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American Military University

4.1
622 Reviews
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American Military University Reviews:

Very great experience

MBA - June 25, 2020
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I will be retiring from the Army soon and this degree has gotten me two job offers at two hospitals in the Raleigh and Durham area paying $90,000 as a base salary with room for personal and organizational efficiency bonuses. (Combined with $42,000 pretax retirement pay, I will be doing good.) I spent $1800 out of pocket over two years to get the degree because I didn't start it sooner and maxed out some TA beforehand. (That $1800 also includes the $100 graduation fee.) I used this school for part of an undergrad for pre-PA studies. I was impressed by the thoroughness at the undergraduate level for an online health science class. Later on, as I turned more toward the side of hospital administration than healthcare provider, I began an MBA in Healthcare Management with AMU. Once again, their standards for thoroughness and research went far above my expectations. After getting a lower than expected grade on one of my first essays, I saw they were serious about writing ability and research. They will quickly let you know where you may be substandard or lacking. If you are great at writing and research, they will also tell you how to improve while maintaining respect for personal style considerations as long as claims are probably backed up with clear logic and peer-reviewed research. I've even included some of the research work on my Portfolium and attached it on my LinkedIn.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Affordable and Flexible

Political Science - June 11, 2020
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I’m glad I attended American Military University. Back when I was looking at grad school, I was skeptical about online education. I wanted to be a college professor and thought I’d be a longshot with an online degree. This wasn’t the case, just 2 months after graduating in 2017 I was offered a position with one of the best community colleges in the country. The recognized my degree because it’s regionally accredited. Furthermore, when my employer transitioned to online education during the pandemic, I was able to set up classes with ease. I’m very comfortable teaching online courses because of my experience with AMU.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience

Information Technology Management - November 20, 2019
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I wish I had gone to AMU sooner in life than now. However, it is better late than never. I cannot wait for the next chapter!

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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Master of Business Administration

Business Administration - November 19, 2019
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Be prepared to work hard if you want to go here. The vast majority of the students go above and beyond to succeed or else they wouldn't be here. Despite the impressive work ethic of the student body, most students still manage to have a good time on the weekends and after classes despite the fact that they are also working a job and raising families. AMU's reputation as being just another online university is way off base. AMU is second to none in producing high level, dedicated graduates that combined with a military background, are the elite of the elite in business overall.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Worth a Look if in Need of an Online School for Graduate Degree

MA Criminal Justice - September 30, 2019
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I recently graduated with a MA in Criminal Justice from AMU. I received my undergraduate degree from a traditional state university in Business Administration. What drew me to AMU was the cost of the online flexibility of the program, the CJ program offering a Business Administration concentration, and the cost (which was much lower than most other public/private schools). My experience at AMU was pretty positive and I would recommend the school to those who are interested in online learning; due to family, work, or military life. All three of those factors were key towards going into AMU's program. In comparison to prior university work, the level of difficulty at AMU was comparable, AMU is not a degree mill and you have to work to earn your degree. For the MA program, I took one class at a time, and found spending about three nights a week and a weekend day doing course work. The material presented was mostly from reading material and some online writings from the instructor. The instructors all had their PHD from various universities and for the most part were very well versed in their fields. I only had to purchase a few books, with options to buy new, used, or online versions. Some positive: Cost was lower than most other universities for me. The flexibility of online learning when and where you want to learn. Very organized structure for your course work and program for success. Instructors were for the most part responsive, knew the subject material, and were motivate. Negatives: Online school isn't for everyone, that physical experience of being part of a university life, making friends, and participating in campus activities doesn't exist. Online degrees seem to have less value as physical campus degree programs. Can be hard to communicate with instructors and get help with course work, since you can't visit the instructor or ask questions in a classroom. Overall, AMU was a good experience and required work to get through the degree. This was especially true for the capstone project, which took a great deal of time and effort to complete. I would recommend AMU for those who fall into a category of needing to obtain a degree in a flexible online format due to maintaining a balanced life.

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Excellent option!

BA in History - May 29, 2019
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I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with AMU. I decided to attend AMU because of the freedom it allowed me to go to school while also having a busy life outside of school. I was a single mother and active duty military while I worked on my degree and my professors were amazing at working with my schedule when I had required training. Furthermore, the classes I took were excellent. Each class imparted knowledge that I have maintained and I felt like I was a part of a great community of fellow classmates. AMU generally cares about each of their students and it shows! You wont be sorry going to AMU :)

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Excellent option to achieve a degree

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - May 23, 2019
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Hi Everybody, I had a great support from the AMU staff during the process of enrollement, since my course was paid by my employer, and had some bureaucracy. When I started the course, I had excellent teachers that always were available and helped me when I needed. All the materials used during the course were provided by the AMU, by access to on-line libraries and without costs.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

If you are Active Military, then American Military University is for you.

Homeland Security - December 16, 2018
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Like many that will read this review, I was very skeptical about returning to school. I waited until my seventh year while on active duty before I jumped into action. In the end, I wish I was less nervous or scared about starting my academic journey. If you are worried about how and when you can perform the academic requirements while handling work duties, don't be. Know that while it is individual based, all school programs require a higher degree of commitment and dedication. Yes, you will be doing school on Wednesday and Sunday for the next x amount of years, you will eventually find that it is worth it. While attending AMU, I did school in twelve countries, thirteen states, five major military exercises, and on four deployments. My advice to all is to take it slow and steady. As you chip through the classes and watch your program requirements dwindle, you will also enhance much of your writing capabilities which function well for our daily duties. Maximize your tuition assistance and prepare for a much deserved sense of self accomplishment.

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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

A Challenging Educational Experience, If You Want It

Master of Arts in History - July 20, 2018
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I entered AMU to obtain my MA in History with a bit of skepticism, but I liked the idea of online study, as I still work full-time. No school in my area would offer me a similar experience to accommodate my work schedule and travel demands. My first course left me with a bit of doubt, as HIST500 was not particularly challenging. Then I encountered Historiography, and it changed my mind completely. I discovered that the course was well taught, and I was given a certain amount of independence with the ability to select the topic for my final paper. This occurred several more times, and it allowed me to explore areas of US History that captured my interest. It also prepared me well when it came time to select my thesis. The courses were mostly challenging--especially the Survey Course. Two of my professors were particularly outstanding--challenging with their questions and copious with their feedback--they made for the best courses. The forum interchange allowed for discussions between the students, some of these were great, but admittedly, some were perfunctory. Some classes had the occasional odd student who either wanted to be provocative for the sake of being provocative--or they were not quite stable. Overall, the experience was excellent, it was a bargain, and I did most of the work from the comfort of my own home--or TDY hotel room. Would recommend it to anyone with sufficient self-discipline to work on their own without a great deal of monitoring, as the physical reminders of having to walk into a class and face one's teacher is not present.

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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

Look Elsewhere

Intelligence Studies - July 18, 2018
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If you have experience excellent experience in the Intelligence Community already, look for a better and more challenging school. AMU has not provided me with any significant or challenging contributions with which to enhance my knowledge base. All classes are taught with dated material. If you are a hard worker and respect robust course reading and academic challenge, go some place else.

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24 of 47 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding and Rigorous Academic Program

Space Studies - June 6, 2018
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American Military University is showing the way for how college education will work in the 21st century. The Master of Science in Space Studies program is a well-run, rigorous, and yet flexible curriculum. The faculty is highly knowledgeable and experienced, and I thoroughly enjoyed and learned much from my studies with them. As with all graduate programs, you get out of it what you put in to it. Some courses were harder than others (I'm looking at you, Orbital Mechanics and Rocket Propulsion!), but all of them demanded extensive writing and reasoning that surpassed what I have typically experienced in traditional brick and mortar universities. The Space Studies program was directly relevant to my work at a national laboratory. I have contacted AMU to convince them that they MUST do a PhD program...this would be well received, and it is much needed given that everyone is realizing that space (commercial OR military) is critical to our nation's future. Keep up the great work, AMU! I'll be ready to apply when the PhD program is available!

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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

The worst degree mill there is.

Information Technology - June 6, 2018
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It is a degree mill, so if you just want a piece of paper then this is your place. I was in VA Vocational Rehab and the counselor denied me to change after I found this out. Most books are outdated, especially for programming. My JavaScript book was over 6 years old. The books that the university puts out is written on coloring book type paper, the type that tears so easily. I did have a handful of good instructors, but the majority were either absent most of the time or just went through the motions. I had one class I knew I was just getting hundreds for the sake of it, so I turned in a different assignment from a different class to check this, and guess what, I got a 100. If you want to learn do not go here. Especially for programming.

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21 of 51 people found the following review helpful

The worst degree mill there is.

Information Technology - May 16, 2018
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This school has to to be the worst degree mill in the world. Books - They are what are called penny books on Amazon. They charge 40 to a couple of hundred for a book you can buy off amazon for les than 5.00 with shipping. The programming books are very outdated. A couple of times I had books they had printed themselves. The pages would tear so easily, they were like coloring book type pages. Teachers - Out of about 40 instructors I can count on one hand the ones that cared. Most do not get back to you, they do not honor office hours and they give you a 100 no matter what. I had one early class that I knew they were not grading my work, so I replaced my work with another class and was going to act like it was a mistake. I did not have too I received a 100 anyways. I had over 300 credit hours to transfer, they transferred a bunch to electives and I think one to the core. It's all about money here. Do not enter till they tell you what credits will transfer. When you need support you feel as if you are talking to a telemarketing room. Very poor service. You get 10 hours of tutoring from tutor.com for 122 semester hours. Most schools give free unlimited tutoring. You have no writing lab, no computer lab, only a library for assistance and that is not that good. Yes I will graduate Magna or Summa in a few days. I did not learn a thing that would help me though. I would have changed months ago but I was VA Voc rehab and they had to approve it which they would not. If you want a fast degree go here. If you want to learn go somewhere else.

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13 of 46 people found the following review helpful

Great Courses at Your Pace

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - May 10, 2018
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Extremely pleased with nearly every aspect of the school, the professors/online classroom facilitators, and E&DM degree program. Degree/career guidance is a bit lacking - had to perform my own career guidance through site research.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

BA in History - AMU is Worth Your Time!

BA in History - May 3, 2018
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I completed my BA in History with AMU. AMU gave me the flexibility to manage my time wisely with my education and life. The assignments and timelines were challenging, but achievable. If you are a motivated self-starter, value your time, like the idea of drinking your coffee in your pajamas, and going to school online, then this school is for you. You will be challenged and instructed by professors from a wide range of back grounds who are highly educated from different accredited univesities and that have real life experience to keep you challenged. I highly recommend AMU!

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Sports

Sports Management - October 5, 2017
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Just finished my MS in Sports Management. It was a good program, however, I have been in the fitness industry since 2005 and was looking for something to further my career in this area. The program is really all about Professional and amateur sport and overlooks fitness management completely, it would be nice to have a class or even a concentration in this area. That being said, I am sure it will still look awesome on a resume!

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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Satisfied

BS Business Management and Leadership - August 30, 2017
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Overall I am very satisfied with my degree. I've attended a traditional college before AMU and have found online learning to be more my style. Walking or running to class in sub zero temperatures is for the birds! Online is so flexible and convenient, I couldn't imagine going back to a classroom/lecture setting. Being able to choose when I want to focus on my material is great. Some parts of the day I am more attentive and ready to get after it than others, so I took every advantage of that. I never would have had that option at a traditional college. In response to the coursework, some courses were easier than others, but some were tough indeed! My wife has an MBA from a traditional college and she noted that I had to write more papers than both her four year and MBA courses combined! If a person has good time management skills than this is a great route to go while you are still employed. Put the time in, do your work and check off the degree box when you are done! Momentum is huge when taking courses, find your groove and ride it out until you are completed.

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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Tougher than you think!!

B.S.Environmental Science - August 8, 2017
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The course work is definitely challenging. Most of the instructors are PhD's and are professionals who are working, or have worked, in their related fields of study and have tremendous amounts of practical experiance. In my opinion, the assignments and projects are just as difficult or perhaps even more so than traditional brick and mortar universities. The value is great and the University is accredited, so what more is there to think about. As with anything else, you only get out of it, what you put into it. In other words, you screw around and don't take your assignments seriously, they will fail you and your FSA will go bye-bye. This is Most assuredly NOT a diploma/degree mill. AMU/APU are serious Universities, for serious students.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

The WORST Capstone Course Ever!

Criminal Justice - July 26, 2017
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The entire course syllabus is a disaster and meant to create issues and confrontation. It was poorly written, dreamed up, and executed. The person who wrote it does not have a clue or training to create curriculum. The person who approved it, even worse. It caused so much time to be wasted with no true outcome of anything remotely positive. In fact, it had caused many to leave the course early on, and then those who remained are to suffer and continue we all do. Having to take extensions has caused blistering valuable time to be wasted and taken from the students personal and work life. It also costs students to spend more money on the course with no hope of ever completing within the 16 weeks let alone after any extensions and all the other BS items forcing you to write 500 words on "why APA is the best format," and "plagiarism." This wastes so much time. This was the type of papers done in undergraduate days. All motivation to complete this course has left. All excitement of completing the program is no more. It was a total waste of time and every single idiot from the professor to the provost simply does not give a damn when you attempt to speak to them about it. I will SURELY tell everyone I know to NEVER take this CJ course from AMU. I have personally recommended this university to others and they have signed up. I have to tell them all to watch out and possibly take their units to elsewhere. It is not well thought out, nor do they offer you everything to take advantage of. GUARANTEE, you WILL be forced to take extensions if you accept writing a Thesis and getting approval from the IRB. Don't do it! Instead, take the other option of not having to do that research and get the paper done.

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16 of 34 people found the following review helpful

Could not be happier!

Masters of Science in Space Studies - July 7, 2017
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II started my MS in Space Studies in May of 2016. Here it is a year later and I am halfway thru the program. It has been challenging and is not an easy degree by any means but with hard work and effort you'll not only earn great grades but you will learn a great deal about space, space travel, planets, threats in space, etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed this program and have found the professors to be of top quality. They are experts in the field and currently work in the industry i.e. NASA employees and others. Who better to learn from! I highly recommend this program if you are looking to further your education and obtain a job in this field or advance your career in this field or, like me, you are simply interested in this field of study and plan to do nothing with a Masters in Science in Space Studies other than to enjoy it.

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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

A Good School and a Good Program

Master of Arts in History - May 27, 2017
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I am about to submit my final thesis within the next 4 weeks. The school has been excellent and has exceeded my expectations. The courses were challenging. I never felt as though I was getting a grade for nothing. The professors were knowledgeable and helpful. I have always found the university staff to be helpful when I needed them. I have never had trouble getting through to any of the offices I needed. For the thesis class there were last minutes changes that needed to be made and the university handled it within a 24 hour time period. The school is a good, solid school The faculty are very good. The coursework advanced my knowledge in my field. All is in all, I have nothing negative to add here.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Excellent educational experience

Homeland Security - May 26, 2017
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I recently (May 2017) completed the Masters program in Homeland Security at AMU. The curriculum was challenging and the online presentation required a disciplined approach in order to keep up with assigned readings and papers. If you are considering attending this institution, be prepared for a significant amount of writing and online research. The instructors were all very capable, experienced professionals who were able to provide useful guidance when questions arose. Each class had a research paper requirement that was very manageable as long as the weekly assignments were properly completed. Regarding value, this was one of the least expensive options I could find for a graduate degree. Many other institutions, both online and traditional, were significantly more expensive. I would recommend this university to anyone interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Homeland Security studies.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Pleased with my experience

Homeland Security - May 25, 2017
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I am completely pleased with my experience at AMU and the courses that I took there. At the time they had one of the more robust curriculum for my degree and I chose them largely on this fact. This was my second masters, I have pursued education in all three modalities of face-to-face, blended, and online. I have also instructed classes in all of these modalities (not for AMU). I largely contribute the degree I received at AMU along with my other experience in helping me enter the Emergency Management profession and transition to a second career after the military. Hopefully this will help you make your decision as you move forward in pursuit of your education.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

B.S. Criminal Justice/ B.A. Criminal Justice

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - May 24, 2017
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The instructors in the Criminal Justice programs are amazing. They have a great educational background and a wealth of professional experience that they apply to their courses. They are supportive and make the online distance learning experience interesting so that you desire to go above and beyond while researching your weekly forum discussions. I have attended another online university, but it could NEVER compare when you are given the opportunity to learn from the best of the best! I highly recommend this University over any other ditance learning university any day!

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Challenging Academics at an affordable price

Homeland Security - May 24, 2017
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It is almost impossible to give out an excellent rating to something that you have nothing else to compare it with. I spent a year at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji doing a certification on GIS program then I moved on to University of Technology in Lae, Papua New Guniea. They were tough school but it was a classroom environment. I first started AMU back in 2010 doing AA in Anti-Terrorism Studies. I learned real quick that online class requires time management and dedication. Being a father, soldier, and a student makes it very difficult to have a stable timeline. I had a lot of late-night/early wake up routine but I knew that in life, you enjoy the rewards after the hard work you put in. I did at times sacrifice my efforts by skipping small items in order to have enough time to go after big ones. I would skip the required forums in order to complete an assignment. Because of my time management, I had to do that sometimes in order to walk away with a desired end state. Professors are very helpful and they critic my work in a way that helped me to grow professionally. I can honestly say that my research and writing style has improved significantly because of the evaluation techniques that is being applied. The course materials to include the online library and the guidelines on how to utilize them made me self-sufficient. A lot of things with this academic quest were challenging because of the analytical process that is based on current issues rather than text book content. I am happy that I have completed my BS in Homeland Security and will start a dual Mastery program that combines both Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. I am truly grateful for AMU/APU, academic advisors, admission and financial aid, the professors, as well as the students that I interacted with for making this journey demanding, challenging, but possible, and allowed me to achieve this unforgettable milestone that I will forever cherish.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Overall

Space Studies - May 24, 2017
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I am about half-way complete the MSc Space Studies, Aerospace Science concentration. So far the program has been very enjoyable. The flexibility of the university and their responsiveness to my individual needs has been absolutely outstanding, and stands in stark contrast to my experience obtaining my BSc at a brick and mortar university. I was expecting to be required to do much more engineering and mathematics than I have so far. The majority of the required effort has been writing research papers. While I am doing a bit more writing than anticipated, I will freely admit that the coursework has done much to enhance my overall academic skillset. The teachers have all been excellent. I've read a lot of comments about people "giving away As" at this institution. I can't speak for the course average GPAs, since to my knowledge they don't publish that information, but I will warn you that the coursework is not trivial. The programs at this university are designed for working professionals. So, while you may not be overburdened with nonsense busywork that kids in an undergrad experience, do not expect to skate through the program. You will need to spend the time to do the readings and proper research if you want put an honest effort into your education. At the end of the day, you are in charge of you own learning. My only suggestion for improvement is that some of the course materials could be more up to date (in some cases textbooks were over 10 years old). I’m not for a second suggesting the university update their books annually – let’s be honest, that’s just a cash grab technique used by academia – but I do think that some analysis should be performed on the materials to ensure the material stays relevant, if not already done.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Accessible, useful and informative

Military History - May 24, 2017
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Although I have never been able to obtain a job using my degree because of age and lack of experience in the field, I have found that my program has been helpful in different ways. I learned to do research, find sources, write better and in a more organized fashion, etc. Indeed, I am now published in multiple book review venues, working on magazine articles for publication and have topics in mind for future books that I plan to write. My only complaint about the program was the fact that I wished that instructors would be more forthcoming in each course with comments on what was good, bad, could use improvement and so forth. There was almost never any of that. Such feedback would aid the student in focusing more time where help and improvement were needed. Instructor accessibility could also be improved somewhat although I know they have considerable students of whom to keep track and can't always respond immediately. Otherwise, AMU did deliver, the price was affordable, support was outstanding and, who knows, perhaps I may eventually find someone to offer me a job in the field in which I would like to make a contribution and difference.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Premier online school

Criminal Justice - May 24, 2017
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If you are looking for a regional accredited University that is willing and able to assist you with your studies, providing you with clear and understandable instructions American Military University (AMU)is the right choice. I applied got accepted along with the maximum transferrable credits and completed my BA in Criminal Justice. This has opened several doors for me and I am happy that I chose AMU. Absolutely no regrets, thanks AMU for being one of the premier online schools that put students first. Trevor Cameron

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good Foundation: Room for Improvement

Fire Science - May 23, 2017
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The University operates, in my experience, with technology and a process which is stuck in the 20th century. True student engagement is limited, if not completely absent. Use of modern communication needs to be applied (examples: GoToMeeting, youtube, twitter, etc.). AMU has good instructors who provide adequate guidance; the limitations of imparting how the knowledge obtained applies in the real world, however, is glairing. When I went to pursue my graduate degree; I looked elsewhere hoping for better feedback.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great School!

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - May 23, 2017
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The most important thing to look at when choosing an online school is their accreditation. AMU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (same as Ohio State University); which is a respected regional accrediting agency. Many people are hesitant about obtaining a college degree from a school that isn't well known like most other colleges. However, I work for a two year college in Alabama; they could care less about the name of the school as long as it is accredited. For instance, I have a coworker who has a Bachelors from a brick and mortar school (Columbia Southern), but due to the fact they aren't accredited his degree isn't worth the paper its printed on. Due to the obtaining of my BA in CJ, I will be receiving a 10,000 dollar raise! AMU was a challenging school, but manageable at the same time. If you put the time and effort into assignments, you will do just fine. Nothing is handed out! Professors were knowledgeable and the online format was easy to navigate. I have no regrets about attending AMU!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Overall AMU Satisfaction

Masters of Public Administration - May 23, 2017
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I received my Masters in Public Administration (with Honors) in March of 2008, utilizing the rest of my Vietnam-era GI Bill. Taking one class at a time, and working full time, it was quite a slog, but I got through it with a lot of help from some great teachers. One of the best things I liked was having instructors who were real-world folks - I mean Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, etc. - teaching in their off-time. Talk about getting a wealth of knowledge brought right into a learning setting. Being able to go on-line and e-mail back and forth (I'm sure you guys "chat" live now), so it's even better. AMU staff members were great also - never had one bit of trouble with anyone - if there was any problem, they were quick to either point it out and get hold of me so "we" could fix it, or they fixed it and got hold of me and let me know... From day one, AMU was a great learning setting - one every military member (active duty and ex-military) should take advantage of --- civilians too! :-) AMU is 100% GREAT!!! Lawrence R. McKeough, MPA, CEM, MoCEM LT/USN (Ret)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

The Negative Reviews Clearly Show a Lack of Experience at AMU

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - May 4, 2017
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I completed by BA in Criminal Justice through AMU, and I am now halfway through my Master's in National Security with a focus on Middle Eastern Studies. I'm completely baffled as to the negative reviews I'm seeing on this site. The finance office has never given me any problems whatsoever, the counselors are helpful and responsive, and the schoolwork has been both challenging and rigorous. I've had many acquaintances attend AMU and talk negatively about the experience, but further discussion with them has often revealed their inability to work the virtual classroom competently or complete the coursework on time, as well as a failure to reach out to the professors when they need help. AMU is not for everyone; the professors are not going to spoon feed you or gently guide you along your educational journey. They aren't going to send you reminders notifying you when assignments are due. These courses are designed with adults in mind, and the school expects you to manage your time like and adult and seek help like an adult. There is no coddling; you must be self-motivated and complete the assignments given to you on your own. AMU provides all the books for your education; you will not have to fork out extra money to get an affordable used textbook. They are all available in PDF format, and can be transferred to your tablet or phone. This makes the assigned readings east and doable, even when offline. The professors are helpful and will be happy to create tailored lesson plans to help you if you are having trouble, BUT you must let them know of your difficulty with the course. Because it is an online school, the tests are often open-book. This does not make them any easier, though, as they often require you to understand the concepts presented in the readings. They are timed, so if you have not completed the readings you are likely not to do well. Professors are all very well-educated, and most have considerable real-world experience. Many are published, and may even use their own writing to supplement the course materials. The readings are excellent and thorough. I've read in some of the reviews on this site that people feel they can turn in papers with a "9th grade" writing level. This is not the case. The professors are rigorous in their grading and in their requirement to adhere to whichever respective format they require of their students. It is true that, in the first classes on your degree path, you may encounter slight leeway. This is the professors allowing those new to the college environment to familiarize themselves with college-level requirements and course work. I can assure you the courses become quite challenging as you move along your degree plan. Most of the professors also teach at major brock and mortar schools, and bring their considerable experience to AMU. You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of professors offering the education they do for such a low price. Most American military personnel swear by AMU, and for good reason. The prices are competitive, the education is top-notch, and truly opens doors for you, both in and out of the military. AMU is a perfect avenue for those wishing to become a commissioned officer. It is also an excellent choice for those looking to work in the US government- another area where AMU is highly respected. Because AMU is regionally accredited, any school in the US will recognize their degrees when pursuing higher education. AMU is also the only school that accepts 100% of military education credits obtained in service. It is an excellent school, but you will NOT skate by. If a degree with minimal amount of effort is what you're looking for, you might want to look elsewhere.

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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

IT Project Management Essentials Certificate Doesn't Cover Essentials

IT Project Management Essentials - May 3, 2017
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This is a certificate program meant to help students learn the essentials to be an IT project manager. However, not once has a class mentioned different methodologies. Companies are using Agile methodology more than ever and it has never even been mentioned in the program. At no point was the Software Development Life Cycle mentioned. Instead we cover things like online retail business models and internet privacy laws; things that are not essential to being an IT project manager. The instructors are the worst I have every encounter. They are either the kind that you never hear from and automatically put 100% in the grade book as you submit assignments or they're the kind that nitpick every last detail assigning ludicrous amounts of homework that still doesn't teach you anything. The course materials are awful. The single class that sounded useful taught from the CompTIA Project+ guide. Unfortunately, employers are not looking for Project+ certifications, they're looking for certifications from the Project Management Institute. The course material should have focused on the PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge. At least then it would have helped students prepare for a certification that is actually useful. I am an experienced project manager who is unable to find a job so I am doing this program just to be able to add an academic project management line on my resume. If I were brand new to project management this program would still have me completely in the dark about what IT Project Management is and how it's done. We have not covered any topics that might actually come up in a job interview.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Regionally accredited good school

General Studies - April 5, 2017
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When looking for a school to finish off a degree, I looked around a lot to avoid diploma mills. When I found that AMU was regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Higher Learning Commission I decided to give it a try. I had attended Louisiana State University, Rose State College, and the Community College of the Air Force, so I had some transfer credits to bring to the table. AMU gave me credit for all of my transfer credits. I decided to enroll in a program to pursue an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree. The first course I took was their required class in computer based learning that helps new students become familiarized with the set up. Courses are either 8 or 16 weeks in length. Courses are offered in either time length, while some are only available in one or the other. New courses start every month. I only took one course at a time so as not to overload myself with work. The courses had an average price of about $750-$800 per course. This price included all of the textbooks needed for the course. Most of the courses have one of more research papers due during in each course. This seems to make the courses a little harder than what you find at a traditional brick and mortar school. Overall, the class does seem easier because the work for the course is due a certain day or two each week. You can knock it all out at the beginning, pace yourself, or frantically try to get it done at the last minute. You can go to class at 2 am in your underwear if you choose to. The professors all have Masters Degrees or higher from other universities that most people have heard of. One of them that sticks out in my mind was a PHD professor who is one staff at Kansas State University and teaches at AMU on the side for extra money. A lot of the instructors there are in this situation, as I understand that AMU pays them pretty well. I finished my associate's degree in a little over a year and graduated with honors. I sat around for a year and then decided that I wanted to finish off a bachelor's degree at my first school, LSU. LSU gave me transfer credit for every course I took at AMU. At LSU, I noticed that they are now offering some online courses, and are adding more each year. I try to take as many of these as I can. I am still currently at LSU and plan to graduate in about a year. My daughter is starting college in the fall. When she was looking around at schools, it amazed me how many traditional brick and mortar schools are now offering complete bachelor's degrees online. Some of them include: Penn State, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Northwestern State, University of Oklahoma, Ohio State, etc.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Zero support for transfer students

Intelligence Studies - March 20, 2017
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This college appears to have gone through a customer service revamping in the past 18 months. For students attempting to enter a program with any transfer credits, the registrar office will show line-by-line which classes will transfer for what. Once you enter the program, nearly none of the original classes will transfer. The transfer department says 2-3 weeks on their website for transfer credits to be awarded. After 6 weeks the credits were still not awarded. After 6 months the credits were not awarded. No one picks up the phone or answers emails back. Even with the security verification sent with every email, customer service contractors around the country will send back an automated email saying they require verification; which was in the first email, showing they don't even read it. It's just kicked to the next person. Although half my credits would transfer and were verified, the TCE office refused any transfer credits after I emailed them once per week for 5 months. None of the syllabus attachments were opened, none of the transcripts were opened. The rating of this "college" is going down quickly. They don't care about military members. They care about our GI Bill or veteran's benefits keeping their lights on. I do not recommend this college to anyone who wants a quality education or responsive department when help is needed

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7 of 14 people found the following review helpful

BA Intelligence Studies

Intelligence Studies - March 2, 2017
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One of the really great things about AMU is that there is support for any of your concerns, whether it be financial aid, questions about courses or any other matter. I have actually called with a question and spoken to a dean. The instructors are well educated and well versed in the workforce. Intelligence Studies is a very precise field in that you must be able to prove through credible, scholarly sources why you think what you think. You will be trained in critical thinking. You will get to know the students through forum interaction... and they have valuable first hand real-world experience. The stories are great! I love this school.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

University Review

Transportation and Logistics Management - February 14, 2017
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My journey stated 5 years ago with this university. I really appreciate the professors at AMU. Their knowledge and commitment to my success has exceeded beyond my expectations. The cost is reasonable, classroom access to matierals and assignments was open with minimum online disruption. The only downfall is there's no doctoral level classes available. I encourage everyone to check out the university.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

SDV Discrimination

MA Criminal Justice - February 6, 2017
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Service Disabled Veterans and Law Enforcement Officers injured in the line of duty beware. As soon as APUS/AMU/APU learned that I was an SDV and LEO injured in the line of duty, the discrimination began. Without going into great detail, one would have thought I had the Plague or Leprosy. First, Financial Aid would not accept my phone calls once I disclosed my SDV status and I was denied financial aid. Secondly, when I attempted to dis-enroll from classes two days prior to the start of class they listed me as a "DP" (Drop). In other words I had to take a drop for classes that I never took, paid for, or even started. Thirdly, at the time of this posting, APUS Disabled Services declined to respond to my emails when requesting where I could file a complaint regarding the discrimination by APUS/AMU/APU.

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8 of 19 people found the following review helpful

BSEE

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - January 4, 2017
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I am currently in my last year of the BSEE program with a concentration in Mechatronics. If you are looking to further your education with an engineering degree, then look no further. The BSEE program here at APUS is challenging yet rewarding. With course materials conveniently offered electronically, you don't have to worry about lugging around heavy books. It definitely makes it easier to attend class and turn in assignments on the go. For working professionals that have families, there's no better option. The coursework here at APUS engages you and requires you to learn the material and sets you up for very rewarding career opportunities. In line with conventional institutions, you will find that the majority of the courses and credits are easily transferred to other colleges and universities. There have been no issues with utilizing financial aid, or registering for classes. I definitely recommend this institution to anyone looking to achieve a college degree online.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Best Paralegal program

Paralegal Studies - November 16, 2016
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Frankly, the American Military University's paralegal program is the best! Before attending American Military; I went to that god awful Ashworth college and backwoods Penn Foster. However, this school taught me so much about becoming an paralegal.

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Great University for Military and Veterans

Computer Applications - October 6, 2016
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I’ll be graduating from AMU soon with my Associate’s Degree and wanted to share a few thoughts on the school, as well as how it can be helpful to those in the military/veteran community. I’ll list some pros and cons for consideration to join this college over others- Materials- Everything is online. In my entire time on campus, I’ve received one real book in the Intro to online learning class. If a class needs some form of book or material, it’s normally provided via vitalsource bookshelf or in the classroom environment, depending on the requirements for the individual class. When I took German, Rosetta stone was provided as a download. Teachers- Since this campus is all online, you’ll never “see” your teachers face to face. That being said, most teachers have “office hours” at least once a week or by appointment, but most of the teachers that I’ve had do have day jobs besides teaching here, so this isn’t their only job and responses aren’t always prompt but it’s always in an acceptable timeframe. You can always email teachers and they’re very flexible and understanding in giving extensions for military personnel and their requirements. Institution- Entirely online classes. There’s no campus, so you never have to worry about going anywhere to get to your classes each week, all you’ll ever need is your computer. However, this could also be a bad thing for some. There’s an element of self-motivation that you’ll need to take into account. Although the university will remind you to post in the introduction forum on week one, you will need to make sure to check every week thereafter and make sure you are caught up on all of your homework. Support- Support is good. Technically, the site rarely has issues. There are occasional hiccups in availability, but it’s once in a blue moon and usually doesn’t last more than an hour or two. Support hours, however are not great. For an online college that is designed largely for people who don’t have normal schedules for school, their support hours are fairly inflexible with no weekend hours. Support is generally responsive during normal business hours, however. Value- There’s a good value here. Classes are relatively low cost and books are cheap since they’re all online, and there’s a grant for active duty/veterans that covers book/technology costs. All of the costs are laid out before you register for class and there’s no fees that really jump out at you from nowhere. For Active Duty, AMU has a grant that lowers the cost of classes to the exact hourly TA cap (250/credit hour), with no cost for books or anything else, beyond things like transcript requests and graduation. For veterans, if you’re using your GI Bill, so long as you’re taking two eight week courses (or four sixteen week courses) simultaneously, you’ll get the housing stipend at half the national average (just over $800/mo as of late 2016). Technology- AMU does a great job at leveraging technology, using multiple applications with good compatibility across systems that really help in getting the material to students in new ways. You don’t need a powerful computer to run any of the software they provide. Classroom environment is entirely web-based and requires no downloads. Some classes require software, but that’s all laid out before you finish registration so you know what’s needed and if it’s compatible with your system. I use both Windows and MacOS, often bouncing between the two working on the same thing, and have never had any issues with working on or submitting classwork.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

BS Public Health Concen: Health & Wellness

Masters Public Health (MPH) - September 29, 2016
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Working on my BS in Public Health was a challenge but it is all worth it. I feel that I can go out into the workforce and be more marketable since completing the courses. There is a sense of relief that coupled with achievement that one gets when they have completed what he or she has set out to do. I will in the near future work on my master degree in Public Health with American Military University.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Masters In Military History

Master of Arts In Military Studies - September 29, 2016
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It was not very easy to find an online University that offered a Master's Degree in Military History, so my choices were limited when I decided on American Public University. However, I am halfway through my degree program, and am pleased to report that I am more than satisfied with my experience here. Many of the classes are either 8 wks or 16wk long, but cover the same material. I have found that I enjoy the fast, intensive pace of the 8 wks class, but if I also had a full time job while taking the class, the 16 wk course would probably work into my time schedule better. I have found that most of the instructors are very willing to "put in the extra effort" as long as the student is also just as involved, but like anything else--you get out of the classes what you put into it. You can go the extra mile and have your grades reflect it, or you can do the minimum and just get by. Unlike a campus based program, you have particular assignments due on a particular day, and you can work rest of the week at your own pace. I would heartily recommend APUS to anyone that was interested in a Master's Degree in Military History--the tuition is much less than other Universities, but the education I have received, thus far, is top notch!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

B.A. Security Management, General Ed

Security Management - August 31, 2016
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I have been attended AMU a while ago and just got back into attending full time. It has been a great experience and the school has really progressed over the past 7 years. The courses are very challenging and unlike a college where you physically attend, your grade is 100% up to you. The responsibility is all yours. You are responsible for your readings and studying and it's challenging. I have been to both types of colleges (physical & online) and by far, AMU is more difficult because it all depends on you and you can't rely on others. Along with getting an education you also learn responsibility if you graduate. As an employer, you should see a diploma from AMU, especially with a high GPA as the person is responsible.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Institution and Educational Experience

Political Science - August 12, 2016
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I had a great experience with my Political Science graduate program at AMU/APUS. As with any program you get what you put in, as well as whatever you make of it. This institution allows for you to learn a lot from there knowledgable and experienced instructor cadre, as well as network if you chose to become involved within the online social media communities. Sure you don't get the same type of interaction with peers or professors as you would if you attended an actual campus, but all the resources and mechanisms are in place for you to take full advantage of the most up to date online mechanisms for interaction if you chose to use them. Don't expect to have your hand held though, this institution will not just give you a degree. You will be expected to think on your feet and figure things out as well. If you have questions, you will need to ask them as well as follow up questions for your questions, you will also need to conduct research within the campus to find answers regarding institutional specific things. The educational experience I had was high quality. The professors I had were very serious about here jobs, and I did not have any problems with feedback, although sometimes I had to ask clarifying questions, which is no different than the traditional style of learning. I also felt like I learned a lot from interacting with other members of my program and individual classes. Again though, this was all fruit of my own effort, which is also similar to how the experience would be within a traditional style program. If you stay hidden, don't ask questions, and expect fro things to be done for or given to you, you will not have a good experience. If you come into the this institution's programs eager, ready to learn, and adaptable you will have your expectations met as well as have a good experience. They will work with you in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Criminal Justice Major

Criminal Justice - August 11, 2016
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I am currently within two months and a half months from finishing my BA in Criminal Justice from American Military University, apart of the American Public University System and I have truly enjoyed it. I started in the summer of 2010 to finish out my Associates Degree in the Air Force for Criminal Justice, then I went to another online university for my degree, but it was structured under the traditional university model, where they have the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer semesters and did not offer the courses throughout the year that American Military University does. I started to work on my BA in the fall of 2015 and when I transferred my credits over from the Air Force degree, they accepted the entirely of them, so I started in as a Junior and only needed 60 credits to graduate. I enjoy how they have classes starting every month, all year long; with this option I have been able to complete two to three courses every eight weeks since the end of 2015, with an anticipated graduation date of November 2016. The instructors are knowledgeable within the subject areas, especially within the Criminal Justice field; many have real world experience within the field. However, there are some instructors who act like they are the "one all, be all" but you will get that with any school you select. If you are using tuition assistance from the military or utilizing your G.I. Bill, it is really easy to use when paying for the courses. For undergraduate work, the eBooks are amazing, and the discount you get for them makes them free for the student. When I was applying and getting all of my credits transferred over, the customer support was extremely helpful getting the answers I needed. I have not had to use the student advising at this time, only when I applied for graduation, and at this time it is very seamless. The online library is an amazing resource, which has a great deal of publications, books, and other types of academic information which will help completing your assignments. I have felt challenged within the courses and I have also honed my APA citation style of my coursework, and the instructors have aided in that significantly. I have really enjoyed my experience and time at American Military University and I would definitely recommend it to my peers who are contemplating completing their undergraduate degree.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Strategic Intelligence (Intelligence Studies)

Intelligence Studies - August 10, 2016
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I completed the Strategic Intelligence MA degree in 2009; the program has since been changed to Intelligence Studies. Previously, I completed a BA at a "brick and mortar" school," the Intelligence Studies Certificate Program (Masters level) at the National Intelligence University (DIA/Bolling AFB), and I'm on my second full Master's degree at another "brick and mortar." AMU was a great choice for what it is and I highly recommend it for any student who needs the online option due to location, work schedule, or military deployments/PCS. Due to my work, I was unable to commute to a campus location, and I was active duty and had to PCS and deploy during my degree program. Compared to my past and current "brick and mortar" experience, the AMU classes required far more writing. You get out of any program what you put into it- I worked hard, did the readings, learned from my mistakes, proactively worked with the professors, and did extra research for each class- and graduated with a 4.0. As an intelligence professional (active duty Army, retired as a LTC, worked in joint/interagency/NATO assignments), the classes and degree directly impacted my daily work and my career. I only had one bad experience with a professor, but I was able to document my complaint carefully, and worked with the Department head to drop the class. The distance learning option does not have the networking and discussion of a normal class, but for my limitations it was a great choice at the time. If you are willing to commit to a degree, have the time, discipline, and interest, I strongly encourage anyone to consider AMU. Most of the professors I had were published in their field. I saw many of my peers apply for AMU or other degrees, but dropped out due to a lack of interest, writing ability (you have to write to get a degree), or discipline. People who need special writing coaching or tailored instruction to explain things will have difficulty with online content and should stick with a community college or other alternative until they are ready. If you are a self starter and have good study skills, you can really get a lot out of this degree.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Masters Program

Environmental Policy and Management - August 10, 2016
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After practicing for over 25 years as a professional Geologist I hesitantly returned to school and attempted the Master's program for Environmental Policy and Management. The on-line application was a challenge for me as I was brought up in the brick an mortar days. I still prefer in class old style, that being said, I received great support from the technical side of things as well as the overall learning process. The entire process was seamless. Half way through the program I was dealt a personally loss of my wife. This program allowed me to temporary suspend my ambitions until I was able to continue. I completed this in about two years and found the classes to be 'real world" taught by real world professors not theoreticians where classes do not have true relevance. I would recommend this program to anyone that is focused and wanting to expand their horizons. I am employed as a Geologist with the federal government and this education has helped me round out my career. Jim Tarr

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Great Education

Business Administration - August 10, 2016
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I started attending AMU while I was in the Air Force and in 2014 I got out. In 2015 I finally finished my BA in Business Administration. I'd recommend this school to anyone looking for a quality online education.

