did enough to get a C in it. The books needed for a few of the classes have been very expensive and this next class I am taking requires 4 different books on one topic, which I do not understand. But overall I love APUS. I think that its a great school and worth my money.

The discussion forum program is awful. Their level of communications from staff other than the class instructor is lacking. I wish I would have selected another college to complete my bachelors in. Be careful and research everything about the college before attending.

I enrolled with the University in 2009 but I didn't start classes until 2010. I found the enrollment process to be simple and that the University Staff answered all questions promptly. I chose the Transportation and Logistics Management Bachelor's program because of my background with it in the Army. All of the related courses were relatively easy and they allowed me to apply the knowledge and experience I had through my Army career and a couple of civilian jobs I held. The only class I really had an issue with was literature and I found it to be dry and boring but I still managed to pass because the instructor was willing to answer questions and try to make the goals easily understood. If you take a class with the University take the COLL 300 class as one of your first classes because it will teach you what you need to know in order to write throughout the course. I say that because I took it last and I struggled for the first few papers I wrote. The name is a bit intimidating but the class is not that bad and it will help. Get familiar with APA and MLA citation formats because that will help also. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my experience but I will go to a brick and mortar school next for my Master's so I can have face to face time with students and professors.

The school once was top of the line, but after going public and taking on a 'business model' things have gone down hill for about eight years. The top managements concern is student retention so they can keep their fat salaries. For example, the president of the school does not take a raise each year. People think this is wonderful. Well, in reality it's a joke. When you make $1,881,846.00 as of 2015 what is a raise when you automatically receive one million in benefits each year? Who needs a raise? The average full time teacher's salary is $38,000.00. They pay teachers about $20,000.00 less than the national average. My point. After finding out this information it explains much of the quality of education I received at their hands. The bottom line is the top dollar. Obviously if the teachers were paid more students might receive quality instead of quantity. Another thing I discovered is plagiarism appears to be accepted at the university. Just pathetic.

I have been with APUS for 15 years. I completed my B.A. with them, and have continued on with my Master's in American History. I've seen this institution grow into a very fine online experience which has continued to improve during my years of schooling. I have recommended it to many friends and colleagues, and am happy to discuss it with anyone at anytime. The online experience of learning was a new chapter in my learning life, and it suited my work and personal lifestyles both. I highly recommend it to anyone who is very busy; who can read and write without too much assistance; a self-starter and highly motivated person; and also someone who can get bored sitting in a classroom. I have always been one to think outside of the box and willing to try new experiences. After attending APUS I can think of no possible reason why I would EVER go to a traditional class again. That said, I would NOT recommend this experience to someone just beginning their college studies without any knowledge of the large difference between high school and college demands. A college freshman should probably go to a physical class for a semester or two before trying online learning. Barring that, it's a great experience and one that should be tried to truly be enjoyed. MIKE RUZZA

This university has given me every tool to do well. I am very happy to be a part of this school. The staff is helpful and the classes are informative. The financial aid department and other facilities are wonderful as well. If you want to do it right the first time, this school is the place to do it.

If you engage, there is an institution that reaches back for you, in a most timely and considerate way. The knowledge and resources are in place at APUS. You couldn't fake the level of concern and passion that the faculty have for your learning, and growth. It's the real thing! In every facet things are thought out, in the approach to learning. On the most important measures, the lines are blurred between what this university has to offer and other leading institutions (of which I have attended). If there isn't an advantage conferred by attending online (doubtful in my case), there seems a tacit acknowledgment, in the frenzied innovation, and a vision for near term excellence. Immersion in this kind of learning experience, will quickly ameliorate concerns about whether or not you will be able to compete globally, when your finished!