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

MA Military History - Challenging

Military History - August 10, 2016
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In my experience I have found AMU to be both challenging and rigorous. It is challenging in that the professors have developed courses that make you think more deeply about the matter at hand than a cursory reading will give you. As a retired military member I thought I knew about the military and it's history. Since starting at AMU I have thought about things and wrestled with questions I knew had conceived of before. It is rigorous in that history is essentially reading and writing, and that is what you do. The volume of work demanded is considerable. The professors push us to produce good quality work. This program is everything I expected. It is worth the time and money to earn your degree here.

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

BA Homeland Security

Homeland Security - August 10, 2016
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I started working on my BA back in 2003. I finally finished it in 2013. I am active duty, so my time is valuable. With AMU you get what you put into the program; on average I spent up to 16 hours per week reading and writing (2 Classes at a time), which you will do plenty of at this College. If one is looking to be spoon fed, have everything handed to them with little to no effort on your part, this school is not for you. For those that have little time, but do desire to put forth the effort to obtain a degree, then this might be the school for you. For those that say this is a degree Mil, I would respectfully disagree with. I have many friends who went to a brick and mortar school (including my son who attends Virginia Tech), and the only difference between going here or going there is the motivational factor. To be successful at AMU you have to be a self-starter, fully capable of researching any questions you have on your own. Some Professors do use Adobe connect for face to face time (which more professors should do) but overall you will have to figure out much of what is required, which makes this some what more difficult. However, overall I am very satisfied with AMU and proud to say this is where I received my degree. Currently, I am working towards my Masters with them and still am pleased with the school. As for the professors, as with any college some are good and are involved, while others not so much. I would recommend this school to any one that wants a challenge.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

The right choice for me

MBA Finance - August 9, 2016
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Simply put, this is a great University for the price and accreditation. You can choose another school that has the same regional accreditation but it won't have the business accreditation. And if it does it is probably more expensive. This school has everything a student could ask for. The right accreditation, both business and regional, plus it is affordable. As far as the coursework goes I can honestly say I have learned a lot. More than I expected to. If you plan on finding an easy degree online mill then this isn't the right University for you. You actually have to research, read, study, and apply yourself. However I worked full time and took two classes at a time and so far have made only one B and all A's otherwise to date. And I only have two classes left. To summarize, I am one who researches thoroughly before making a decision. AMU was the right choice for me, and it will give me the tools I need for career advancement.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Excellent real-world education

Masters of Public Administration - August 9, 2016
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I have an MBA from another University and I am not pursuing a Master of Public Administration with AMU. I find the professors to be challenging but fair and it is nice to learn from professors who have real-world experience and not just academic experience. They encourage interaction with other students, but you are not reliant on other students work for your grade. They have a good online library of resource materials as well. For the price you cannot beat it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great Courses

Security Management - August 9, 2016
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As a student re-discovering college, AMU provided me with an excellent choice of degree programs, knowledgeable instructors, and the ease of completing classes on my own time. The instructors have been understanding if problems (work or home) have interfered, allowing me time extra time to finish assignments, if needed. I had to brush up on my AMA writing again, but other than that grading is fair and the open forum format is an excellent way to discuss what the courses are covering. I am still working on my B.S. in Security Management, and thus far have earned a spot on the Dean's list! Eight more classes to finish for my degree and I am excited to earn my B.S. from American Military University!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding program

Intelligence Studies - August 9, 2016
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The Intelligence and Homeland Security programs at AMU are awesome! The environment is one of leaders in the field, and the opportunities as a result of being in the program have exceeded my expectations by a mile. I couldn't be happier. I couldn't recommend them higher, and I am already in the field. AMU is outstanding. Also, something that I found really different from other education environments, the professors work very hard to find opportunities for the students and by my second course, I was already published. Amazing opportunity, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Very pleased with my time at AMU

MBA - August 8, 2016
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Coming from another online institution where I received my BBA, I can honestly say that AMU is far and away better than most online colleges. Yes, there are going to be professors who aren't as good as others. But, if you read through all of the material and requirements in the syllabus, you will do just fine. I just completed my last course, and the degree will be conferred next week. Other than a few minor changes, I believe my experience couldn't have been more positive. Be prepared to study and brush up on your APA style formatting for your papers, and you will excel.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Sports Management - August 7, 2016
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This has been a great experience. The instructors and classmates have been very enjoyable and I learned a lot from everyone. Forget about the critics and their challenges. If you call AMU they can help walk you through any problem. However, like any adult it is your responsibility to take care of your business. The courses were challenging, affordable, and well taught. My return on investment will be significant. I highly recommend getting your master degree using AMU.

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Horrible Educators, Aid department, and class material

Cybersecurity - August 4, 2016
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First off, this class ISSC342 Operating Systems: Hardening and Security which I must take for my degree, is so out of date, it is ridiculous. The material that we are being taught is for systems which are NOT EVEN USED anymore! So this is a moot class to take and I have emailed my counselor, the program director, the professor, everyone, and nobody will respond to me about why this material has not been updated. I will not take this class because it is useless and not worth my money. Second, the Financial Aid department is horrible. I have to check in with them every semester to make sure they are doing their job because they never update my Financial aid which means I have to start my classes late due to their mistake. I have been on hold for THREE MONTHS because they continuously mess up and do not do their jobs. I'm beyond fed up.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Very poor program, not recommended

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - July 14, 2016
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After 2+ years of classroom learning I left to work, and decided to complete my degree 14 years later. I chose AMU based on their initial impression, but was soon very disappointed and have decided to discontinue my studies after only one class. - The online portion is poorly organized with no central tracking area for assignments; this makes it difficult to make certain that you haven't missed anything - The time required for just one course amounted to 12-15 hours a week, which seems longer than it needs to be. More of an emphasis on "busy work" than actual education, at least for the Introduction to Online Learning course I was enrolled in. At this rate it would have required 4 years for me to complete the last half of a Bachelor's degree, considering that I work 60 hours a week and can only take one class at a time. - The familiarization was limited to watching a video, which I felt was inadequate given that the entire purpose of this class was to develop proficiency with online learning. The class structure is of course a major departure from traditional classrooms and insufficient time was devoted to this. - The professor delivered canned answers and follow-up questions and did not actively participate in the course; a more proactive instructor would have been tracking progress to ensure that assignments were not overlooked in their substandard website. - Emphasis was placed on volume and structure with assignments rather than content, and examples of what assignments are to resemble are not provided. - Support when registering was great, but when I encountered issues it was non-existent. The professor was disengaged and when I ultimately dropped the class, my request for a partial refund was denied.

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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Registration

Information Systems Security - July 5, 2016
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I just recently registered for classes at AMU. The process is confusing and if it could be a little more individually tailored by student type would be entirely better. To start the Financial Aid Office steps are catered more toward gaining loans than actually assisting you. With a name like American Military University you would think that the first question would be about military benefits ie. TA, GI Bill etc. instead I had to fill out an entire form tailored towards federal student loans and borrowing with absolutely no mention on the GI bill until I actually registered for classes. If they could fix this problem than I would give them a 7 overall for now.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

MBA

MBA Finance - July 4, 2016
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The courses are easy to engage and challenging in and well written that encourage all the students to participate by sharing their experience toward each module subject. This university really cares about the students, the staffs are very helpful and all the instructors have PhD's in their respected fields which is advantages to the students. The instructors boosts your morale by offering positive and analytical feedback, which raised our spirits to carry on with the course to be more open and to interact on a higher level for academic learning. They also starts the forum conversation with supplementary links, which was very helpful toward the assignments and research. The constructed criticism and probing questions were more of a learning process that improved the interaction session and help us to become much more methodical with our homework and forum conversations. Be worn a lot of writing and research, but that is part of the master’s program curriculum.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

this Nursing Program is not exactly legitimate, so beware.

Nursing RN-BSN - July 4, 2016
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What can I say, I am extremely disappointed by this school and will not recommend it to any RN looking to get a decent education. You will learn all right, but only because you are a working nurse. This program will not enlighten you in any fashion. The entire system lacks cohesive plan. Instructors are mostly uninspiring and clearly don't want to be here. The program constantly changes its requirements not that you will be told, nor is it written anywhere. The grading is atrocious and does not follow any common sense. You will be writing papers continuously but most of the time the content of what you have written will be irrelevant as most instructors won't read them or provide a clear feedback. You will be graded exclusively on the timeliness of your submissions and NOTHING ELSE. Some classes you will be the only student so have fun interacting with yourself as you will throughout this entire program. You will not learn any new nursing skills, you will not be guided on how to write idiotic papers, you will not be coached or mentored in any fashion. You will be left to your own affairs. What matters is that you pay. This school only cares about tuition. That's it. Stay away and spend your money and time elsewhere.

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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

AMU Criminal Justice Masters Degree Program

Criminal Justice - July 1, 2016
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I took 3 Criminal Justice Masters Degree courses and I am thoroughly disappointed with the quality of the academic responses of my peers. I was shocked some of those people made it through their undergraduate studies! I expected the caliber of students and professors to be of a much higher standard. In addition, I was looking forward to challenging subjects or encouragement to explore new information on topics posed in class. My courses felt like undergraduate level work except it was more expensive and the required responses / paper were longer in word count. The material was not at the level I expected in continuing my higher education. I will pursue other schools that will challenge me in my field of study and will limit those who are just walking through the motions but clearly are not equipped to engage in intellectual conversations or post appropriate, well thought out responses.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU BA in Criminal Justice

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - July 1, 2016
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I really enjoyed my experience with AMU for my BA in Criminal Justice. The professors were professional in their teaching as well as providing real life examples. The course objectives were relative to the CJ field and I truly felt confident in the knowledge I gained. The on-line support, materials, and live chat were fantastic and really was the cherry on the top during the tougher classes. I especially enjoyed the independent work, the interaction with other students and the professors, and truly felt that my opinion and critical thinking based on factual information were received well and appreciated. Debates with other students were professional and encouraged me to look more in depth on topics I was passionate about, or which broadened my horizon. My favorite classes were the law based classes, i.e. criminal law, constitutional law, etc. EXCELLENT! I would definitely recommend AMU for a Bachelor Degree Program.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

M.A. National Security Studies

National Security Studies - June 29, 2016
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All-in-all, AMU provided an outstanding education. However, be advised, this is not a degree-mill where you pay money and do little work for your degree. Most AMU classes require a good amount of writing and will challenge its students. To be successful at an online institution, the student must have a decent foundation in time management and apply themselves. Although the teachers are always there to guide the class and provide feedback, at the end of the day, most research is done by the student and that is when knowledge is gained. Personally I like this format because it taught me how to effectively conduct research and the skills gained will help me when I leave the military and enter the civilian sector. I highly recommend AMU for those in the Inter-agency and military professionals trying to advance their careers. Good luck out there and hope this review helps!

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Nothing but BS - and I don't mean the degree initials

Intelligence Studies - June 11, 2016
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The teachers don't teach, grades are dependent on formatting not thought or content, forum posts are often copied and pasted by students with full credit and even replied to by the teachers with copy and paste showing they don't read the posts. The app is worthless (you can't post in the forums, you can't access most lesson information, etc, and the whole setup is confusing). The website with a computer is total crap for trying to write a post for the class forums (you can't edit what you type well as the cursor jumps all over the place and doesn't pay attention to what you're trying to do). Every single time signed up for classes, I had to go through a whole huge mess of contacting the financial aid office to deal with redoing my financial aid paperwork, and most of the time I couldn't even get answers. Also when paying for classes each time, the student has to do all the math and everything that the financial aid office is supposed to do just to figure out how to fill out the stupid form online which has too many different ways to do it and they want it different each semester, and the student has to figure out how much they're supposed to pay rather than being told. If the student is off by even a single dollar, they can forget about getting into class and it takes more than a week to get any sort of answers from anyone about anything. I was forced to take a month off of classes because they changed paperwork for my financial aid and yet wouldn't give me the link to it or send it to me. It took me about a month just to get that taken care of. When I started here, Homeland Security recognized this school as having a good Intelligence program and a good Cyber Security program. While I've been taking classes, that was reversed. Homeland no longer recognizes AMU as anything. In the introductory webinars you can take, they claim you can get all sorts of assistance of all sorts of types, and a mentor, and all kinds of things. They lie. You can't get anything. You're lucky to get an answer to a question about an assignment from a teacher before the class is over. This school is a waste of time, effort and money, and has really killed any interest I had in getting a degree. It's nothing but lies resulting in a very expensive piece of paper that no one recognizes as a degree. If I sound bitter, it's because I started out really looking forward to getting a degree that would get me into my dream job of intelligence work. This school has not only killed my dream, and wasted my time and money, but it also destroyed any confidence I had thanks to all the problems, non-teaching (even downright straight up insults from some of the so-called teachers), high stress and lies. I am currently shopping for another school because I need to be able to get a job, but I no longer have any real desire to pursue anything anymore thanks to all the BS, trouble, stress and lies from AMU.

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12 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Couldn't Have Done It Without AMU!!!

Environmental Studies - May 12, 2016
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I finished a Bachelors on Intelligence Studies, and now I am pursuing a bachelors on Environmental Sciences. I can honestly tell you, I couldn't have progress in my military career as much as I have without AMU. The AMU degree instantly opened doors for me in my military career, and in the private sector after I retired. Now with this new degree in Environmental Science, I hope to dedicate the next 40 years of my life to another passion of mine: Nature. AMU curriculum is top notch. AMU professors are truly people who work the field, not just merely teach. One of my professors works in genetics for a renowned university in addition to teach here at AMU! This guys are for real! Classes are challenging, but the support you get from the professors and your classmates cannot be replicated in a classroom environment. In conclusion, AMU was the best decision I've ever made. I highly recommend it.

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Great University / Under appreciated.

Legal Studies - May 12, 2016
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American Military University was my choice, because I wanted a great quality school, with an opportunity to stay home and raise my children. I am a disabled veteran of the US. Army, and with my limitations, I thought that my chances of finishing school were slim to none. My wife introduced me to the university back in December 2012. I was able to receive my AS in Paralegal Studies within 1 1/2 years, and then my BS in Legal Studies almost 2 years later. That is nearly impossible for someone who attends a brick and mortar school, let alone someone who attends a university online at the average rate of classes,and without taking classes overtime the entire time. With the exception of some of the professors, My entire journey was extremely supported. I would definitely recommend this university to someone else. A lot of people would like to trash this school, but I only think it is because they are completely ignorant to how it works. FC C/O '16

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Military student experience

Homeland Security - April 14, 2016
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I will share this review considering that, at the time of enrollment, I was an active duty member of the United States Army. Being active duty puts unique demands on personal time and time in general to pursue other interests like, in this case, education. I decided to enroll based on the recommendations of two of one of my supervisors and a fellow soldier and also because I was scheduled to deploy months later that same year. My experience with the college in general was great, most of the professors were prior military so there was an immediate connection of familiarity. Many times I had to ask for extensions and for more time on assignments based on military time constraints and was always met with a yes and with support from the professors. The support I received from the campus in general was a great experience, I was always answered promptly and with good, understandable information. Thanks to this college's support I was able to finish my bachelors degree in homeland security amidst a nine month deployment, many late nights at work, being married, and field exercises. I highly recommend this online college, it was a great and supportive experience for me and I'm sure it will be the same for you, whether you are active duty military or a busy individual.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Decent School but weigh your options

Intelligence Studies - April 14, 2016
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I had initially thought when i had began the MA program that it would be a challenge and that i would be learning new material but in reality i had just covered material from the BA program more in depth. What posses a large issue, is the professors where there are often instances of being a overly hard grader. You get what you put in,but buyer beware that the professors ultimately could have a good day or bad day and reflect this upon your grade opposed to actually reading the work and giving legitimate feedback.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Big Doubts- Postive Results

Master of Arts - Management - April 12, 2016
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I earned my Masters of Arts in Management and Organizational Leadership from American Military University. I am a traditional brick and mortar type of student so the leap to online was a big transition. I am also weary of entering a degree factory that spits out useless certifications because my degree needs to be more than a piece of paper on my wall. Ultimately my gauge is found in the learning that took place from start to finish with my education. I can confidently say that I was able to learn, and retain valuable information and concepts related to my field of study. I am a 20+ year veteran of law enforcement in a management position and the applicability to my current assignment has been very valuable. I will note that I am in a unique position where having a Master's Degree is much more important than where it is from. So if someone is reading this review and planning to compete on the open job market, the lack of name recognition of AMU may be a factor to consider, and I cannot speak to the value of an AMU degree in an interview. I can simply say that I took my classes in conjunction with a peer at work who was attending the University of Southern California Online Program. After numerous conversations we both agree that our assignments, instructors and knowledge gained were compatible. The only differences we could find were in the cost of our diplomas, and the value that the title of USC alumni might have over AMU. As for instruction, I found the professors to be excellent overall. All of them carried impressive resumes, and brought real life and current experience into the classroom discussions. I have had the chance to meet a couple of my professors and develop networking opportunities as a result. Grading was fair, and at times I think it was even generous. I can't say they were handing out A's though because I always gave my best effort and believe I earned the grades I received. I don't know what my fellow students earned, but I trust that they were treated fairly and earned grades commensurate with their effort and performance. The other aspect of AMU I want to comment on is the support and networking I experienced. While attending AMU I was able to attend professional training programs accredited through academic institutions. AMU was very accommodating to my need to take some time off, and made the process of credit transfer and certification very easy. I also appreciated the regional networking events that AMU hosted. Although I am very busy, I took the time to attend one and was able to meet people who became instrumental in helping me with my studies and in my own professional assignments. Imagine that, a networking event where I actually networked successfully?!?! Overall, I was very happy with my AMU experience. The cost was reasonable, the work was challenging and I am better prepared to manage and lead my people. For those who can not attend a brick and mortar school, or cannot afford the prestigious academic institutions, I would highly recommend AMU, and challenge you to work hard because you will only get out of it what you put into it.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU finally helped me finish my degree!

BS Business Management and Leadership - April 10, 2016
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I had been to three other leading online for profit universities and found them to be difficult administratively and hard to use TA or GI bill. Also the classes were not very interactive and they had not really polished the way async work was completed. At AMU i found it was by far the easiest administrative and financial process of any university i had been to. Literally a couple of clicks and a credit card and i am enrolled in my next class. Also they degree map that shows you what classes you have taken and which ones are left help you ensure you do not take a class that is unnecessary for your degree. It also was really important to me as it was a constant road map to graduation. Overall online learning is all the same unless they are using new systems like 2U or updated blackboard, however what AMU did for me was make it easy to use MGI bill, go to school and learn, never made me wait for a class and ensured the teachers were knowledgeable about their areas. Also as an added bonus there are so many active duty and veterans that it helps with networking and the teachers make accommodation as best as possible when you are in other time zones. I am extremely grateful they exist as AMU was literally my class school before i dropped out entirely. I strongly recommend going to AMU if you are a part time student and absolutely recommend if you are going to use your GI bill. Edward M West,BABM, PMP, LSSBB, CQA AMU Alumni

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Great School...Even better Professors!!

National Security Studies - April 8, 2016
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Overall, I have had a really good experience with AMU. I am currently finishing up my M.A. in National Security Studies and I have no regrets. For those thinking about attending AMU, please be advised that the courses are very interesting, but there typically is a "higher than average" amount of writing involved. I do not say that to discourage anyone, but if you are looking for a degree mill, this is far from that. However, if you are interested in the inter-agency and National Security environment, you are going to really enjoy your studies here.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Trans & LOG Management

Transportation and Logistics Management - April 8, 2016
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I started at AMU in 2009. I took a break from 2013-2015 due to work and deployments. I returned at the beginning of 2016 and things have changed quite a bit...for the better! Prior to taking time off I had some pretty unengaged Professors, and very dry curriculum. So far this year I’ve taken three courses and the changes are pretty remarkable. Professors and Instructors are far more engaged now than in previous courses I’ve taken. Understandably that has more to do with the individual rather than the institution. The curriculum now is challenging and gives testament that online college is just as challenging as brick and mortar institutions. Course material that was once dry, is made bearable by the efforts put forth from the Instructors of the course. AMU was my choice after multiple searches for various reasons. One, the tuition is very reasonable, and I was able to apply for scholarships that helped reduce the cost. Keeping your grades up also pays off as AMU awards an Undergraduate scholarship for academic performance. Second, the degrees offered at this school are not offered at all online schools. I wanted a degree that closely matched my current position in the military, which would be applicable in the civilian sector after I retired. I found that with a BA in Transportation and Logistics Management, I could use my twenty years of experience paired with this degree for a real chance at finding a good paying job. If you are looking for an education that is easy and requires little to no work, then you are not going to find that at AMU. It is an accredited school which delivers a top notch education.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Excellent classes and materials

Information Technology Management - April 6, 2016
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I am a Chief Information Officer and have worked in the technology field for 28 years. I finally had the opportunity to attend college and obtain my B.S. AMU made the entire process of being a successful student very easy. In fact, it was so easy that I was able to focus all of my efforts on being a successful student and work a full time job at the same time. The staff a faculty are great and I have the highest of praises for everyone at AMU. So proud to be an AMU Undergraduate alumnus and soon to be a proud graduate alumnus with AMU!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

AMU Golden Eagles = A Golden Opportunity

Military History - April 6, 2016
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I am an educator and for years a colleague and I had discussed getting our Masters degrees. However, I cringed at the thought of earning a degree in education or any related field. I simply was not motivated to earn a degree in something I really did not want to study. What I really wanted was to earn a degree in military history. One day, while perusing a periodical related to military history, I saw an advertisement for American Military University. I immediately was interested and I looked into AMU. I discovered that not only was a Masters of Arts in Military History offered, I could even emphasize in the American Revolution! I immediately enrolled. My experience at AMU was really outstanding. The instructor’s, for the most part, were excellent. They were knowledgeable, engaged, encouraging and understanding. They pushed the students to think beyond the immediate answers to given questions. They held high standards for all papers that were submitted. Like at any university, not every professor or instructor is great. However, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for almost all the instructors under whom I had the privilege to study. Through my experience at AMU I have become a better researcher, writer and communicator. It has also enhanced my teaching and presentation skills. My students continue to benefit from my education at AMU. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA but I am just as proud to wear my AMU garb as my UCLA stuff!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Finish in three weeks.

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - April 6, 2016
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Overall, I can not complain. Having three kids, a full time job, and still a guardsman, AMU worked for me. The ability to log on and complete assignments at my own time and pace, does have its advantages. I learned a great deal of information, although at times I felt that some classes just did not fit and were there for fodder. My biggest complaints are Materials and Teachers. The online books can be confusing to find since that feature changed while I was a student and I did not receive a "how to" like I did when I first started. It is my hope that that feature has been worked out. Secondly, I disagree with the countless dead links within the classes. I feel the teachers should look into these things prior to class starting, and I also feel that I was not the only student to identify these items. I also had a tough time with the outdated material. The world of Emergency Management changes quite frequently right now, thus, the department heads should stay on top of those changes and update accordingly. The teachers, well some felt as if they were teachers, kudos by the way, and some felt as if they were facilitators that seemed to only log on to grade work. Too bad there is not a checks and balances in place to monitor teachers activity like there is for students. A little feedback goes a long way within the forums. The design of the program and the pages used to do classwork on are easy to navigate and understand. Do not really know how to explain the institution much more besides the staff, support kind, were top notch. If I had to call for a problem with tuition assistance, or anything else, they were great, informative and on top of finding answers. I also looked at three other online programs and this one was the best bang for the buck. All in all, 15 months is almost over and I can not be disappointed in the least bit. I had to apply myself and do the work. It was very easy at times, not so easy at times, and very stressful during other times. I do recommend this university to those who are older, more structured in life, returning to school to re-class or obtain a higher degree. For those straight out of H.S, try your hand at a brick and mortar first.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Bachelors in Information Systems Security

BS: Information Technology-general - April 6, 2016
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I just recently graduated with my BS in Information Systems Security. Let me first say that AMU was a great online school. The curriculum was far better than I had originally expected. I admit I was looking for an easy degree and was met with a much harder curriculum than expected. I must say I do not regret that at all because it made me work harder. Negative.... My only complaint was that AMU recently went to all digital books. I guess I am old school because I preferred the hard copy and ended up buying all my books. That would be my only complaint with the school. AMU did help me get a Pell Grant that did cover the cost which turned the negative into just extra work. Staff.... AMU has a very strict policy on the instructors that they must respond to any correspondence in a timely manner and I never had to wait over 24 hours for a reply. The instructors were very courteous and worked with me on my many short notice TDYs that would have resulted in late assignments and decreased GPA however, they allowed me to submit them as soon as I could with no penalty. Overall the school answered any questions or concerns that I had in a timely manner as well. I have seen a review or two complaining about AMU not handling military tuition or GI bill stuff well and must say that is not my experience. Every time I had a question it was answered promptly and explained in detail what I either needed to do or what was going to happen. As long as I did my part with TA everything went great. Online Experience.... The online experience was amazing. I had attended Troy University online prior to AMU and I must say that the online setup at AMU is much better. Yes, there was the occasional bug in the system but AMU was quick to get it fixed and always notified of a system downtime well in advance.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Excellent School

Sports and health Science - April 6, 2016
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The quality of course work allows students to become masters of their trade. It is an online program; therefore, most of the knowledge is self-taught through research papers and online forums. This allows for thoroughness of content and develops planning, depth of the subject, organizational skills, and time management. The coursework allows for creative thinking and develops originality of content. The curriculum is broad, but concentrates on sports sciences more in the Masters program.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Overall Program

Homeland Security - April 5, 2016
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Currently I am enrolled in the Masters Program for Homeland Security with an emphasis in Emergency Management. Already completed a BA in the same program, so I have over a decade of experience with AMU. Overall the college is a great college to attend; You have to have the ability to manage your time effectively, and success will follow. However, as with all Colleges, you have great professors who do not care about the grade but about what the student learns, you have the professors that meet the letter of the law and seem to not care as long as you meet the course syllabus requirements, then you have professors who seem to not care, but I suppose you will find that at any higher educational institution. The main issue I have with some AMU courses is as follows; In any given week you have to submit a 500 word short essay about the lesson for that particular week by Thursday, reply two at least 2 other classmates with at least one substantive 250 word response, generally coupled with 5-10 page report due at the end of some weeks (ie...generally week 2, 4 and 8). If you are taking more than one class at a time it is impossible to do the amount of reading required coupled with the weekly assignment and the classroom interaction. I would suggest to the school to get rid of the mandatory word length on the classroom interaction to place more impetus on the reports and final products then classroom interaction; unless these classroom interactions become Video Tele-conference (VTC) sessions. The only other item that is an issue (more of an opinion); is some class syllabus do not match the classroom setup. The professor should ensure the syllabus matches exactly what is in the lessons inside the classroom, it can get confusing when they do not match or complement each other. As a last note, AMU is a great college and can be a great experience, but as with everything in life its what you make of it. Cheers!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Child and Family Development-CFLE to Teacher

Child and Family Development - April 5, 2016
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After attending a "brick and mortar" university for two years, a multitude of deployments and military moves interrupted my degree plans. As a spouse of a military member the difficulties that plague our lives are a bit more complicated due to the constant moves and spouses who are not always available. I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Development with a focus in Certified Family Life Education with AMU in 2012, during a spouses 18 month deployment ( I overlapped courses, sometimes taking 9 hours at a time). I worked full time and raised two sons alone. AMU recognized this providing ample time and support to assist in achieving my degree. While not becoming a Family Life Educator I used my degree to apply to Texas Lutheran University’s Post Baccalaureate Teachers Certification Program and completed the program in less than two years, as many of my hours transferred from AMU satisfying the programs curriculum. The courses at AMU and professors prepared me for this achievement. Having graduated from AMU with honors, honors were also achieved at TLU along with an EC-6 Generalists Teachers Certification, ESL Certification, and Reading Specialist Certification. The Veteran Affairs office was incredible, Professors were amazing, the Registrar’s office, and Admissions office were very customer service oriented. The education I completed with AMU has been invaluable.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

How things changed after 30 years

Child and Family Development - April 5, 2016
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After deciding to return to college to get my Bachelor's Degree in Child and Family Development, I realized how different online college was compared to going to classes on campus. I found that the classes were much harder, but more enjoyable. My biggest challenge was the Library; the most confusing thing at AMU. There must be an easier way to do research! The e-books also gave me a problem; they were harder to read than a regular textbook, but I did get use to them after awhile. I enjoyed all my classes and learned much from each instructor. The instructors were very helpful and did not seem to mind answering questions when I needed more explicit instructions. I graduated in May, 2014 with 3.93 GPA and was ecstatic to realize that all my hard work paid off by graduating with Latin Honors. Not bad for a person that had been out of college for 35 years. I would recommend AMU to anyone who is willing to work hard and will be committed to the work that is required (especially to the more mature students, like myself).

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AWESOME!!

Environmental Studies - April 5, 2016
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I just completed my degree with a focus in Wildlife Management. Going into this school I was already familiar with online college courses as I had completed an associates as well as the majority of a Bachelor degree in Liberal Studies online. I would say that the experience with AMU was far better than all of the other schools I attended online. The Professors were very knowledgeable since the majority of them had spent many years working in the field they are teaching. The courses are setup in a manner that allows you to focus on assignments throughout the weeks as well as having time to complete your 9-5 job. This is a positive since I am still an Active Duty Soldier. I am truly thankful for my friend having seen the degree I was looking for and then directing me to this University. Good luck in your studies!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Exactly what I needed

Information Technology Management - April 5, 2016
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AMU was nothing but pleasant in my experience. Classes starting every month made my degree plan flexible. If I needed to take a break for anything, I did so without worry. I transferred a ton of CCAF credits and they were applied to my degree program with no hassle. Not once did I have an issue with finance. Military Tuition Assistance paid for the entire degree - I had 0 out of pocket expense. Coursework held my interest and was presented in an understandable format. Online labs for network security were great. I had my worries about an online or smaller name school and how well it would be received. I'm now working on a masters degree at USC, and I couldn't have done it without AMU!

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Not respected by employers

Transportation and Logistics Management - April 5, 2016
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Employers do not respect a degree from AMU/APU. Over the past 2 years, I have applied for at least 100 jobs, and no one is interested. I am employed right now, but not using my degree. I would not reccommend this school to anyone. Please, please, heed my warning and choose a reputable school that looks good on a resume. I am a peon that works for people that all went to good schools. AMU/APU will not prepare you for the business world. I'm a TLMT grad, and I pack freight for a living.

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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Worth it!

Sociology - April 1, 2016
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Just completed BA and am happy with the experience I had at AMU. From the transfer credit process, to student support and advisory teams, academic rigor (don't kid yourself - it's a challenge), to the instructors, AMU helped me achieve a life-long goal. Do not discount the quality of online learning! AMU/APUS has challenging courses and a some easier ones. Doesn't every school? You must be disciplined to earn high grades in most courses, know your APA or MLA formatting for writing assignments, and don't be afraid to engage in constructive dialog with your instructor and fellow classmates in the weekly forums. Great value!

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Best Decision Ever

Sociology - March 30, 2016
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AMU is by far one of the best decisions I've ever made. Classes are short, but filled with a wealth of knowledge. The classroom setting and the school itself is very easy to navigate. I tried going to a brick and mortar school, but found myself not wanting to wake up and walk to class. You don't have to do that online. As long as you log in each week and complete your work on-time, it doesn't matter what time you log in to the classroom. It does take a lot of self-discipline to actually log in and complete the work. The teachers are very helpful and are willing to work with you on any problems you may have. I highly recommend attending AMU.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Good value priced school

BS Business Management and Leadership - March 7, 2016
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I have to laugh at some of these reviews when people say you can just buy your degree from AMU. I'm in my 3rd year now with AMU and it's not getting any easier. Sure, I've had a couple easy classes that I didn't have to work real hard to get an A in but you get that at a traditional college as well. For the most part, my classes have been very challenging and the work time consuming. I currently have a 3.23 grade average so no, teachers do not just give everyone A's for logging in. Overall I would recommend AMU to anyone looking at pursuing an online degree.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Humanities 500--1st class

Humanities - February 24, 2016
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This class was not easy. I was challenged, but learn many things. I moved forward on my writing improvement. Got good feedback. There is much independence, but with weekly guidance. Just have to follow the bouncing ball. Fellow students and Professor were top notch. The tuition is quite fair compared to most schools, and especially compared to similar courses at Boston U, Notre Dame, et. al. I feel like I am getting the equivalent education offered for 6xs as much. I graduated with BA from Umass Amherst and AMU/APU may actually be more demanding. Online studies, in my opinion, is better than brick and mortar. I have done both.

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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Op Ed

Intelligence Studies - October 28, 2015
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I obtained My Masters and Baccalaureate degrees from AMU, and for the most part; I have learned a lot as a result of it. However, my experience had a few unacceptable compromises. I was a Chapter 33 Student. That is to say, that my expenses were funded by the Post 9-11 GI Bill. But somewhere in the processes of enrollment and completion the VA did not receive notices of completion from the school. All in all; I had to pay for my undergrad out of pocket when the VA came to collect. I tried to sort this out with the school, but they were tight-lipped, and gave me the run-around. It took a few years to pay the government back. The Master’s Thesis. During My Literature Review, the professor accused me of writing an “Op-ed” which put my entire Master’s Program in jeopardy. I was pressured to drop out of the semester, and return at a later date in order to save my efforts, as well as My GPA. Six months later, I returned and completed the degree, but all in all it took an additional six months to an already exhausting program.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

The best decision I ever made!

Environmental Policy and Management - October 14, 2015
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When I was looking at going back to school for my Masters, my family had just received orders to move overseas. I was looking at a couple of different schools, but AMU was at the top of my list. I compared course content and cost, and AMU offered the everything I wanted in my degree at an amazing cost. I had no problem transferring courses from a previous Masters program and I had no problem contacting anyone with questions I had. My biggest concern was continuing after we moved overseas. I was able to take several months off while moving and getting settled in without losing my active student status. This was a huge benefit to me and my lifestyle as a mom and military spouse. Cost was also a huge selling point. I paid for all of my classes out of pocket and AMU was cheaper per credit hour than other popular online schools endorsed overseas. My goal in obtaining my Masters was to gain employment with the federal government. Being overseas, my options for employment are not only limited but positions are scarce. I came over with the idea of at least gaining an internship for my Capstone project, but I got so much more. My program director was able to help put me in contact with key personnel before I even left the states. Because of her assistance and the course work I had completed at AMU, I was able to get a volunteer position with an Environmental Office at an overseas base, which ultimately led to a paid position. AMU helped me obtain the exact position I had only dreamed of! My family will be moving back to the states in about 2 years, so I decided to go back to AMU to obtain a graduate certificate. This will not only keep my skills fresh, but also help to keep my competitive in my field. Choosing AMU was the best decision I ever made.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good Experience Overall

Environmental Studies - October 1, 2015
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I took undergraduate courses. I already have a master degree. It was the first time I took classes on line. It was an adjustment. Overall, I have not been disappointed, and learned a lot. I had to find my way around of doing things, and my typing improved much. The course had much writing and research, more than what I thought, but these are college courses, and I was there to learn; therefore, I am not complaining. The professors were very helpful. I had many good feedback. I fussed about multiple choices, and filing the blanks quizzes because it took me back to high school. I like essay questions that really can test your knowledge. But again, by filling in those blanks, it sharpened my reading skills. I liked the 8 weeks courses. I am not seeking a degree, but if I did, I sure would continue with AMU. I have a suggestion for improvement. It is to make finding the course books a little easier. I had to ask for help many times as I was getting confused as to where my course books were. The helps at the library and bookstore were very nice, and helpful.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Highly Recommended

Emergency and Disaster Management - September 23, 2015
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I have no regrets about my decision to pursue my education at American Military University. Personally, it seems to me that many of the poor reviews that I have read herein were submitted by those with axes to grind to various reasons. I began my journey at AMU while serving on active duty in the U.S. Marines. Their advisors were incredibly helpful in guiding me through the military tuition assistance process and later in utilizing my G.I. Bill benefits. The school also accepted many of my military school transfer credits which expedited my time to graduation. I was honored to serve on the University’s Student Veterans of America council and Alumni Advisory Board. I believe this is an excellent regionally-accredited option for military personnel, veterans, and their families. Moreover, the tuition rates were cheaper than I have subsequently paid at my brick-and-mortar state university. I also appreciated that there were no additional or hidden fees. I have earned an AA in General Studies (2011) BA in Criminal Justice (2013) and MA in Emergency & Disaster Management (2015) at AMU. Though difficult at times and certainly demanding, I was able to do this while working full-time as a law enforcement officer. Compared to my experiences at two different community colleges and one state university, I found AMU to be impressive in virtually every aspect; especially with regard to their online classroom format. If I were to voice one complaint, it would be that on several occasions during my undergrad coursework, instructors were sometimes slow to respond to emails. This is largely due to the fact that most are full-time working professionals in their respective fields. For any prospective student to an AMU/APU graduate program, I would offer the following advice. Plagiarism, to include self-plagiarism, will get you in serious trouble. I have seen several students busted and removed from courses for trying to be sly with “cut and paste.” Read the Capstone Manual. Expect to write a lot of thoroughly-researched papers. Your thesis project will not be easy, but you will get out of it as much as you put in. No one else is going to ensure that you graduate. I encourage you to be more ethical and motivated than some of the “one-star” reviewers who wish to file hurt feelings reports and deflect blame for academic dishonestly. AMU is not a diploma mill and their degrees are not given; they are earned.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

AMU Pre-Law

Legal Studies - September 16, 2015
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Great Program. Laid the foundation for me to be accepted into the Master's Program University of Houston (Criminology) and continue on later to law school. Don't pass this up great instructors and courses to aid you in the field of law.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Teachers, Lousy Teachers, Lousy Course Content

Master of Arts in History - August 25, 2015
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I had Dr. Mark Bowles for Historiography. Great Professor!! Not easy, but if you work hard and are willing to follow his instruction on the basics and mechanics, you will be rewarded. Pretty deep guy here, and reserved. He is wonderful in allowing tremendous academic freedom. Dr. Anne Venzon was my Historical Research Methods Professor. Very good professor. I wish I had kept better notes in this class. There is a lot covered that is applicable in any of the soft sciences. She is wonderful in her tolerance of viewpoints as well. Bowles and Venzon helped me formulate my initial impressions of online forums in an academic environment. I loved the challenge of being held responsible for what I said, and loved being able to say what I thought of what others said in an academic environment. This was great for me. Dr. John (Steve) Kreis was my World History Professor. He is a great professor as well!! He took a course that was not put together in a great way and made it highly worthwhile purely out of his tremendous background (His intellectual biography is truely fascinating.). I fundamentally disagree with him on most things, but our styles are compatible and being a student in his class is amazing. Not easy here either, but more than any other class I've ever had anywhere, he made the effort I put forth worth it. He never addressed the subject directly, but I was left with evidence and an even stronger impression that this guy was extremely tolerant in allowing all points of view. The forum under Kreis was better than anyone’s. My next class was History of Religion with Dr. James Newell as my professor. He was not a horrible professor. The course was laid out badly and I do not hold him responsible for that. AMU should consider revamping this course. Also, the course was intrusive personally in that I was required to discuss my personal religion. I was offended that I was required to do this. Also, I found Dr. Newell to be insulting and biased in the forum. He allowed his bias to go over into his grading, though my final grade was not affected. Dr Dawn Spring was horrible in the History of Technology course. The only good thing about her is her punctuality. She was great in that way. This course was laid out in a very bad way and text was horrible as well. When I objected to her bias and bigotry openly engaged in by others in the forum, I was graded down, and it did affect my final grade. I appealed what I viewed as outrageous to the History faculty, but they stood by her. She had a rule that degreed professionals from other disciplines were not allowed unless they were referred to by a historian, or unless they had views amenable to her personal bias. When I attempted to bring relevance to poorly thought out forum discussion questions, I was accused of not speaking to the question, even if I had spoken to the question too, such as it was. Major lack of academic freedom in this course overall. I had hoped that the History of Religion course would have been the worst course I was to have at AMU. I was greatly disappointed that the next course was considerably worse. I am not at all sure that I want to continue to give Global History a chance when in the last course was horrible in multiple ways. The instructors and AMU make all the difference, for good or bad. It would benefit nearly anyone to take courses with Kreis, Bowles, and Venzon whether they were pursuing a degree or not. But I want my money back. I should have looked closer at everything the first week. Now I know. I may change majors. I should not have to bear continuing to put up with courses as poor as the last one.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Masters Degree At AMU

Criminal Justice - August 13, 2015
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I am currently enrolled with AMU and have finally made it to the final course for my Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. To begin, if you are maybe considering selecting AMU to obtain your Master's Degree in criminal justice, choose wisely. The AMU manual states you can take a final exam over a thesis but once you are signed up to take courses that option is no longer valid. I am not saying the university is a bad one, but when you call AMU for anything be ready to always speak to a different person with at many times a different answer. For the course I am currently in our instructor was thrown at us at the last minute according to him and we as a class have been thrown under a bus. We do weekly 500 word essays about dumb stuff which takes up a bunch of our time and then we all are trying to write our thesis along with jobs, families, etc. Then I have also talked to other students taking the same class and their AMU instructors were great and very helpful. In the courses prior to this final one I encountered both good and bad instructors but that is to be said for all colleges and universities around the world. I just wish this final course which represents all of us graduating, the instructor would have designed it another way where we centered all our efforts on the thesis and no other stuff which takes up time.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Honest Review

Intelligence Studies - August 7, 2015
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Honest Review: I just finished my Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies. I have traveled a great deal and went to 3 different brick and mortar schools (1x local community college, 1x major public university, and 1x major private university) before settling down with AMU. I was skeptical of an online education but it was necessary based upon my travels. Now I can honestly say that I DO NOT regret choosing AMU one bit. I do understand not everyone has had a good experience but my experience was overwhelmingly positive during class as well as discussing AMU with hiring managers. Key points: 1) Tuition: Let’s be honest, tuition is great at AMU. It is even better when you consider how military friendly they are. It was very easy to use military tuition assistance benefits (tuition assistance, MGIB, post 9-11 Bill, etc.). Not once in 2 years did I have even a single complication with my benefits. Everything was always paid for on time and I kept attending classes uninterrupted. There is a peace of mind that comes from knowing things go smoothly. 2) Brick and Mortar vs Online: This debate is never going to end. If you got a degree from a brick and mortar school you tend to justify your experience by downplaying online schools. If you go to an online school, you tend to feel the need to justify your experience by being a big defender of online schools. I have experienced both and there are definite pros and cons for each. I needed online education due to my constant traveling. I work in the Defense arena so AMU had courses that aligned with my career. It was a natural fit. I learned a lot but much of that was up to me. I read more and wrote many more papers than I ever did at my brick and mortar schools. Yes, some of it was busy work but writing that many papers made me a much better paper writer. One thing I noticed was that online schools assume you are learning while writing papers. Brick and mortars schools assumed I was learning simply by being in class. Neither is true in all cases. 3) Instructors: I had many more good professors than bad professors. Some instructors did not teach and let the students do everything. I had that same experience at brick and mortar schools. It is not unique to online schools. In the few instances where I had some “issues” pop up that hindered my ability to complete coursework, I contacted the instructors ahead of time and worked things out with no problems. The instructors, for the most part, gave relevant feedback on assignments that helped me on the next assignments. I had 3 separate instructors that I contacted just to ask for some career advice and schooling advice. All three went beyond what I was expecting to give me some good resources. I did have instructors I did not really care for but I just did my work and moved on. 4) Structured but Flexible: I think what I liked the most was how each classroom has the same overall structure (forums due mid-week, assignments due at the end of each week, mid-terms, and then a final paper at the end of each class.) I knew when things were due but had a great deal of flexibility for when I could accomplish the work. That was necessary for my traveling agenda. Yes, some classes differed just a bit, but overall the structure was consistent. 5) Getting a Job: Between military service and then post military government work, I have had many opportunities to interview for jobs. When I transitioned out of the military I searched for both private and public sector jobs. I was able to see how each industry viewed online schools and AMU specifically. By and large, the government and defense industry viewed AMU highly and appreciated the online experience as well as some of the more defense related areas of study. Businesses in the private industry asked many questions about my schooling and specific classes at AMU. One hiring manager for a finance company did flat out say that while their company did not disqualify me for going to AMU (online), they did narrow the candidates down to 3 and did eliminate me because I was the only one that was going to an online school. Issues like that are real so I would encourage everyone considering AMU to first consider where they want to work and what their career goals truly are. I had no problems because I still work in the Defense industry where they value AMU and online schools. I have even had my current management team recommend I go to AMU for a Master’s degree.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

American Military University

Intelligence Studies - August 6, 2015
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I attended AMU for five years, completing a Bachelor's and a Master's degree through their programs. As a reservist, they treated me exceptionally well and furthered my education in a number of fields relating to International Affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, foreign intelligence services, terrorism, economics, counterintelligence, geography, and analysis. I would offer that if your intent is to work in government service (federal, state, or local) then AMU is an excellent choice. I have never been looked down on by my superiors or peers in the military for my time at AMU, and am well ahead of my age group in education because I spent the time to get my education now, rather than later. If your intent is to simply complete a degree, then I cannot offer any insight to its value against that of another university, but I will say that AMU runs continuous enrollment and class schedules that can fit around any work schedule. I was able to complete classes while on active service with no issues. The most important thing to me is the quality of the instructors and instruction, and in this regard I can confidently say that you will not find as diverse and well-rounded group of professors in the national security field, with the exception of the Service Academies. I had professors who were military, others who were government service, some who were spooks, some who were police, some who were federal agents, and others who were civilians. Nearly every single one had relevant, recent, and valuable experience and/or education in their field.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience

American Military History - July 30, 2015
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I finished a BA in American history in 2012 and I am now three courses short of finishing my MA in American history. I have found American Military University to be a great school overall. Like other colleges it has its good professors, its not so good professors, and its lousy professors. One thing in AMU's favor -- if you report a professor, they take a hard look at the complaint. If you are looking for an easy way out, AMU or APU is not the place you want to be. You will get a great education, but it will not be given to you -- you will have to work for it.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Not the best, but good bang for the buck

Master of Arts In Military Studies - July 20, 2015
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I completed a MA in Military Studies between 2010 and 2014. I chose AMU because of a decent reputation among peers, low cost and flexibility. The flexibility was a must since my initial classes were accomplished while deployed. The professors were a mixed bag between those who treated the class as an afterthought for whatever was going on in their lives and those who were genuinely excellent and thought-provoking. The quality of the education obviously falls between these two extremes and the instances of incompetence do indeed leave glaring marks on the institution. I had one teacher who I could have sworn had a Chinese child write his forum responses...I eventually decided against this theory since most Chinese schoolchildren with even an passing interest in english will likely do better. On the whole however, writing skills were improved and I learned what I expected to learn. This is a program where it might be possible to BS through a few papers and forum posts with some professors who don't care, but you are still presented with quality info and topics. In this sense you get out what you put in, making the school a good value even for its low cost. I graduated with honors, but it is a nagging question in my mind what my 3.93 GPA might have looked like at a traditional institution. My guess is around a 3.4. If you can swing a brick and mortar and the cost is acceptable, that is likely a better bet. If you are globetrotting and still need an accredited degree in a short time period, AMU is an option you should explore.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Very good program!

Environmental Policy and Management - July 9, 2015
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I graduated with my M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management in 2011. This is a outstanding program for anyone wanting to get into the environmental field. It was not easy by any means and the professors really challenged you to think out of the box. I also like the real world experience the professors brought to the classroom, it really gave you a sense of what you could expect in the environmental industry.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Hard work but worth it

Master of Arts In Military Studies - July 9, 2015
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As a teacher, I had always told my students to recognize their talents and take them as far as they can go. When it was pointed out to me that my talent was scholastic ability and I had only a bachelors degree, I investigated several schools that offered Masters programs. I chose AMU because of my interest in the Civil War and because of the online program. I had always been an excellent student without ever studying. This changed quite a bit at AMU. I was challenged by each professor and in each course. There were many times that I wanted to give up, but I earned my Masters Degree in Military Studies in 2000. I found about 90% of my professors extremely helpful and they gave great feedback. I feel that my work at AMU enabled me to be a better writer, a better thinker, a harder worker, and a better leader. The proudest day of my life was the day I walked across that stage to receive my diploma. If you are looking for an easy ride, this is not it. If you are looking to work and learn and if you are willing and able to dedicate ample amounts of time, AMU should work for you.

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Great Experience

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - July 8, 2015
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I selected AMU for the fact that I am a Veteran and have been an active Police Officer for the past 20 years. Several major Law Enforcement programs were big supports of AMU so I thought it would be a good place to look into. After looking into it and several others, I found AMU to be the best fit. It was just as expensive as many traditional school minus the books, but the program was great. Once you learned how to navigate AMU's site and use all the tools they provided it was very convenient. I liked the overall structure of the classes and found most to be challenging and not a walk in in the park. The professors were great, and the Library was outstanding. My professors were very willing to help and quick to respond to any questions or issues I may have had. I found them to grade fairly and if you had a question they were good about providing you an explanation. I also like that I could work ahead and at my pace (Within set parameters). Technical support and registration were good, registration was tricky but I blame that on being old. Over all I found my classes well managed and the classes challenging, I had a great experience and highly recommend American Military University.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Program

Transportation and Logistics Management - July 7, 2015
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My experience with AMU is nothing short of OUTSTANDING. I am a service member, husband and father. I found the time to do my work. My week was full with reading, assignments, and term papers! I spent approximately 21 hours a week for every class and truly learned a lot! An MA in TLMT will certainly give me an advantage with career mobility. I chose AMU for its online access and the ability to log into the classroom anytime I wanted. Sure there were times when the instructors didn't answer my questions in a timely manner, but, they did pull through. I have completed 70% of the program and am so motivated to finish by next year. The sacrifices I have made were worth it! When I complete this program, I can't wait to see what doors open for me!

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Perfect For Me

Business Administration - July 7, 2015
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I jus completed my degree and I am very well pleased with AMU from start to finish. I received the help I needed when I needed it, the resources are available. The professors seemed to genuinely care for me. When I had military training and I notified the professors ahead of time they always provided me with extra time. I have read negative comments but I honestly can say my experience was a great one. I would definitely recommend this university. Paula

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A degree does not mean you are smart

General Studies - June 29, 2015
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Personally, the name of the school granting the degree does not always mean the name of the individual on the degree is smart or a hard worker. Traditional schools, “Brick and Mortar”, call the “For-Profits” degree mills and that may hold true in some instances. How much money does a traditional, not for profit, school make a year off of their sports teams playing in national championship games? How many student athletes receive special evaluations from the school so they will be eligible to play in the next big nationally televised game? Each type of higher learning institution has their advantages and disadvantages; pick your poison. Overall: APUS/AMU offers a great opportunity for full time workers, dads, and husbands to embark on the journey of completing educational goals. Personally, there has never been a time where encountered issues were not resolved in the most expeditious manner possible; the hold up with issued and concerns usually had something to do with the student (me) needing to provide information. If the name of the institution is on the top of your priority list, do not spend your resources with this institution. If you are seeking an opportunity to better yourself and received recognition of self-improvement, then this institution will complement you just fine. Materials: At some point in my educational tenure with this organization there was a transition to eBooks, which was hard to get used to at first but that is the future and in order to remain competitive with society one must learn new technologies. Student outlines and syllabuses were about 50/50 for originality/copy and pasted. Maybe some of the teachers at this school should be reported for plagiarism for not providing originality to their material. Teachers: 90% of the teachers are compassionate to the fact that 90% of their students are full time workers. On several occasions, I would have some field training to attend (I am an active duty Marine) and in every occurrence of this, my professors were compassionate. I offered to them the dates of my training, what assignments they could expect late, and what I would be doing in the “field” on my down time (usually just reading a hardcopy text that would fit in my pack) to complete classwork. After going above and beyond to ensure they understood that I was still “in it to win it” the largest point deduction I received was 15%. Again, I just wish they would spend more time on making sure their welcome statements and class material appeared original and not copied and pasted from another previous document. Institution: This institution needs to get their name out in the public. With an endowment of over 50,000 students, there should be plenty of people that have heard of AMU/APUS. Support: I never really had too much of a need for the support staff. The Librarian was quick to ship materials and let me know when they were late. Value: You get what you put into it, just like everything else. If there is a lack of commitment there will be a lack of learning. Same applies to the teachers. Same applies to: work out plans, diets, budgets, ect... Whatever else you are trying to control in your life. Use of Technology: This is online school and uses technological advancements to their advantage with their classroom environment.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience

Child and Family Development - June 29, 2015
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I loved my experience with AMU. The professors worked with my work schedule and deployments. My only negative remark is that AMU went to digital textbooks, which caused issues for me since I am a hands on learned and I had to purchase paper copies of all my textbooks. I love that with AMU you don't have to pay for your textbooks, unless you are a hands on learner like me. It was a rewarding feeling turning in my last assignment and knowing that I did it. When I started AMU, I had a GPA of 2.3 due to my stubborn youth. I am graduating with a 3.4 and I couldn't be prouder of the work I was able to do with AMU. Thank you, AMU for helping me find my academic career path. Now I am on to bigger and brighter goals like completing my MA in Counseling.

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No a good experience

Masters Public Health (MPH) - June 29, 2015
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If you are looking to simply complete a Masters degree than AMU is an option. My experience has been far less than satisfactory in all aspects of attending classes. The Financial Aid department is slow to respond and provide all but useless information. The teaching staff seem to be a mixed bag of professors that are interested in teaching and those that simply repost assignments from previous years without even taking the time to make corrections to the dates. This would be more acceptable if the continued mantra from all professors were not "this is a Masters program, quality of work is a must". Similarly, the advising team is quite lackluster. There is very little advising and far more discussion about what they have accomplished in their careers. I would recommend steering clear of AMU, there a number of reliable and accredited online universities available. My advise would be to shop around and research forums such as this. Don't make the same mistake that I have.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU: BS in Environmental Science

Environmental Studies - June 28, 2015
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I would say that almost everything is going digital and taking courses online is one of the digital migration initiatives. Taking a course online is not only a new fad for working class individuals and even some students but also a wonderful experience that gives ad hoc knowledge to every individual who pursues courses using this platform. Apart from excellent experience, the course puts little pressure, if any, on the students, it is flexible, develops individual instruction, provides networking opportunities, provides site convenience, comfort and it is generally cheaper compared to traditional classes. I highly recommend American Military University to anybody in the military service who needs to advance their career goal or to be able to qualify for promotion. Personally, it has been a challenging experience for me and now that it is my senior year-1 term away from getting my BS in Environmental Science, I could say that the quality of education you’ll get from AMU is very high.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Thanks for the support

Information Systems Security - June 28, 2015
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Every Professor I reached out to was very supportive. I am my worst cretic because I try to make everything too perfect. My Professors gave me great advice "You are learning and you should allow us [Professors] to grade your work not you". Once I acknowledge to myself that "I am here to learn" then I felt a little better. I still attempt to hand in "perfect assignments". Thank you to all my Professors from 2009-2015. Your constant support gave me the strength to see this program to the finish. Very Respectfully, LBM, 4047000

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Solid Program

Environmental Policy and Management - June 26, 2015
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Background: Full time Employee, Single parent, Degree started: June 2013 Completed: Anticipated Oct 2015 I am completing my Master’s in Environmental Sciences. I have worked in the field for nearly 10 years and my only chance of advancement was with a degree, much like many other working adults. I have read the negative reviews of some of the other departments, and while I can’t speak similarly about the Environmental Science Department, I understand about continual improvement. I found the Professors helpful, engaged in their field of teaching, most of the time themselves working full time. While I understand that some teachers were better than others, I learned something that contributed to my skill set under each of them. None were bad, outrageous or negative and they pushed me to improve myself. I did have phone numbers, and usually very prompt replies to emails. The help desk has a 24 hour policy that they work to get back to questions within that time, and generally did, unless things were outside of their control or they were overwhelmed. EVEN BRICK AND MORTORS HAVE TECH ISSUES! I take offense to calling any online college a diploma mill, you get out what YOU put in. I had to read, and research items on my own, and supplement my lessons on my own but that it what undergraduate and graduate students should be expected to do. They have a tutoring center for those that need help, make use of it! I will say that my professors were very supportive, I had an incident to which I found myself asking for an extension and got it, no problem because it was something beyond my control. I have sacrificed time and energy to earn this degree, and yes this is not expensive, but the quality is there. Nearly half the Professors worked at other colleges, so I know the level of instruction is well done. Considerations: You will need strong computer skills! Excel, Powerpoint, Word, and Ability to execute searches and a good computer and internet connection. Hours per week dedicated to the classes: 15 to 20 hours weekly, pending assignment. I never did two classes at same time. Helpful hints: Barnes and Noble had all the texts, and buying used helped cut costs. Get the APA book for citations, you will use it. Review the Syllabus, Assignments, and Gradebook to ensure that you know what is expected when and if there are discrepancies, Email the professor, they are human and make mistakes too. Hyperlinks move, so checking early in the week to make sure any in that week’s work, are still linked, and letting a professor know is critical to the class.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Instructional Leadership

Masters - June 26, 2015
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I was a retired educator when I enrolled at American Military University. My technology skills were not the best, which contributed to my only "B" in the program. It could have easily been a "C" if not for my professor who worked with me overtime. I am very grateful for the qualified staff members who made my experience meaningful and awesome. Thank you all, Carolyn E. Smith

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Listen Up

MBA Finance - June 26, 2015
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If you are thinking of pursing a masters degree I would highly recommend this school. I graduated from a brick and mortar school with my undergraduate degree which is considered a top ten university on the East coast. I learned more from my time at AMU than I did during my undergraduate years. College is like anything else you get of it what you put into it. The faculty was knowledgably and professional. I had several classes where my teaches were tenure professors at schools like West point, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Brown. AMU can provide you the right platform to succeed in your career but, the rest is up to you.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good, straightforward information

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - June 25, 2015
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Completed my Masters in Emergency and Disaster Management in Apr 2015. Good classes, reasonable price, great flexibility with access and being able to work with the instructors to move coursework around your life. Like any school, you'll get out what you put in. Talk to the instructors at the start of the class, check all requirements and turn things in on time. If you have an issue, there are forms to extend the timeline to complete the class or withdraw. A lot of people note a problem with debating a grade or submission issues; I did run into this with a single professor on a single assignment (out of ~10 assignments over 13 courses, not bad). The prof was being unhelpful, so I went through the dean of my Master's department and everything got sorted out. It took two weeks and was stressful, and all done through email, but eventually it all worked out and I just avoided that prof for the remainder of my courses. I chose AMU being active military since it has the accreditation to transfer credits to any school in the country, I could take courses and do work to fit around my own schedule, and being an officer (which these days requires a bachelors) I didn't have to take a GRE to apply to a Masters program. I regularly recommend AMU and have gotten my wife taking classes through them. No school will be right for everyone, but if you do the work and read the student guide for advice if you have a problem, AMU works great.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Not the Best, Not the Worst

Master of Arts in History - June 25, 2015
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I completed the MA in US History a few years back and have had a mixed bag of feelings about it. To start off I chose AMU, simply because at the time it was one of only a few fully online based MA programs I could find. Several of the universities that were in my state had online programs, but you had to be on campus one or two times a semester for most classes, which was not going to work with my schedule. So I chose AMU, because of cost and ability to do it entirely online (now this is very common). The classes I took were interesting and several of the professors were fantastic and truly were very good at what they did, but not all. Some of the classes were very simple and some were difficult. The class discussions were very similar depending on the quality of the participants. Many students were fun to enter into debates with about whatever the topic was, others did the bare minimum. My biggest complaint about the academics come from my thesis writing class. I felt there was little to no assistance and the timeline for completing the thesis was not nearly long enough to do an adequate job. Several areas of the thesis writing process had little to no explanation and cost me dearly in my final grade. After completing my MA, I did look at a few places for my Phd, and they were willing to accept my MA from AMU. All in all, you get what you put into it. It is easy to pass the classes, but if you want the A, you need to work hard. If you are engaged with your professors they can be great to work with.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

BA in Psychology

Psychology - June 25, 2015
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I started my degree several years ago. I had to stop and restart several times. In that process, I was able to see first hand the progress AMU has made in making their online classes one of the best. I believe that you will get out of this what you put into it, and then some. Unfortunately, my time was often pressed due to my many military obligations. I think that if you are in the military, this is the best school there is. I have had so much support from my instructors when I had to turn in items late or needed an extension. Of all the courses, I have only had hiccups with two instructors. I wish that I would have employed the use of my counselors early in the game, as they were tremendous in directing which options would work best for me. They also hold webinars, so that those of us not in the area can ask the important questions about the program. Additionally, I love how easy and knowledgeable the financial aid/ veteran affairs department is when dealing with Tuition assistance, GI Bill and FAFSA! I ended up not needing a loan at all! This was great! Also, with the free books for undergrads, made things even better. The last two years, the majority of my books have been online! This makes it easier to carry and when I was away on military duty, I could just bring my computer. I didn't even need the internet to read my assignments because I could download it all. Back to the counselors, I was having a difficult time meeting the deadlines and they worked with me to keep me on track and but also were stern enough to tell me, this is all the leeway you will get. I didn't want to waste all the work that I had done, so that truly motivated me. Having Yasmin, email me and speak with me on the phone and point me in the right direction is one of the reason's I made it through! I definitely plan on getting my master's degree here and I would recommend you do it too!! SGM Elliott

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Great Classes

Transportation and Logistics Management - June 25, 2015
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Overall, the classes were very interesting. I enjoyed the reading assignments and homework that was assigned. There was one professor I would rather not have to deal with again, but it's been a while and I can't recall what his name was. Getting my Bachelor's degree in Transportation and Logistics Management was the best thing I have ever done. The course curriculum was interesting and I actually wanted to take more of the courses than what was needed to complete my degree. I was able to complete the classes at my own pace and was overall very satisfied with the end result. The majority of the professors were very engaging and I enjoyed dealing with them and enjoyed their feedback; it was very constructive. I've considered going back to AMU to get my Master's degree.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU Masters Program

Homeland Security - June 25, 2015
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Every one has a different collegiate experience; either on campus or on line. Each professor I had differed in views on how they assessed my work. At first it was a problem however, as the course progressed I could see what their expectations were. Believe me it was a rough start when I began working on my Masters in Homeland Security. One thing I did enjoy is that each one would work with a student at the personal level; I only had one professor among all of them that was a tad difficult. I would say that the Registrar, Ms. Lynn Geer, is the epitome of a professional and a caring human being. I was in and out of the hospital for a little over a year and she worked with me so I would not be dropped. Through her efforts I was able to complete my studies. My only regret was I didn't walk up to her and thank her when I graduated. The comprehensive exam is a killer and I had to prepare for it in ways that I did not think I would have to. One taking this exam has to create their own system on retrieving information to prepare and submit their responses. By no means was it easy and during the exam there were moments that I just wanted to quit. But in the end it was worth the frustration. As I looked at some of the students enrolled in my classes and could tell which ones were serious about the class and the others who where there just to check a block. This was the most frustrating part as I would have classified their contributions to the learning experience as just being there. I just hoped the professors saw this and graded them accordingly. In all of my classes all the students were working full time jobs yet the vast majority of them really applied themselves. It was not easy for any of us to work full time, travel for work, study, submit papers, and have a personal life. However, this is a choice we all made. I believe it was up to me on what kind of learning experience I wanted which was based on how much I applied myself and no one else. I immersed myself in the classes wanting to get the absolute maximum and my professors provided me the tools; what I did with those tools was in my control. AMU expects its students to have self discipline and commitment when they enroll; that's something they cannot give you. You get what you put into it. If I were asked to provide an area where they could improve I would look at the feed back from the professors on the submission of papers. I know I spent at least five hours, Monday through Friday, nightly doing my work; using Saturday to finalize my paper to submit it on Sunday. Every night was a study night and usually I hit the sack about 0100 only to have to get up and go to work. I found it frustrating when I got my paper back and the only comment was "Good Job." Some of my other professors did provide feedback and I took it to heart as I viewed it as a challenge to be a better student and researcher. Like I said earlier, it's all what one makes it. AMU, Ms. Geer, and some of my good professors I would like to thank you for a good experience.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Military-Friendly University

Psychology - June 25, 2015
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I love this university! They are extremely military friendly, will work with your schedule and the classes are very engaging. I have not run into more than maybe one professor that was tough on scheduling but they are very accommodating. The classes are very engaging and move at a great pace for my learning style. Each professor is very communicative and lays out in great detail what is expected in each class. The customer service through finance and any other outlets have always been extremely helpful and friendly as well. It's a great place to earn an online degree!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

MA- Strategic Intelligence

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - June 25, 2015
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I graduated in 2005 with an MA in Strategic Intelligence with Honors. My degree has resulted in multiple promotions as it helped me stand out from my peers and provided the skills needed to separate myself as best qualified and capable. This degree was no joke. I spent five years working hard on this degree with a lot of long hours, nights/weekends/and every spare moment (long plane rides, etc) reading and working on paper after paper (one class required more than ten papers, averaging nearly one a week). That was five years of almost no personal or downtime for myself so think hard about this investment in time. You have to be serious and your family needs to be very supportive or you may not make it through. If you're looking for a paper-mill degree, AMU is not it. You'll work for your degree and be satisfied with your effort at the end. Because the semesters for the intel degree were full-length semesters (not all degrees follow this template) and I was working full time, there was also no way to speed up this degree by taking more than one class at a time. Given the amount of work for each class, more than one class at a time was unthinkable for me. The pile of books for most classes stood nearly a foot high. Just reading alone was a herculean effort for a 13-week course. Other schools offer 'accelerated' programs consisting of a week or two of classes, maybe one or two books and a couple papers per class, which provides students an ability to get a degree completed in 1-2 years. From my observations of co-workers working on those degrees, AMU demanded much more work (reading and writing) than those programs, but I feel that I learned more and was more qualified in the end than students graduating from the various 'accelerated' programs. If I had it to do all over again, I would still choose AMU.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Decent School!

Information Systems Security - June 25, 2015
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I graduate with a B.S in Information Systems Security with a core focus in Enterprise Security. I have attended Glendale Community College prior to joining the military with 36 college credits and have had 3 technical schools while Active Duty! I work in intelligence with a communications background, and can say this about (AMU). The school is decent and the instructors are very knowledgeable about what they teach in almost every subject. I am however disappointing about my transfer credits not calculating into my degree plan as much as I thought they would. Between military and civilian schools I have over 169 college credits AMU only took 33 for my degree plan; for that I give poor remarks especially my computer technical schools that superseded some of these courses by far. The staff is more than helpful, technical support is spot on, and I am very happy with most of my education from AMU. Some of the students in the lower level courses a very "special" but, when you reach the upper level courses of the program a light bold must turn on because all of the students have some amazing knowledge and insight to most subjects! I also have two kids and remain active duty as a double full time student. This school fits my schedule very well and I think it is a great institution for any one that has a busy schedule and is looking to learn something new in this degree path! I do however, wonder how the name American Military University will look on my resume when I choose to separate?

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

MA in History - a TRUE History Curriculum

Master of Arts in History - June 25, 2015
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Part of why I chose to earn a MA in history at AMU was the convenience of an online program. Another part was that they waived the ridiculous requirement of having to take the GRE - when I already possessed a doctorate and had over 15 years of higher education teaching experience at the time. The main thing that swung me to AMU, however, was the curriculum. I wanted to study American history and I did just that. Historiography, Historical Research Methods, and other foundatiional courses that other institutions have cast aside because of their obsession to include courses that would satisfy the politically correct crowd (you know, those who view Howard Zinn as a preeminent historical scholar). If you want to learn about American history from a suberb faculty who love their country more than their own egos, AMU is the place for you.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Very Satisfied

Sports and health Science - June 25, 2015
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At first I was reluctant to return to school at all, but after taking just a couple classes through AMU online I quickly realized how interested in earning a degree I was. AMU was very supportive and informative throughout each one of my classes, and the price is definitely right when you consider that books are a part of your credit hours. I know many schools that charge you separately for your books, but in the AMU Bachelor's program all materials are included...just one of the many great draws to attending. I received my Bachelor's degree in 2013, and I was so pleased with AMU that I have continued on into my Master's program with I am hoping to complete by 2017. I am an active duty military member, which obviously means I work full time, but also means I could end up anywhere in the world. The AMU online program has been very beneficial for these reasons, because no matter what my schedule or where I am in the world I can access my school, work, and grades and complete them at my pace. AMU is a great place to get your education!

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MA in History

Masters - June 25, 2015
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I am now 2 classes shy of my MA in History with a European concentration, after having previously completed both a BA in Military History and an AA in General Studies with AMU. I've read a few different reviews on here, some good and some bad. Having been a part time student with AMU since May of 2000, I've had good class experiences and some that were less than stellar. Not every "brick and mortar" professor is of the highest quality, and the same can be said of AMU, but with that said the majority of those I have studied under were good at their jobs. The online experience is not for everyone. You must be a self motivator without classroom interaction. Apparently AMU impressed someone with their educational plans because they are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the same institutional body that accredits West Virginia University (WVU). Do your homework and decide if online learning is right for you. If it is, speaking for myself, AMU has been good to me. I would give them a solid grade of A-.

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Conflict resolution

International Relations - June 25, 2015
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It was a major undertaking. You have to be disciplined and able to work on your own. The challenge is technology, if your network goes down you will be in trouble if you waited for the last minute. The responsibility for completing assignments on time relies solely on you. If you have not done so I recommend you brush up on English grammar. Spell check alone will not work, instructors are not going to hold your hand. I am glad that I did it, it was a great sense of accomplishment. You have to work for it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding Program

Masters of Public Administration - June 24, 2015
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I am about midway through my MPA program with AMU. I have nothing but positive things to say about the program and professors. The classes are interactive with the online forums, which require research and writing. The assignments force the student to broaden their knowledge by reading, reading, reading, and more reading. In addition, it has required a lot of writing. The program has covered anything any other program would cover; however, it costs much less, it is more convenient, and the professors are more understanding that most of the students are working professionals and have a life outside the school. The program covers, leadership, public policy, government functions, budgeting, management, and ethics to name a few. I would seriously recommend AMU to anyone in a demanding professional career who is looking to further their education and reach their career goals.

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Great School, Perfect for Military

Business Administration - June 24, 2015
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Bottom line upfront, the school is great for military schedules and TA use, the professors are understanding of our unique "issues" and random deployments and the school works getting you max transfer credits! It is Internet heavy which can hurt those with slower or no Internet connectivity. I have been with AMU for about 3 years now. I transferred from another school for the accreditation. The process was easy and AMU gave me max credits from my military experience, previous college courses and CLEPs. My academic plan is easy to understand, registering for courses and completing in-course assignments. I will say that the courses are Internet and technology intensive, so if you're deployed or deployable, connectivity will hinder you. On the same note, I have been out on mission during several courses and the professors were very understanding and worked with me to complete assignments with minimal hassle. Many times it was when you can, others were before you leave if possible. The TA process is seamless and the books are free; online versions. The only gripe I have is the APUS online library is not always the best tool to use because it canvasses the web and can return options that are no longer available so much of your time on the library is shifting through perfect resources that no longer exist. It can be frustrating so I don't use it. Absolutely worth it attending AMU!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

AMU REVIEW

Homeland Security - June 24, 2015
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THE LEARNING MATERIALS ARE GOOD. HOWEVER THERE ARE NO LECTURES OR TEACHINGS FROM THE PROFESSOR. I LIKED THE TYPES OF CLASSES AS IT FOCUSED IN MY MILITARY CAREER AS TO MOST COLLEGES DO NOT OFFER THESE TYPES OF COURSES. THERE WASNT VERY MUCH INPUT FROM PROFESSORS AND IS KIND OF A SELF LEARNING TYPE OF FORMAT. THE FINANCIAL AID SCREWED ME OVER BECAUSE I CONTACTED THE VA REGARDING HOW MANY FUNDS I HAD LEFT FOR MY GI BILL AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD 2 CLASSES REMAINING AND SAID THEY WOULD LPAY FOR THEM AND THEN THEY DIDNT AND I GOT STUCK WITH 2000 DOLLARS IN WHICH I OWED THE UNIVERSITY. THE VA AT AMU WASNT HELPFUL AND NOW I GET STUCK PAYING THEM 2000 DOLLARS. AND NOW AND I CANNOT TAKE CLASSES UNTIL IT GETS PAID OFF.

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2 of 7 people found the following review helpful

I'm Proud of Myself!

BA in Management - June 24, 2015
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AMU really worked in my life. I'm active duty, married with 3 children and the amount of course work in my program fit perfectly into my life. I understand the frustration of some of the reviewers and I saw some of AMUs short coming first hand, BUT I think we need to take in the perspective of both the students and the professors/AMU. 16 weeks of semester studies are being jammed into 8 weeks in an online forum, I think we are all aware of how much miscommunication can happen when communicating online. I do believe AMU is in need of improvements, students also need to set their expectations to a realistic level. I completed my degree in Iraq, Japan and Honduras and all my professors/teachers were accommodating/understanding of my circumstances. I value the degree that I received from AMU and am very proud of myself. I know when I retire (in 2 years!) that this degree will not hold the same status as other traditional "brick and mortar" institutions, but I still worked hard for it and I still learned more than I would have had I not tried. In the end you know what will/will not work for you. Sometimes you have to try it out first and then figure out if it's right or wrong. Good luck with your research and your future studies!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

BA in Intelligence Studies

Intelligence Studies - June 24, 2015
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I completed my BA in Intelligence Studies at AMU. I typically don’t write reviews but after reading some of the less positive reviews, I felt inclined to post my own. AMU is an amazing online university. Overall, my experience while attending AMU was excellent. I felt that every professor that I had was professional, helpful, and understanding. I was deployed twice while attending AMU and my professor’s completely understood my situation and worked with me to figure out a plan. About six months ago, my younger sister, who is in the Air Force, asked me about AMU and I gave her my opinion. And now she is taking courses at AMU and she loves it so far. AMU truly strives to provide an education to our military.

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Skip this place

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - June 24, 2015
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If you are military and you are merely looking for a paper credential, this might be your place. If you are truly looking to learn intelligence studies, at best you will get a superficial self-help class, with repetitive material throughout much of the program (with heavy emphasis on discussing but not necessarily resolving inefficiencies in intelligence collection and analysis). There are few real analysis skills learned in this program (which is what I was hoping for). Although the professors are very qualified people in their field, there are NO lectures so little or none of this experience and knowledge are imparted to the students. Instead classes are a series of reading assignments which you conduct on your own. There is a discussion board where students are supposed to discuss the readings and illustrate their understanding of the material. However, in large part, most of the students simply summarize or regurgitate some quotes from the reading to satisfy their discussion board obligations. There is very little by way of any analytic learning occurring for most of the students. The professors generally have little input into the discussion board process other than to posit questions to direct student discussion. There are also few if any tests in this program. In about 8 classes that I have taken, I have had no tests. The discussion board acts to show that you have purportedly read and mastered the reading material for the class. The bulk of the grading is generally done by way of a paper assigned for each class. The paper is supposed to illustrate that you have applied the concepts you learned in that class to some real world issue. However, in large part, these papers are merely summaries of scholarly papers written by others and instead are merely exercises in minimal research skills and citation formatting. Of my eight classes, only 2 have involved synthesizing any type of original thought. If the school invested a reasonable amount of money in technology (and probably paid professors more), they could have either recorded or live lectures by the professors. This would make this program valuable and a true learning opportunity. Without these, this is a correspondence course - and you might as well by the book yourself and simply read it. If you are paying your own tuition (as opposed to the government being ripped off paying tuition for you for this program), save your money. I will also note in passing that I have had several administrative issues that have arisen during the program relating to either changes in the requirement for the degree (which appears to happen frequently), substitution of classes, complaints about a particular class, and other matters. I have found the administration difficult to deal with and inflexible in resolving my problems. I have done well in the program (gradewise) and completed about half of the program. I have since, however, stopped taking additional classes. I probably won't bother completing this degree. I feel that I am not learning anymore, am being provided with repetitive subject matter in the classes, and am essentially doing busy work papers. I am unclear why the school allows classes that do not test students on the subject matter taught. It appears to me that the school wants students to pump out papers so that (a) they can justify the program; and (b) so that students can have written project papers to show potential employers in the intelligence industry. Perhaps this is a beneficial goal for students finding jobs -- but they are leaving the program with what I believe is a deficient education. All of the statements above reflect my opinion based upon my experience as a student. My recommendation is I would skip this program.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Flexible Class Schedule, Affordable, Regional Accreditation

MBA - June 24, 2015
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Overall, I was very satisfied with the MBA program that I completed at AMU. In looking for an online program, I was principly concerned with three considerations: regional accreditaion, flexible schedule, affordable. AMU was the best of the few schools that met my primary considerations. Although I do not think you can replicate the in-class experience of a brick and mortar school, AMU provided me an excellent MBA experience. As in all things in life, especially in academia, you get out of the program what you but it. Sure, I could have done the minimal amount of work and would have passed and thus "earned" my MBA...but the same could also be said for any academic institution short of MIT. So I worked hard throughout the process and learned a lot in the process. For the most part, I had good professors. Some were not so good and did not provide meaningful feedback, but a lot of professors did. The really good ones challenged all of their students and made me work for an "A." In conclusion, I highly recommend AMU to other MBA candidates. If you are looking for a solid online program, with regional accreditation and a flexibile schedule, AMU cannot be beat.

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Outstanding

M.A. Legal Studies - June 24, 2015
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Cannot say enough. If you attend AMU Online, this is not a fly by night online degree mill. You will work for your degree I assure you. It has met my objectives and goals. If you are a parent with kids, work full time...this is they way to do it. I have attended AMU for a number of years and have never ran into a snag without an instructor there to help me out. The instructors will not give you your degree, they will help you earn it however. I've read a number of the very few poor reviews and I have to disagree as that has not been my experience. I want thank especially Professor Tamara Herdener for her exceptional instruction and leadership throughout my AMU experience. I had this professor for a number of my classes and with good instruction comes good education. This is not to take away from the rest of amazing and outstanding instruction by the other staff that have helped me through this journey. I have now graduated with an A.A. in Paralegal Studies, B.S. in Legal Studies and now a MA in Legal Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Law. I earned each one of these, none were given. You will have the same rewarding experience. The AMU Alumni helps maintain contacts throughout your career and support each other with experiences and ideas to promote yourself up through life. My thanks to all the hard work exercised by all the AMU instructors and staff.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great school but there are challenges ahead !

Intelligence Studies - June 24, 2015
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I graduated with an AA in Counter Terrroism and a BA in Intelligence studies and am glad I attended AMU when I did. The teachers I had were great, a few misses, but I rescheduled those quickly. But, The last 1-2 years more and more of the material is scanned and delivered electronically. This is just not good enough! I am currently attending a top UK university and AMU has a lot to learn! I am not sure that AMU will be a top notch institution much longer, but they do have some top notch professors. Dr Steven Greer and Professor Paul Medhurst are just mazing. Professor Amanda Bowers also. Take classes from them if you have a chance.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

My MBA experience - an honest assessment

MBA Finance - March 25, 2015
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I recently completed my MBA in finance through AMU and I'll talk about my experiences. I'll put the bottom line up front: the reasons I chose AMU were because an advanced degree is required for me to move up in my career, it was extremely affordable, and I needed to get a completely online degree while I worked full time and traveled all around the world with little ability to plan ahead. Given those reasons, AMU met my objective - to receive a convenient Master's degree in order for me to get promoted. As for the quality of education, I have to say this was my greatest disappointment, and there was a time towards the beginning of my degree when I nearly quit because I was disgusted with my academic experiences. 1) The content: By and large, this was what angered me the most. In most of the classes, the announcements, messages, and coursework were canned and copied and pasted. Only two teachers even took the time to personalize the class welcome announcement and include their contact information in the canned announcements. Oftentimes the original dates of the draft were still on them, several years old. On lots of assignments and quizzes, there were typos, errors, missing information. On a few occasions a quizz's answers were wrong, and I had to contact the teacher to have them corrected, and it became clear to me that the teacher didn't even know the right answers, nor did he have any interest in finding them. Most of the professors had clearly never taken the time to proofread assignments, or take them themselves. This was the most frequent reason for me having to contact a professor and a constant source of my frustration during my degree program. Even so, I still received nearly universal A's on almost every assignment, regardless of the amount of time, effort, or thought I actually put into it. This also disappointed me, because I felt like my labor didn't actually translate into anything. This persisted throughout my entire degree and I think is the biggest shortfall staining the image of the school and the quality of the degree. 2) The teachers: a majority of my teachers left little or no feedback on any of my work, one or two left a small amount of meaningful feedback, another two or three gave only canned feedback that appeared to be copied and pasted to multiple students. When I engaged with teachers on special issues, on two or three occasions, they were usually not very helpful. If I had a dispute about a grade or content, it would usually require multiple messages back and forth, excessive explanation, and skirting around the issues by the teacher. 3) The students: the weekly discussion forums often feel forced, and I worked with many students that could barely form an English sentence, as well as many who clearly plagiarized every single piece of work they submitted. The most comical of these would have nothing to do with the subject matter. I would often print and bring posts into work to show to my coworkers and share a laugh at how ridiculous they sounded. The quality of students did improve drastically in the last several courses which were the most advanced of the degree. 4) The final exam: after over two years of degree work and an easily obtained 4.0 GPA, I was blindsided by a final exam which was graded to harsher standards than any of my previous degree work had ever been - by a longshot. The multiple choice portion asked questions on subjects and classes which I had never taken, heard of, or seen before. The essay portion had me answering fairly typical hybrid essay questions, but the standards had suddenly ratcheted up, and the work which previously earned me 100 percent without fail now seemed to be worth about 85 percent. To be honest, I was glad the professor actually took the time to read, grade, and give detailed feedback on my essays. It was the first time it had happened in my degree. 5) The classes: some of the content seems like it blends together, with many of the subjects overlapping. Some classes I got almost nothing out of, while there were two classes which I absolutely loved. The amount of effort I put into a class was mostly up to me. The two classes which I enjoyed I spent lots of time thoroughly studying. The classes I didn't enjoy so much I spent minimal time. I received A's in every single class. In a way, you get out what you put into it. I learned quite a bit while earning my degree, but the learning seemed entirely up to me. I could have passed most of the classes while reading and retaining little (and I did do this for a couple of them). Overall, I don't regret selecting AMU for my degree program - it accomplished what I needed it to with relatively little impact on my life. I don't expect to have to face the rigor of a future employer based on my degree, and I wouldn't brag about my degree from AMU. Compared to my undergraduate degree, which was from one of the top schools in the country, AMU was a cinch. And that's what I expected going into it. The amount of work I had to do was mostly up to me, and the classes I took were a mixed bag. If I wanted to seriously pursue a prestigious business job or some other profession, I would likely go back to school at a higher quality institution to have that on my resume. But I don't have that aspiration, I just want to get promoted at my current job. And now, thanks to AMU, I will.