I was first attracted to American Public University when searching for a university that provided online learning, regional accreditation, and a degree in criminal justice and business administration. I am currently working towards my degree with my major in criminal justice and minor in business administration. The price was another factor and I found the prices at APU to be reasonable and better than many other established online universities. I looked into the history of this school and became more interested when I learned that the university was established to help our active military obtain their degree while overseas. This is personal but I have felt honored to go to school with so many brave men and women who serve in our military. The education is provided through a quality online learning environment with proper books, tutorials, and resources provided. The majority of class instructors are quality and willing to provide help when needed. I want to stress that in the online learning environment you will get out of the classes what you are willing to put into them. Due dates are announced for required assignments and writing is especially important with online learning as this is the most important way instructors are able to determine if students are taking in the material. Online learning is not for everybody and if you need some pressure to complete assignments or are quick to use resources outside of normal study materials brick and mortar might be a better fit. When it comes to negatives, I discussed online learning not being for everybody. I have had a few issues over the years with financial aid. The process is generally simple and they changed over to a new system several months ago. I have not had any problems with financial aid since they made the changes. I place APU as a major online university. I would place them as a mid-level university among all universities. When I first started looking into APU, I spoke to several people at the University of Louisville. I explained my situation and what my goal was and was pleasantly surprised to have them tell me that APU provided a quality education and credits for almost all-general education classes would transfer if I chose to switch to UofL since APU is regionally accredited. Originally, some people in my family were concerned with problems I might run into after obtaining the degree started searching for a job because of stigma some people in previous years attached to online learning. The conversations I had allowed me to feel more comfortable with going to an online university. The bottom line in my opinion is that APU is a good school for average, everyday people who need flexibility and are happy with obtaining a descent education at a reasonable price. I believe a descent education is possible through APU if the student is willing to put in the time and effort during the course of their classes. I hope this helps those considering online learning and APU.

Despite the varying reviews for this institution, it is one of the best. I have had the most positive experience with this school. The most important factors for me were the accreditation, the challenging course work, challenging online environment and the flexibility to allow me to achieve my overall goal! Many of my fellow Soldier’s/Colleagues have also had very positive experiences with this university. To see anything negative hits a sore spot with me (especially when the person writing the negative review cannot spell, nor comprise a simple paragraph-despite still choosing to continue to earn their degree and cannot be brave enough to own it !) because this university is one of the best out there. Very military friendly with credits, duty and overall excellent programs. I recommend this university to anyone who is serious about fulfilling their educational goals. I thank all the faculty, fantastic communication and overall support.

I transferred to APU from my local community college. Every credit was accepted. I had fears about financial aid, I read the horror stories online. However I can honestly say I never had any issues. The few issues I ever had with APU I either emailed or called the school. Each time the issue was resolved quickly with minimal to no hassle. I picked APU because working full time I had few options for the degree I wanted. The only state school in my area they had an equivalent degree did not have the night classes I needed. APU is also very affordable. At the time it was $250 per credit hour (equal to my local state school, but now tuition raised a bit). I have so far completed 12 courses. I received A’s in the majority and the rest B’s (those were classes which were “tough” or I was simply annoyed and showed a lack of interest in the topic). Each class is different but there usually is a typical format of discussions board posts of a minimum length, two replies each week, possibly reflections papers, quizzes, site evaluation, mid test and most often than not a research paper. The degree I am working towards is the B.A in Religion. From what I have experience is that you do not go too deep into the subject material. Give the courses are eight weeks, how can you. I have had mixed emotions of some disappointment, but also at times I have been surprised at what I have learned. The instructors are hit or miss. Luckily thanks to RateMyProffesor.com you should be able to avoid bad teachers can select the right ones. I found a good group of them and make sure to take the other courses they teach. A critic I have for the actual “teaching” is that there can be improvement. The last class I had had no lectures, instead you were to read the textbook and do the weekly forums, which had not relation to the text or any weekly agenda. That was ridiculous and from my experience atypical. I would like to see audio/video lectures to go along with the text. I have seen instructors be very interactive with the class, but there is always room to improve that. What I had struggled with the most at times is making the minimum post requirement in the weekly boards. It is not a problem at 250 words but some classes have 500 minimum and that is excessive. Quality over quantity! Research papers can be a struggle mainly because of the short length of the class. But you can apply for extensions. Writing is important, you will be doing a lot of writing in APU along with reading. I honestly have gotten by without reading all of the assigned readings, but that is because of my own knowledge on the subject. To succeed at APU you need to manage your time well, put enough time into the classes and follow the syllabus. Communicate with your instructor early if you need help, advice or give them a heads up about anything. Overall, the experience has been positive with a few minor bumps along the way. Can most people say that about other schools?