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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful

TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT STINKS

BS-Space Studies - March 22, 2015
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The Technical Department is the weak spot in the APUS system. They adopted a new policy of getting new passwords sometime in November 2014 and since then they have tried to have all the students change their passwords several time. Unfortunately the system does not work and every time that an attempt is made to change the passwords the students are out of classes for a few days until the Department decides to go back to the old password because when the students go to enter their new passwords the system does not seem to remember the old password and says that the the student does not know his or her own password. It is absolutely frustrating.

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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Comparably Rigorous, Solid Overall

National Security Studies - March 18, 2015
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I completed an MA in National Security Studies from AMU. I already hold a law degree from a traditional "elite" brick and mortar university. I'm mid career and wanted to transition into national security work and the flexibility and low (overall) costs at AMU is what made me choose it over something like Georgetown. I felt like it was a gamble to go 'online only,' but in interviews I've discovered that most people are used to the idea now. Even though it holds accreditation, I was worried about the for-profit reputation of the school. That one has been harder to overcome and it's why I decided to write this review. Despite its for-profit status, I found the quality of the education to be academically sound. The program was well designed with good range of topics covered and deep enough dives to provide a good baseline. The courses are generally taught by competent practitioners (from places like Georgetown ironically enough). Out of the courses I took, I was only genuinely unimpressed by one professor. All the rest were reasonably responsive during the course. Overall, I've been happy with what I learned, the response from employers when discussing the degree, and the format/expense of the program. Especially in the DC area, the number of people getting degrees here is high, so the school is building a significant base of alumni. Over time, as these folks enter into management roles in the federal workforce, I believe the reputation of this school will continue to improve.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Run

Business Administration - March 13, 2015
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This school is full of sh$t. I was taking a business English class and was accused of plagiarism. However, everything in the page was cited and quoted, directly from the book. I submitted a paper on time and was told to resubmit it because there were several MLA concerns. I made the necessary corrections and was told there were STILL some MLA concerns. Then the instructor threatened to file a plagiarism report. However, he never filed a report and paper could not be resubmitted for a final time. I went through two weeks of emailing advisors before I got an answer that I wasn't expecting. At first, they pulled up two random student's papers with the same quotes from the textbook and accused me of copying the quotes and quotation marks(? lol) from those papers. Due to the fact that the teacher closed the assignment for resubmission before the class ended, I was not going to get ANY credit for the TWO papers I wrote. Now I will be stuck with a $750 bill from Air Force TA. I also wont be taking anymore classes here. Reading through the reviews and speaking to someone who is active duty and also works at the school, I found out that this is common practice. I actually liked AMU and took at least 9/10 classes here. But now I will be enrolling in the local college.

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8 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Dont waste your time here at AMUs papermil diploma

Management - Human Resources - February 23, 2015
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This is the worst school ever. They claim they take care of the military students but this is not true at all. I am military and just ended my time at this school because of the lack of support and consistency of the academics department, appeals department, and teachers. Yes I said teachers because non of these professors are on the same page with the APA formatting criteria and they do not provide you assistance because it is not their problem if you do not understand the material. Plus if y our ask for help, the teachers write you off and take offense to your ignorance. I was an honor student here at AMU and 5 classes away from graduating when a teacher made false claims against me. I never had any problems while attending this school until now and this was because I asked my teacher for help and inconvenienced him. The teachers are from all over the U.S. and have other jobs so your concerns as a student mean nothing to them except more work on their part so sad if you ask me. If you want to appeal a grade or allegation against you, you better be ready to talk to no one because AMU likes to track communication through email. So again no human to talk to even if you do it's fake and it's a canned statement. As a mother, active duty Airmen, wife, etc. I have obligations too and thought this school would be a good fit for me and my busy schedule, I guess I wasted two years of my life with this papermil school. I also found out that most companies look down at AMU/APUS when they hire people because of the papermil process. This is why I am switching to Ashford, which my new degree will be recognised under the Forbes business company. So MUCH better for your future than AMU/APUS. Again as a military member I am saddened by the way this school treated me and responded to a concern I had. I thought that this school was all about helping the military members succeed, it is not true they do not care about you. All of the reviews were right, if you have a problem and want to question/appeal anything, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WRONG AS A STUDENT no matter what. Also, they are not understanding if you have military obligations or life going on, it's your fault too. Please do not go to this school it is a waste of your time and future. There are far better schools out there. I have filed a complaint with AF IG and AF Education officials who handle schools accreditation for military members to stop military members from attending this school. This way no more military folks get caught up in the same mess I was caught up in.

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12 of 21 people found the following review helpful

I Had A Very Good Experience

Master of Arts - Management - February 18, 2015
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I have had an opportunity to read all types of reviews regarding AMU and for whatever reason decided to include my personal thoughts. I graduated with a MA in Management from AMU in 2014. As a graduate, I will do my best not to write this review from and emotion point of view, but more from an intellectual perspective. I found AMU to be very beneficial in my educational and professional development. I do agree with many of the different raters that what you put in the work is what you get out of it. Is it possible for someone to slid through the program and obtain a degree? Sure, anything is possible. I also agree that some professors were much better than others. However, I never had and instance in which a fellow student or professor did not openly encourage learning when I was in the program. Yes, there were there students who did not meet the standards of the class. I do not know their final grades, but I would assume they were not as high as other participating students. Where there professors who graded too high? I sure in some instances that might be the case. However, my entire experience at the school was very helpful and I would like to provide an example of how I knew I was provided a learning opportunity. Professionally, I have been able to attend many leadership related programs during my career. They have been taught at brick and mortar universities of national acclaim by their staff. I learned a lot from those professors who did a good job of teaching us leadership / management skills. As I proceeded into my MA program, I saw the same information the professors were teaching at the brick and mortar schools, but obviously with much more detail and review. In every class at AMU there was a lot of writing, which I understand because you have to measure a students progress. In my program, there were little to no quizzes or exams and my grade entirely rested on my participation, weekly papers, mid-term, and final paper. I found this to be reasonable expectation of course retention and progress. Again, some professors were really in tune to your submitted work and others were not. SURPRISE!!!!!! All college/universities have that same challenge with their faculty. I would recommend AMU to any serious student. I am unsure as a young man, I would have had the focus to meet all of the deadlines of the program. However, since I was a serious student, I never had a problem keeping focus. In regards to this school being a "degree mill"? I would disagree. If my peers were not committed to the program expectations and were obtaining a degree? Then this would be a sham of a institution. However, My experiences were very positive with only a few frustrations with the process. Would there be a need for improvements? You bet, but it has provided me a great platform for me and my professional endeavors. I hope this review helped anyone who is thinking of attending AMU. Cheers!

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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Don't go here if you can possible avoid it.

Master of Arts in History - January 28, 2015
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I was provided with the essentials for my degree, but just barely. Just about the only good thing I can say about it is that it is accredited by a regional accreditation organization recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. I verified that on the DoE Web site. You get nothing beyond the bare minimum, however. Faculty clearly do not coordinate with one another and that is a huge problem. I even got a 98 on a thesis proposal in the Writing a Thesis Proposal Class and then got a 0 on that exact same proposal in the master's thesis class. I don't know what happened but it was extremely unprofessional. Some of my classmates seemed mentally unbalanced and there was a lot of flaming in the forums (which in no way approximate class discussions in other graduate courses I have taken). Others were completely unprepared for graduate studies and not capable of contributing to group work and discussions, even in the final (master's thesis) course. It worked for me because I already had a master's degree so I knew how to educate myself through independent research and reading (I had to find historical documentaries to substitute for lectures) and because I have a government job so just having a second master's is enough to get that box checked when promotion time comes around. Do not go to this or any other for-profit university. There are plenty of public and non-profit private universities with totally online programs.

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13 of 26 people found the following review helpful

Great school.

Psychology - January 23, 2015
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I have read a lot of reviews on here and have kept up with them throughout my time at AMU. While reading so many of them, I wonder if we are even going to the same school. One of the most common reviews stem from the concern that an online degree is not taken seriously outside of the school and that the degree is useless. I would like to say that this is false and that not only was I able to get a job with my degree, I was able to get into a very good doctorate program. During my time there, I did notice that many students struggled in some classes and I think that this is where a lot of the negative reviews are coming from. I can tell just from some of the reviews that there are students that did not get the grades they wanted and are trying to take it out on the school rather than actually apply themselves. This is very unfortunate because it gives such a good school a bad name. I would (have and still do) recommend this school to anyone. I would not just recommend it to someone so that they can get a piece of paper that says they have a degree, but I would highly recommend it to anyone that actually wants to learn. I have attended this school and another brick-and-mortar university and would suggest this school. The work can be hard and this can overwhelm a lot of people who think it is going to be a cake-walk. Do not underestimate the classes here.

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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Accepted to Grad School from AMU History BA

BA in History - January 11, 2015
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This is for everyone who is wondering if grad schools will accept you if you've earned your BA from AMU - the answer is YES. I completed my BA in History at AMU, and have just been accepted to a brick and mortar university for an MA in history. So go for it!

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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Outstaning program

National Security Studies - December 19, 2014
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I thoroughly enjoyed my experience taking the program. I learned a lot from the instructors, all of whom had both academic and practical experience with the various courses they taught. All were very challenging but also understanding of the students' various situations. I learned a lot. The cost of the courses was also very reasonable. I would highly recommend AMU and especially the course of study.

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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Horrid Experience

Intelligence Studies - December 16, 2014
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Military go somewhere else! -- I tried out this program because of how flexible I heard they were; not the case. I had TDY's and holidays come up and they either wouldn't give me an extension or did into another TDY/holiday. Wasted tons of effort and TA trying to figure out their system (its NOT user friendly) because a verbal from an instructor won't suffice. Further today I was notified I was disenrolled. Going back to Webster, these guys are just terrible overall (instructors are fairly smart though)

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5 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Student

General Studies - December 16, 2014
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I received my degree in general studies. I have re-enrolled to complete a bachelor's degree in computer science. I was able to transfer credit from my old collage and graduated early. I found that some of the website is difficult to navigate (I am 46) however, once I located everything I found it easy to remember and use. This program worked well with my military career. During one of my classes I had to go on a deployment. I was able to stop the class and restart where I left off when the next course entered the week I stopped.

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10 of 15 people found the following review helpful

An excellent educational choice.

Security Management - December 12, 2014
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There are many reviews on this webpage, so, I will keep this brief. This school was the absolute best choice for me to achieve my educational goals. Sure, as a working professional, I sometimes found the workload a little daunting, however, backward planning and self-discipline kept it manageable. The cost of the graduate program was the best that I found during my school selection, to include the brick and mortar institutions in the surrounding geographical area. Do not walk into these graduate programs unprepared. AMU will make you work for your grades, but, is that not why we challenge ourselves?

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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Masters Degree Criminal Justice Program

Criminal Justice - December 11, 2014
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An excellent experience. Both my Undergrad and Graduate Criminal Justice degrees were earned here at The American Military University where I was free to work at my own pace online with excellent instructors at a very reasonable rate. AMU provides everything you need to earn a legitimate degree which helped me greatly further my professional career. Books are easy to order, instructors have significant real world experience, and the learning platforms are well designed and maintained. Well worth the investment of time and resources, I would go no where else.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great format for Soldiers

Business Administration - December 11, 2014
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The format used by AMU is great for those that normally do not perform well with online college. The weekly assignments and forums make the classes interesting and fun. They are very user friendly for those that are not computer savvy and affordable to use with DoD TA. I just completed my Associate's and will begin my Bachelor's program after the new year. I recommend this institution to all my Soldiers and peers.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

BA in Security Management

Security Management - December 10, 2014
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AMU is a great,affordable on-line university that offers a quality education matched by few. The classes are engaging and challenging as well. You would have a hard time getting a more quality on-line education for the price you pay at AMU.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Sports Management - December 10, 2014
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I have had a great experience with the school and it was very affordable which led to my decision to attend.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Review of masters in military history program

Military History - December 10, 2014
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I just completed this program, electively taken after retiring from long career in a technical industry. As with most degree programs, I enjoyed some classes more than others. Most of my instructors were engaged in the program and their class, were knowledgeable, supportive and responsive to questions and needs. Given that this is an on-line school, I believe there is more pressure and personal responsibility with the student than in traditional teaching settings to complete assignments on time and as requested. I learned much from my classes and instructors and the flexibility regarding class load and timing was a huge element in completing the degree. In a few classes, taped lectures were made available and were very interesting. It seems to me that providing more on-line lectures would help students better understand the subject as well as get to be exposed to the knowledge of their instructors. I also think that including more tests at the expense of writing multiple papers might be a nice option.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

My own experience

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - December 9, 2014
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I took my first college class in 1990. I've been all around, been to several schools and feel compelled to share a bit about my experience at AMU. AMU has several advantages. It's fully accredited. No matter where you move, you don't have to change schools. I have observed that AMU has superb instructors. Why? Because they have the ability to solicit the best in the field no matter where that instructor is located. AMU is not limited to the whatever local yocal they can get to come in and teach from the local area. Almost all the professor bio sheets are top notch in experience. The school itself is very solid: academic plan is clear, super student support, easy billing, scheduling easy, straight forward student handbook, etc. -- there's no confusion as to where you are and what you have to do. You do have to get the "feel" of the online environment. However, I'd argue that you'd have to get that at any brick and mortar school. AMU is certainly better for active duty military and busy professionals. If you're young and want the college life feeling; well go live in a dorm on a large state campus and go for it. I have found the academics at AMU to be a bit more difficult than attending local night school. Online, the instructors can just go; "read it all". At night school, you get well;... only worry about this chapter and these sections. You're under a time crunch to get everything done. Therefore, I became really good at fast research, using online libraries, developing templates for the various writing styles and formats, as well as creating quality work on time. You don't have people looking over your shoulder to ask questions; so you have to think and figure things out on your own if want to do well. You are required to do the best you can with the information you have to work with; interpret guidance, formulate, create, proof read, etc. - all inside the timeframe you have to work with. These skills alone have translated directly into fast paced, high stress professional environments. I do not recommend AMU to everyone. For busy professionals who are looking to really step up academically and professionally, it's a super way to go. Downfalls: Expensive [but well worth it] Some of the electronic course materials are user difficult. But, course materials are always changing and you'll find a variety of delivery methods in your classes. A lot of typing: I don't know who these people are that say AMU is easy. You better get crackin' if your going to get your forums and assignments done. Respectfully Submitted, Harry

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Not the best but could be worse

English - December 9, 2014
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I would rate this school overall all as barely meeting expectations. If the military allowed me to switch school at this point, I would. However, I have too many credits to do a transfer. Let's start with the term "military friendly" which this college claims they are. "military friendly" tends to mean that information is open to all parts of the class with flexible deadlines due to the individuals who work shift work or don't always have access to a computer. AMU started to have classes that were fairly open, allowing access back to the previous posts and forward to future posts to allow shirt workers to do their work a little late and a little early to avoid being late. This has not been an option as of late. Teachers lock out lesson and forums allowing information to only be posted during specific time periods. If you are not interested in this military friendly benefit, no worries, there's more. Most of the teachers are using the same syllabus across courses. This means that a LOT of the information in the syllabus is incorrect. This has happened with every class I have had resulting in multiple emails sent back and forth trying to get clarification. Books use to be provided as hardcopies for free. Materials now tend to be electronic. This poses it's own issues. Most referenced website end up not being operational during class. Some sites are blocked if you are using a military computer. If you books are in the library, good luck accessing them. If you materials are not available the day class opens, you need to drop the class. This is because requesting assistance from the library has a three day turnaround and by the time they have responded, you are already due to post that week. I cannot find anything in the library and have to use other colleges libraries online or go to an actual library for research. I have spoken with the librarians via email and they have not been helpful at all. I have taken the online course on using the library and found it to confirm my fears, the online library is not user friendly and near impossible to find anything and then use it. It you are an English major, this presents a major issue. Most teachers post feedback so late that you cannot correct the identified errors by the time the next assignment is due. I've already mentioned the syllabus issues and the issues with a carbon copy lesson plan that leads to multiple errors and confusions. There is also the dead link issues during class. I have also had the issue were the teacher insists everything is working and I have to access the information from an alternate site. This, of course, messes up the cite referencing material which I get marked down on (even though it is technically right but just froma different site then the one they gave). Support is non existent in every sense: teachers, librarians, admin, tech. For the price I am paying, I'd rather go to a different college so I believe I am not getting my value. They use technology for almost everything now but the technology doesn't always work. They know of the issues and are not correcting them anytime soon. Login issues that require you to log in 5 times before the system accepts you, known but not fixed. No access to course material, known but not fixed. You are expected to pay extra to get you own materials. To sum it up, there are a bunch or colleges out there. Why go here, when you can go someplace else?

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 9, 2014
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AMU is not a bad school yes some of the instructors do not have the rapid response like many people want but that is in a normal classroom. AMU has made the online experience very enjoyable and free flowing. Much of online learning comes from what your peers say about your thought process, understanding and depth innate nature for learning. We can all give a myriad number of reasons why its bad. It is not by serendipity that many graduate with ease. AMU is a great school for people that do not need face to face or instint feedback. Great school and I plan to complete my MS in Trans and Log Management.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

School Assessment

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 9, 2014
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AMU is not a bad school yes some of the instructors do not have the rapid response like many people want but that is in a normal classroom. AMU has made the online experience very enjoyable and free flowing. Much of online learning comes from what your peers say about your thought process, understanding and depth innate nature for learning. We can all give a myriad number of reasons why its bad. It is not by serendipity that many graduate with ease. AMU is a great school for people that do not need face to face or instint feedback. Great school and I plan to complete my MS in Trans and Log Management.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU Criminal Justice Degree

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 8, 2014
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I started taking classes at AMU following a few years off from pursing my degree from the traditional brick and mortar school. After taking my first few classes I knew I'd made the right choice in AMU and for online distance learning. The classes at AMU are geared towards the individuals needs. Given there are still requirements that need to be met, but the classes allow for you to structure and manage your time accordingly. The criminal justice program is also very current and up to date, not only with the books and resources they introduce, but also with topics and subject matter (I have been a police officer for 8 years). This aspect in and of itself is a benefit to any prospective student, since the criminal justice field changes so quickly. The instructors, are all very knowledgeable with many of them being active in their respective career field, this too offers perspective outside of the books and valuable insight to any topic. The forum posts and class discussions provide for good conversations and sometimes debate, which personally I have found very conducive to learning the material. Last but not least the school makes it incredibly easy to use G.I. bill benefits, as everything is completed through their website and confirmed by them as well. I have not second guessed my decision to attend AMU at all, and will most likely pursue my master through them as well.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU Online

Homeland Security - December 8, 2014
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My professors challenged me to go beyond my comfort zone. Classes were tough and demanding, but the professors were there to provide guidance.

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AMU Review

Business Administration - December 8, 2014
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AMU is an accredited institution. I attended AMU for 3 years from 2011 - 2014. In the beginning things were okay, instructors responded to emails, took part in student discussions, etc. I believe AMU grew to big without having the necessary resources to support it. The financial aid department is absolutely horrible. You have to call financial aid on a daily basis and tell them how to do their jobs. They don't respond to emails, voice messages, etc. When speaking to financial aid representatives they often don't know what's going on and will often give you the response that they will have to get back to you after speaking to their manager. AMU uses turnitin.com to check the similarity of research papers submitted. This website is horrible. Turnitin.com penalizes you for having the same title, references of other research papers. Regarding the virtual career fair, I participated in a few of them. I never received correspondence/emails from any of the employers. I considered it a waste. AMU is very convenient in the sense that classes start every month and are compressed into 8 & 16 week schedules. Some instructors at AMU cared while others were just there collecting a paycheck. If someone were to ask me whether I would attend AMU again, I would tell them to research other online institutions and only attend AMU if it were a last resort.

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Just completed degree

Homeland Security - December 8, 2014
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I just completed my bachelors in Homeland Security and was very pleased and impressed with AMU. The best attribute was the unbelievable quality of the instructors. Several were published and renowned in their fields, while others were Commanding Officers at military installations. Nearly every single one of them was currently working in the military, law enforcement or emergency management professions. The worst aspect of this degree was how much of it was self-taught. This is not necessarily a knock against AMU as much as it is an observation about online degrees in general. The course and professors give you all the tools you need to excel in this environment, but it is up to you to do the work and research to be successful. It worked very well for me, but I can also see the advantages to a classroom setting. I must add that the value of AMU was also wonderful and I was very glad to see halfway through my degree the U.S. News review of American Public University System.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Good School Once...Now Just Another University of Phoenix

Master of Arts in History - December 7, 2014
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Sadly,what used to be a good deal has become a paper mill. Do not enroll in their History MA program if you want to pursue a PhD later or expect to find employment in the field. This used to be named AMU--American Military University. For the most part,it served troops both deployed and back in the USA--as well as government employees.It was a non-profit operation at the time,and--although it only paid teachers $150 per student--many stellar faculty taught there as adjuncts as a way of supporting the troops. Today,it has become a for-profit operation with over 100,000 students,the majority not in the military. It uses fast-food syllabi designed to keep the students busy but minimize time invested by the professors since their pay has not changed. You spend your time writing on the forums about subject matter of which you know little--as the reading is minimal. Essentially,you chat with your fellow students,read little,and have no significant communication with your professor.It may be a month or more before you receive feedback on some assignments.The reading required is far below that of graduate work.The open admission to anyone with an undergraduate degree of any kind from anywhere means that the caliber of the students is far below the level enountered at more reputable graduate schools. Many of the students have no prior knowledge of the subject and manifest writing skills that would struggle to pass a freshman 101 comp class. Many of the professors now teach classes that are outside their area of expertise--most commonly,you have American History professors with expertise in the Civil War teaching classes like the Roman Republic. This program simply cannot compare to an equivalent one at a brick and mortar school. It would surprise me if APUS kept its accreditation.

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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Psychology

Psychology - December 7, 2014
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Overall, AMU was a great choice and a perfect fit for my needs. I can also say that I had taken a position and was earning a paycheck before I even received the diploma in the mail. I graduated in February, and began working two weeks later.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

AMU's Military Studies Program

Master of Arts In Military Studies - December 7, 2014
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After retiring from the Air Force, I used my remaining VA education benefits to complete a second master's degree, this on in Military Studies. All of the professors were outstanding. Access to the virtual classroom was great. The classroom platform was relatively to learn to use and maneuver around. The assignments were fair and very educational. Tech support was always responsive and effective. Overall, a great educational experience! Highly recommend to anyone interested in a quality program in military studies.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Positive Education Experience

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - December 6, 2014
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I attended American Military University from 2008 through 2014, graduating with my Bachelors Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management. I was able to complete my program while serving on active duty in the military. I had taken courses both in a brick and mortar institution, as well as, online with another university. AMU utilizes the latest technology to provide the student the best opportunity to learn real world skills that can be applied to a rewarding career. Honestly, I had some great instructors, but also had a few that I felt were not engaged enough in the classroom, and did not provide the best learning experience. I have experienced less effective instructors at other institutions as well. 95% of the instructors I had were excellent. AMU provided me with 36 semester hours of transfer credit, from military courses, experience, and courses from other institutions,which gave me a good start on my program. AMU is an excellent university for those serving in the military, law enforcement, and emergency services, as the school offers many great degree programs that fit into these occupational fields. I would also highly recommend American Military University to anyone looking to further their education.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Thorough degree program

Master of Arts - Management - December 6, 2014
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I pursued my MA in Management over several years. You can take classes at your pace, but be prepared to WORK. Most of my classes were 8 weeks long and a few were 16 weeks. Either way, I had a lot of work and I LEARNED. The instructors are all experts in their field. They are not just theoretical instructors, but have real world experience in everything they teach. AMU uses numerous different technologies and there are many different forms of collaboration with other students and your instructor. You must be disciplined in your approach so you don't fall behind, but if you put the effort in, you will learn, and learn a great deal.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Remember - its an online degree.

Criminal Justice - December 6, 2014
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I graduated in Nov of 2012, after about 2 1/2 years. As long as you go in realizing this is an online program and will not compare to any in residence program you'll be happy. Students and teachers alike to not take online university as seriously as in residence. Forum participation by many other students was not up to a level I would expect from a masters degree student. I don't mean just grammar and spelling either. I caught students responding to forum questions by plagiarizing other articles in their entirety (this was reported, and I can only assume appropriate action was taken). This was frustrating because a large part of the classes is forum participation, and most students just post the minimum for required posts and responses. I also got the distinct impression classes were not really taken seriously by professors either. Of all the papers I had to do for these classes, I don't think any were graded on content. The only grading marks I got back on any of my papers were critiquing for not meeting that professors personal modifications to APA style perfect (one prof took points for an APA style change, despite the change being directed in his own syllabus). I also hardly saw professors participate in the forums, guiding the discussions or actually instructing. All of this being said, you will get out what you put in. If you take the classes and programs seriously you will learn a lot, but not as much as an in residence program. Likewise, if you just want a paper on your wall that says you graduated.....like California Cost, Touro, or Trident online universities.....this will meet your intent. Probably one of the better online universities, but still an online university.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Masters Degree

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - December 6, 2014
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I just completed my Masters Degree while on active duty. You must be dedicated and allot the time needed to complete your lessons. This is not an 'easy' college - standards are high and the workload is intense. I do recommend this college to those willing to put in the effort!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Proud

National Security Studies - December 6, 2014
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I earned my MA in National Security Studies, most of it on active duty. While I haven't quite put it to use the way I hope, I am proud to be a graduate, particularly in this tough field. Any school that can count BG(R) Ron Mangum as a key faculty member for a decade is a school with a fine faculty. With one or two small exceptions (if you are military do NOT go near this guy Steven Twing if he is still there: no business being anywhere near Americans, let alone military), a terrific faculty and diverse in the real sense (eclectic talent from many walks of life, not just quota babies). The quality of the folks in the program is even better--I felt in the lower echelon as a senior leader with a BA from Johns Hopkins. When I finished my degree, I seem to remember AMU was #8 in the country for online schools. This is not the program for you if you are not ready to do serious work and spend most of your free time on grad school. Took me five years, working about 90 hours a week. If you can't write, and can't keep up with several thousand pages of reading a week, you will get crushed.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Better for the Experience

Information Technology Management - December 6, 2014
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AMU was great for me, but I also do not mind sitting in front of a computer. I enjoyed learning with many of my fellow service members (active duty, prior service, reserve and retired). An environment with so many experienced leaders is present in most student interactions. I also believe that with military students the goal is less about proving what you can do. It is about learning that leads to a recognized destination. That destination may be a certificate or degree. The point being that military members already have work experience and often have already completed top tier screening and training to qualify for their occupational specialty. AMU is a good place to bring the military and academic experiences together to reach the student's destination. AMU is a good fit for confident self-starters that require very little reassurance about being on the correct route. I'm really trying to make the point that successful military types will do well in this environment. If a perspective student has doubts about AMU or online learning they should seek the traditional campus experience with live faculty, students, security guards vending machines, parking permits and public restrooms. I am enjoying a successful career in part because of my AMU, BS degree in Information Technology Management. I also give equal credit for my success to years of experience gained working with people and technology in the military.

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Great school for AD Military.

Political Science - December 5, 2014
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Being an active duty Marine and starting the path towards my bachelors before the internet was available everywhere I had the opportunity to try numerous schools due to permanent change of stations: UMUC, Coastal Carolina Community College, Campbell University, Kishwaukee Community College, and finally UMUC. AMU was the first school where I attended via the internet. The rest were either traditional brick and mortar schools or resident classes where the instructor came to base to instruct. I found the transition smooth. The instruction provided by the AMU teachers was typically on par or exceeded that provided by instructors in a traditional resident type setting. The support provided by AMU while registering for classes, applying for graduation or any other general question was answered very quickly. The value of the school cannot be overstated, free books for undergrads, and you can take six classes a year with tuition assistance. The instructors, most of which were affiliated with the military in some manner understand the demands placed on their students and would work you if you needed extra time due to work requirements, a convoy operation, etc. Most of your peers in the class are AD military or Law Enforcement making interaction with other students online easier. The classes were typically challenging and informative. Be prepared to spend a lot of time studying and writing. The education provided by AMU provided dividends career wise, making me more competitive for promotion and enhancing my analytical and communication skills. The academic rigor of AMU was previously proven when I was accepted to Pennsylvania States University's Masters of Public Administration program. I am about to complete my first class with Penn State and found that while very challenging I was well prepared by AMU for the challenge Penn State is providing me. Based on my experiences I would highly recommend AMU to anyone wishing to pursue an education.

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Naval History

Master of Arts in History - December 5, 2014
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AMU is an outstanding university and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in getting a degree in military history. I started out desiring a MA in History with an emphasis in U.S. Naval History but after only taking 3 semesters, the school eliminated this strict area of study and changed my program of emphasis to world naval history. I was disappointed at first but soon found myself enjoying learning how naval history has developed from the ancient Greeks to the modern times and how this impacted how the United States developed its naval service. Overall, the instructors were very engaged in each class that I was a part of and posed questions that were challenging and expanded one's own knowledge. Each course requires extensive writing so this is not for the average student that is lazy and wants to "just get by." The required text books are current and ones that any naval enthusiast would want to keep in his/her library. The school administration works closely with you if you need to take a leave of absence from the program (As I had)and helps you get right back on track when you return. Working full-time in the military, taking this program on line fit me perfectly. I would choose AMU again if I desired additional education in my future.

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AMU is the way to go!

Intelligence Studies - December 5, 2014
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AMU provides the flexibility I need. The courses allow you to complete your work at any time during the week. This allows me to flex my study schedule around flexible duty hours. Group participation is required, but you don't need to log-in at fixed time. The instructors have always been understanding when I have other requirements (duty responsibilities or family emergencies) have arisen and I needed more time. As long as you give them advanced notice, they are willing to work with you. All of the materials are on-line, which means you can enroll in classes at the last minute and still have immediate access to all the coursework. Some of the instructors get a bit slack with the lessons & syllabus. I have seen several classes in which one or more of the lessons includes the instructor left the generic statements ('use this space to explain the process to the students' or something similar).

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Challenging, but Worthwhile

Information Systems Security - December 5, 2014
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The institution and it's staff were very supportive and very encouraging. I was able to complete my B.S. In Information Systems Security despite serving as an active-duty Marine infantryman and frequently deploying to combat zones as well as participating in long field training operations. The flexibility and willingness to help that were nearly universal among the faculty members were instrumental to my success. Additionally, the course of study prepared me thoroughly for the CISSP exam. I believe that APUS offers active military members opportunities for quality education matched by very few other institutions. The online learning environment places significant demands upon students, though. Collaboration and community simply aren't as much a part if the experience as they are at brick-and-mortar institutions. Individual motivation, drive, work ethic, and initiative are absolutely required. These factors notwithstanding, I found the material and the quality of instruction to be top-notch. The Information Systems Security degree path leverages virtual labs in order to provide practical training and experiences. I found these labs to be the most valuable part of the program, and I hope that APUS continues to expand their implementation. Additional assignments concerning current information security event analysis, interpretation of the legal and regulatory environment, and the integration of information security within enterprise policy structures and business practices ensured that the learning experience was well-rounded and comprehensive. As a busy service member, APUS offered me opportunities that I may not have been able to find elsewhere. Completing my degree gave me the knowledge and confidence necessary to become a full-fledged CISSP as well as to seek further education and certification. I feel ready join the workforce or to return to school as a graduate student.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Strong Program with Great Instructors

Intelligence Studies - December 5, 2014
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I received my B.A. at a traditional brick-and-mortar school. I received a diploma in nuclear power, courtesy of the USN. In this program, I got out what I put into it. I was largely responsible for my success, as well as what I took away from the program. The teachers were highly qualified, and the materials largely exceeded my expectations. When I studied, some courses still had a quantitative component, but the majority of the work is qualitative in nature. Those hoping for a program that leverages one of the fields of applied mathematics should look elsewhere. However, if you want to be able to build strong qualitative analyses with a focus on one of the intelligence disciplines, this is an excellent program. If you want to take your research and writing to the next level, the instructors are more than happy to help. As a master's program, it is up to the student to take the initiative, if the goal is to attain a world-class education in this field.

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Flexible and valuable for working professionals

Intelligence Studies - December 5, 2014
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Reading some of the other reviews, I would say that from my experience as an alumni some are correct, others are not. For Grad school, pedigree is often important, meaning that with AMU being a relatively new institution, there is no way for it to compete prestige-wise with universities that have been around since 1789 (e.g. Georgetown), but as the growing pool of graduates from this school move forward and achieve great things I think that the reputation will grow as well. The foundations are there making this a great institution for growing students academically to assume professional roles. When you look at the professors, many are "practidemics" that have worked in the IC and/ or bounced back and forth from the IC and academia, and are absolutely knowledgeable in the field. They may not be famous but that doesn't mean that they are not quality professors. I work in the IC full time, and completing my degree while still working was difficult but possible. AMU is flexible with supporting working students, and continuing education while working is one of this Universities best selling points. With the goal of attaining a masters I actually tailored my academic workload and course plan based on what I wanted to gain a deeper knowledge in, and what interested me. Overall a very positive experience at this University. I never did encounter a throwaway course or repetition in curriculum, and the grading rubric and standards were actually very high. I had to work hard during revisions, closely critiquing my writing style and editing for proper citation format, as the university and department policy is very strict on plagarism and use of style and grammar. In response to some of the negative comments regarding GRE not being necessary, okay...but regardless of standards for acceptance, if the student doesn't perform here it is reflected in their grade. I have had coworkers drop classes based on how time consuming and difficult they were when they were working, making the challenging statements of academic rigor just not true. In my opinion the value of an institution is based on it's students successes and achievements, and not how exclusive or elite the perception is.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

IR degree in Globalization and Human Security

International Relations - December 5, 2014
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This course took me approximately two years to complete once I had knocked out my gen ed course. The content of the degree was rigorous and required about 4-8 hours a week of involvement with each class I was taking at one given time. As an active duty Marine every class I took with this degree had direct impact on my ability to be a bette warfighter. I understood the environments in which I operated having a better understanding of battlefield, and the other non-combat missions that we conduct around the globe. With this degree and my cultural and combat expertise, I am more marketable.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Means to an End

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 5, 2014
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Ok, so in the interest of full disclosure I chose AMU for three reasons, they accept TA, they accepted my CCAFs for credit, and I can could work and assume class loads based on my comfort. While I would’ve liked a traditional brick-n-mortar class room, AMU served as a means to an end…I needed a degree to be competitive for promotion and for a post-retirement career. Now that the BA is out of the way, I can pursue a Master’s that suits my interest versus rushing to “check a box”. As far as the academic work, you get out of it what you put in to it. I had one or two instructors who were a bit of a “douche”, but otherwise the majority had a positive attitude and were supportive of the students.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Excellent BA in History!

BA in History - December 5, 2014
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AMU's BA in history is above average. I am in my last semester of a BA in History at AMU, and have been extremely satisfied with my studies here. The history program is by far more detailed and focused than any other college I initially researched, and I was not disappointed. The professors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, specialty fields, and locations, which prevents the university from having a regional/political bias. The workload required is very heavy, and students must be self-motivated in order to keep up grades. I have also attended two other brick-and-mortar colleges, and the academics at AMU have been much more demanding than either of them. The amount of research and writing required is an excellent foundation for any career in history, and much greater skill, understanding, and quality was expected in these research papers than at my other colleges, both in the material presented and in professional formatting. AMU's history department is top quality, and my advice is: do not hesitate in enrolling here, it has been a truly rewarding and vastly informative experience!

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Would recommend

Master of Arts - Management - December 5, 2014
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I work in higher education, so I was able to research Universities and knew what to look for in choosing where I would get my degree. I choose AMU because of cost and their schedule of classes and reputation. The classes were challenging like you would expect Master's classes to be. Most of the instructors were very quick to reply to questions. The staff, and even the president, responded to my concerns in a timely manner. There is still room for improvement, like, better use of technology with lectures, and realtime optional study sessions with instructors. Overall, it was a great value, and great education. I'm glad I choose AMU.

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Philosophy program

Philosophy - December 5, 2014
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I am a handful of classes away from completing my bachelors in Philosophy at AMU and I have been attending classes at AMU back to back for more than 2 years. Most of my experience has been very positive. I always got the materials on time, except for once, however the support staff, for lack of a better word, was very supportive. Professors were hit-or-miss at times. Some professors graded quickly and gave constructive feedback. A few professors however, would take nearly the length of the entire course to start grading items from week 1 and 2. I submitted complaints each time, and it seemed to stop happening. I am looking at grad schools right now, and have heard that since AMU is regionally accredited, there won't be an issue accepting the degree. That being said, AMU is not an especially prestigious school. As far as online-only schools go, it is probably one of the best. TL;DR The program is pretty good.

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Graduate of this Year

Information Systems Security - December 5, 2014
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I completed my BS in Information Security Systems this October and have already been hired on by a company to start at a mid career postion. The time spent obtaining this degree was well spent at AMU. I started as active duty and finished as a retiree. Never had issues except with external support of virtual labs. Great school and facaulty. Wonderful for those wanting a self paced school with deadlines to keep you on track. No issues with admissions or the finance department. Going to apply for my Masters program here. Recommend for all.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A Wonderful Program for Aspiring Intelligence Professionals

Intelligence Studies - December 5, 2014
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AMU is exquisite. Never have I had such professors that challenge me to go beyond what I think I can do and are always there to make sure I can make new standards. The professors and advising staff are always quick to reply to messages. I am very impressed with the speed professors grade and return papers, as well as the feedback that allows me to adjust my academic skills to improve on the next assignment. On the technical side the Sakai classrooms work wonderfully. They are even easy to use on mobile devices. Since my attendance over three years the classrooms have only been down twice of that I am aware, and when conducting the scheduled maintenance they created a backdoor to a scaled down class suite so that students can still continue to access their resources and submit papers. All around a great university.

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Outstanding for Servicemembers

Environmental Studies - December 5, 2014
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AMU is an outstanding school. As a 14 year member of the USAF, either CONUS/OCONUS/deployed, I have never had a problem taking my classes. The faculty have always been relentlessly helpful with any of my special circumstances. If you are a member of the military, I will say that you will be hard pressed to find a better on-line school.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU Quality

BA in History - December 5, 2014
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I started my history BA with what many would call a more prestigious brick-and-mortar university a few years ago. Once I moved to another state, that brick-and-mortar school wanted to charge me an outrageous amount of money (almost three times what I had previously paid) in out-of-state tuition expense for the privilege of taking their online courses that, in my opinion, weren't up to par with what they offered in residence. I thought it over and decided I wasn't going to pay more than double the money for course selections that were only half as good online as their in-residence offerings. After researching various transfer options, I decided to finish my history degree with AMU. All of their courses are online, so no one is charged an out-of-state tuition rate, and they have a wonderful variety of history courses. I've read some of the reviews that implied AMU is a degree mill and that the professors are clueless. I've done more writing with AMU than I did with the other university, and I agree with another student's comment that this is like an English class on steroids. Most of my history instructors are fairly fluent with Chicago Manual of Style, and if my papers aren't in compliance, I lose points. Poor instructors aren't limited to AMU; every university has them. It pays to do your research to see what program fits best with your goals.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Horrible Finanical Aid Scam at this school

Legal Studies - December 5, 2014
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I completed all but my last 2 classes at this school, only to find myself wondering how did I fail for this scam. I paid for my classes, then was informed I got financial aid. After they switched my payment method over they continued with obstacle after obstacle about why the financial aid was on hold. I was blocked from my classes until the last two days of class! When I contacted them and said I needed more time, all I got was more excuses! When I asked for a review they said it was all my fault and that I still owed the school for the last two classes that I was unable to complete. No matter who I emailed, phoned (voicemail only as you cant actually talk to someone live), and even wrote- all I got was excuse after excuse on why the school could not help me. They simply want your money and could care less about you or working with you. PLEASE THINK TWICE ABOUT GOING TO AMU. As a military member for 23 years this is the worst I have ever seen.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Best Experience Ever

Security Management - December 5, 2014
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This is by far, the best online education experience I've ever had. Every single thing you need for each class in a Bachelor program is right in the class. There is no extra site to go to for homework, no extra searching debacles for the text; it's literally in the class when you sign in. All telephonic support has been nothing short of outstanding. All email conversations I've had have all been extremely helpful and replied to in a timely manner. There has been a COUPLE of professors I've had that I felt were very disorganized, but, the other 95% were on top of it. Classes are very structured, making it very easy to know what to expect for the next week's assignments. All professors are very established in their fields, not leaving you feeling like somehow you're unintentionally participating in an online degree mill, but, instead actually earning your grades. There is a ton of writing (at least in this degree program), but, it's extremely worth it. This school also makes it very easy to schedule classes to where they start and end in a perpetual cycle, which for fast movers like me can get in and out while having a fulltime job and still finish a degree in much shorter time spans.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Experience

Homeland Security - December 5, 2014
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The Homeland Security program not only helped become better at my current career in the military, but has well prepared me for my future career in this field. The instructors are very knowledgeable and are experts in this field of study. Instead of only having an academic background, these instructors are practitioners in security studies. I highly recommend this university to anyone wanting to start a career in homeland security.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Just starting out

Criminal Justice - November 21, 2014
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Just starting to begin obtaining my BS in Criminal Justice. I read through most of these reviews and have come to the conclusion that a lot of these reviewers probably are not familiar with an online format. It is not the same as attending lectures or on ground classes.You are not going to get that same experience. College is not high school. Professors are not hired to go over the same material 10 times because you or even the class is not understanding it. They are hired to lecture you. It is your job after class to seek out the help you need to comprehend the material. Professors are not even required to talk with you after class. Do most professors go out of their way for students in that regard? Yes. Online classes are loosely scheduled weeks in terms of there are no assigned lecture and meet times. There is a time where your discussion board opens, and you need to fulfill all your requirements, generally by the end of that week. The problem is a lot of students think this means you have a week off, and just scramble to write some discussion posts or take that exam or write that paper on Saturday when it is all due by Sunday. Online courses are more work than on ground classes in that there is no structured time for a class to meet, read through and discuss chapters or assignments. You have to make for that time yourself. A lot of people just are not cut out for this type of learning. I read some people unhappy with a pdf for a book. I think the idea is actually pretty genius. Textbooks are so expensive and you do not make back what you pay for the book. So this university offers free books, different formats, and people are complaining? Other companies/schools offer ebooks that you rent for the semester. I've never met an angry student about saving money on books. Professors anywhere are hit or miss. You run into a lot of adjunct professors. They're cheaper for the schools and not all should really be in the position to lecture. Either way it is completely normal for an online format to have to wait a couple of days for a professor to reply to you. A lot of these professors are a.) teaching many courses, at many schools, on ground and online. b.) have a regular 9-5 just like you do, and grade/do class work at night, just like you do. Not always, but a lot of the time I see students 48 hours out from a due date suddenly being frantic because they post a question to the professor and get upset she/he has not responded immediately. Well, we are all adults. It is called time management. You review your assignments/deadlines at the very beginning of the week. Ask questions early in the week and plan for the lapse in communication and work on something else while you wait. Use your peers. See if anyone else can help steer you in the right direction. I just get fed up with people whining about a school/class/professor when in reality it boils down to that person lacking the responsibility, the drive and accountability for their own poor management skills. Do not waste your time period at any solely online school or online classes offered at a traditional campus, if you lack the ability to prepare, manage your own course load, and have zero resourceful qualities about you to improvise when things do not go as planned.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU Review

Security Management - November 20, 2014
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I'm currently a sophomore with AMU, and have had next to no issues with staff, financial aid, classmates, or professors. The courses have a fairly uniform structure: Read a handful of chapters of the course text(s) a week, write a weekly discussion posting, reply to other students, and a variety of tests, essays, and papers. With my experience thus far, there are more essays and papers than tests. Aside from a few low level general education courses, the essays range from three to six pages and the papers range from five to fifteen. It should go without saying that these are pages of content, and don't include cover pages, abstracts, or references. The pattern has been fairly obvious as well: (a) multiple essays, no tests or term papers; (b) multiple tests with a term paper; or (c) 50/50 split of essays and tests. It is self directed learning. You are told what needs to be done, the deadlines, and you are left on your own to accomplish them. If you have questions, you can email the professor or any of your classmates. If reading and writing are not your strong points, I would recommend choosing a different university; the university as a whole is reading and writing intensive. No one will hold your hand through your coursework, and no one will remind you to submit assignments. In a lot of respects, it is all on your shoulders - sink or swim, it is up to you. My only real complaint is the lack of admissions criterion for both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Because of this, the quality of classmates range from fantastic to pathetic. However, the latter students generally don't stick around too long. I would recommend basic admissions test such as the ACT, SAT, GRE, and/or the Accuplacer, but that isn't likely to be implemented. All in all, you get out of it what you put in. You can end up having either a fantastic or horrid learning experience. As for my personal academic background: I was an IBMYP student for four years, my ITED (national, 10th grade) was in the top 5% with top 1% in science, and my ACT (national, June 2013) composite was 27. My current GPA is >3.9, and I will be a junior within the next semester or so.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Fun Curriculum

Environmental Studies - October 13, 2014
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I have read some of the existing reviews and I concede that the program may be difficult in relation to its amount of prestige. However, in my perspective the staff and faculty have been helpful so far. I have just my capstone, my last fourteen classes to complete before I receive my degree. I had attended two different colleges over the years prior and AMU generously gave me transfer credits at face-value for many of my prior classes. For someone working full time, it may be tough to attain a bachelor's degree within the 10-year deadline if starting from scratch. However, AMU is regionally and nationally accredited. I take one class at a time in order to focus on good grades. In every class I experience a challenge and learn plenty. In order to get the most out of it, however, I believe that I student needs a lot of self-motivation. However, the best thing about AMU is that the faculty rewards me for thinking outside the box, rather than simply telling me that I am wrong.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

APUS-AMU -

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 2, 2014
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APUS-AMU Master Degree Program in Transportation and Logistics Management exceeded my expectations with military and civilian students from all over the United States and around the world. This regionally accredited institution provides excellent value for upper level college classes at just $300.00 dollars per graduate credit or about $1000.00 per graduate three credit course with book. The whole program start to finish costs me $13,000. The registration process and online classroom is very user friendly. Be prepared to do your work in this program forum, research, projects, power points, research writing, and real world scenarios. Just remember APA (son of a citation machine) always cite and never self-plagiarize. In addition, perla paper a paid site is an excellent paper format tool. ***I advise to take research methods in transportation and logistics as your first course** This course is the foundation of writing for the entire program. Keep all your books for comprehensive exam you will need them. Get the best professors you can for this course. Some excellent professors in this program were Dr. Hedgepeth, Dr. Valkoni, and Dr. Natoli. Good luck

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

DON"T DO IT!!!

Intelligence Studies - September 26, 2014
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The books and materials are BAD photocopies of pages you need to speed read! Book photocopies also include pictures of thumbs, fingernails, hair, and watches. You have the option of downloading a small limited number of pages every day if your book is part of the online library, but again, you can only download a few pages at a time, and you have to reassemble the book yourself later. You can check out an e-version of the book that will become inaccessible after a week, and that's only if someone else hasn't already checked the book out - can you imagine counting on that because you need to get the reading done and the book be e-checked out already, leaving you without a book? The teachers might have vast experience in their fields, but you rarely get any of it, as they don't respond in the forums, and if they do, it's only during the first week introductions, or to one or two students each week in the forums. Some teachers claim that they'll react faster than the 2 day allotted timeframe for emails, but they don't. I've sent email after email and never once got a response worth noting that was faster than 2 days, and have more than 10 go completely unanswered, and 4 to 5 day responses are normal, and by that time, the week is over and your question's answer becomes a moot point. AMU's "catalogue" claims that complaints that you have can be anonymous if you choose, but that's not true. I told someone of a problem because I didn't knwo where to go, and she directed me to the right person, who then notified the teacher's advocate (attorney) and the teacher, fingered me as the complainant, and then sent me an email telling me that he's contact those people and would like to do a group telephone call. This means he didn't even make an effort at hiding my identity based on my complaints. AMU is a joke! Don't do it, unless you want to just pass pass pass pass pass. And whatever you do, don't complain, because they'll just try to bury you while they crush your GPA. My GPA before this class was 3.89 and I've got senior credits. Currently, because of the non-anonymous contact, and the teacher telling me, and I quote, "you've found fault in the class and the teacher" while replying to an email question, although he failed to answer that question, my grade's highest could be a "B", but that's probably not going to happen because he's still harassing me and dropping my grade even further. My requests to have the meeting conducted completely by email has gone ignored, so, we can ascertain from that, that that conference call was to actually be an ambush where I would have had no one on the call that was going to be on my side. It was going to be three against one.

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12 of 20 people found the following review helpful

APUS BA in Military History

American Military History - September 3, 2014
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Finished my undergraduate degree in Military History with a concentration in Early European Studies. All in all I feel this was an excellent school with excellent professors. APUS provides a good education at a reasonable price and I have absolutely no regrets of attending this university. Just a point of clarification, I did not use this institutions financial aid department as I was able to pay for my degree with the GI Bill.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

A good program - could be better

MBA - September 3, 2014
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This is my second program with AMU. Before completing the MBA, I completed a BA in Management with AMU. The MBA was very different than my undergraduate experience. The program covered all the core MBA courses and I expanded my knowledge quite a bit. Sometimes I think the material was too basic - this is graduate school after all. The books were generally fit for the courses. Most of the grades came from assignments / papers and only some courses had heavily-weighted exams at the end. The final exams for the program were intimidating in the initial description, however in reality they were just papers that had to be writte n in a certain time frame. Generally speaking the instructors were not as good as the undergraduate instructors. I had one marketing instructor who thought she was god's gift to the university and was horrible. She was very inconsistent on grading. My fellow student actually raised complaints the dean about her. The other instructors were generally average. The AMU bookstore has always been difficult for me because I live overseas. I can't say anything good about the bookstore and encourage students to seek your books elsewhere if possible. All in all I learned what I needed and got an accredited degree. For me it was check in the box for career advancement. If that is what you need, I think AMU is a good choice.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Decent program - OK price.

BA in Management - September 3, 2014
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I graduated with a BA in Management from AMU. I chose AMU because I am an American expatriate worker. My company moves me to a new location every year or two and I needed a fully online program. Friends of mine from the military put me on to AMU and I enrolled. Generally speaking I learned quite a bit from the program. Some instructors were better than others. I only had a couple instructors that were absolutely worthless. At the end of the day the degree for me was a check in the box. I already had a good career and just needed a degree for advancement purposes. AMU is regionally accredited and fit that purpose well for me. I would recommend AMU to anyone who is already on a good career path.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic Learning Experience

General Studies - August 28, 2014
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I just had my degree in General Studies conferred to me this month. I was thoroughly impressed with the education and scope of knowledge that I received from my online professors and AMU. All the classes I have taken have been both informative and enlightening. Classes were enjoyable, and the papers and forums I wrote really expanded my knowledge in the material. While some professors were definitely better than others, I was more than satisfied as a whole. Since my degree was in General Studies, I took a mixture of different classes instead of focusing on a single discipline. With that said, I cannot give a clear evaluation of AMU in regards to any particular program. While a General Studies program has clear and specific institutional requirements, the degree jumps around and never stays in any field for a long time. Still from what I saw from the assortment of classes that I took for my degree, every class was very well organized and offered something new. The value at AMU is immense. With classes at $250 a credit, and free textbooks, it is hard to find a regionally accredited school with a comparable "bang for your buck". I have registered for a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management, and I am extremely excited to earn a second degree with AMU. I highly recommend this school. The support staff and professors understand military issues that arise, and work very well with you when an issue does happen.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Quality Education

Information Systems Security - August 20, 2014
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I graduated this year with a BS in Information Systems Security. Having taken classes at two brick & mortar colleges, AMU was similar in content and difficulty. I started with 30+ credit hours and finished my degree while attending part-time. There were 2 or 3 classes that had horrible instructors, but I also experienced that while attending the brick & mortar ones. Over all, AMU is a solid and respectable school in my opinion. The tuition price is very hard to beat. While some businesses may want to see degrees from more well-known universities, numerous vendors that do business with the government, Dell, HP, IBM, Cisco, NetApp, Microsoft, Adobe...etc., are familiar with AMU and its quality education. I suspect in the near future that AMU will become more reputable as more and more alumni enter the workforce.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

What you make of it

Information Systems Security - July 30, 2014
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I recently finished and managed to pack 20 classes (3 credits each) into approximately 14 months. Some classes are extremely in depth and took a lot of work, others were not especially challenging (having a heavy programming background). I checked my folder today and I have 131 written assignments that range from 1 page turn-ins to 27 page monsters, with 6 pages being the median. A typical class (in the accelerated 8-week format) consists of a discussion board where you write in a forum about 300 words on an initial topic, then 2 or more responses of 150+ on other peoples posts. You would then typically have 1 written assignment each week. Then where the differences fall are a technical class will have labs, where you use Citrix to load a remote Virtual Machine and follow through your lab manual and online videos (watch the videos, and recommended videos, they really help). Writing heavy classes would include a PPT/Paper where you work on parts of it progressively through the course. Almost all classes have a "Final" paper that is usually 10 pages or so in length on a topic from the class you choose near the beginning. Some classes additionally will have quizzes that range from 5 to 50 questions, usually multiple choice, but sometimes free response. The books are a lot more current, maybe 1-2 years out of date in some cases and the non-required set of classes has a huge selection (where you get your concentration from). There are some real gems in there such as cryptography and the security oriented ones with labs. Between this school and a boot camp I was able to pass the Certified Ethical Hacker course as a first time go. There is a sizeable military population taking classes here, they are very supportive of each other and form a nice community, if you participate. You should always message the teacher at least once, if not more during class, and include the whole class if you can on the conversation, it really helps build that feeling. My GI Bill worked promptly and there were no issues with that, and as some people mentioned, it takes a while to get to their support staff, but they were very helpful when you did get them and that included finding an extra scholarship for me. This school as people have mentioned is certified by several institutions as well as the NSA as a place for learning Information Assurance, this includes their Cyber Security program. 9/10 would do it again (In fact will do a Masters here)

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Excellent School

Environmental Studies - July 28, 2014
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Like any online education it takes self discipline and motivation to stay on top of your studies. What I have read in most of the negative posts is that the reader most likely didn't read the syllabus before taking the class or didn't read the financial aid policy. Too bad. This school has helped me significantly professionally with a change in career, promotion and the knowledge to stay in school. With a degree from AMU I was able to apply and be accepted into the MFAS graduate program at UF where I will most likely finish my PhD. Great school!!!!!!!!!!

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Space Studies Master of Science degree

Space Studies - July 26, 2014
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I have completed the course work for the Masters degree in Space Studies and will have the thesis project completed shortly. Overall, this was an excellent educational experience and a very good value. The course work is highly interesting and well formatted. There are some terrific instructors, including former astronauts and the co-discoverer of the Hale-Bopp comet, all of whom showed distinct interest in their students. The course materials are relatively inexpensive and many are found online at no cost. While most of the instructors were fairly liberal in their grading, the courses are chock full of information and a significant effort is needed to get all the reading and projects completed on time. That is, this is a properly challenging degree program and not for anyone who intends to skate through or only complete some of the work. One minor drawback was the use of dated materials for some courses, such as policy materials from the last presidential administration rather than the current one. The only other drawback is the lack of face-to-face interaction, which is typical for purely online courses such as these. The University itself does a great job of providing information, support, and feedback for financial and other matters and I had no complaints whatsoever with AMU's administrative processes. When I asked questions AMU provided quick and accurate answers ... very well done. In sum, for anyone who is comfortable with on-line learning and a high degree of self-paced study, this is an outstanding degree to pursue. A good metric to consider is the large percentage of active duty military officers, particularly from the Air Force, enrolled in these courses ... if AMU is good enough for the officers of the world's best Air Force, then it's a great value and an eye-opening experience for we civilians!

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

I loved it!

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - July 25, 2014
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AMU allowed me to work at my own pace and finish my Master's degree in less than two years. That includes taking a break for a semester, working two jobs during a portion, and conducting several military exercises. I could not have done it without the support of the professors. I only had difficulty in one class with a less than responsive instructor but was still able to maintain a great GPA! I have recommended AMU to many of my friends, fellow Soldiers and Officers, and other family members! I'm ready to come back already! Cindy

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Had a great experience

Political Science - July 25, 2014
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I am very pleased with my educational experience at AMU. I attended there for two years after transferring from another school and was able to complete my Bachelor's in the timeframe I had hoped to because of the continuous classes and 8 week semesters they offer. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the consistency in grading depends heavily on your professor (which can at times be frustrating) but I believe you will likely find that at any university. The support staff were always super helpful and professional, and I have to say the graduation experience (if you can go to it, do!) was wonderful. Overall I would absolutely recommend AMU to anyone who needs the flexibility that online universities offer.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Better than I could have asked for...

Military History - July 24, 2014
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When I made the decision tor return to school for my Masters I knew two things. #1 With my schedule I would have to try and find a online program, and #2 I was wary of spending so much time and money on an online degree program. I did a lot of research and eventually ended up going with AMU. It was the best decision I made in my academic career. The program was one that challenged me in many ways, but in the end I actually felt like it taught me something, which is rare in this world. The faculty is made up of some of the best instructors I have ever had. I was lucky enough to have one professor for 4 courses, by the time I graduated he and I knew each worked well with each other, and were happy to be rid of each other! Look, there are programs out there that will take your money and had you a piece of paper and send you on your way. AMU and APUS in general are not like that. You get to be part of a community that spans the globe. You get to be a part of something greater. I never felt that way when I attend my brick & mortar school. If you are here trying to figure out if this is where you should be, the answer is yes.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

My Review of AMU (non-military, employed full time)

Security Management - July 24, 2014
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I am an actual graduate of AMU, with a BA in Security Management (InfoSec concentrate). I work full time as an IT manager, so I needed an educational program that would work around my demanding schedule. I tried other schools (local brick and mortar, WGU, Charter Oak) before AMU. I self funded a subset of my classes, and I used financial aid for the rest. I found the matriculation and financial aid process very easy and automated. I found the staff at AMU/APUS very professional and helpful. I found the online campus easy to navigate and understand. My course objectives were clear and concise: I knew what to read, what to write, and when assignments were due. Over-all, I found the reading material interesting and accurate from an IT perspective. The Security Management focus was a bit orthogonal to my current career, but I enjoyed learning something different; and I better understand the synergy between physical and logical security. I treated my peers with respect (most of them are or were in the military) and in return I was treated with respect. Like everything in life, you will get out of your experience with AMU/APUS what you put into it. AMU fit my schedule, fit my budget, and fit my temperament. Simply put, AMU worked for me.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Best online program for intelligence studies

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - July 23, 2014
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I have pursued online studies at four other universities and AMU seems to have the best programs for security, military, and intelligence studies. I am nearly finished with the graduate program for intelligence studies and have found the ten courses I've completed to require a balanced work load that allows students to learn new concepts, research a relevant topic, and present a new idea in a standardized format. I often work more than 40 hours per week and have been able to steadily pursue one course at a time without compromising my family life. Taking multiple classes at a time requires a lot of free time and I would not recommend it.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Positive Referral

Criminal Justice - July 23, 2014
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I have all positive things to say about American Military University. I had started at a different college and it was an absolutely horrible experience, I was referred to AMU by another military member and I am glad that I took his advice. I graduated with a BA in criminal justice in March 2014. I will recommend this outstanding school to any one who is serious about online learning. The staff, professors, and anyone else that I needed to speak with from this institution were highly professional and educated in what they were talking about. Again a great time and I am glad that I went to such a great institution to earn my degree from.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

An average school

Child and Family Development - July 23, 2014
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I started this program because it offered an internship however, in the middle of my degree completion AMU gave no notice to it's child and family development students that they would no longer be offering the internship. Don't be fooled when they tell you, you can either take a 16 week course or an 8 week course. Very little courses are offered as a 16 week course. Before amu had a book grant offered for hard copies of textbooks, they've recently gone in the wrong direction in which many of their students are not satisfied with. No longer are texts books available, able they are online textbooks. You have the option of purchasing a textbook through them but you still have to pay for a technology fee when you enroll in the course. The courses themselves are as challenging as an online school can be for the most part. But I have had a handful of courses where it seemed the instructor checked out and only logged on once a week to post grades and had no interaction with the students. When I started my program I was very happy with the school. Now that I'm coming to a completion...I would have chosen another school, a not for profit school. I won't be returning for my Mastes.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Overall - Just ok

Political Science - July 23, 2014
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I recently completed a Political Science degree and was able to work full time while doing so (even during some very long days for a new job). Overall I had a relatively good experience with the school and many of the professors invest a good deal of time and show genuine concern for their students. I did have one major issue with the the university though, one I imagine many students experience at all universities, occasionally I would get a terrible professor. Ok, fact of life not everyone you meet will be positive, however, the report / complaint process was worthless. In both of my experiences I had professors (2-3 of them) that over the 8 week course did not grade any significant papers until the last weeek of the course. For the initial papers this is not a major concern but with no feedback it is quite difficult to focus a paper the way each professor wishes if you have never had feedback. Despite complaining to the school and supervisors on each occasion nothing ever came of these complaints. This is somewhat disappointing as they track your log-in's quite diligently, every time a student so much as uses a phone to check his grades it is tracked. However, they apparently do not care to track the work ethic of their professors. I would have expected that if I did not hear from professor for several weeks (even after emailing them) their supervisor might have an issue with this but apparently not. If they were able to fix this issue and establish a means to hold professor's accountable for their instruction (or lack there of) I would be able to rate the university much higher.

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Enlisted Combat Arms Army NCO attends college and suprisingly enjoyed it

General Studies - July 23, 2014
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A great college to attend if your military. Teachers will adapt to busy lifestyle and mission requirements. Assignments have reasonable deadlines for working adults. Curriculum is excellent; covers every subject thoroughly. Vast degree plans to choose from. Great support all around from AMU. Just finished my associates and will definitely return here for my bachelors.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Challenging Program, but no Guarantee of a Space Related Career

BS-Space Studies - July 22, 2014
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The Space Studies major is a great professional development program for people who already have a space related career such as spacecraft technician, operations controller, or project manager whether they are a military or civilian space professional. It also may serve as an entrée to a space career for people who have recently graduated from high school and actively pursue opportunities for work-study programs sponsored by governmental and commercial space industries. If you are well advanced in a career field that is not applicable in some manner to the space industry such as engineering, physics, geology, electronics or chemistry, then this major will probably not provide the means for you to transition to a space related career. However, if you would describe yourself as an amateur astronomer, or have simply had a lifelong interest in space exploration and desire some challenging formal education on a variety of subjects directly related to outer space, then this major will broadly expand your knowledge in all areas of space exploration. There are extensive requirements for online class participation, reading assignments, essays, and research papers. The subject with the most intense mathematical component is the class on "Orbital Mechanics," although most of its problems can be solved with a meld of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and a few instances of integration. In summary, if you already a space professional and need formal education to facilitate your career's progression, then this degree is ideal for you. If you are at the beginning of your college level education, or you already have a technical background, and want to pursue a space career, then this major may help you find employment in the space industry. If you just want to achieve a high level of general knowledge on matters related to space exploration for you personal avocation, then the Space Studies program will serve you well.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Humanities

Humanities - July 22, 2014
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Very good experience except for a few instances. One glaring instance was the very poor support given for my thesis. No support, no feedback. Makes me wonder how they came up with their final grade.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Satisfied For the Most Part

Masters of Public Administration - July 22, 2014
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Masters in Public Adminstration with an emphasis in Environmental Policy. I completed my undergraduate at a traditional brick-and-mortar school 25 years ago. While seeking my degree in Public Administration (I only have my Capstone Project to finish), I have to say that for the most part AMU has proven to me that for profit online schools do work. Of course, not every professor is a rocket scientist or as responsible as you would expect them to be, but 90 percent of those I studied under were professionals who were subject matter experts. Some have even taken time to mentor me, which I did not expect. For the most part, as a member of the military I could work ahead on classes to ensure while traveling I could complete assignments in accordance with their due dates. I had two classes that challenged me in that regard but I worked through the difficulties. The instructors were helpful to a point. I learned a great deal from the classes and have used my knowledge to make positive changes within my organization and within my life. This might not be an ivy-league school but for the every-day joe I highly recommend it. I liked it enough to allow my daughter to attend to accomplish her undergraduate degree.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Great experience

Master of Arts - Management - July 22, 2014
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I recently completed my Master of Arts in Management. I was named a Presidential Management Fellows finalist for 2014 (pmf.gov) due to my studies at AMU. I found the program to be challenging and enlightening, and I enjoyed my educational journey at this institution. I am currently enrolled in a doctorate program in a traditional school and I must say, some of the Master's courses at AMU were more challenging. I endorse this school and would suggest it to anyone.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

People want things that are given to them not earned

Information Technology - General - July 22, 2014
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People that complain that they did not get what they wanted out of a degree. A degree will not get you a job or make you a better person it is the experience that you went through to get it. The sacrifices that you made to get to the overall goal, that is what is measured in a degree and in life. When you accomplish something it either makes you a better person or it was a waste of your time because you did not put your whole heart into it. AMU made me stay up late at night, put myself accountable on several assignments and most of all made me reach out of my comfort zone and do something new. These are the same things that you learned in the military, and if you have not learned it by now you probably will be working at McDonalds because you are not a go-getter and will be "that person" on welfare.

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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Faculty, Wide Range of Programs

International Relations - July 22, 2014
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AMU offers working adults an ideal way to complete a college degree - in my case, the only way I could do so. The number and frequency of courses offers considerable flexibility; and I have always been impressed with the faculty - although there are, of course, significant differences in course diligence and responsiveness. But in general, I have been very pleasantly surprised at the dedication of the professors that I have been fortunate enough to work with. The one area that lets the college down, in my opinion, is the quality of the online interface. "Sakai" is cumbersome and antiquated; and does not meet my expectations at $250 per credit hour. Nevertheless, it serves its purpose. I would not hesitate to recommend AMU to others seeking an online degree.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

APUS BA in Military History

Military History - July 3, 2014
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I have almost completed my Bachelors degree with AMU in Military History with a concentration in Early European Studies. The school and the majority of my courses as well as the instructors have been outstanding. Some of the early general education courses were a bit easy, and on rare occasions I have attended a course with an instructor that I felt was not doing a great job. However, once I started taking history classes I have had nothing but great experiences with this school. I highly recommend APUS, and if you start with this school and have any regrets I can only say to stick it out, because once your core and concentration courses start, it just becomes such a great learning experience. Just for clarification AMU American Military University and APU American Public University are both part of APUS American Public University System.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Beware

BS-Space Studies - May 12, 2014
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Amu tech support is a joke. Also during an extension the professor failed to reset the dates and received zeros on two assignment because I had no way to submit them. As a result my B+ average dropped to a F. I filed two appeals over a year ago with no response. In addition AMU failed to provide me access to my classroom and course materials. Good thing for me is that I have all communication documented and will be filing a lawsuit in the near future. Amu is a business (for profit) they receive millions in finical aid and from GI Bill annually, the could careless about the support they provide to veterans who worked hard for benefits.

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14 of 24 people found the following review helpful

AMU has been great for me!

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - April 7, 2014
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As I am in my second year attending AMU I am in a position to express my true feelings about AMU and their system of education. Most of the professors are currently employed in the field that they teach so they are totally on top of the real world in their industry. This is a major plus in my book. In two cases, I felt that the professors went overboard and graded not on the students comprehension of the material but on the exact rules of citation and grammar to the extreme. In other words, "you may know the material cold however we are taking off because of the extra comma in the third paragraph" type of thing. These two cases are overshadowed by the other professors who went totally overboard to help me and ensure that I learned the material and was able to think with the information in real life. I do not need this degree as I have been very successful in my life however I am enjoying studying at AMU and as my wife points out, that I only consider dropping out around the finals deadline. Then when my grades are posted all is well again. This is very normal for any university on line or brick and mortar. If something is not a challenge than I would not be getting much out of it. AMU has my vote and I am very glad to be taking classes online at AMU.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Overall is OK, Financial Aid sketchy

General Studies - March 24, 2014
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I decided to study at AMU after hours of reviewing other online schools. It took me a month to finally made a decision. I went for their International Relations using my POST GI BILL. I sent everything they requested and it was a breeze to begin classes since you can upload the documents and send them online. Using the GI BILL was also easy so it was great for the first couple of months. The classes were very easy except for College Algebra. Then I transferred to a more expensive online University. This one is a public institution very well respected. I wanted my degree to have some recognition if I wanted to move to another state and find a job. I started taking classes at this new University; however on the middle of my first semester, I decided to take classes for transfer at AMU since it IS cheaper and I wasn't using my GI BILL anymore (I decided to use it for a MA). When I enrolled at AMU again, I PAID WITH MY CREDIT CARD FULLY BEFORE STARTING CLASSES since I DIDNT HAVE THE OPTION TO USE MY POST GI BILL (I GUESS FOR CLASSES FOR TRANSFER, YOU WONT HAVE THAT OPTION ANYWAYS). I got an email CONFIRMING ENROLLMENT FOR MY GI BILL THROUGH THE VA FROM AMU. The VA sent them the money because I checked that on the EBENEFITS website. NOW, HOW IN THE HELL CAN THEY DO THAT IF IM TAKING CLASSES FOR TRANSFER AND IT DOESNT QUALIFY TO USE THE GI BILL? SKETCHY Everyone can say that ALL UNIVERSITIES are businesses; however this one is not run like a school….it's run like an amateur business. By the way, Classes are easy. If you turn in the homework on time, you'll pass. If you don't pass, probably you are lazy. I do like their set up, easy to navigate and professors are fine. However, a degree from AMU doesn't hold the same weight as one from a public institution that has distance learning. Be smart in choosing what's best for you. Good luck!

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6 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Intelligence Studies

Intelligence Studies - March 7, 2014
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AMU provided me a quality education relevant to my career field. The professional are working members of the Intelligence Community and have several years of experience in their chosen specialties. They make you "think outside the box" and nearly all are accessible "after-hours". I finished my Bachelor's degree in August 2013 and have started my Master's program and can tell you from experience: AMU is THE school to go to for working adults.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Very Happy So Far

Military History - February 26, 2014
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I'm now over halfway through with my MA program in American Military History. I was a little skeptical of an online program, but no school near me had what I wanted. I have to say that I've been very pleasantly surprised. The graduate faculty has, so far, been top notch and I have enjoyed every class. I've been challenged, but my hard work has been rewarded and I think the program has already gone beyond my expectations. I have seen other reviews complaining about the financial aid department, but I have had no problems at all. Nor did I have any problems with my undergrad transcripts being accepted. Everything has gone very smoothly. Even the library sends me the books I need in a timely manner and the librarians are very helpful. As I said before, my professors have just been excellent. Highly recommended.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Horrible school

Sports Management - February 16, 2014
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I can not stress to you more strongly DO NOT ATTEND UNLESS THIS SCHOOL IS FREE. This "school" is a disaster. I have been trying to sort out my financial aid for months now, and it still lingers. I get the feeling that they want to hold onto my money like a grandma holds her purse. The teachers can't spell which makes me wonder if some 14 year old surfer is grading my papers. I guess you get what you pay for with these guys--LOW QUALITY

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9 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Near Completion: Last two classes

Masters Public Health (MPH) - February 6, 2014
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This is a great school. You must be self-motivated and self-directed to the point that you are able to complete and submit your coursework. You must, like any academic pursuit, have to apply yourself to succeed. I am pursuing the Master of Public Health and I have learned a lot. I have received a poor grade for late submissions, poor posts and missed assignments. Again, like any other institution, some students may do minimal work and still getting an A. While it is possible for some people to do that, you just cheating yourself. I often think that competing schools are writing poor reviews. AMU is very affordable and the books can be obtained cheaply. I am looking forward to completing my degree this May 2014. I have had great teachers and 2 that I questioned. The staff respond quickly. They also helped me navigate the systems and fulfill my requirements. I would recommend the American Military University to anyone. Thanks.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

BA in History - Demanding and Good

BA in History - February 2, 2014
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I am two semesters away from graduating with a BA in History from AMU. It has been a very rewarding experience. I was hesitant to attend this school at first because of the "degree mill" slogan going around about it, but I have found that is not at all true. I previously earned an AAS degree, and my friends who have attended brick and mortar schools agree with me, that AMU requires much more personal investment from the student. You have to be dedicated and put your best work into it. The professors are generally very knowledgable and demanding. You will learn an incredible amount of information in each eight weeks of classes, and have to stay on top of the game to succeed. The amount of reading and writing required is sometimes hard to manage, but makes you really learn the topics far more thoroughly than just sitting through a lecture. I am completely satisfied with my experience thus far, and to any prospective students I would say: Don't listen to the "degree mill" thing. AMU is a great college, and you will get out of it what you put in. I am saving all my work to show to any future employer who might discredit my degree just from the college - it should be proof enough, since it's about three times the work required from a brick and mortar school. AMU makes you work for your learning, and it is well worth it!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Everything I Expected

BS: Information Technology-general - February 1, 2014
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I began at AMU back in 2002 with a Spousal Scholarship. It was my first attempt at online learning and I found out it was the best way for me to learn. Due to finances and health issues I had to take a leave of absence until last year, at which time I returned and completed my degree. Yes, there are instructors who are slow to grade assignments, yet there are also those who grade as soon as the assignments are submitted. For every complaint there is a praise... the same holds true for brick-and-mortar schools. The labs were interesting, but educational. It was nice to be able to put into practice what I was learning. The same for my database class. Having the workbook to perform activities that followed the textbook aided in my retention of the concepts covered. I learn by reading and hands-on, so the labs and workbooks were extremely helpful. I am strongly considering returning for my MA.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

You reap what you sow

Information Systems Security - December 19, 2013
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I began attending AMU after transferring from Montana State University. I thought that it would be easier than MSU, but I was wrong... very wrong. I will start with what some people say is "bad" about this establishment. The teachers: There are some bad ones, I have run into 2 of them. I have two classes to go for my BA, so that's not bad. Support: Call early if you need support. I am two time zones away and will wake up at 6 AM MST to get in line at 8 AM EST. I get an operator within a minute or less. If you call at noon... good luck to you. Materials: They did use books before, and now its all PDF files. Some complain that they can only use the materials for 3 days and it "disappears" magically. If you aren't able to find programs online that allow you to save such PDF files or text, or you are not capable of converting one medium to another... maybe the real world isn't for you, much less college. Put the computer down, and find a hobby. This world is getting very high tech, get with the program and deal. Use of Technology: When they changed to Sakai the first time it was bad... real bad. It is getting much better. I know of whole school SYSTEMS that are ten times worse. If you think you can do better, then why aren't you already a millionaire? Its a school, not CISCO corporate. Now to the good stuff. If you are a working professional in the IT field, then you will get something out of this program for Information Systems Security. I am a Network Engineer and have applied everything I have learned so far into my work. I will say that I want the degree to make my move into management, which I have recently done through a promotion. I have written more papers on SONET, BGP, MD5 authentication, Fiber Optics, IPv6, and other related materials than I can count. Some reports I have placed into my work wiki for others to use as reference guides. You will get out what you put into this school. If you are lazy, then you will learn the bare minimum. If you are using what these classes point you towards to the fullest (I have decided it is an excuse for me to write about subjects I care about and work on daily) then you will succeed. I am not a transport network engineer but I can hold my own now. I am not a security IT tech, but I can still hold my own. Heck, I am not the IT guy, but I have made suggestions to IT on how to do things better. Its all because I have applied what I learned at AMU into the real world through lots and lots of research for papers. I even know more about the forest ecology in my state then my friends that work for the Department of Forestry, so what does that tell you? This college will not do the work for you. If you are willing to put in the work, then you will learn tons from this program. Also, someone mentioned certs. If you are going into any IT field, get certs for sure. I am a hiring manager and I will take a highly certified experienced engineer over a college degree holding adult with no experience any day (Unless they amaze me in the interview, which has happened and that 21 year old is happily employed on my team). Those are my 2 bits on AMU and its program.

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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Pleasantly Surprised, and Continually Proud

Intelligence Studies - November 8, 2013
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When I first enrolled in AMU I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. The longer I have attended, and the further I have progressed, however, has changed my outlook drastically. At first it didn't feel legitimate, but as each class gradually grew more demanding, and the subject matter became more difficult, I realized I was indeed learning and accomplishing something. While I have another year and a half before I complete my degree path, and I'm only on my second Intelligence Studies class, I am highly optimistic of the knowledge I stand to gain. I intend to continue on at AMU for my master's degree as well. While the school isn't perfect, I would enroll all over again. I have recommended AMU to several of my peers in the military, and I highly recommend it to you if you are looking for an online, flexible, and challenging university and degree path.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Good enough but room for improvement

Environmental Policy and Management - November 8, 2013
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I graduated with a Master's degree from AMU in 2013. I have undergraduate degrees from a Big Ten University and a MAC University and the level of academic challenge in 80% of the graduate courses I took at AMU was similar to upper level undergraduate / lower graduate (400 -500 level) at the other schools. The other 20% were of lower academic challenge, with texts and course work more suitable for lower level undergraduate courses. Most of the courses did not have timed exams like traditional educational institutions (1 hour exams, 2 hour finals), lowering the academic standard. In the majority of courses the grades were determined based on 2-3 page papers written for weekly assignments and 5 - 20 page papers written as midterm or final course assignments. The combination of required and elective courses provided a broad exposure to different fields of study within the major. Most of the faculty was very helpful when I had questions concerning assignments, and usually responded in a very timely manner.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

My Experience

Information Systems Security - October 14, 2013
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I have been attending American Public University since 2011 and thought I would share my experience. First of all I have came across a lot of comments calling the school a degree mill; this is NOT correct, the school has its accreditation from the following bodies;Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association (regional accreditation), Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA),The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Next is specialized accreditation; Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP),and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). My overall experience with the school has been positive, but you have to apply yourself, otherwise you will fail. I have came across comments saying that grades are simply handed out, not true, I have a "D", "C", and two or three "B-" because I did not submit my assignments on time...So they will not simply give you an "A". I have attended B&M classes and I find the course material to be basically the same and in fact a bit harder online. The college class I took at a B&M the classmates were more interested in texting than learning and they passed the class. Another thing, if your going the IT route like me...get your "certifications" a degree does not prove any skills to a perspective employer, IT certs do prove that you at least have a basic understanding of Networking, databases etc. For those seeking to enter the job market with a degree from AMU/APU you will need to ask yourself what type of employment you're going to seek. If you are looking to work in NYC for a prestigious company, I would suggest getting your degree from a prestigious university, because of the competitiveness many NYC based companies pick the schools that have a long established history / name recognition and AMU/APU simply does not have this. Now if your considering government employment or working for contractors, and even IBM, Cisco etc, your AMU/APUS degree will be just fine. But remember to get industry certifications! Hope this helps.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Absolutely the best academic decision I've ever made

Intelligence Studies - October 10, 2013
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This school exceeds the traditional brick and mortar schools by far. The format is designed so that you either keep up being productive or you don't, there aren't a bunch of slackers or the same people participating, everyone gets a shot. I wish the classes were longer as each class does incorporate so much material and at the Masters level I want to really have a command over the material but overall this is a great place. The teachers give so much feedback and the weekly forums force you to have more productive interactions than any other educational experience I've ever had. Previously I've attended public and private brick and mortar institutions and AMU really has shown both how it should be done. Excellent program!

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

MA Military History

Military History - October 10, 2013
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This degree was everything I needed and wanted in a graduate program. As a working adult I could not attend a "traditional" campus in AZ, AMU allowed me to achieve a life-long goal online. The staff was very supportive and the faculty I had were very knowledgeable and taught me a great deal from start to finish! I would highly recommend this institution to anyone looking to further a career or achieve a goal of obtaining a graduate degree like myself.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Truly Educates Those Who Serve

National Security Studies - October 10, 2013
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I completed my Masters Degree in National Security Studies during August 2013. Simultaneously I completed a graduate certificate in Asymmetrical Warfare. The professors, support staff, and ease of technology makes American Military University (AMU) an online university who truly emulates their motto, "Educating those who serve." As a full time major city police officer with over 26 years experience and 14 years in the military (active and reserve) AMU exceeded my expectations with their curriculum and ability to juggle a busy schedule while achieving my educational goals. I have read negative comments about AMU and those comments are misplaced. It’s not what AMU can give you it’s what AMU can provide one with if one merely applies oneself. The professors are in the field offering both their high level experiences and advanced educations "guiding" the graduate student towards achievement rather than engaging in ridiculous hand holding and coddling. If one is looking for a valuable, immediately applicable education, then AMU is for you. If you require coddling and hand holding I suggest you look elsewhere. Robert

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Get in, Get on, Get Educated!

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 10, 2013
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I began my degree while deployed to Iraq in 2008-2009. I heard about AMU from fellow Marines and figured I should take a look at it and renew my education goals. The online format and ability to work at my own pace helped me out exponentially with completing my degree in May 2013. As a Logistics Chief in the Marine Corps my degree has expanded upon my already 10 years of experience with deployment systems and processes. The knowledge that not only the courses of study provide but also the professor base and student body possess is beyond comparison. Often times working with subject matter experts rather than some kid fresh out of high school allowed the course to flow and information to be retained easier as well as keep the relevancy high. Real life situational awareness in the subject's provided an inside glimpse that typical college course could not offer. I would not trade my experience at AMU for anything in the world. I have established a great network of logistics professionals throughout my time and continue to correspond with them regarding issues in the field. The value provided by AMU is in keeping with the honor and dedication that our military members serve with pride. I was able to utilize Tuition Assistance (TA) for all but two classes in my degree plan which will allow me to utilize my GI bill for other educational opportunities. If you are considering an online education, in fact any continuation of your education, I would highly recommend the AMU/APUS team. I will be coming back to AMU after my break in order to complete my Master’s Degree based solely on my BA experience and input from others about their programs. Get in, Get on, Get Educated! Semper Fidelis.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

A Good Online College for Military and Civilians

BA Marketing - October 10, 2013
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The only thing that AMU lacks is the face-to-face classmates and professor interaction. The student is challenged to read the textbooks, complete written assignments, discuss and critique a minimum of two fellow classmates, and take examinations. Is it a typical classroom? No, but the student earns his/her grades and gains additional knowledge and added skill sets. The majority of the professors are quality teachers; they provide clear instructions to complete all assignments, communication and interaction is about as good as it can be with an online institution, and they challenge the student. Military tuition assistance and GI Bill works flawlessly with minimal effort on the students part; the University shoulders a lot like ordering the books and submitting much of the paperwork.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Education at AMU

M.A. Legal Studies - October 10, 2013
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I graduated from American Military University (AMU) May of 2013 with a Masters Degree in Legal Studies w/honors. On-line studying was a perfect way for me to continue my career as a law enforcement officer and gain knowledge that will enhance my career and open up new and innovative doors. AMU has a large array of subjects to fulfill any educational endeavor. The legal studies program is unique and second to none. The knowledge that I gained at AMU opened up the door for me to enroll in law school, which I am currently attending.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Information System

Information Systems Security - October 10, 2013
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I completed my BS in Information System Security in January 2013. I thought the course was amazing. It prepared me for the Security plus and the Network plus certifications. I was able to successfully attain the Security plus certification a month prior to completing my degree requirements with what I learned from the course. I got a job shortly afterwards and chose to put the Network plus on hold. I have nothing bad to say about the courses because I put a lot into them. If you do the same, you will get a lot out of them. If not, you may not have the same experience I had.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Online Learning Experience. Money Well Spent.