The education I have received at APUS has been first rate. Within a year of starting the MA Public Administration degree I was taking on leadership roles I never dreamed of before. My life has changed in ways I never thought about when I started the program and my skills are cutting edge now. I have risen in my career quickly and feel that I will be at the top within a couple of years. The instructors at APUS are not only highly educated, but also leaders in their organizations. They have real life executive experiences and they have all been superstars in their own areas of expertise. They have gone out of their way to speak with me on the phone, share emails and even Skype. I felt more connected to many of the instructors here than when I received my MA degrees at brick and mortar university. The instructors shared ideas (when I have asked) about my job and given me direction (not related to the class I was taking at the time) that have been so much help to me at work. I am confident in my abilities and skill set and I am seen as a strong leader in my organization. This degree provided the same skills as the people I work with who graduated from Harvard and Princeton and they often come to me for ideas. This school is a great deal of work and you will work hard to get where you want to go. If you put in the time and effort you will have the skills and cutting edge education to rise to the top. Lazy people won't get as much out of the education but if you work then the sky is the limit. I can't believe where I am today after taking this program. It was the best decision I have ever made in my career.

I've attended several other universities, colleges and have degrees from brick and mortar schools, however the challenge and pace at APUS was much better in that I found the work - was work, not some of the mediocre do the assignment mentality of other schools. If you think because it's online it'll be easier, you'd be making the wrong assumption. There are a few areas where improvement would help, the instructors are with few exceptions great and engaged. The area where improvement would help the most is in their administration, support where you can end up being passed around through the advisors until you get an answer. In some instances, the texts could be better. Sometimes there are people who don't appear to have the writing skills to be in graduate classes. This is not however much different from your traditional school. I would highly recommend it for people who are willing to work, stay connected and participate. It's a great value for the cost and provides you with the opportunity to increase your knowledge in an interactive environment. If you don't participate or want to write more in-depth assignments than you will not like it. Great school. T. Smith

I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in February 2015. I rate my studies at American Public University overall a great experience. I graduated with a associated degree in 1985. All of my girls is grown and I had not been in school since 1985I decided to go back to school to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Management. APU was a great experience, what I loved most about this experience was the interaction with fellow students and professor through threads. When we were giving the opportunity to post our pictures, and the professors posted their pictures, it gave a sense of a personal experience, because we were able to see the person instead of trying to imagine the person we were responding. I was able to use most of my credits from my previous university, which was a great help with the number of credits I needed. I thought I was going to have to take an extra class to graduate. Instead of taking the extra class, APU allowed me to use the extra credits from my previous university. I loved the electronic books, but I had problems with the on line library. I could never find what I was looking for. One of my professors did ask me why I was not using the library. I explained to her, that I could never locate the assignment when I attempted to use the library. That is why I used other resources to complete my assignments. As time passed, some of my fellow classmates were having the same problem. The university should make an extra effort to make online library accessible for classrooms assignment. Taking the online courses gave me the opportunity to work a full time job and go to school. My personal life was nonexistent for two years. My experience at APU was a great experience. The tuition was affordable and I had great professor that I could ask for guidance if I did not understand the assignment. I was so impressed with APU, that I have recommended two of my relatives to take on line courses at APU, and they both is attending the online classes.

Is school is wonderful!!! Being military I don't have the desire to sit in a class after work then rush home to do homework. I got the most freedom to do assignments as well as had understanding teachers that will work with you. I believe that I got a wonderful education from APUS and I look forward to moving in to my masters with them in the next couple months.

American Public University is the place to receive the finest form of education. The online environment is suitable for working adults who have to juggle work, education and cater for family needs or responsibilities as well. In my experience, I gained indepth understanding of course content through the virtual classroom analysis of subject matter. The professors were great and had and they had a complete command over their respective fields. They were very critical and helpful as well. They skilfully steered the course towards meeting the objectives outlined in the program. I do not think I could ever receive this kind of top-notch education from any other institution, be it in a traditional or online environment. Self-disciple, motivation and the quest to learn and know more are added advantages of enrolling at APU. As a result of the knowledge that I gained from APU, I have been able to publish a number of scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals. For example, The State of Iraqi Democracy, Afghanistan after the US Withdrawal (Peace and Conflict Monitor), The Syrian Conflict and Superpower Politics, Understanding the Structural Dynamics of the Russo-Chechen Conflict (Journal of Global Peace and Conflict),The International Experimentation in Democratic Governance (International Journal of Current Research), and Reconciling Huntington and Mueller's Theories of Conflict: A Critical Analysis of Race, Culture and Conflict (International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review). I will recommend American Public University to anyone seeking a great university and a great environment to study. You will never regret it, I promise.