Management - Human Resources - October 9, 2013
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Attending American Military University (AMU) was well worth my time and money. AMU’s online classes provide a great way alternative for busy adults and working professionals – especially military families. I recently graduated from AMU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management with concentration in Human Resource Management. Returning to college as an adult was not an easy decision. I was nervous or unsure of what to expect from an online university. However, AMU’s online degree programs gave me the flexibility and ability to control and customize my class schedule and course load to fit my lifestyle. AMU is affordable and best of all books and materials were included in the tuition and shipped wherever you are on the globe. I had the support I need from both the staff and instructors at each and every step of the way as I progressed toward graduation and pursuing my career ambitions. I am returning to AMU to pursue my MBA with a concentration in Marketing. I look forward to graduating in 2015.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Masters in Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice - October 9, 2013
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Got my Masters degree in a little over a year, it was not easy but instructors did grad more than fairly. The interface and technology is the easiest I have encountered to interact with. The thing that sticks out the most however was the instructors. Most, if not all of my instructors were or currently are active or retired police officers/special agents - many of which hold multiple degrees and careers in law enforcement. I have attended two state university during my undergrad and this rarely would happen. It was a major relief and made you really pay attention to what they had to say. Overall, my studies at AMU were great.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Choice for Online Learning

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - October 9, 2013
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AMU was an excellent experience for me. I graduated with a BA in Criminal Justice, with Honors, in August 2013. I transferred into AMU after doing two years at University of Phoenix's online program and the difference was night and day. Unlike UOP, assignments are done at AMU on your own and without team groups. I believe working in groups is good, but not in a distance learning environment. You are beholden to partners who live in other countries, have other life schedules, and can ruin your grade by not completing their portion of the work. AMU does away with this by making each assignment your own. Prepare to write a lot of papers! The ability to work at my own pace throughout the class and not have to worry about attending a physical class room at a given time was essential for me to finish college because of my work schedule. Most of the instructors were top-notch and acted as coaches, mentors, and supporting staff as well as class room instructors. I did have a few "bad apples" for instructors but I think you will find those everywhere. If you are considering an online college I would definitely invest time at looking at AMU. The cost per class is over 50% less than a UOP class, and all books are free for Bachelor's programs through a Federal book grant. Most of the class books were online PDF and ranged drastically in quality, and about 50% of the books mailed to you were excellent quality while the rest were not so much, but you can't complain too much when its free. The biggest critique I have for the college is the lack of human administrative contact. They want you to use email for just about all contact, and even their live web support gives email addresses. Getting a phone number to talk to someone is as easy as pulling teeth and most of the time it just goes to a voice mail. With that in mind, if I had to do college all over again I would still immediately choose AMU.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU will hold you Accountable

American Military History - October 9, 2013
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I transferred to AMU from Grantham University in 2011 for two reasons. First, AMU, being a partner with APUS holds a regional accreditation. Grantham University only holds a National Accreditation. Second, AMU offers a degree program that was very specific to what my career is centered on today. When I enrolled, I was given very detailed information up front about the enrollment process and the transfer credit process. Once that was completed, I only received 48 transfer credits to go towards my Bachelor's degree. Essentially it covered all but a few of my Basic Core Classes at AMU. Once I finally started with my classes, I was very pleased with how easy the transition from one online university to another. They offered plenty of resources that allowed me to become familiar with their online setup so that transition was seamless. Another area that I was impressed with was how AMU holds its students accountable for everything they submit and do. You must engage in the class on the very first week or you will be kicked out of the class. While at Grantham, I felt there were times that if I wanted to side step my work and go online and just copy/paste any answer to an assignment I could and never get caught. In one of my first classes at AMU, I had some personal things come up and was running behind on my weekly assignments. So on that Sunday before the work was due; I went online, found an answer and submitted that as my assignment. I walked away feeling like I dodged a bullet and got my work submitted on time. Needless to say, on Monday when I logged back in to check my grade, I was shockingly surprised to see that not only did I get a zero for the assignment, but my Professor had replied to my message and explained to me why I failed the assignment. Along with his note, was also the link I used to copy and paste my answer from. Talk about being embarrassed. I was upset at first, but quickly realized that I brought this on myself. The professor was doing his job to maintain the integrity of his class and I was just upset because I got caught and called out on it. At the end of it all, I talked it out with my Professor and thanked him for what he did. He held me accountable for my work and made sure that I would never think about copying and pasting my answers from the internet. I graduated in May with my Bachelor's degree in Military Management and Program Acquisition with a concentration in Contracts Management. AMU held me accountable for my own success and I walked away feeling truly accomplished with what I had done. They have a standard of excellence at AMU and they hold each and every staff member and student to that same standard no matter what.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

AMU A Top Level Education: a Journey of Discovery

Intelligence Studies - August 16, 2013
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This was one of the most valuable educational experiences of my life. I completed two master degree programs concurrently and the AMU program,by far, stands heads and shoulders above its rivals. The faculty are top rate and are always available, encouraging and do their utmost to assist students in succeeding their programs. I find is distressing to read any disparaging and suspect remarks by certain disgruntled individuals. Carry your own weigh and do the required work and you will have a pleasant and successful educational experience. There is no such thing as a free lunch and the work required to complete a degree with either AMU or APUS will entail serious commitment in both time and effort. I cannot speak highly enough for the staff, faculty and administrators at this prestigious institution. Although I was happy to have completed my degree requirements, I felt sad that I was leaving my "family." Your educational experience with AMU is much more than gaining a simple sheepskin, it is an inward journey of discovery and sharing with like minded scholars and the establishment of lifelong ties. I hope to return and teach with AMU one day after completing my doctoral studies. JPW

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great school!

Information Technology Management - July 31, 2013
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I just completed my final course for the program and I feel that AMU was well worth the time and money. I am in the military and an online school is best because of their flexibility and AMU lived up to the standard in that regard. Most of the courses that I took were based around information; this is fine in some aspect, but I would have loved to take part in online training for the security and database courses. My courses normally required me to log in and make an initial forum post of 350 words, then two replies by Sunday of 150 words apiece. Some classes would require me to take quizzes every two weeks, and only one course had a test every week (environmental science). The majority of my courses also required an outline due in week 2, and normally a 15 page paper in APA format by week 8 of the course. If I had the opportunity to a brick and mortar school, then I would have, but AMU is a very good alternative if that is not feasible. One additional note, all books are included in the tuition rate, but all of the books are online, and some in a very inconvenient format.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU History Program: Bachelor of Arts

BA in History - July 15, 2013
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The History Program at AMU was outstanding. Not only is there a variety of classes, but most of the professors have a wealth of experience in their respective field. With only a rare exception, every professor that I came across was engaged and helpful. Some classes were certainly more challenging (side note: I took all of my classes in 8-week increments), but I never felt overwhelmed. After transferring from another university, I took 60 credits in 4 semesters while working a full-time job and taking care of a family and never felt pressed for time. The books selected for most courses are excellent and some of them compliment each other when it comes time to write papers and take exams. Bottom line: This an excellent program with an excellent staff. If you can organize yourself, have an interest in history, and are looking for a program that will both allow you to specialize in the field of history while also challenge you to take some classes that you might have passed over, this program is an excellent option.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Great choice for online education

Psychology - July 13, 2013
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One of the biggest sellers on this education route for me was that my books were provided for free. That was very helpful in determining education cost, especially as some classes used several books. The upper level classes were particularly interesting, with good variety and great teachers. Only really had one teacher I didn't enjoy in this experience. Do understand, there are no lectures, so you are made to learn the material by actually reading the textbook, watching videos or looking at recommended websites, and participating in discussion forms with your classmates and teachers. Overall, as an independent learner I enjoyed the experience and never felt out of my depth or as though I couldn't find answers to my questions in any of my classes. Good school, excellent value, interesting breadth of students in classes and an overall positive experience.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

You get out what you put in.

Intelligence Studies - July 8, 2013
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I found my experience at AMU to be similar to that in my B.S. program at a brick and mortar research university. As with traditional schools, your experience depends heavily on the quality of instruction. I had instructors at AMU who fell across a wide range, from excellence to blatant apathy. I would strongly advise you to ask other students of their experiences with courses/instructors before registering. There are some excellent professors at AMU who clearly enjoy teaching and can really help you develop. There are others who are clearly distracted by other pursuits and should be avoided. The course curricula are mostly solid. Whereas AMU relies heavily on group discussion fueled by reading, the amount of effort you put into the reading a discussion weighs more heavily into your experience than it would otherwise. You need to make an effort to be a productive part of the discussion or you will be left behind quickly. In short, find the good classes and learn as much as you can. Maximum effort results in maximum benefit. The administrative side of AMU is good. All of my inquiries and issues were responded to and/or resolved quickly and painlessly.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Best Decision I ever made

Intelligence Studies - July 3, 2013
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Deciding to attend AMU was the best decision I have ever made. Applying was easy. The course structure was great. The professors were all very professional, knowledgeable and fair. Just like any other college, you will have the professors that you like and then ones that seem to rub you the wrong way. That's just how it goes. Overall, the courses were great, the work load was perfect, and the pace was good. I work full time and have a wife and 2 kids. Attending AMU made getting degree a lot easier had I had to go to a traditional college.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Associates in General Studies

General Studies - July 3, 2013
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I decided to go to AMU while I was on Active Duty. I was not sure what I wanted to study for my bachelors so I decided to play it safe and get an AA in General Studies. It turned out to work great for me. I recently got out of active duty and now am in the guard and I am attending a state school in Pennsylvania. My school accepted ALL of my AMU credits except COLL 100. I am starting at my new institution as a Junior as the result of my AMU degree. AMU enabled me the chance to earn a degree while working full time.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Amazing University Program

Intelligence Studies - July 2, 2013
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I graduated with my Bachelor's in Intelligence Analysis this year (2013) - Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to study at AMU. By studying at AMU, students are given the chances to study under professors with years of experience who are directly involved in the field. The university offers students the flexibility to complete higher educational programs, while also managing personal daily life situations. I fully support AMU and believe it is one of the best universities for students to complete their higher education.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Experience - Well Worth the Journey

National Security Studies - July 2, 2013
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I recently graduated with an MA in National Security Studies from AMU and, overall, the experience was exceptional and challenging. The courses are established to provide a good overview of your concentration from different angles and the course materials are generally helpful resources. Having to pay for one's own books in an MA course, AMU makes the cost of the required material very manageable. The writing assignments were generally challenging and, upon completion of my thesis, I truly felt that I had achieved a mountainous task. An article based on my thesis is soon to be published with an international journal. The only negative aspects of pursuing a degree though AMU is, although there are many wonderful professors, you are likely to get stuck with at least one who doesn't make their class and the educational experience they receive a priority. Although these instructors are few and far between, they can turn an otherwise educational forum into an environment which does not punish laziness and, therefore, causes hard working students to wonder why they should bother trying with that particular course. Overall, however, I was very pleased with my experience and I continuously promote AMU as a means for my Airmen to receive a quality education as they continue to travel the planet.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Serving in the Military and attending AMU

Environmental Studies - July 2, 2013
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Choosing a school while serving in the military can be challenging. Choosing an Environmental Science school can be even harder. I chose AMU for the military-friendly policies the school has adopted. From my experience, I would recommend AMU to anyone in the military. I have tested their policies for deployment and contingencies and found the school to be true to their word. Extensions for these events are easy to get and the school will work with you to ensure your success. Several of my instructors were prior military members themselves. Also, with a family I found the flexibility with studying in my own time to be great. There are no set times you must log in, only that you complete your work by the date due. Completing your degree is a wonderful feeling and AMU is a great choice for reaching that goal.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

A program not for everyone

Master of Arts in History - July 1, 2013
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Though it's a great school it is a poor business. Technical errors in exams (not content but how the tool is put together) are annoying and in some cases frustrating. Finishing an exam only to have the web site go down is not a great way to teach, and that happened to me at least twice. The best part about AMU is the overall cost: cheap at twice the price. The worst part is that it is not for the faint of heart: If you are frustrated by technical glitches, or instructors who don't get your e-mail because the interface failed, AMU is not for you. If you can put up with that AMU is at least on par with nearly any other school.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Quality Choice

Transportation and Logistics Management - July 1, 2013
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I am an active duty Marine who chose American Military University for its flexibility. I was very impressed with the challanges that were presented while completing courses at AMU. If you are on active duty, I strongly sugggest that you consider this University because they understand the challanges that active duty assignements present and will facilitate your needs. In addition, they are regionally accredited and is gaining noteriaty for online education. I have also experienced good communication with professors who listens when thye are presented wth ideas that could improve your educational experieence. My major was Transportation and Logistics Management which is a program that not a lot of schools have and I did some homework and presented information to one of my professors who in turn acted on it. The result was that this program is now waviered for certification as a "Professional Designation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management" (PLS). I have recently decided to continue my graduate education with AMU because of the great experience that I have had with them.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

BA Criminal Justice

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - July 1, 2013
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In comparing my BA with a local University that offered an online Criminal Justice course, AMU was more cost effective. Having the books in the undergrad provided online for free saves time and money, and once you understand how to effectively use the online materials, library, and classroom, the courses flow easily. I enjoyed the professors from both the Major and General Education requirements, and felt satisfied with the amount of credits that were applied to my program from my AS and previous courses. I look forward to completing my MEd at APUS.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Criminal Justice Program

Criminal Justice - June 28, 2013
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I enrolled in AMU after almost 20 years upon obtaining my Bachelors Degree from Penn State University. At first I was apprehensive as to online learning and the accreditation process of online Universities. I just attended my Master Degree Graduation in June 2013 and I will say that this was by far the best decision I have ever made. AMU was both challenging yet understanding when it came to normal everyday life issues that arise as a professional adult. My professors were extremely involved in the courses and were there to answer questions quicker than I could have ever imagined. Your books and materials can be purchased thru outside sources as you would at any college town. It truly was a great educational challenging experience one that I will cherish. This experience has even led me to start thinking about a possible doctoral degree. I highly recommend AMU whether you are military, law enforcement, or simply a regular business person. You will not regret your decision! Good Luck!

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Can't articulate in writing? Choose another school!

Masters of Public Administration - June 28, 2013
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From start to finish, this program was writing intensive. From the weekly posts and rebuttals in each class to the final papers and Capstone, I did nothing more than write, write, write. Few classes had mid-term or final exams, but those that did were essay format. If you can't commit hours per week reading the material, articulating a post, and preparing for a rebuttal on the class discussion board, you might want to consider a brick and mortar school. I earned my Associates and Bachelors at brick and mortar schools and never had such a writing intensive experience as I did with AMU. I also never enjoyed the learning experience more than I did at AMU! This was a positive experience for me and I have no regrets. Moving on, there were some issues that led to 9's in teachers, support, and use of technology; however, they were separte, unrelated issues: 1. Most of the teachers did a good job interacting on the classroom discussion board, returning graded material, and responding to assignment questions. However, two of my classes necessitated involvement by Student Advisement to get assignment grades returned and posted correctly. With this said, I also had problems with different instructors at my brick and mortar schools too, so this different surprise me. 2. The Student Advisement office made registration easy and they offer many services I didn't take advantage of. Mentoring and tutoring service are also available to those who might need it. Student groups are available too. However, I wasn't impressed with my various advisors (they changed over time) with advisement on a recommended program path; I ultimately relied on two of my instructors for guidance. 3. The on-line format was fine but I was caught in the middle of a transition from one on-line format to another. Many didn't like the new format, but I did. However, there were features not fully being utilized to their full potential which would would have been nice. Class syllabi fell under the older system and key dates, etc. weren't incorporated into the class calendar and sometimes didn't match up. These were all minor issues, or mildly inconvenient. Would I return to AMU. Absolutely! Has the degree helped me in my personal goals. Again, absolutely! However, if you are not adept with the written word, you might want to pursue a less writing intensive program at another facility.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU - A Terrific School!

Master of Arts in History - June 28, 2013
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I recently received my MA in American History from AMU. I chose AMU because, after researching the school, I learned of its accreditation, accomplished and well-credentialed faculty, extensive on-line library (that also loans books through the mail), affordability, and flexibility. AMU, not being a degree mill propped up by an accreditation mill, offers a MA in American History program that is extremely no-nonsense and stringent. If you are not willing to invest your time with hard work or are incapable of Masters-level academics, this is NOT the school for you. My assignments, research papers, weekly postings ("forums"), and so on were graded on content, quality, synthesis of information, mastery of material, and writing proficiency (i.e., ability, spelling, grammar, and sentence structure). Since much independent research is required, some courses will necessitate that you have access to nearby libraries of university-level stature as well as historical societies and archives. Regarding the faculty and staff, with some exceptions as can be found at any school, they are terrific. Communication with faculty is accomplished via on-line discussion(s), campus e-mail, and portals in addition to direct telephone contact as indicated in each course syllabus. AMU is also VERY interested in and supportive of its students. All through my academic progression not only was I employed, but was also dealing with a chronic and life-threatening illness. AMU staff and faculty were ALWAYS there to assist and encourage me. For this, I will always be grateful. Lastly, when AMU confers you with a MA in American History, you will have a sense of tremendous accomplishment.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Time well spent

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - June 28, 2013
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It took me three years to get my BA and it was well worth it. Two of those years I was deployed to active duty. The classes were well structured and I enjoyed the online interaction I had with my classmates. I would recomend online or distance learning to those who has to budget their time between work and family.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Well worth the $$

Political Science - June 28, 2013
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Very good school for the price. Like any college, you get out what you are willing to put in. If you only log into the classroom once a week, or you submit assignments a month after their due, then you probably aren't going to learn much. If you are engaged with your professor and your classmates on a daily basis there is a lot to be learned. Some classes are very demanding others are very easy. I feel like I did the same amount of work for an average graduate class at AMU as I did for an average undergraduate class at a physical school

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

A Leader in Online Learning and an Inspiring Degree Program

Master of Arts in History - June 28, 2013
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Excellent university system and inspiring degree program. The courses comprising of a Masters of Arts in History forces students to digest materials through weekly participation and fair classroom assignments. Because of the distance learning limitations, 95% of work is written. That should go without saying in an online university, but its worth reminding. Grading is completely fair, as professors seem to operate under the statement "you get what you put in". Every course offers a concrete syllabus with grading matrixes which if followed guarantee a high passing grade. And mostly all professors prove their knowledge breadth through classroom feedback, so you know you are receving professional instruction. Problems with the learning environment are few: (1) sometimes required resources in addition to course materials are not available on the online library (Ebrary), and therefore require purchasing; (2) also, in some classes it's tempting to skim only the bare minimum over absorbing all the text due to the structure of the syllabus; (3) and thirdly, if this is an issue to you, its very easy to skate by and not become familiar with fellow students, instead focusing all on academics rather than interaction (but this comes with the terriotry in E-learning). All in all, by the end of this program you will become very well read and versed in the world of historical study, as well as acquire new skills to apply to real world avenues in the topic.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Nothing but good things....

Legal Studies - June 27, 2013
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I just graduated in May 2013 with my Bachelor's in Legal Studies. The instructors that I had for my major courses were helpful, informative and were dedicated in making sure that I got the most out of the class. My general education instructors were lacking the motivation to get everyone involved. My math instructor never emailed back or answered phone calls and this was the class that I struggled with the most. I also contacted my adviser to see what I could do about the lack of response from him. My adviser didn't give me any advice on who to contact or what to do. I passed my math class, but thought that the class was abandoned by the instructor since he never interacted with any of the class. All in all though, the school has a great support system, competent staff and hire individuals that generally care about your future. The school is a great way to balance your life, work and education and is very affordable compared to other online school systems. They are also regionally accredited. I wouldn't have the degree that I have now if it wasn't for the professionalism of AMU.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Avoid if you are not already an IC "Rising Star".

Intelligence Studies - June 27, 2013
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Key point: Avoid an Intelligence Studies degree unless you are already a rising star in the intelligence field and expect to hold an IC management position some day. If you're not already an IC member then your best chance to get in to the IC is with a more traditional degree like political science, international relations, or regional studies (with foreign language experience). Alternately, focus on developing technical skills like law, medicine, or engineering. I'll start off by saying that AMU does provide a good quality of education but Intelligence Studies is not the best route to the IC for most students. I posted the following summary to a City-Data thread a few days ago: "It's taken me a while but I finally understand why I still have mixed feelings about AMU's Intelligence Studies programs. After a BA and most of an MA in Intelligence Studies think I've finally got it. One problem is that the Intelligence Studies courses, like any civilian intelligence program, are taught without the benefit of classified materials. So you're necessarily left with shallow reading materials for a few of the classes. And this also means a general inability to simulate real world training for students. Additionally, almost everything you'll study focuses on intelligence failures because, broadly speaking, "success is the best kept secret of US intelligence". You'll have a difficult time understanding IC successes relative to failures. The second problem with the Intelligence Studies program is that intelligence studies is an cross disciplinary field covering virtually every field of academic interest. This results in an inability to really cover anything other than administrative issues within the the IC in any significant depth. The analyst's job is more akin to that of a librarian than anything else. More than anything the analyst needs to learn how to conduct in depth research and find existing information in large data sets. Secondly, he needs to be able to write clearly to make sure his points are not misconstrued. Lastly, he needs to be able to creatively "connect the dots" of disparate information into a coherent picture. This results in a grading structure that is essentially one long test of IQ and search engine querying skill. While it's not a bad education, it doesn't fit most of our concepts of what academia should be assessing us on. Simply stated, the program is hard to teach with unclassified materials. The program is also made difficult to teach by the broadness of intelligence operations. The broadness of intelligence operations means that being a generalist, in other words, knowing everything or at least convincingly pretending to is a highly desirable trait. Knowing everything or feigning knowledge with creative interpretations of ambiguous facts is rewarded with high academic grades in the Intelligence Studies program. Real world analysis probably isn't much different than this given that one must always be weary of enemy deception efforts and the various perceptual and cognitive distortions that alter the "facts". What you get at AMU in the Intelligence Studies program is still an education but because of the structure of the program sometimes it still doesn't feel like a legitimate one."

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Degree Review

Security Management - June 27, 2013
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The master's program was I took was highly challenging and rewarding, and and working with military personnel I highly recoomend take your future learning from American Military University. I want to take this time and express my true gratitude to the teachers and support staff at AMU. This master's degree that I just completed May of 2013 was a true value and has lifted my career opportunities. All throughout the learning process it was guided and crafted for another to be successful if one lesson and was part of the overall course instruct leadership set up and guided by the instructors and my fellow students. The support received from each instructor was exemplary and the overall assistance from the fellow classmate was beyond questions. I looked at other colleges, and the cost, ease of access to the course schools website finding things was really easy, and the support was beyond reproach. Again the value, cost and worth of the master's program I took was by far the most bang for the buck. Michael Madigan

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Intelligence Studies

Intelligence Studies - June 27, 2013
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Dollar per hour, simply incomparable to brick & mortar institutions. Few if any universities offer such unique programs like: Intelligence Studies and even fewer have teachers working in the field they teach! Sakai has improved the ease of access to the virtual classroom. As an ambassador I recommend AMU to my neighbors and Airmen, weighing the costs and security of their children during the college years shouldn't be a risk. Virtual classes are not only more technically inclusive, but allow students immeasurable safety and the support of familiar settings thus decreasing distracting stimuli whilst learning. Leonard Smith

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Bachelors and Masters Degree

Transportation and Logistics Management - June 27, 2013
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I completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at AMU. When I was searching for a university, I asked what colleges had the most complains and which one did not. AMU has one of the lowest complaints records I have seen with good reason. That is why I did both degrees here, for it was the best deal for the buck with no games or complaints. My degree is transferable to every brick and mortar school I checked into and when I transferred to my PhD school, my degree was honored and accepted with open arms.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Very Decent Education

International Relations - June 18, 2013
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This is a great program for those who are willing to put forth some effort and learn. Online education is not for everyone and it sure isn't for the lazy or faint of heart. The instructors/Professors are excellent, thorough and some are globally recognized leaders in their professions, this shows when you are in class and given some of the assignments you will need to accomplish, they are not easy, nor are they get done in a weekend type of assignments. Choose AMU if you need flexibility, cost effectiveness and a quality education that is driven by your own desire to learn and succeed.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

An outstanding college experience so far

Intelligence Studies - June 1, 2013
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I recently decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in the intelligence field, and after weighing several different options I settled on AMU. I will admit that at first I was a bit skeptical of taking online only classes, but after completing my first semester I am completely satisfied with my decision. The instructors that I have had so far all have a high level of experience, and the courses themselves were top notch. I am truly proud to say that I am a student at AMU.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Best balance of school, work, and life

Legal Studies - May 23, 2013
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I have just completed my BS in Legal Studies and am continuing on with AMU for my MBA. Like many who attend AMU I did so while mostly on active duty and constantly on the move, AMU provided a great “college” experience without actually stepping foot on campus. Before AMU I went to a standard brick and mortar University and also tried University of Phoenix online and in both cases AMU was an overall better experience and best value. Some people complain about the lack of interaction when completing your academics online but I can tell you my first year at a standard University was not anymore involving or interactive then my time at AMU. AMU’s online classroom’s technology and professors are far more superior then that of UofPHX. While I cannot speak for all the classes at AMU my degree plan was no walk in the park and it demanded my complete attention and dedication to complete. I hope that AMU will continue to strive for an overall high expectation from its students and continue to build a strong reputation throughout academia.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Extreme acts of misconduct by professors

Homeland Security - May 16, 2013
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I originally selected AMU because it was the only school I could find which would take all of my transfer credit and didn't set some unfair limit on how much credit it would accept as a way to force you to spend more money. In that sense, I can still praise AMU for giving me about half a degree worth of transfer credit that many other schools would have tried to cheat me out of. Sadly, where AMU falls flat is the quality of the "professors" who instruct the courses. Most of them are just lazy, interacting as little as possible with the students and giving little or nor feedback on graded assignments. Honestly, I just laugh at the lazy ones, because I skate through their courses feeling like I'm just interacting with a primitive robot programmed to knock 5% of each of my assignments because of some randomly selected reason. If I pass a class with 95% because the robot didn't care to spend any more time looking at my work, that is entirely fine with me. The "professors" I really have a problem with are the ones who don't keep their comments to themselves. A very small number of these are actually somewhat good instructors who interact with the class and give realistic feedback. Most however an obnoxious nitpicks who will constantly hassle you via private messages and insist that you revise assignments you submitted weeks prior because they didn't like your format or thought you didn't answer the question the way they wanted it answered. If you try to argue with them or simply ask them to grade your work as it is submitted without nitpicking every last detail, they will retaliate by sending blatant lies about you to the university administration to get you in trouble. My experiences at this school have shown me why some people consider it a degree mill. Personally, I don't care if it happens to be a degree mill, because all I want is to get a degree so that jobs which require one can't reject me for not having one. I do however feel that I am a paying customer and I should be treated with some basic respect. "Professors" who blatantly lie and harass their students are a hassle I don't need to deal with.

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12 of 29 people found the following review helpful

AMU Psychology

Psychology - May 8, 2013
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I did extensive research to find an online program where I could finish my degree. AMU offered me the most flexible program with the opportunity to earn my degree, rather than just pay for it. I have attended several classes now and have had an excellent experience so far. The instructors have clear and concise expectations and challenge the students to excel. The online forum allows for better comprehension and retention than the "traditional" classes I have taken in the past. I would recommend AMU to any working adult who needs flexibility but desires a quality education.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

BA in History, minor in Criminal Justice

BA in History - May 5, 2013
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I have just completed my degree in history with a minor in criminal justice. I had attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, I have nothing against UNL except for the fact that it was not for me. I wanted more one-on-one communication with professors, which you cannot get sitting in a lecture hall with 200 other students. There were no requirements for actually attending class daily, unlike AMU which requires you to log in and be proactive in discussions. I also felt the education was better, I am able to discuss relevant events and moments in history and provide thoughtful and intelligent feedback. I recommend this institution to those who need to work full-time and want a quality education. I have no regrets and am proud to list AMU on my resume. Thank you and best of luck to those beginning their educational adventures!

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Bachelor and Masters Degree Transportation and Logistics

Transportation and Logistics Management - May 4, 2013
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I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at AMU and had a great experience with the school. This school is not for the person who thinks they can just sail by. You will have to work to earn this degree. The faculty will assist you in any way possible to succeed, but it is still up to the student to complete the program, the assignments and the papers. I have found that my education credits are good pretty much anywhere. I have had offers from University of North Dakota, University of Rhode Island and Colorado State University. The cost is very reasonable as well. The down side is that many people do not know who the school is (YET). Online education is the new thing and the school has not gained the notoriety that DeVry or Walden has gotten. AMU does not have the problems that DeVry or Walden have either. If you are looking for a great online school and the credits will transfer then AMU will be that school. This is not a diploma mill, you will have to earn this education!

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

BA in Homeland Security

Homeland Security - May 3, 2013
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AMU has put together a world class online learning environment. The Homeland Security degree sets up an individual for success. The professors and a lot of the students are working professionals within the field and I could not be happier with my experiences. Highly recommended for those working professionals that are looking for a career within DHS or other security related fields.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Its all what you make of it

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - May 3, 2013
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I think AMU is a great school with great resources available for you when you need them, whether that be advisors or study material. The instructors were great and helpful, of course there's always that 1% that can turn any great experience into something different. The one thing I do not like is the fact all the course materials and books are only electronic and the school doesn't supply hard copy books anymore. I have to have material right in front of me so I ended up renting text books for my own personal comfort. Overall, great school, great staff and I'm glad to have attended.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Top Rated MA in Unconventional Warfare

Master of Arts In Military Studies - March 25, 2013
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I first began my MA in Unconventional Warfare in 2002 and soon was applying what I was learning in real world operations for OIF 2003-04. The professors I had taught me to write effectively and gave me analytical skills that Fort Hauchuca couldn't. The Defense industry knows about AMU/APUS and the degrees earned there are taken seriously. I did a world of good because of my masters degree, saved lives, and disrupted insurgent activities because my head was properly informed! I finished in 2007 while on my 4th tour in Iraq. I plan on returning soon to complete a certificate in computer forensics to further enhance my skill set. This is a great online university and I wouldn't go to any other!!!

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Average University (One of the better "for-profit institutions" but not respected In academia)

Military History - March 17, 2013
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I completed a Master's degree here, and I have to be honest, it was pretty easy. My undergrad courses in History were harder than these courses. I don't know if I am a genius or just really savvy when it comes to BSing on assignments, but I didn't put much effort into this degree, and I still graduated with honors. I don't care about graduating with honors, if being challenged and actually taught research methods and tools for becoming a historian meant that I graduated without honors, I would prefer that. It's a good thing I paid for it out of my own pockets, because this degree will not be going on my resume and I will probably have to utilize federal aid to pay for a real Masters degree at a more respected university. Since there is alot of snobbery in academia when it comes to for-profit degrees at the graduate level, I would recommend that those who wish to enter academia, do not attend AMU/APUS unless you are sure that certain universities will accept you. E-mail graduate admissions, and ask if they will accept AMU Master's for entry into their PHD programs. Don't just assume that they will because the degree is regionally accredited. Many universities have no problems throwing an application with a for-profit graduate degree in the trash, despite it's RA status. They only want the best and the brightest, and for-profit does not fit into that image. Employers will throw your resume in the trash as well. This degree is really only good for those who are already in their careers, who need ANY degree for a quick promotion or people close to retirement who want to collect degrees for the hell of it. The perception is that you are given a degree/good grades just because you paid money and the more happy students AMU/APUS has, the more they profit. And unfortunately, I don't know if I disagree. Of course the students are happy and elated once they receive their degrees, many with honors, but will they be able to find jobs in their fields? Not likely. By then, it's too late and money has been paid. I don't know if it was just the professors that taught courses in my particular concentration, but the professors (if you want to call them that) did not participate in the courses at all. Some were missing in action for a few weeks. They said "Nice work" and that was it. I read books, but I felt I could have read books (and better books) on my own time. If they are just going to be graders with PHDs, why don't they just call them that, instead of fooling others? When writing my thesis, I had no support from my mentor, just "Yes, this looks great." Would I bet on my life that the thesis was great when she couldn't even write more than a few sentences about my draft or final product? No.

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11 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Review of M.A./National Security Studies

National Security Studies - March 15, 2013
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I've completed five classes for the M.A./National Security Studies degree with a concentration in Security and Intelligence Analysis and I am very pleased with the program. I went to three different "brick and mortar" universities for my undergrad degree and I can say without a doubt that I put much more time in to reading, researching, and writing w/ AMU and this program than I did for my undergrad. I am learning a tremendous amount, but I also put in the effort. Here's a sample of a typical course: each week the instructor posts a few paragraphs introducing the weekly topic along with about five required reading assignments. You are also given a discussion board topic and must post a minimum of 250 words and cite two strong academic sources by midweek. You also must respond to at least two classmates' posts by the end of the week, citing at least one source (and usually the post needs to be at least 100 words). You'll probably have a mid-term test in essay format, as well as one research paper due at the end of the class (minimum 10 pages, which does not include the title page and references). The learning really comes from your own reading and research - you are spoon-fed nothing. If you need the teaching done for you, college probably isn't for you. The teacher acts as a facilitator. You should also know what your goal is and be clear on whether or not this program will help you. As someone already working in the Intelligence field, I know that this degree is a nice credential...it's the cherry on top. But I also know this degree (or the undergrad version) will NOT guarantee you an intel job. Remember that you are competing against graduates from Ivy League schools for scarce, cool jobs. The real "intel" portion of our profession cannot be taught in an unclassified environment by any school, no matter how good the school, so just be reasonable about what you think this degree will do for you.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Quality Education, not Saddled with Debt!

BS-Space Studies - March 10, 2013
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Prior to starting the degree, I had 6 years of experience as a Space Systems operator for the United States Air Force. In all honesty this program was not difficult for me but, if I did not have a background in Space, the program would have pushed me to my limits. The program covers everything from space policy, physics, trigonometry, orbital mechanics, DOD satellites to manned space flight. This degree is all encompassing. AMU/APU is ahead of the curve when it comes to evolving around an ever changing world of technology. First, the university uses the latest in education technology to administer the courseware. The instructors are at the top of the profession, including former astronauts. Finally, the literature is up to date and relevant with an ever changing industry. I attended brick a mortar schools before I attended AMU/APU. Being military it was difficult to stay in one place long enough to finish what I started. In regards to the general education courses, the level of difficulty is equal to if not more difficult at AMU/APU. The biggest difference I found between brick and mortar schools and AMU/APU was the level of assistance provided by the professors. The brick and mortar schools were a lot more hands on and held more of a hand holding role. This can be a double edged sword. The instructors could be perceived as lazy but, I would rather think that the students are self-motivated and show the ability to meet deadlines with quality products without direct oversight. AMU/APU standard operating procedures: The professors provide a syllabus at the beginning of the course with the assignment and all due dates. The students have the responsibility for following the syllabus, accomplishing all reading the text books, completing the discussion boards and turning in assignments on time. Most professors provide timely feedback, but some don’t. Overall, AMU/APU provided me with a quality education. I am so satisfied that I am currently earning my Master’s Degree in Management. The only concern I have about the school is that it is a for-profit university. I will enter the private sector in 10 years with 20+ years of military space/management experience, a BS in Space Studies and a MA in Management. I am curious to see what the public perception of AMU/APU will be in regards to hiring managers.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Valuable

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - March 9, 2013
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The M.A. in Intelligence Studies has been awesome. I am halfway through my degree program so far. As soon as I updated my resume with my degree in progress, I started getting interviews for jobs in this field. That alone makes it worth it for me because the whole point of studying in a field is to hopefully get work in that field. This degree program did that for me and I'm only halfway through!

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Success

Environmental Studies - March 7, 2013
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I have earned my Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science and I could have not been happier. The flexibility was what drew me in as well as the sincere support for the military. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the admissions process and remember it like it was yesterday. Its important to understand reading and comprehension and as most classes will require you to do lots of reading (and you can't cheat with your pal or have someone read it to you and not learn like another school). The materials were free and I have a fantastic bookshelf with some great books (some new and updated). You may have to create your own layout for studying but that was best for me. It was very affordable and it may not be a State University or Community College but as long as it was accredited and had a great reputation I was hooked. Some of my professors didn't engage with me more than the lesson provided but I was doing well and didn't need any guidance. But they are there if you want to chat :) Some of my professors had some of the most amazing professional experience that included intelligence operations, military experience and were involved in the Gulf Coast oil spill. If you like being in a classroom and engaging with humans directly this will not work. But if earning your degree is whats most important I recommend AMU.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Getting your degree

Homeland Security - February 26, 2013
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When choosing a degree plan you must understand that it will change before you complete your degree. Whether you add a area of concentration of you take away one that you put in place. You path will change. You often find yourself in turmoil over the choices. Best advice I have for someoen pursuing a degree, choose something you enjoy reading and writing about. If you do not enjoy it or find a little pleasure in 65 percent of the work chances are you will not finish that particuliar degree. Before you beat yourself up about what degree, locate all the degree types that are on your path. You will be much more successful, if you concentrate on what the degree gives you in the end rather then the work it will take to get there. The professors at AMU/APUS have been there and they know what it takes and that is what makes them so special. They understand the challenges you will face and the setbacks that some of you will come across. Just know they are there to support and help you, not watch you fail. Best of luck to you all in your pursuit of that ultimate degree, may you have nothing but success in your future. Regards, Kim Byers Class of 2012/13 Go Eagles!!!!

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

good program

Environmental Studies - February 15, 2013
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World class program director in Dr Carol Polio. The other professors were very knowledgable too. Plan on learning, relearning and perfecting APA style. The experience left me with a lot of knowledge and the ability to write much more clearly and concisely.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Most Flexible School

Intelligence Studies - February 14, 2013
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AMU is a great school. I finished my BA in Intelligence and I also started and finished my MA in Homeland Security. I had a co-worker who completed their undergrad at a very prestigious school and I convinced him to work on his graduate degree with AMU. My co-worker told me there was no difference in the quality between institutions which was very reassuring for me since my only comparison was with community colleges. Luckily my co-worker had a full scholarship for his undergrad but for the price AMU is an excellent choice. You cannot beat their schedule. They offer classes every month. There is no excuse to not further your education. I attended several community colleges before finishing with AMU. The course work was on par with other schools but mostly more encompassing and more challenging with AMU. My one complaint is the advisers. I have found this true at every school. Most advisers are not able to help much. The only way to know what classes you may or may not need for a certain program is to contact the program manager directly which is easy. I am still not sure what advisers do. They always seem to answer with things like…”I think” or “you should be ok”. Not very settling when you are trying to work your hardest at work and school. Most people can’t afford to waste time taking a class they don’t need. If you have no transfer credits or are not trying to change your major AMU’s enrollment process is very streamlined.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

MA American History

Master of Arts in History - February 14, 2013
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I completed in MA in American History in November. The course work was enjoyable as well as challenging. As with any school, some professors are better than others, but all were at least good, and a few were outstanding. These are not gimmee classes. If you put the work in you will come out with a good education.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Very IRATE right now!!

Child and Family Development - January 29, 2013
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I've been attending AMU since 2007. I was withdrawn a couple months ago without notice. I was 9 classes away from graduating with a BA. Yes, I was very excited. Well, since they decided to withdraw me from the school because I didn't take a course within a year (personal issues) I had to reinstate. First off, I was very upset that they didn't give me some kind of warning that I was about to be withdrawn from the school or I would of took a class so that wouldn't of happened. Well, I got reinstated last month and they had to redo my TCE and they took all my credits that I had that transfered over when I started in 2007 away. Now I am not even halfway done. I have been going back and forth with them for weeks about this. I am so irate I can spit fire. If they do NOT give me back my credits I'm withdrawning and going somewhere that will take all my credits from all my schools. This is absolutely absurb. I can't believe they done that to me. They have really messed up my education and career path by doing this. Watch out people!!!!

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8 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Option for Working Professionals

Masters of Public Administration - January 26, 2013
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I just completed the MPA program. I offer thousands of pages of research papers; three years worth of weekends, days off, and late nights reading, studying, and writing; a supportive wife's affirmation of the difficulty of the program; and, a job promotion as evidence that AMU has a widely recognized and challenging curriculum and is an exceptional educational option not only for members of the military but also for busy working professionals. The majority of my professors were learned, helpful, and fair. Course registration was simple. The time permitted to complete the program was extensive. Creative payment options eased the pain of tuition. Online technical and counseling support were readily available on the rare occasion they were needed. Lastly, learning occurred, which has helped me in my occupation. Overall, the AMU MPA program exceeded my expectations and I am proud to be an alumnus.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Financial Aid Department is a Joke

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 25, 2013
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I will be working on transferring to another school. Both my husband and I have had continuous issues with financial aid at AMU. Disbursements and refunds take an unusually long time to be dispersed, if you need the money to pay for your internet to attend classes find another way of paying for your needs because every month it has taken longer and longer to get refund checks. We have experienced continuous mistakes on our ledgers showing funds 'missing' and extra funds added that shouldn't be there. If you want to attend AMU/APUS and have no issues, pay for it yourself or it will become a major headache.

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5 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Great education at your convenience

Master of Arts in History - January 25, 2013
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I have just completed my Masters in European History at AMU. I found the experience to be enjoyable, challenging and satisfying. All my professors were top notch; many had published books I had already read. One had been a graduate student at University of Missouri-Columbia, when I was an undergrad there and we had many of the same professors. The discussions were enlightening and sometimes fierce. I noticed my fellow students seemed as serious about getting a good education as I was. Those that were not soon dropped the class. The online interface was sometimes a bit clunky, but soon smoothed out as I got used to working with it. I would highly recommend AMU and its history program to anyone that was interested in a excellent on-line education.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Be prepared for writing

Transportation and Logistics Management - January 24, 2013
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Overall, AMU/APUS is excellent. I do not believe the on-line school experience is for everyone. I find my professional experiences play a large part in my success. High school graduates with no "life experience" seem to have a hard time keeping up with the pack. Many of the course books are available free through the school library (at the for the undergrad program). I am "old school" and find it challenging to read and digest textbooks on a computer screen. I wish they had a system in place to download the book to an ipad or some other e-reader for mobility and access. The materials are top quality and I am developing a lot of professional relationships in my field The instructors have a minimum of a Masters in their field, many hold a doctorates as well as a decorated, well documented career. Some of the instructors are extremely interactive while others just assign work and grade it. Sometimes I find that the grading is not completed which is very stressful. If you are way off base in Week 1 and you are not told until Week 4, you have little room to correct your thinking in an 8 week program. These issues have come up in 2 or 3 classes out of 30. The institution is excellent once you find the right person to talk to. Although they encourage email, any time I use a gmail account the email is returned as undelivered. I had to set up a separate email under a different service provider just to be in a position to communicate. When I started my degree program, I was using financial aid. I received a promotion, the school refunded me a couple of thousand dollars and with tax credits, I wanted to eliminate financial aid Year 2 and pay for classes in cash. The school would not allow me to change that status. You have to be diligent about sending the money back to the student loan folks as soon as you receive it and just consider the interest incurred part of the education costs. When I lost my job, I transitioned to full time status and relied on financial aid. With 5 classes until graduation, my financial aid was suddenly denied. Financial aid has tried to make me take a 1 month break because I was moving too quickly, but you have to tell them you don't want the break and they will unblock you from registration of new classes. Best way to deal with them is by phone or Live chat sessions, email has never really answered a problem. Career Services reviewed my resume, gave me a few pointers and they stay on their employment partners to keep the lines of communications open with their applicants. When I do not hear back from an employer, they intervene and get the feedback. The school has a contract through college recruiting and the featured employers will at least provide a courtesy interview. I was matched with an internship that is developing relationship marketing skills and writing web content as well as managing social media. The unpaid internship is in no way related to my degree path. I am disappointed with that, however, the internship is a tele-work situation and I am using the lessons learned to develop independent content in my field and grow my personal network in Linked In.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU-BA in Homeland Security

Homeland Security - January 23, 2013
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I have enjoyed every moment of my degree experience. I was led towards AMU through several of my co-workers, and this was the best decision I ever made. Not only was I continuing my education, I was able to getting involved with some volunteer programs. Now I am a University Ambassador and loving every minute. What are you waiting for?

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Neva's Review

English - January 23, 2013
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I had a really great experience with this university. I only had one "bad" teacher over the course of my time here. For the most part my instructors provided great assistance and I really felt like I learned more than I had originally expected to. I only transfered to another school because "AMU" does not have a Masters in English, otherwise I would have stayed with "AMU". I loved my experience and have recommended the university to several other people. Also, whenever I had questions regarding classes, financial aid, etc. staff was quick to respond with legit answers. My only gripe aside from not offering a Master's in English is the charge for an unofficial transcript.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

MA in History

Master of Arts in History - January 23, 2013
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AMU was one of the first colleges to offer a regionally-accredited online MA in history. Online asynchronous instruction allows greater flexibility, because of occasionally unpredictable time commitments for employment. In the college's online library, research can be conducted at any time during the day or night. The reference librarians responded to my queries within a reasonable period of time. The professors encouraged me to identify complex and interesting topics for my research essays. I have been motivated to continue research in some of these topics after graduation. The results of each student's research can be shared with other students in discussion boards, as an asynchronous analogy to seminar courses in brick and mortar graduate schools. In online education, one is motivated to rapidly perfect outstanding grammar, because it enhances one's credibility in discussion posts.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Good program and price

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 23, 2013
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APUS/AMU recently upgraded their online classroom and it is much better. I graduated in Nov 2012, and had a wonderful experience. The teachers for my concentration were knowledgeable and provided good assignments to help further my understanding. Some of the basics, like math and english, were pretty simply and didn't challenge me. But, I bet that is normal. Good interactions with other students and easy to track progress in the courses. None of the problems people seem to report about wrong tests or what not. That may have been an issue during the transition from their old online classroom to the new one. I also get good feedback from professionals in my career about the quality of the program. I recommend it.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Religion Degree is Good Preparation for MSW Program at ASU

Religion - January 22, 2013
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I finished my undergraduate degree in 2012, and since I was planning on going on to get a graduate degree in social work, I can't really comment on the real-world applicability of the degree itself. I will say that I learned an incredible amount of information during the course of my degree, and I definitely found the experience useful to my graduate program in social work. The value of the education is worth the effort, but it will take effort - you get what you put into it. I also felt as though I was well-prepared for graduate school, because the online format requires you to constantly analyze everything you read and write huge papers on topics on a regular basis. I recommend it.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Excellent program

Military Studies - January 22, 2013
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My only comment would be that AMU would benefit greatly by designing the program to work better with tablet devices and to take advantage of the technology. Their current technology makes the student desk-bound which is difficult for students who travel a lot or deploy. Using a laptop or desktop computer isn't as convenient, in many cases, as an iPad or other tablet. Overall, I highly recommend AMU. I found the professors to be terrific. The coursework tended towards difficult, but very doable. I feel like I gained tremendously from the coursework.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Program - Environmental Management and Policy

Environmental Policy and Management - January 22, 2013
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Without any doubt a rewarding experience. I finished my Masters about 7 months ago. The instructors were very approachable and responsive. The books and courses were on point with what was required to complete the degree. The interaction between students was excellent due to the mandatory weekly posts in the bulleting boards. I started not knowing what to expect, but once I finished my first two couses I knew that I was on the right place. Highly recommended!!!

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

AMU Alum....Almost x2!

Masters of Public Administration - January 22, 2013
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I am already a proud Alumni of AMU, graduating in May of 2010 with my BS in Sports and Health Sciences, but due to the engagement and the learning environment that I was exposed to during my undergrad studies, I wanted more... I returned to AMU in the Fall of 2010 to pursue a Masters in Public Administration degree to further advance my skill set and marketability. Possessing an undergrad degree was a stepping stone into the civilian workforce after leaving active duty, but a graduate degree seems to be the new "standard" within the workforce to getting a lead on a rewarding career instead of just a "job". I am almost finished with my MPA and project to graduate on 15 February 2013. Overall, my learning experience with AMU has been nothing but top notch! If anything, I can commend my professors and the institution for putting back into me just as much as I poured into my studies while at attending the institution. A+++ all the way!

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

BA Trans and Logistics, Great Program

Transportation and Logistics Management - January 21, 2013
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I am an experienced transportation professional and needed a degree to further my career. AMU/APU turned out to be a great choice. Less expensive than other schools, and the support and technology are fantastic! This is a good program, my degree was the base BA in TLMT. 20+ Years in transportation, and I learned a great deal here. Note: You will read a TON!!!! Stay focused.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

A Review Worth Reading

General Studies - January 21, 2013
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I recently graduated with an Associates Degree in General Studies and working on my Bachelors in something else. Unlike the name, I am a civilian and am actually paying for college out of my own pocket. Variety of interesting degrees, 8-week courses starting every month, free textbooks, and regional accreditation... These are the reasons I chose APUS (started in APU then changed to AMU). If you can find a school that offers the above mentioned for a lower price, let me know. I have done a lot of research and even applied to other colleges, later to find out that my credits didn't all transfer (they were all WASC regional from community college). If you know your going to do the job you are in now and just need a degree, a cheaper nationally accreditated one may be adequate. In my case, I do not know where my career and education is going to go, so a regional Bachelor's will give me more choices IF I decide on going to the top of the corporate ladder or getting a Master's. BTW, just to let you suspicious people know, I swear that I am not some paid employee only to write reviews on these websites. I have read reviews like these here before I chose my college. Check out geteducated.com, gradschools.com, and this website first. Then go to the school's website and look at the curriculum, admission requirements and tuition information (for updated "hidden" courses and costs). You will realize APUS is pretty competitive value-wise, especially for working adults. I see some people complain about how complicated the financial aid office is, but it is manageable if you can fill out an college application online. After all, it's only checking the right boxes until the FAFSA portion. I received PELL grants before I was no longer eligible income-wise. Complaints: I am studying from overseas (Asia). It is around 11 hours faster here. I work full time + overtime. Usually, there are two discussion posts every week. I usually make time for homework on weekends, but the hard part is to make weekday deadlines. Some are due Wednesdays and some are due Thursdays... those are up to the professor's discretion. It will take some time, usually by the fourth week, to adjust and build a routine for each class. Also, the required first 250-300 word introduction for every class is annoying. Recommendations: register one class at a time every month so you won't get swamped with multiple finals and reports. Make sure you type your posts on a WORD document first, then spell/grammar check and copy/paste to the FORUM. The Blackboard system sometimes "loses" your post. I assure you that this school is not a diploma mill. If you are considering an online degree, APUS is definitely worth a look. It is probably the most straightforward and legitimate as far as for-profits are concerned. Admissions are easy for all for-profits, but graduating will take a lot of commitment of time and effort for this one. So far it is has been worth my investment.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Great Program

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - January 20, 2013
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I completed my B.A. in criminal justice last year. I was a little skeptical about the school at first, but I decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. A majority of the professors were great to deal with, any issues I had with the clerical staff was cleared up quickly. After graduation, I was accepted into grad school at a state university without any problems.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Bachelors in History

BA in History - January 20, 2013
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I have been attending AMU since Late 2008. I have taken time off here and there and will be 13 classes away from graduating in June 2013. I am very excited. I love AMU and the structure. It is so easy to transition back into once taking some time off. I love that the classes start every month and so you can really go to school on your schedule. I have had the flexibility of going part time and full time. I am a GI Bill recipient and I am so blessed to have this school. It was recommended to me when I was getting ready to leave for Afghanistan. I took 3 classes my first quarter and it has proved to be the best virtual education I could ever receive. I would recommend this school to anyone who works, has children, has a full schedule, or is just looking to take a class or two here and there. You wont be disappointed.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Much better than UMUC

Homeland Security - January 20, 2013
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I transferred to American Military University from University of Maryland University College because there aren't very many schools that have Homeland Security degrees, and unlike UMUC, AMU promised to take my credit from the FEMA Independent Study Program. Overall, my experience with AMU has been vastly improved over my experience at UMUC. AMU have given me more transfer credit and more credit for CELP exams than UMUC did. Most of my transfer credit which didn't get taken was due to UMUC being a poor school and not writing their class descriptions in a way that would allow them to be accepted for credit anywhere else. One negative point is that I am still fighting with AMU to get them to accept my credit from the FEMA Independent Study Program. They won't accept it as transfer credit from any other school, nor will they accept the certificates that FEMA gave to me directly. They will only take a transcript directly from FEMA, and for some reason they are taking FOREVER to actually review this transcript now that they have received it. After six months of being enrolled at this school, I shouldn't still be fighting them to finish my Transfer Credit Evaluation without screwing something up. However, the teachers, the classes, and the curriculum have been an immense improvement over the nightmare I had to deal with at UMUC, so I suspect I'll be sticking with AMU once I get everything settled with them.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU so far so good!!!

Military History - January 20, 2013
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So far my experience in gaining a degree in Military History with a concentration Early European Studies has been excellent. Every once in awhile there is a technical glitch but it has always been resolved promptly when brought to the attention of the professor. Most of the time everything goes smoothly and so far it has been a pleasure. Another year to go and I can not wait to attain my degree. I would highly recommend AMU to anyone and everyone.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

B.S. in Environmental Science

Environmental Studies - January 20, 2013
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I've finished four classes at AMU and I'm quickly on my way to graduation. I love how the whole system works and that they work with you on getting your degree paid for. Overall, AMU is a wonderful school that would recommend to everyone!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Professors - Financial Aid Department Sucks

Information Technology Management - January 20, 2013
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I love the professors at AMU, but I have to say their financial aid department SUCKS!!!! I have had so many errors with my financial aid paperwork. I am sick and tired of telling AMU how to do their job! I am a student on the presidents list maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I have only had problems with 2 of my professors. I dropped from a class because of it. It would be nice if they had more videos that explain some of the workbook as well. They are recently began not accepting phone calls. Now you have to call in and leave a message in order to receive a call back and sometimes they just don't return your call. I have considered transferring to another university for these reasons.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Best school for adults.

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 20, 2013
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I started AMU as a stay home dad and then got hired in my field of study. AMU allows me to take three classes at a time while working full-time and still have a family life. I can work at my pace and the instructors have always been nothing but helpful and willing to support you anyway they can.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Paralegal Certificate

Paralegal Studies - January 19, 2013
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I loved my time with AMU and was able to finish my certificate in paralegal studies fast and felt like I really learned what I needed to get my career started in the paralegal field. I am now working towards my Bachelors in Legal Studies. The professors are great, the staff is very helpful, and the students seem to really get into the classes. I am not really a fan of the e-books but they do help to keep the cost of tuition low so I'm ok with that. It's been a great experience!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Working full time and earning a degree.

Transportation and Logistics Management - January 19, 2013
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For those who are taking care of families and working full time, an online degree is my recommendation. I have been attending AMU over the last two years, working full time for large family, attending college and still have sufficient time to relax. Most of my fellow students are full time workers and earning a bachelor’s degree. Most classes are only eight weeks long so many students will attend two classes at a time. Here is my review of seven key topics. Most of the materials (books) are electronic and don’t require a high speed computer. The institution is very professional and provides a vast of information for utilizing your degree and advice for questions. Each student is assigned a counselor from the beginning of enrollment and very helpful. The use of technology, for Transportation and Logistics Management BA, is very basic and required a basic form of Microsoft Office. Most of the instructors are “Down to Earth” professionals with challenging principles of instructions to enable students to be competitive in the job market. Overall, AMU has been superb and exceeded my expectations.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Worth Your Time and Money

Intelligence Studies - January 19, 2013
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As a non-traditional student with kids, I was out of school for several years before I decided it was time to go back. I did a lot of research trying to find the program that was right for me. I was a little unsure of whether or not I could really learn anything from an online program, but once I got going in my classes I realized that even though I may not be sitting face-to-face with others, I absolutely have that classroom interaction and support coming from both the instructors and classmates. The materials provided are always ample for completing assignments and the topics in the Intelligence Studies program are fascinating. There is certainly a lot of reading and writing involved, but I expect nothing less of schooling online. Both the school and the program are worth the time, effort, and money it takes to succeed... and the cost really is very reasonable for the excellent education. Additionally, I appreciate that many of the instructors are esteemed professionals in their own field. I definitely feel like I am getting a quality education in the Intelligence Studies program here at AMU. I have attended for about 2 years now and have about 2 more to go--I have recommended this program to friends and family, and would do so again in the future.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

I am very satisfied

Political Science - January 19, 2013
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I did LOTS of research on what school i wanted to attend, from reading reviews, reviewing costs, and talking to friends who have tried other distance learning institutions. I work full time, i have a family and newborn, and i did not want to be hamstrung by deadlines, and mandatory on-line meetings and such. I have been with AMU over a year and half now and completed 10 courses, my pace being slower than average. The courses are fun, engaging, and you can really get a lot out of them. As with anything, your interest level and dedication are key. There is a lot of forum posting required, which is not hard, but they really try to create a conversation about the learning materials. They have access to honor societies, professional organizations, interest groups, clubs, etc. Overall i am very happy with my choice to attend AMU, and i would recommend it!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Excellent School!

BS: Information Technology-general - January 19, 2013
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Do not let the name or the fact that this is an online only school fool you. Having been to many traditional universities and now AMU to finish my Bachelors Degree, I can tell you that AMU is more than worth it. Three things really make AMU great. First, AMU's professors are the real deal and do NOT expect this to be a walk in the park. As far as general education AMU is just as good as the other schools out there. However, when it comes to core classes (In my case computer science classes)AMU requires a lot of you. Most of the professors were experts in their respective fields and I actually learned more at AMU than any of the physical universitie I went too. I went to Park and McKendree Universities before coming to AMU. Secondly, AMU provides all this at an amazing value. I was once considering other schools such a Capella but they wanted to charge around $500 or more a credit hour! AMU (at the time of this review) only charges $250 a credit hour. Thirdly, AMU is accredited regionally which is critical to using your degree to get a graduate degree. I've already checked with Websters University and Lindenwood University and verified that they would definitely accept an AMU Bachelors Degree for admission to their respective graduate schools. In closing, there are so many choices out there but unless you are able to go to an IVY league school then AMU should be at the top of your list for consideration. I enjoyed my time at AMU and the immense challenge it brought. You will too. Respectfully, Adam

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

So far very good

Security Management - January 18, 2013
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I am just at the beginning stages of my Bachelors degree in Security Management. I've completed 61/121 credits needed so far. I have had nothing but good experiences so far with American Military University. I am experiencing good support from the academic advisory department and all other facets of this university up to now. I am very pleased with the teachers and curriculum and even though I'm starting back to school after a VERY long break (I last attended college level classes more than 30 years ago) I am having very little difficulty so far with the courses or the faculty. In fact, because of my age, I have gotten greater respect from everyone at AMU. Overall, I would give AMU at least a 9 and probably a 10 for their performance up to now. If anything changes drastically, I'll be sure to update this posting.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

BA Intelligence Studies - You get what you put in

Intelligence Studies - January 18, 2013
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You get what you give. With the way this great university is set up, a student will succeed and learn only if that student is willing to work for it. It can be easy to skate by just like a regular brick and mortar university. I have my AA degree from a brick and mortar and I can say more was required of me at AMU, but I also got more out of it. If you want an A, you have to earn it. MOST instructors are very good and can tell if you are trying to skate or if you are trying to learn. If you are trying to learn, they will help you. I'm very satisfied with AMU, I currently enrolled in the MA Intelligence Studies program with AMU.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Goods and Bads...

Environmental Studies - January 5, 2013
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I am about halfway thrugh my BS in Environmental Science due to all of my electives being completed with transfer credit as well as some of my general req's from colleges attended previously at brick & mortar schools (during highschool and then a semester afterwards). I have now done about 6 or 7 courses with AMU and the teachers can be really great or really not. Some classes will slam you with reading and others won't. I think the overriding impression I have of this school is that you will get as much of an education as you wish to from it. It is very possible to "ride" through it doing a very bare minimum and still get decent grades... I got busy while doing two 8 week science courses with labs simultaneously while working full time and stopped reading the material all-together. I was still able to get A's on the timed exams by having all the course PDF's open and proficient use of the 'search' function in pdf. I give this example to show that this school can frequently be attended with a very lax' effort. On the other hand, not all classes are based on these multiple choice exams. Many are not... A good portion of them are more geared towards written assignments.. ALL so far include at least one forum "duscussion" post every week where the teacher gives a 'prompt' for you to post a response to then you have to post responses to at least two (sometimes three or four) of your classmates. These posts are usually 250 or 300 words initial and 100 for your responses..... Overall, I'd say this can be an excellent education if you dedicate to it. If you read the material and put yourself into the assignments this will be on par with any brick and mortar school.. I loved the flexibility of choosing when to do my work and being able to do it from my home. I do, however, miss the interaction with teachers and classmates a "real" school gives you, and especially wish they would require AMU teachers to do video lectures every week... I get the impression that many of these teachers are putting even less efort into this than many of the students. If they made video lectures or even a very good written lecture mandatory this would make this DRASTICALLY better, in my opinion. Many of the weekly "lessons" of the teachers are a very short list of learning objectives and don't include a real lecture, at all. Also, it seems that the teachers often aren't engaging in the forum discussuions, but some are much better about that... One disclaimer at the end of this: I have only done one course in my core/concentration requirements and it was an intro course. So, there is a possibility that the upper level courses, especially in the 300+ range that I have not experienced, will be much better.. And, this is tru of most brick and mortar schools. The 100, and often even 200, series courses are slammed with 600 students in a lecture hall and the text is a black-the-dot multiple scantron. So, time will tell.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Huh?

Intelligence Studies - January 4, 2013
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I couldn't help but notice how you compared AMU with Georgetown..... Really?!? Of course it's reasonable to expect their professors are going to be of the highest caliber -- they rank 39th in political science in the United States (according to U.S. news.). If your measuring stick is Georgetown, then 95% of universities fall short of your criteria. Now, pull up CVs from a run-of-the-mill university and compare them with those of professors at AMU. MOST (key word) new professors in the field of political science have a few years of experience at most and primarily a research background. Who are you more likely to learn from? A researcher or a practitioner? At AMU, I think you'll find the professors are of above-average quality when compared with professors from other universities. In fact, this is reflected in the U.S. news ranking of online programs based on faculty credentials and training-- AMU ranks 39th in the ranking among universities including Univ. of Florida and FIT. In fact, their faculty's credentials are ranked higher than ASU's. Real facts, plain and simple.

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Good school, not a degree mill.

International Relations - December 29, 2012
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I finished my A.A. at a traditional school and then started deploying. I knew I would never finish college taking classes between deployments. I switched to AMU while I was in Afghanistan (the first time) and have not looked back. I completed a B.A. in International Relations (IR); now trying to finish my Masters in the same discpline. All of my peers that attend AMU are happy with the school and are suprised that the college was more challenging than their expectations. I was talking to a student that attends George Washington (for Int. Affairs) about IR theories and I could not believe how farther ahead of him I was in competence. I recommend AMU to anyone that does not want to listen to lectures in class, but has the discpline to read the material and write. At AMU you will do a lot of writing, it is all earned!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great School!!

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 20, 2012
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I am very fortunate that a military leader of mine referred me to American Military University. I completed an Associates degree in 2010 and recently completed a BA in Criminal Justice from this outstanding institution. I am an active duty soldier so I have not had the opprotunity to attend a traditional brick and mortar school but I can certainly say that I have learned so much from the amount of research that AMU students are require to conduct! Without a doubt, I would certainly recommend this academic institution to anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge at an affordable price.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

AMU Certificate in Human Resources Management a SCAM!

Certificate in Human Resources Management - December 8, 2012
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DO NOT TAKE this course. It is a rip-off and here's why? The course syllabus' are outdated and not scientific in structure and presentation. Out of the six courses I took in this program since I chose to do it for an elective completion, I have had to appeal 3 courses. The instructors have no real world experience in HR, they were NEVER in class, NEVER responded, NEVER participated in anything and would NEVER be on-time grading or even comment on the grade they would give. It was as if that person was there only to get a check each month from the school. There would be questions presented such as and I quote their exact words, "Pretend you are a director of HR and have employees who are thinking about starting a union, explain why they think this way and what was their motivation and why do you think was their their reason for doing so?" OK, so you have to pretend to make up some character and figure out that made up characters mind and why he is thinking this way and and what made him think this way. You cannot create papers with fictional items and then attempt to present them with any citations from any accredited books. Not these instructors who are MIA. DO NOT take this certificate program. The instructors are not experienced in the HR field whatsoever. I specifically questions 3 of them and their backgrounds and they would not and could not provide me with it. I showed them how wrong they were and what they were doing was not correct, but they didn't care and the university director would not even listen. Her answers are very simple when you appeal. She does not provide the real reasons and can't show proof of any investigation. She's also a joke! Invest in eCornell's Certificate program in HR if you really want something that will get you ahead. STAY AWAY. Classes to stay away from. HRMT-413, HRMT-415, MGMT-310.

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AMU is accredited and deserves to be. Excellent program.

Humanities - December 3, 2012
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I am a practicing attorney, in my late 60's who has over the years studied, piecemeal, various cultures and religions. I happened upon AMU and while skeptical at first about distance learning, I soon realized that AMU was not a diploma mill and that the faculty were serious and studied. I cannot lend enough encomiums to AMU for their MA Humanities curricula. My time at the University (grad/22012)was great. I was immersed in an area that I enjoyed and guided through the material by well qualified and caring instructors. Anyone wishing to listen to me extol the educational virtues of AMU may simply e-mail me at STUDLAW2000@yahoo.com Thanks AMU for the best 2 1/2 half years of my educational life. James Studdard '12

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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Great school with minor drawbacks

Information Technology - General - November 15, 2012
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I have really enjoyed this school for the most part. I think my biggest complaint is about the some of the instructors. Some of them take a long time getting grades or answers to questions back to us, and some of them focus on that which is not important. I also feel that some of them just gave me a 100 because they didn't feel like actually doing the work of grading. Other than that, I have really enjoyed this school. I will be finishing my last 2 classes at the end of Dec 2012.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Generally positive

Master of Arts In Military Studies - November 7, 2012
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I am about half way through this program. Initially, the courses were 16 weeks in length which was a fantastic pace. However, a few months ago the courses were cut to 8 weeks in length which significantly reduced the amount of information that can be gleaned from the program. The plus side is that it makes it easier to get the program done sooner but if you are interested in learning, this was a move in the wrong direction. I have found the instructors to be very knowledgeable and the course content to be generally fulfilling. The other students tend to be largely military professionals and bring a lot of real life examples to highlight the lessons. Overall, I'm glad I'm working on this program and have recommend it to some of my peers. As they still talk to me, I can only assume they like it too.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great school, great flexibility, great value

Transportation and Logistics Management - November 4, 2012
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Attending school with AMU was the best decision I could have made. I completed my bachelors degree in Transportation and Logistics Management in 2010. I'm currently about halfway through my masters degree in the same major. The instructors were/are great and have tons of experience. The course books are very current. There could be a greater variety of course materials such as actual lecture videos. To be fair, some course do include some sort of video media. I do not really see too much of difference in course workload between traditional schools and AMU. I've attended many many traditional classes with a local community college and a four year school and the amount of work was pretty close to the same between the two with maybe a slight increase of reading and writing with AMU. The availability of classes related to the degree start monthly, so waiting to register for what you would like to take is a non-issue. The experience has been great up to this point. Every aspect in my opinion from enrollment to degree completion was pretty smooth.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Master of Arts Degree in Transportation and Logistics Management

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 30, 2012
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My degree now is a Master of Arts degree in Transportation and Logistics Management. I completed my undergraduate degree with AMU and have to say it was not easy. The Professors make sure you work for your grade nothing is given and that is what I like about AMU mostly because I know I am learning and will be competitive once my degree is complete I really appreciate all my professors do to help me learn and better my writing skills and knowledge base on any given subject. Like in the Army you do not bring a Soldier home by letting them do what they want every day. You bring them home from a combat zone by keeping them fit as you possibly could. Same thing with education if you do not work for it you may not be successful or competitive once graduated. AMU Professors make sure we work for our education nothing is given. I do have to say it has not been easy half way through my Master degree but I feel an accomplishment because I know I worked for it. I wish AMU had a doctern degree program I would continue to work with AMU for this degree program when I plan on starting. In summary overall I am very pleased with the concern the Professors have for us as students. Maybe one day AMU could work on expanding their degree programs.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Got me where I needed to be

Management - Human Resources - October 29, 2012
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I did my Management Degree late in life. I work in contracting so I had to get my degree finished. Online is always a challenge and there is nothing easy about not being spoon fed in a classroom. But you can get your studies done on your own time schedule. My degree was just a way to reach the end result. I started as a GS-05, with my degree I just got my GS-11, so AMU did this for me. I did learn a little along the way, education is always a good thing. Lets face it, education is only what you put into it! I would do it again, but take your math and statistics in a class room setting I lived at a tutors house for months and months.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Masters of Arts, Intelligence Studies

Intelligence Studies - October 21, 2012
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The AMU Masters of Arts, Intelligence Studies is a very challenging program. I am a certified accountant by training and can attest to the high quality of the university, professors, and the students. Intelligence studies at AMU is not a typical, academic focused, university program. Many students are intelligence and/or law enforcement experts who are advancing their careers through this program. Most of the professors are intelligence professionals either employed in operations or executive positions or bring a wealth of experience to the courses. The AMU program is not easy. The course curriculum is comprehensive and covers all aspects/themes of the intelligence profession. The professors are very fair and work you hard. A student enters the program as "a young recruit" and is transformed into an intelligence professional upon graduation. I would not have it any other way. I am a Canadian, with only marginal experience in the craft, and yet the military students and professors both welcome my participation and assist me through good exchange of ideas. I only have two courses to complete before I enter the Capstone phase and my thesis. My accounting organization rules require that a person attain 5,000 hours of education plus experience for the person to be qualified as a subject matter expert. AMU's program provides me with 2,500 hours of credit to this goal. The balance must be experience. On a final note, the more a student puts into this program, the more a student will learn. The intelligence studies at AMU are designed for mature adults who are self-motivated focused on career development.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

I have no idea what anyone else here is talking about

Intelligence Studies - October 19, 2012
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This Masters program was extremely poor and repetitive. It did not prepare me to perform graduate level research and analysis. I felt I was taking the same course over and over. I stopped doing most of the reading assignments and my submitted papers were of such poor quality my boss at work would have ripped them up and handed them back to me... yet I still had a > 3.9 GPA. I did not feel this prepared me for any work in the IC. Additionally, in comparison to other Universities, the list of professors is a who's who of nobody. I have friends whom took Intelligence/Security graduate programs at brick and mortar universities (e.g. Georgetown) and were taught by true IC veterans (CIA Chiefs of Station, etc) with unique insight and perspective.

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8 of 25 people found the following review helpful

More Aware

National Security Studies - October 12, 2012
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Awareness to what is taking place around the world is extremely important for both adults and business professionals now and those on thier way to moving up the corporate ladder. Having earned a Masters Degree in National Security Studies with concentration in Security and Intelligence Analysis has increased my perspective on international security related issues taking place all over the world. Furthermore, it has helped my understand of how the US can be and is affected by the decisions and actions taking place in numerous countries around the world. This is a degree I highly recommend for anyone intested in the intelligence field or any position of employment involving foreign policy. I would also like to mention I did not need the course materials in many of the courses to maintain a 3.6 GPA throughout. Best Wishes.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great Program

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - October 9, 2012
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Great program. I looked at many others and this has far exceeded my expectations. I just wished they had a PhD program for their Emergency and Disaster Management degree plan.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Maters in Military History

Military History - October 6, 2012
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Earning a Masters degree should be a challenge, and this one is no exception. Fortunately, this program is also highly informative--not a single moment is wasted. Each of my courses here has studied, in great detail, all aspects of a conflict in military history, whether it be particular to a certain country (such as Vietnam) or part of a broad theme (decolonization, counterinsurgency, etc.). The questions posed by the professors force us to think objectively about each aspect of military history, from the conflicts themselves to the sources we use to learn about them. It isn't an easy education, but it certainly is a good one.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

I hope you like writing papers!

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 6, 2012
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I finished my degree in January of this year. I would like to thank those that helped me along the way, not just instructors but the administration as well. My experience was mostly positive, but there were issues along the way. The feed back from some of the instructors at times took weeks. One class was going into its fourth week before I got anything graded. This makes it pretty hard to gauge how you are doing and if what you are providing is what the instructor wants. The instruction was often lacking and consisted of pick a topic from this weeks material and provide three to four page paper. I went to a traditional brick and mortar university for a while and this was not the norm there. Is this how online education works? If so AMU is spot on, though I do not have any others to compare it to as this is the only online university I have ever dealt with.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great way to earn your degree

Homeland Security - October 6, 2012
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Like any institution, some of the professors are better than others, but the material available for study is amazing. I work full time am a single mom of a four year old and have just completed my Master's!

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Intelligence Studies Bachelors Program

Intelligence Studies - October 6, 2012
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AMU teachers are very knowledgeable and well seasoned in their fields. You will learn a lot. I was very happy with the Intelligence Studies program, which is applicable to the many faces of the Military, Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security fields. Most classes are facilitated in a manner that will teach you more then just your studied subject area. The cost of the programs for the quality of education you receive is one of the best things about this school. Also, AMU was accommodating to a working professional life. Just don't expect to have it easy, and do expect to think on your feet while juggling school and work at the same time. I got what I came for out of this program, and am happy with the results.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Security Management

Security Management - October 5, 2012
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As a Security Professional working for the federal government I found the course material to be of very high value. Working for the Department of Defense you have your own flavor for security which differs from the civilian world - the knowledge I gained from my Professors was a perfect complement to the courses I had completed and gave me a leg up in my field.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Relevant classes with a relevant use of existing technology

Environmental Policy and Management - October 5, 2012
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I started with AMU in 2004, I completed my AA while stationed in Iraq. Upon leaving the service I completed my BS in Environmental Studies graduating with honors. I rejoined the Military for another term and during that time I completed most of my MS in Environmental Policy and Management with a concentration on Sustainability. Unlike other colleges that I have seen operate there is much more flexibility in the courses offered with AMU. You are treated as an adult and expected to manage your time appropriately. Online education is not for everyone, but if you are up for the challenge and able to self motivate this is a great school to go with. The Masters level program was great I ended networking with the professionals in my field of choice simply through completing the assignments within my core courses. The online library is a priceless asset there is no cost to research your topics when you can simply locate and download relevant peer reviewed studies from their extensive database. As with anything there is the potential for human error, overall my experience with the staff has been great, but there have been times in the past that I was not satisfied with specific teachers or their ability to grade work in a timely manner. All in all after over eight years and three degrees earned I can say without a doubt that was an exception not the rule. Generally the educators are concerned with their students understanding of the topics presented, are in the field they are teaching and have similar experiences to many of their students. From a military standpoint this was an outstanding opportunity to learn in an environment that could adapt to my ever changing locations, responsibilities and ability to participate. I would and have endorsed this school to anyone trying to find a college. I know everyone in my military path has heard my take on this school and most of them have started their college career and are completely satisfied with the choice they made. Glenn

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

EDMG Program Review

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - October 5, 2012
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The Emergency Management and Disaster Planning program at AMU is an excellent learning experience for those who wish to pursue EM practices. At first, I was nervous about taking an online course. However, I can proudly say the program not only teaches the principles of EM but also enlightens you to the future of EM and the vision needed to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from future events. Having experience in current operations, that vision stands out among all others as going the extra distance to prepare students for both current and future operations as well as Doctorate programs. If you want to learn EM, AMU is the place to do it.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Int'l Relations Degree

International Relations - October 5, 2012
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I rate AMU as outstanding! I was pushed to work harder than at a traditional school. I completed my B.A. in International Relations at AMU after compiling credits at various schools that are members of the SOC - Serviceman's Opportunity College system. Tranfer credits were rigurously screened; don't expect to get a free ride on non-pertinent classes! Many of my Profs were literally world class, several are subject matter experts you will see on the History Channel, etc. However, all Profs were engaged and responsive; most were PhD's. The reading load, as advertised beforehand, was heavy. All my classroom work submissions were required to be in academic format (cite sources, etc.) not something you would find in normal classroom discussion/interaction. That made me a MUCH better writer and researcher. A word to the wise, time management is critical for an online degree. If you can't balance work, social life and recreation with online classwork you'd be better off in a brick and mortar school on a regular schedule. I highly recommend AMU, especially for military personnel. Oohrah, Semper Fi.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Friends don't let friends...

Business Administration - October 5, 2012
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Friends DO NOT let friends attend American Military University or any other school that uses things such as turnitin.com to grade papers. I recently got stuck with paying back $750 in tuition assitance because I received a ZERO grade on a writing assignment about MY OWN LIFE! WTF! This shit website decided that my paper was 32% too similar to other students. That exceeded the school's allowable standard of 20%, so I got shafted. God forbid that some people have things in common when it comes to life goals, experiences, etc. I'll bet if I were one of those retards that didn't know how to use punctuation or grammar, I would have received an A+. Tag, tweet, post and repost the hell out of this so no one else suffers my fate.

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8 of 32 people found the following review helpful

AMU Was a Great Experience

Business Administration - October 5, 2012
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I recently completed my BBA in International Business Management and I have to say that my experience was great, so much so that I am continuing on and starting to take classes for my MBA in IT Project Management. I had teachers who had relevant experience to the classes they were instructing and the course material was up to date. The only area that required a little patience was dealing with support services. They are knowledgeable in their subject area, but they want most, if not all, communication to be through email so as to have proper records in the event of an audit. My wife graduated from Saint Louis University and her opinion of the amount of coursework was that it was more than she had. Overall, I did not have any issues to speak of and felt as though I received an educational experiencce on par with higher performing traditional universities.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Masters-Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice - October 4, 2012
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Having started my Masters program earlier from an institution I received my undergrad from, there was a significant time lag between classes. AMU has been great from the start. They accepted some transfer courses that I didn't expect to receive credit for and the registration process is so easy and definitely "student friendly". The curriculum and professors are first-rate. Having read their bios, it is great to have such a broad eperience base in the instructors...they all have time in the career field in some sort of way. AMU is not a "paper mill" as some other schools are and I would highly recommend this university to anyone who is not able to attend actual "sit in classes" courses due to their job & family commitments. Highly recommend this to all!!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU is a great school!!!

Business Administration - October 4, 2012
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I have been a student with AMU for over 2 years now and I am extremely satisfied with both my progress and the functionality of the school. My professors are knowledgeable and in tune with the students. I have never had a bad experience in any of my classes and instructors were always willing to lend extra support. The value of this school is parallel to the likes of any traditional brick and mortar school and I would recommend that students looking for a degree or certificate program from a reputable university take a look into American Military University.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Tailored to online learning

diamontina - October 4, 2012
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I am getting my Master's in Environmental Policy, and this school has made a real difference. I have always been really smart, but never ever bothered to attend class. I rarely went as an undergrad. Beause of the way the classes are organized, and because APUS has been online for decades, they understand how to make it a challenging educational experience while allowing all of the supposed benefits of online learning. My GPA is higher now then it ever has been AND I have learned a lot AND the teachers and staff have given great support and guidence. Highly recommend.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

MBA

MBA - October 3, 2012
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As an active military member with a schedule that often forced me to travel, I was very pleased with the flexibility provided by AMU. I was able to log into class each week to post assignments and review feedback provided by the course instructor. I found both the instructors and university very responsive to my needs and questions. The classes were scheduled to allow me to take one class at a time with a one week break between each class. After two very quick years, I was able to complete the MBA program. Using tuition assistance, I paid only 25% of the total cost for tuition and books. The degree program was a great investment for my future. I strongly recommend AMU for your educational needs.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

BA History Early European Studies

BA in History - October 3, 2012
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The instructors are generally of high quality, except sometimes you get the occasional slacker. Poor communication and individualized attention. The library is still a mystery in many respects, even after a tutorial. Dr Robert Owens in HIST 402 was one of the best professors that I have had, he was always available. My current instructor is a full-time teacher an another institution and relies purely on the syllabus. Know office hours either.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

No Regrets!!

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - October 3, 2012
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I started the Emerg Mgmt & Disaster Preparedness Masters program in December of 2009. I can truly say that I had a great educational experience leading up to this point of starting the capstone program! Although I miss the brick and mortal atmosphere of having sidebar conversations and building an actual living network of friends and peers in this field, the forum environment tries to make up for that. If you’re not use to writing, I suggest getting some practice in. I’m appreciative of the amount of writing and research because if you’re going to be in any field with a Masters degree, it’s good to have your writing skills up to date and know how to search for information with the use of technology. Again, an online degree is what you make of it and this environment doesn’t work for some people. I opted for the online environment because of the hours I worked, commute times and gas prices. I thought that online schooling wasn’t going to work for me, but I hung in there and gradually I improved. To the procrastinators, kiss your Fridays and weekends good bye. This requires discipline and some style of time management. I got caught up in the freedom of putting homework off because of this or that and later paid the price by losing my free time on the weekends. AMU is a great institution and would recommend it to anyone! I even considered looking into another program to broaden my skill set even more. So if you don’t mind the writing of many papers and need a school that flexes with your schedule…then give it a shot and you will be graduating before you know it!!!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

A School You'll be Proud to Attend

Intelligence Studies - October 3, 2012
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I a retired 67 year old banker and this is the second time I'm attending school to obtain a degree. This time I've choosen a major for which I have a passion. My major is Counterterrorism and I'm thoroughly enjoying the school work and learning. AMU has a terrific selection of courses and their faculty is first-rate. I plan to apply for graduate school to get my MA in Intelligence Studies - Counterterrorism.

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I am Thankful I found AMU

Intelligence Studies - October 3, 2012
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I am so Thankful to have found AMU, I was initially a Nursing Major when I joined the military but my MOS was in Intelligence. AMU helped me tremendously make the transition to an Intelligence degree and I saved so much time and money and did not have to waste time taking classes I did not need. AMU gave me transfer credit as well as training credit and I feel like I was not far behind were I should be in school and will be graduating in less than time than even I imagined. The classroom structure and professors were are great and I feel that even with the 8wk terms I am learning a whole lot. I think AMU is a great investment in your future.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good school

Information Systems Security - October 3, 2012
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Good school and great program! The courses were really helpful and they really helped me to get a better understanding of info sec. All the courses in the core area relate to the CISSP and the material goes very deep in the different areas. I think some of the material needs to be updated because they still have some courses that deal with UNIX. Teachers are good and they have alot of knowledge in the subjects they teach. Just be prepared to write many papers.

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Good Online Learning Community

Information Technology Management - October 3, 2012
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I entered AMU after 23 years in the Marine Corps. A former Commandant of the Marine Corps is a member of the board of trustees, and I respect the fidelity of anyone that held that office. I was concerned about how an online degree would be received by the Aerospace industry. My concerns were eased when I received a promotion to the next technical grade upon receiving my BS in Information Technology Management. I was impressed with AMU's instructors. They were challenging and their resume's had the education and industry experience that I would liked to have seen on my former full-time brick and mortar instructor's resumes. AMU is a great environment for learning and expressing your knowledge through written communication.