Overall I'm satisfied with my education at American Public University. The required textbooks consist of modern content that is consistent with other universities. The instructors are qualified, knowledgeable, and involved. However, there were a few instructors who seemed to value flexibility at the expense of quality. For example, although these instructors would deduct points, students were issued higher scores even when their participation was minimal and their assignments were less-than-proficient and/or late. However, many of the instructors had higher standards and their grading policies reflected them. American Public University has consistently been ranked well according to U.S. News rankings of online universities. For this reason I considered rating the college as "Very high quality." However, during the second year of my MPA, American Public University received an "N/A" from U.S. News, prompting me to lower my rating one category to "Good." The support I was provided by the admissions staff, advisers, financial aid staff, instructors, bookstore and library staff, and tech support were all above average. Without a doubt, the best feature of American Public University is the value. This proprietary institution offers educational services that compare to other colleges, both for-profit and non-profit, including traditional and online institutions. Yet, American Public University is one of the most affordable educational institutions. Overall, I rate American Public University as a very high quality institution and value my Master's Degree.

It's a shame be this could be a really good school despite being an online only college with a for profit status. They accept anyone, and you will notice this pretty quickly within your courses when you see the atrocious writing skills and overall aptitude of many of your contemporaries. Until they are more picky with admissions, I fear that APU will continue to carry the bad reputation they have. Unfortunately for me, I was accepted into many prestigious schools and could not commit to the scheduling due to having an autistic son. So despite my instincts I continued on at APU until it was too late to transfer (due to financial reasons associated with starting over elsewhere) and now I basically lie when people ask where my degree is from. I was hoping to be able to fall back on the fact that my undergrad degree is from a prestigious institution (at least as far as state schools go) and that would see me through no matter where I got my masters from, I guess time will tell if I am able to secure a job in my chosen field or get accepted into any Ph.D. programs....

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.

Make sure you do not transfer during mid-FAFSA year (Jan, Feb, etc) I feel like admissions decieved me by not mentioning this would cause such a long a delay, longer than 1st time students. It took 8 weeks for APU to request my fin aid. I received a refund shortly after. Tf you have no other income this is stressful. The school provides an algorithm for borrowinglimitations which is bare substinence, even with a roomate. By contrast, my 1st school let you borrow more as you progressed. Not APU. I graduated from a community college in 2013 (mostly online) so it was a format I had been used to. I worked ahead in comuunity college and did 6 CLEP exams there. That is pace more than a single class requires APU requires to survive. By week 4-5 you are sick of the demanding schedule (weekly discussions; sometimes more than one as well as mandatory peer replies.) multiple research papers are due in the 8 week format. I've been going continually since Jan 2014, a week after my CC graduation. Iknew my writing and finally general caring about GPA was going away, so I scheduked some time off Idk who I would reccomend this school to, other then those a few courses chort of a degree with another source of incme. Instructors are great, admissions is great but Financial needs an overhaul, especiallly the algorithm which does not match what they offer. Sorry if it seemed overly critical but I feel transferring when I did I may have received a larger refund, enabling a used car and the possibility of employmenr. :)

The professors and curriculum are top notch. I’ve attended brick and mortar universities and other online universities. I found a home with APUS/AMU. I have 7 more courses left to graduate with a B.S. in Environmental Science and will complete my Master of Science with APUS/AMU as well. This is not an easy program however, the curriculum is full of thought provoking material and the professors care about your educational experience. After each course ends, a survey is emailed to the students to get the students’ perspective on how the course went for them. APUS/AMU values their students’ feedback and I’m thankful for that.

I have really enjoyed my experience thus far. It is really helpful that most classes are available monthly so I do not have to wait so long in between classes for courses to become available. All of my professors so far have been understanding and helpful with any needs I may have.

Now, I just started going to APU for my Bachelors in Information Technology and am very pleased so far! Through work I get a tuition discount and free eBooks which was a major factor in choosing this university. I was skeptical as I had never heard of it, but was assuaged when I saw it was highly rated and had a good return and graduation rate. So far in my first semester I must say the financial aid and student services staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, I've never had an issue unanswered. I have to say that my financial aid took quite a while to go through though (issues with faxing/uploading). My instructors are from highly respectable fields such as Aeronautics and Astronautics and Military History and a great deal of experience to back it. The materials used in the course are everything you would find at any other institution and the coursework is very challenging and you learn just like you would at a brick and mortar institution. I think the only downside is that at an online school you really have to know how to pace yourself and stay ahead of the work because attending can be difficult with daily distractions.

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.