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Rigoriuos and Valuable

Intelligence Studies - October 3, 2012
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I have completed about 90 credits so far towards this degree and will graduate in March 2012 at this pace. Overall, the classes are very informative because the required reading is relevant, thorough, up-to-date, and valuable. As far as the respectability of this degree and this institution (AMU), I can tell you the hiring manager for a top defense contractor in the Midwest region stated, "You cannot go wrong with an intelligence studies degree." Once I finish, I am looking at an on the spot raise, and plan to begin my master's degree at AMU because of the quality and value of the education. With the national debt and deficit taking front and center these days, budgets are only going to constrict. It is imperative to stay competitive in the intelligence community.

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Great school that covers lots of ground

Information Systems Security - October 3, 2012
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The Information System Security Degree program gives you a broad based look at the information that you will see in the ISS world. These are fast and furious classes that you grow used to after 4 or 5 classes. You get what you put into this and any other school's program and if you put in the time you will come out with a great understanding of the ISS world.

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Great

Information Systems Security - October 3, 2012
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This school is great but some of the books and things are outdated and a couple of the material that are on the test were not on the book or lectures. But it is worth it and the teachers are good with making us fit right in and helping us out when we need it. Overall a 4 out of 5 I would rate it. Not a 5 because of some of the outdated books and material.

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Very Welcoming

Intelligence Studies - October 3, 2012
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I am not currently working in the intelligence field so the material is very challenging to me; but the instructors and fellow students have welcomed me into their "circle" and have been very receptive of my ideas, thoughts and comments. I have learned a lot and look forward to carrying the knowledge over to my current field of criminal justice.

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Challenging and Rewarding

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - October 3, 2012
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I have acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge during the MA Strategic Intelligence program and totally disagree with previous reviewers that this AMU program generates degrees without academic value. Having completed a BA from a very stringent “brick and mortar" institution, I found the MA Strategic Intelligence program challenging in comparison. I had to burn the midnight oil on many occasions to complete the assignments. I believe putting the extra effort was generally acknowledged and was reflected in my grades. As with any human endeavour, the AMU professors’ experience and competence varied, but in general they were well versed (sometimes experts) in their subjects and would challenge our answers and thought process, especially during the interactive group discussions. My classmates were in majority service members with multiple deployments under their belts. About 60% were from the Intelligence community. As with many university degrees, this degree expands your knowledge and intellectual horizons in the intelligence field; it is not an operator or analyst course.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Experience

Masters Public Health (MPH) - October 3, 2012
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I'm an Active Duty enlisted Soldier in the US Army. I completed my BA in Sociology with American Military University, and I'm now working on my Master's in Public Health with American Military University. I've enjoyed every second of my educational experience: the students, the professors, and the textbooks. If you want a class room experience where students live everywhere from Kansas to Ethiopia, and an experience where students really are from every walk of life- then AMU/APUS is definitely the university for you.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

It's mostly in your hands

Military History - October 3, 2012
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With no other graduate program to which to compare it, I would have to say that you should make of this what you will and can. Don't necessarily expect complete engagement by the instructors. Just like a brick and mortar school, some are better than others but, for the most part, they are good and will provide at least some guidance and assistance. My main complaint was a basic and overall lack of specific feedback from instructors regarding what was good or bad, what was right or wrong, where there was room for improvement, etc. Otherwise, a pretty good program. Just don't expect oodles of job opportunities upon graduation unless planning on a PhD. It's a pretty narrow field/niche.

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Review of academic experience at AMU

Masters of Public Administration - October 2, 2012
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The academic program is excellent and enables me to see how I can really use what I learn in the real world. The teachers are up-to-date. Forum discussions with classmates are invigorating because of the diversity and quality of their experiences, all of which tie into the course material. The whole set-up enabled me to work towards a demanding degree while balancing jobs, family, and volunteer activities.

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Master of Arts in Security Management

Security Management - October 2, 2012
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After retiring from the Air Force I began searching for a Master's program that fit my professional development needs while allowing me to maintain my busy travel schedule. AMU proved to be the perfect fit for me. The classes and coursework applied directly to my job as a security specialist and the professors were skilled professionals, either presently working in the security field or with previous experience. I believe that earning a Master's degree in Security Management prepared me for my current leadership position and opened the doors for future advancement.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Excellent phil program

Philosophy - October 2, 2012
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I only completed by phil courses here having done all my lower division work and general ed. at community colleges. There are no lectures, so what you learn is almost exclusivly from the books and what you figure out writing papers. Most of the books were excellent. My only regret was not having studied Plato in any detail. We read the Kitto book on the Greeks, which is a classic. In general the professors and their grading of my papers was very good to excellent. One thing that was good about the program was their emphasis on ethics. There was no class on epistemology, which was good for me, except their was a class on logic which is standard. If you need a professor to guide you through the readings then it is not a good format, but if you can handle doing everything on your own, then it is great.

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AMU Review

Homeland Security - October 2, 2012
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I am in the Military and currently taking courses online. Most of my classes are relevant to my profession so i do not have much difficulty in them. Other classes i do find difficult, but not impossible. I enjoy the classmates and instructr viewpoints.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

MA in American History

Master of Arts in History - October 2, 2012
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I chose AMU because, as a working professional educator, I wanted the flexibility of an online program. Living in Northern California I considered UC Davis, UC Berkeley and Sacramento State, but the cost, drive time, and inflexible schedule caused me to chose AMU. Like others, I was nervous about a fully online institution, but both AMU's accreditation and their long history were reassuring. I particularly enjoyed learning from professors whose background, while academically excellent, was not limited to academics. Nearly all my professors had amazing leadership careers in the military, government, and/or private institutions. This real world experience contributed immensely to the richness of their discussions. This was also true of my fellow students. An unexpected benefit was that I was learning with, and often from, fellow students located around the world and who brought insights reflective of their diverse and rich life experiences.

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Best decision I ever made

Psychology - October 2, 2012
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My time at AMU has been nothing but exceptional. I had an issue with my financial aid and it was fixed immediately. If I struggled in a class the professors responded very quickly. some even offered web tutoring if I felt it was necessary. You would not regret attending this university. I graduate with my psychology degree in four weeks and I already have a position because of the degree I received. The fact that it was done on-line was the deciding factor. They cited "It shows how great work ethics, commitment, and dedication". You will not regret attending this university.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Non-US goes for a Master in 2010

Security Management - October 2, 2012
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As a non-US student I've completed my Master in Security Management in 2,5 years (Class of 2010). I've had prof. Fowler and Baker as instructors and they're the best in their field. This MA has pushed me up the ranks, so ... thanks you AMU !!! Ed Posthumus MA MSc CPP - The Netherlands

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Emergency Management

Emergency and Disaster Management - October 2, 2012
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Professor Chris Reynolds was the best! Always responsive to questions and willing to provide input. The material was outstanding and interesting; the Masters Degree has opened several doors for me including a short-term teaching a course in Italy!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A great school!

Psychology - October 2, 2012
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I am surprised to see so many negative reviews. Although it has taken me 5 years to get here, I am in my senior year of the Bachelors in Psychology program. I have to agree with others who have stated that if you need someone to hold your hand, this school is not for you. I have been very impressed by the interaction with MOST of my professors in the discussion boards. While I found myself wondering if a very few of them were even paying attention, many of the professors ask follow up questions of most of the students that are specific to what the student has written. My only real complaint with AMU is the online books. I have found it necessary to purchase a 'real' textbook for most of my courses, but that has been my personal prerogative, not a requirement. I simply prefer 'real' books instead of online books. AMU provides a quality education at a reasonable price, so do not be surprised if you have to actually work for good grades!

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BA in Psychology

Psychology - October 2, 2012
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I love going to AMU! It has been a great experience so far and I plan on continuing to get my Master's degree. Online schooling is much easier than traditional college and allows you to work at your own pace. This school is helping me accomplish something I never thought I would do. There is a lot of writing involved and some of the teachers can be a little harsh, but it is well worth it.

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Excellent experience!!!!

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - October 2, 2012
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I first enrolled in AMU during my deployment to Iraq in 2004. Upon my return, I completed my BA in Criminal Justice one class at a time since I was working and have a family. My experience with AMU was excellent. The professors were all experienced in the field and classes they taught. They all responded quickly to my e-mails and questions except for one and he was the CJ department head, so he had many other things to do besides teach my class. He still responded but was a little later than his other professors. The school staff was very helpful, especially during my deployments. I especially liked the way I could read the bios of the professors for the classes I was choosing and wasn't just assigned one. I feel this made for a better learning environment since I had an understanding of the professor's background and where they came from when dealing with the students. I also liked the way (for my undergrad degree) that the tuition was a flat rate that included everything instead of having a lower tuition but separate fees and that my books were automatically sent to me after I registered for a class. It made life so much easier while working and caring for a family. I will also say I have had friends that have used the online programs from other schools that have had terrible experiences, even with big name, traditional schools. As a result, I'm still leaning towards to AMU for my Master's degree. Thanks

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Wrong Focus

General Studies - October 2, 2012
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Not satisfied with my studies here at AMU at all. Let me begin with, I have a career and make excellent money; I attend school to learn new subjects that interest me. I have my MGIB to use, so I use it. Every class that I have taken so far requires the same format: Make weekly posts, take a quiz, write a 'research paper'. I caveat research paper because 3-7 pages with 2 or 3 sources isn't much of a research paper. Not only that but as soon as I read the syllabus and find a paper is required for the course, I immediately lose all interest in learning the subject material because half of the class revloves around this one paper over one subject area. As in the case with American History, more notes and focus is made by the instructor towards the proper format than the actual subject of history. I think that is a little backwards, especially for a freshman level course. I did not come to learn all about Chicago Manual Style, I want to lean intereting things about history. In addition, as with most of the academic world today, this institution is highly left-leaning. They stress hot button issues such as global warming to back even their management instruction. The history subjects are chalk full of anti-colonial and racist sentiment that makes one feel bad to be an American. Much stress is placed on how horrible colonial's were to Native Americans without covering the barbarious nature of the tribes themselves. Buyer beware: This is an online college and will be viewed by employers as such. How much effort do you want to make for that? How much of your values do you want to place aside to eat the propaganda? How many papers do you want to write before you realize that you're not learning much about the subject in general and find out you do 300% more writing than at a traditional school?

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4 of 11 people found the following review helpful

A Road Worth Taking...

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - October 2, 2012
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While I was active duty military I took many classes through multiple Universities and COmmunity Colleges to finish my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. Three years later I worked into my schedule time nough to start my Bachelor's degree. Numerous co-workers thrived on how good AMU was and how the school worked for their rigorous military schedule. I enrolled and was admitted and never looked back for another school! AMU has everything anyone is looking for. I have been extremely satisfied with the staff, counselors, and teachers (with exception of two). Many people have written reviews stating you have to be self-motivated to take online course. I couldn't agree more! Once you begin and nunderstand the process of the courses, interact with other students and faculty, AMU really is a top-nootch school to attend. The workload is no differneet then formally attending classes, but all within the comfort of your home. What works well is that (depending on your job) the government work place and supervisors I had allowed some time during the work day to complete school work or research...and many topics you are able to write on can pertain to your job itself! AMU is the way to go for online studies!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Could be Much Better

BA in Management - October 2, 2012
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My biggest issue with AMU is the poor use of pre-entry counseling and time delays in getting transfer requests completed. I had my transfer requests completed twice with 2 different results. Depends upon whom is making the decision I suppose. Also, there is a lack of pre-requisites for any class one wants to take. This makes it easy for the "fresh out of HS" people to jump right into a senior level class...but it ultimately deminishes the scholastic level of the class for those seniors who have taken all the lower-level courses and can offer intelligent and worthwhile discussion.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

An exceptional experience

National Security Studies - October 2, 2012
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I took on-line classes from seven different colleges while studying for my BA in History and I can say without a doubt that AMU's on-line classes were the best. The software, their teachers, and their use of up to date materials all helped me to achieve a 3.8 gpa. I am already planning on going after a second master's in managment.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

So cheap, its not worth the paper its printed on...

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - October 2, 2012
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AMU's MA in Intelligence Studies lacks the academic rigor of a real graduate program. Henley-Putnam is better. The Defense Intelligence University is best. If you just need a masters degree to punch the ticket, then AMU is a cheap option. If you want to be an intelligence professional, its not going to open any doors for you! Also, they switched the program on my half-way through. Very disappointed in what I ended up with.

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5 of 14 people found the following review helpful

AMU MBA

MBA - October 2, 2012
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I completed my MBA from AMU in November 2011. It took me just over 2 years with only 2 months where I was not taking a class, but only took 1 class at a time. Traditional MBA textbooks used and I still have them for reference, and the on-line system (blackboard and forum) was excellent. As other reviewers have said, some great instructors, some so-so, and some not so good. Curriculum lets you see the instructors for upcoming classes so I tried to pick the ones I knew were good for future classes. The MBA curriculum is definitely meant for managers -- I expected to learn accounting in the accounting core class, for example, but learned only how to use accounting principles for managing, like how to read a prospectus, what the various types of accounting are, etc. The class never did any bookkeeping. Finance classes taught principles and how to use them to manage, not how finance works. So if your MBA is your first into to business classes, don't expect to come away with a CPA license or in-depth knowledge of the business core. Having said that, the MBA was a cohesive program of learning how to manage, how business leaders plan and forecast, strategic thinking, and why business decisions happen the way they do. As a technical person in the aerospace industry, this MBA was perfect for me, because it gave me the management perspective without having to learn the nitty gritty of what you would get with a bachelors in business.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great School / Oustanding Trans & Logistics Program

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 2, 2012
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My first On-line learning experience and it could not have gone better. Scheduling availability, class flexibility and instructor support all combine at AMU to help the student get the most out of the experience. Retiring from the military with 30 years trans/logistics experience; I decided it was time to document my expertise and training by obtaining a degree in the field. The AMU program course work is focused on teaching real theories and skills employed in today's industry and the instructors are comitted to enabling each student's comprehension of the material. The classroom discussion format further enhances learning by stimulating an honest and frank exchange of ideas among fellow students and instructors. Along with years of experience, my degree from AMU helped me secure a well paying position in the logistics field. I am proud to be an AMU Golden Eagle alumni!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

MA CJ

Criminal Justice - October 2, 2012
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Really enjoyed the program. Fast and efficient. Teachers were flexible and understanding. Great for military meembers.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Challenging and Rewarding

National Security Studies - October 2, 2012
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I completed my Masters in National Security Studies with a concentration in Terrorism in 2.5 years. It was a challenging, but positive experience. I chose AMU for 2 reasons: 1) because I lived 2 hours away from a brick & mortar university, and 2) because they offered a degree program (National Security) that was of interest to me. It was hard work, but worth it.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience…and Education

BA in Management - October 2, 2012
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For my first two years of college studies, I was primarily in the classroom setting. I initially transferred to AMU simply because I wanted more flexibility in scheduling. However, I soon found that I was actually learning much more through the AMU online format. Now, I have begun an online MBA program with another university, which is traditionally a brick and mortar school. And up to this point, I feel my studies with AMU prepared me very well for graduate-level study.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Mostless useless, but the ticket is punched

Military History - October 2, 2012
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I can speak about graduate education as i have another masters from another school. I needed this degree to have my ticket punched for a job, and that's about all it did. I found some instructors to be "OK", others to be near incompetent. Many tach a zillion other sections at multiple online schools and can't give any real attention to the class. One admitted he did not have time to actually read all the discussions posted each week. Another could not take it when I challenged him on on something he was just wrong about. He was unable to admit he was teaching incorrect material. Thinking for ones self is not encouraged as it is harder to grade that spewing back what you were supposed to read that week. I suppose this place is no better and no worse than any other online school- although I felt I worked harder at other colleges. As long as you spellcheck, and make sure you have citations in perfect formatting you pretty much cannot fail. I shudder to think of the people that actually felt the program was hard as since I took it they cut BACK on the amount of reading per class as it was apparently too much for many students. Adminstration does not care- they just want the tuition money to flow. If I see someone with a degree from here it will not impress me. In fact, I'm kind of embarassed to admit I have it myself.

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3 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Great School -- Superb Professors

BA in History - October 2, 2012
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I was not sure I wanted to attend an on-line, for-profit school, but now that I am in the process of finishing my last class for a Bachelor's in History with a concentration in 18th to mid-19th century America, I am glad I chose AMU. Mos classes have been difficult, but not impossible, and like most schools, there have been a couple that were quite easy. Overall, the professors have been excellent, and again, like most schools, there have been a couple that have left a bit to be desired. Now that I am close to finishing, would I make the same choice again -- yes. I plan to pursue a Master's in Revolutionary War Studies with a Certificate in Civil War Studies at AMU beginning later this year.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Instructional Design and Delivery

Instructional Design and Delivery - September 19, 2012
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My experience was mixed. While I wasn't really impressed by the school having me take courses that in no way related to the course, I understand they apparently need to make their money. Although I have a degree in a related field, they were unable to come up with transfer credit? I am trying to be positive but the best I can do with regard to AMU is to call them acceptable. The only reason I went with them was because I couldn't find another school that offered what I wanted. I think that when it comes time for me to start my Masters program, I will look elswhere.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

American Military University

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - September 19, 2012
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AMU for the money, ability to attend a college and eventually get a degree...WELL WORTH IT!!! As with an college, there are instructors that are better than others and some that are just a pain; overall, they are more than willing to assist with the material. I would recommend AMU!!!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

BA History Degree

BA in History - September 18, 2012
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I am currently still pursuing my degree. However, my experiences over the last year and a half have been very positive. Instructors are very interactive with students and give appropriate feedback. I like the physical books on-hand and don't particularly like the online books, but all in all it is a great university and is geared to help the military and the families of military members. While on the go the online books are very useful, but while at home I prefer a hard copy. I would recommend the university to anyone interested in pursuing their academic goals.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Introductory Program

International Relations - September 18, 2012
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I had an extensive background in Strategic Studies when I enrolled at AMU and so was not expecting to be challenged as much as I was. The professors were, without exception, highly qualified and took their role seriously, pushing their students to excellence. The texts were appropriate and the workload somewhat heavy. I obtained an A "With Distinction" for my Comprehensive Exam and an MA With Honors--and I worked for both. I recommend this school without hesitation for anyone seeking to broaden their background in International Relations and Conflict resolution.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Logistics/ Transportation Program

Transportation and Logistics Management - September 18, 2012
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After completing two and a half years of college at a traditonal university (Middle Tennessee), AMU was a great school to pick back up and complete my degree. The instructors are very knowledgeable as most work in the fields they teach. Also, the class room discussion boards are very lively and provide very thought provoking conversations as the vast majority of your student peers are working adults serving in the armed forces all over the world. The insight that they provided into discussions was awesome. I know there are opponents of online degrees who argue that they are worthless but I can honestly tell you from experience that getting a college degree is about more than the name of the university printed on the diploma. You get out of it what you put into it, whether u attend traditional classes or complete an accredited online program. Personally, I got a lot out of my educational experience at AMU and have continued to advance my career in logistics and tranportation management. As someone with approximately 8 years of log/tran mgmt experience I currently make $75k a year and am now close to completing my MBA at a local university. Give AMU a try; I challenge you to find a better online university experience.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

My time in Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies - September 18, 2012
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I am currently on my fourth class at AMU and I am happy with the way it is going. The classes are very well constructed. I was a little worried at first about the credability and some of the reviews. There were quite a few bad reviews but after reading them the post that I read didn't make any sense. The positive reviews however reinforced my views with online learning.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

GREAT SCHOOL

Psychology - September 18, 2012
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I am an active duty member and therefore my time is very limited. Although I would much rather attend a classroom because it is less work, I think that online learning has been a great experience for me. If you really care about getting good grades it can be a lot of writing. But in the end it's worth it because of everything you learn. From the admissions, to financial assistance, to advising, everyone is extremely helpful and always available if you need them. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone looking to begin, or finish their degree.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Not What It Used To Be..

Psychology - September 17, 2012
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I have been steadily pacing myself on a degree with AMU/APUS for just over 4 years. The Good: Great value, Book Grant, helpful support staff. The Bad: It seems AMU has made a distinct shift in their operations as they have grown and peaked as an online educator. Challenging classes have always felt that way. Historically however, one also felt this university and faculty 'had your back', for lack of a better phrase, in supporting your success. Anymore, not-so-much and it's hit or miss based on a plethora of faculty members. I will finish my degree with AMU, have recommended several battle buddies to AMU in the past, but my heart is no longer in this organization as opposed to my first few years. It's as if they (the university) were striving to pinnacle as the #1 military online educator; but during their crusade, vision was lost as to whom their backbone or student base is. Unparallel and tempered support for Military members, who laid the foundation for this school, has been metaphorically sacrificed for upgraded technology and exponential growth. It's more so we are being marketed to as service members with G.I. Benefits/TA, rather than focus placed on an education for those of us with more transient jobs than most Americans. Outside of cost; I would say shop around to find the best fit for you and your educational needs. Example, my 1st deployment I was able to complete 3 classes. Now, I wouldn't even attempt to take classes while deployed. AMU has morphed into a strangely different university with unsubstantiated and inflated increases in class workloads, significant increases in the number of professors, and shifting behaviors within the university itself...all the above felt like a switch was thrown overnight in changing focus from the education of the student/service-member and more toward school growth and user-friendliness for instructors. Actual focused learning is different from busy work. At one time that felt like AMU's unspoken mantra. Now, classes are geared more heavily toward keeping the student super busy with low to no touch freight for instructors. Not all teachers are the same, and some are better than others...but most instructors now employ over burdening and numerous assignments in readings, tests, quizzes, essays, discussion boards and responses, term papers, final papers...etc. Yes, College encompasses all those things...but in the past, AMU never lost sight of their primary student base and adjusted fire accordingly to support that dynamic base. In other words, you received a quality education at a level of sustainment that was tailored for any service member with the will and intestinal fortitude to try and get an education; deployed or not. Now, not so much. AMU has lost a lot of its luster as standing head and shoulders above most online colleges. Additionally, the new interface has or had a tendency to stifle productivity; particularly while deployed. A night and day contrast as opposed to the previous system which was simple, but solid as oak. The course setup and school just doesn't have the same feel it once had. AMU seems more cookie cutter and has lost a feeling of 'camaraderie' it once held; which attracted me in the first place...made me proud even. My comments up until year 2009-2010...Awesome university and bar none the best in the business, particularly for military members and their civilian counterparts. Comments after year 2010...outside of cost effectiveness, explore other options...and it pains me to say so. If you are a reasonably intelligent individual it doesn't matter which school you go to; you'll succeed. However, for a 'Joe' who depends on motivation and focused classes without inflated collegiate non-sense...AMU no longer has your "six" as it once did. Don't get me wrong, AMU is by far not a bad school. AMU is still a very reasonable choice for military personnel or otherwise. But it's not the same university it was on track to be...it's just a lot more flashy, and a great deal bigger.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Excellent School

Information Systems Security - September 13, 2012
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I am now in my second year with AMU and thus far the experience has been excellent overall. I have a couple minor misgivings regarding course materials with a some of the courses, but this is primarily limited to presentation and I am generally happy with the quality and depth of material provided. Course instructors are for the most part highly motivated and well adapted to the online learning process, and the technology curve is above average. I am very pleased with the school's reputation and support systems deserve the highest praise. Considering the fact I am paying less per semester than what I would pay at a local community college, the cost benefit value far exceeds my financial expectations. I would gladly recommend this school to anyone seeking a top-notch flexible online learning solution.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU

Homeland Security - September 12, 2012
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Completed AMU's MA graduate program in Homeland Security 2 years ago. Overall the program was challenging and added signficantly to my knowledge, skills, and abilities in that area of study. Most of the instructors were highly qualified, offered more than cursory feedback and were engaged with their students. Support staff was very helpful and professional. The only criticism of note is the apparent usual practice of awarding a very high number of high grades where performance did not necessarily merit those grades and reflects poorly when comparing this institution to traditional non-online institutions or those that are not for profit.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Masters Degrees

Master of Arts In Military Studies - September 11, 2012
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The AMU is a very unique college for all students thinking of pursuing their Education. The combination of technology and online support from the faculty place the student firmly in charge of their time management and ultimate progress through the course. I have no hesitation in urging prospective students to review the ever expanding number of courses. Peter G Gibbons (Class of '06) Dublin Ireland.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Hard work, but worth it

Military History - September 11, 2012
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I went to a brick and mortar college for my undergraduate degree. I never had to study, although it was a good school. American Military University pushed me to my limits of academic talent. They expected exceptional work and a lot of it. I studied every night and worked harder than I ever thought I could. It was difficult, but I was never more proud than when I walked across that stage to receive my diploma. This school is for people who want to work hard and stand up to challenges.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

An Accomodating School & A Serious MA Program

Master of Arts in History - September 11, 2012
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I commenced my path toward a Master of Arts in American History with AMU in 2007. This is a very serious and rigorous program as grades are NOT simply given away (as in a "diploma mill"); you WILL work for your grades. The professors, in my opinion, are first rate. Of course, as in any institution, there are some that fall below expectations. Most important to me was that AMU's administration and professors have been both accomodating and supportive of me while in pursuit of my Master's Degree while at the same time dealing with a serious chronic illness. I highly recommend AMU!!!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

What you put in you get out

Political Science - August 26, 2012
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Been a grad student at AMU for a year now. Just like any other school, some professors are good and some are bad. I have had professors that give grades with no rationale, and I have had professors who nitpick every detail. By the end of a semester I think the work load, at least in terms of writing is comparable to other program. A 2-3 page weekly post ends up equaling a 20 page paper by the end of the semester. I have taken hard timed tests where you need to know your stuff and cant BS your way through it. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying AMU is the best school out there but I think that it is comparable to other mid level universities. I graduated my undergrad from a state college with a 3.69 GPA, I currently have a 3.70 GPA at AMU. Seems comparable.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Perfect for Active Duty Military

Political Science - August 16, 2012
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AMU/APU is great at what it does. It provides a very easy way for active duty military personnel to receive a great education at a low cost. For enlisted personnel, I would look here first. The academic advisers are friendly, registering for classes is easy, and you pay nothing out of pocket if you are using your military Tuition Assistance for an undergraduate degree. I completed my BA with AMU in February of 2011 and moved on to Liberty University to do Master's with no issues. AMU has an exceptional teaching staff. Most professors work full-time at B&M universities and teach at AMU on the side so their credentials are not lacking. I encourage you to look through their faculty list and see for yourself. This is NOT a diploma mill. You will actually have to work to get your degree. There is a lot of reading required and even more writing. I encourage you to get your assignments done in the middle of the week instead of waiting until Sunday like most people. The only thing I have marked AMU down for is technology. While I was there we were using Educator which is very primitive educational technology. Now, I see they have switched to SAKAI and I have heard great things about that. My current school uses Blackboard and it is lightyears ahead of Educator. So if you are enlisted and active duty this is the perfect match for you to do your BA easily and at a low cost. If you are a civilian then I would go to a state college or something cheaper. However, AMU specializes in fields that most schools don't, so if that's what you're looking for, then it's worth your money.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

PUBLIC HEALTH

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - August 7, 2012
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The program is great for working adults, however when it comes to the end of the program the institution is not supportive towards internship, the advising department has people who are not sure of the program is valued and it takes them too long to fix any issue. If there is need of an internship they need to be open minded and assist students in whichever way they can.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

The Good and Bad

Master of Arts in History - August 5, 2012
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I completed an AA in History at Palo Alto College; an AAS in UAV maintenance with Cochise College; and a BA in History at Texas A&M San-Antonio. All of these were Brick and Mortar schools, but I did take a few online and hybrid classes while attending. Personally, I would not advise taking getting a Bachelors Degree online, because I feel that the in-classroom socialization process is an important part college education. For a Masters, I feel that the socialization is less important unless a student has not experienced it while obtaining a Bachelors. I was a little wary about attending an online for profit school, but my military schedule and frequent travel wouldn't allow me to attend a traditional school. I finally decided an online Masters was better than no Masters. Several schools offered online degrees, but the numbers thinned drastically for Grad-schools and even more for History Grad Programs. I've completed two classes and am working on two more. So far I have been impressed with the quality of instruction and the motivation level of my classmates. The Good: *The enrollment process was easy. *My instructors have been excellent both in terms of their knowledge and their willingness to help students. *AMU has a good variety of MA History Programs. *Classes start every month, rather than two or three times a year. *The school works well with my military schedule. *The classes are academically demanding, not fluff or diploma mill stuff. The Bad: *Weird GPA grading scale. In most colleges A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0; At AMU A+=4.0, A=3.7, A-=3.4, B+=3.0, B=2.7, B-=2.4....and so one. I don't like for two reasons. First Army Tuition Assistance requires a 3.0 in Grad Level course, so in effect I could lose my TA for anything less than a B+ or 87%. Secondly, employers won't know about AMU's weird grading scale. With an online degree, I'm at a disadvantage already. Having a low GPA for making the same grades as students at other school could really hurt me in the job market. *For Grad Students, text books aren't free. On an upside, the text books are reasonably priced and very relevant to the courses. *For Grad Students, the tuition exceeds the Army TA cap. Meaning, I usually pay about $100 out of pocket per class. *AMU has been doing a lot of web advertising, like University of Phoenix, Ashford, Devry and other unreputable online schools. I am concerned that I'm might really hurt its reputation and with it; the value of my degree.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

A Challenging and Rewarding Program

Intelligence Studies - June 1, 2012
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This is a fine school. They allowed me provisional entrance into their Master of Intelligence program while finishing up my Bachelors degree in political science. This allowed me to acheive my goals at a much more rapid pace and not lose time by having to wait unecessarily. I am currently at the end of two master degrees; one with OU (International Relations) and one with AMU(Intelligence Studies; Strategic Operations)both fine and reputable institutions that I highly recommend, without reservation. As for those who criticize the program, are often those who could not cope with the rigorous demands, and often a case of sour grapes. I have been a US Army education counselor for over three years so I do have a notion of what I am speaking about. It is your life, your education, go for it and be all you can be. I am exremely pleased and satisfied with my learning and progress with AMU and you will be too.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Be prepared to learn something at AMU

American Military History - May 25, 2012
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I will be graduating this summer with my degree in Military History. I have been attending AMU part time for around 3 years now. I chose AMU for three main reasons: #1 because at the time they were the only school that offered a Military History specific degree that was #2 cheaper than my local university and #3 offered a flexible schedule for working adults. I have overall been very happy with the program, although they now have minor concentrations you can add on which they did not have when I started. It would take me another 3 classes to add this on, but I am so ready to graduate I just said forget it. I have only had one instructor at this school that I have not been impressed with; everyone else has a high level of knowledge and first hand military experience which is a plus. You do not just pay for a degree in this program, you earn it. I usually have 50-100 pages of reading to do a week at minimum, plus at least 2 papers for every class and multiple in-depth discussion boards for the 8 week time period. Not to mention quizzes and finals. My only complaint is that recently they have started switching some of the classes to ebooks, which would be great if I could get most of them to work with my ereader, but 9/10 I can't. Some have been available and cheap enough that I just purchase them outright, but others I have been forced to read on my computer which is both painful and annoying. I'm big into highlighting and making notes and I can't always do that on the computer. I feel that if AMU is going to include the books in their tuition rate, then they need to give you the option of a downloadable ebook or a paper book. As for the administration side of things, I've never had any problems getting any transcripts or credits transferred over. All paperwork has gone smoothly. It does usually take about 24 hours for someone to contact you back about an inquiry even with the advisers. I've also done a lot of online learning through community colleges and other institutions and the Sakai program portal that AMU uses is really great. Easy to navigate and seems to be bug-free. I have to say that while the workload for many of the classes can be tough, especially for a working adult, the structure and questions discussed throughout the class has really forced me to learn the material. Isn't that why I'm in school anyway?

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Excellent if you put in the work

Master of Arts In Military Studies - May 23, 2012
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I am six months away from completing an MA in Military Studies. I have a full time job that is very demanding, I live in Europe and I am not a US citizen. I have had fantastic exchanges with fellow students and it has been a great learning experience. It all depends how much work you expect to put in. I have had a couple of not so great instructors and I have regularly filled in feedback surveys and corresponded with administration if I felt that there was something amiss. The support has been excellent, the librarians very helpful, the tech support responds within a day as does the student advisor. The materials that I have had to read, research and study have been outstanding. People who complain about the programme have presumably not taken the effort to actually put in the work. It's demanding, it's tough and it's a real graduate programme. Those that think it will be a pushover need not apply.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

AMU- Good Choice

Master of Arts in History - May 22, 2012
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Graduate Student in History finishing my fourth class. You may not believe this but I am also doing a Master's in Public Administration at a regular college that I attend every Tuesday. AMU is much harder and the other college took 9 transfer credits towards my Public Administration Degree. Secondly, I am using the work and research papers from AMU towards my other degree for elective courses because they are more demanding. By December I will have completed the first year of graduate school at both universities and expect to graduate June of 2013 with two degrees. AMU is much harder than my two classes that I have to attend on Tuesdays and almost costs double, thank god for tuition assistance. Sure some classes may be easy but that's in all schools, I have two bachelor degree's and I had tough and easy classes. Now you need a Master's Degree just to get an interview for a job or managerial position. No employer has ever asked me for the transcripts, only if I have a degree to meet the qualifications. Too many people put too much emphasis on degrees and forget the other parts such as internships, experience, networking and work ethics. My advice is to stay here and finish the degree, especially with tuition nationwide going up 70% in ten years! Best of Luck.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Impressed

Middle Eastern Studies - May 16, 2012
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Almost done with my BA in Middle Eastern Studies, and on the whole I'm very impressed with the degree and the university. I already possess a Bachelor's in International Politics from a British university and wanted to explore my area of interest more in depth. With the exception of the odd class that I was dissatisfied with (usually with the level of instruction) I am enjoying my studies. At all universities, whether online or not, there's always that one class where the teacher just isn't with the program. But I've been able to get beyond all that and work hard, do my best and I have learnt a lot over the past 2 years. I like the wide variety of courses that make up this degree, covering politics, religion, history, culture and language. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in Middle Eastern affairs, but be prepared for lots of reading, essay writing and at times some tough subjects (and opinionated classmates!). Excellent program.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Take Responsibility for your Education

BA in Management - May 10, 2012
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I find interesting some of the reviews here, as they are quite the opposite from every experience I have had with this university. At this time, I have completed 24 undergraduate courses with them and can comment intelligently about various encounters. For those using federal financial aid, the process is all fairly automated – get it right the first time when you apply and stop blaming AMU/APUS for your lack of oversight and ill preparedness. Additionally, the comment which said the university is making their family pay prior to receiving financial aid is completely false – once your package is in, AMU actually fronts the registration in anticipation of receiving federal funding. Tuition assistance is the same, there is about a two-day turn around for class-registration. As far as the instructors…there are some extremely qualified and who are attentive, and there are others that are not – this is typical with every university, even traditional ones. This university is not for those who need their hand held – attending AMU requires a great amount of initiative and time management. Furthermore, this university requires a significant amount of writing. I have taken courses at Emory University, Penn State, and Embry Riddle and they by far have nowhere near the amount of workload that AMU requires. I hope this provides a little insight into my degree program. Lastly, I have put in for three of top 20 MBA programs (traditional) and none of them have questioned my degree from AMU.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Security Management

Homeland Security - May 2, 2012
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I have been in the Security Management BA program for 8 months and I have nothing but good things to say about the teachers and the support staff. I have a long history of L.E and Security work in my resume, but I have still learned a great deal from this course program. The instructors and the support staff have always been exceedingly helpful and responsive to any problems I had while in their classes. I would recommend AMU to anyone who has a desire to go to school, it has been and still is a great experience.

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4 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Do not waste your time and money.

Information Systems Security - April 29, 2012
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Do not waste your time or money going to this "college". This school is ideal for individuals in the military who simply need a piece of paper that says "B.S. / B.A." on it in order to be promoted. This school isn't a diploma mill but it's pretty close. They are nationally and regionally accredited, however, after taking 5 "upper division" classes, I feel that accreditation means a lot less than I originally thought. I had completed my A.A. at a local community college and transferred to this school in the hopes of earning a degree but not having to pay the outrageous tuition rates of the local 4-year universities. In that respect (being cheap), AMU gets a win...at least until you find out what you are paying for. I began the B.S. program in information systems security and I've completed 5 classes so far. Based on my experience, I can sum up the classroom experience as follows: Read some chapters in the textbook, answer questions on the discussion boards, maybe do a short weekly written assignment, complete open-book tests and quizzes every 3 weeks or so. That is about it. You are essentially paying for the ability to read a book then talk about it with other students. In the five classes I have taken, there has been ZERO practical application. The "professors", while many have advanced degrees, are little more than moderators. The textbooks have material in them that is suspiciously similar...I don't mean material overlaps, but material that seems to have been written by the same author or group of authors, even though the book says otherwise. Furthermore, in two of my classes the "textbook" was a ridiculous DIY book that you could purchase off the shelf at Barnes & Noble. Then there is the issue of grade inflation. At first, I put a lot of effort into my assignments and I was getting perfect scores. Then, I started to half-ass a few, just to see what would happen. On the assignments that is half-assed, the lowest score I received was a 93% and that was usually due to a citation error. To further make my point, I purposely turned in an assignment an entire week late and completely BeeEssed it. I did not cite anything, I did not address any material from the current chapters in the class, I didn't make any attempt to do a good job and it was pure, unsupported opinion. I got a 100% on that assignment which indicates to me that the "professor" didn't even read it, or just doesn't care. In the end, if you simply need a degree to get a promotion and nothing more, then by all means, go to AMU. If, however, you actually want to learn something that would be difficult to learn by simply reading a book, don't waste your time. I believe that any employer who is familiar with the curriculum at AMU would toss your resume in the trash. If you managed to even get an interview, they would laugh at you and you would certainly make a fool of yourself for not knowing the answers to basic questions that any undergrad at a state university could answer. I value the quality of my education and for that reason, I will no longer be attending this ridiculous school and am instead transferring to a state university. The tuition might be high, but the quality of the education is incomparable.

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19 of 51 people found the following review helpful

Great School for Active duty military

Homeland Security - April 21, 2012
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I just completed my BA in Homeland Security and have to say that the school is challenging, but not impossible. The classwork is sufficient and will keep the average full time worker busy throughout the weekend. But it is all called about sacrifice, and if a student has the will to stay dedicated and conduct research on his own, then this is the school for him/her. It is regionally accredited, and for service members, training can be converted into credits, so there is minimal reason not to attend this school

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

What have you learned...

Philosophy - April 16, 2012
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It took me a long time to decide that I could actually get my degree, and then decide on AMU. WIth so much exoerience with the nilitary, I thought thy would be flexible conflicts woth work schedules and classes and they are very accomodating. I finished my degree while I was still 49. I found most of the instructors to provide a thought proviking discussion if you ask for it. Philosophy and all of the courses that make up the degree are not toaght like other traditional courses. Your participation helps you, the teacher and all of your class mates see how you interpret the class you are taking. But if you are bent on your personal interpretation and aren't willing to discuss other students or the instructors viewpoint, well I can see where a person may juadge the program to be lacking. But I would have to ask them, when making that statelent if they were being totally honest with themselves. For those who questioned and challenged what they don't understand or accept but ar willing to listen and consider, I think that AMU is as good a school as any Brick and Mortar school as far as I am concerned and I have attended 3 of them. I would srongly suggest this program to anyone willing to take part in all conversations and maybe even provide a little constructive criticism or arguement. On the other hand if you just fill the requirements and complain when you only get a C,then maybe you don't like what you see in the mirror every day either.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Gov Acquisition....Keep looking

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - April 7, 2012
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I have been messaging the teacher for weeks and recieving very littel to any response. My items are graded with no feedback whatsoever. If you have not been to another school before you start here DO NOT waste your time. You are expected to show up here ready to graduate with you B.A. You better show up knowing all the 5 writing styles and have written at least 5 college papers before. The staff at the school will give you "canned" generic answers to any issue. I have complained about the teachers non response and I have not even been written back an e-mail much less anything been done. Just for fun I actually started asking if the staff I was dealing with had taken courses at AMU, turns out the 6th person I asked was the first to have taken any classes here. Most of the staff has never been in the site themselves but they will tell you how "a lot of staffers here take classes" just don't ask to speak to one they cannot find them all. This school is known by nobody and the degree carries almost no weight while the workload is very heavy, in one week we had 3 book chapters 2 250 word papers and 2 600 word papers fand a open book research the answer online quiz for example. There are better places and there are other schools that teach Gov Acq you just have to look for them. As for me I do not have 8-10 hours a week to invest in one class so Ill move on. You could never take 2 or 3 classes here unless you could do it full time.

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7 of 31 people found the following review helpful

AMU Endorsement

Master of Arts in History - April 7, 2012
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I am a graduate student at AMU pursuing a Masters in International Relations. So far, I have been pleased with the course content, strength of curriculum, and the interaction with both fellow students and the faculty. Each instructor I have had over the last year has been challenging and responded to questions quickly and given thorough gradings of submitted assignments. I have and will continue to reccommend AMU to peers as a graduate school.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Great experience!

MBA - April 2, 2012
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BLUF - AMU is regionally accredited, which is a must. I've learned more at AMU than at the brick and mortar I got my B.S. from (UMASS). There have been a couple of glitches with the software but overall it worked when I needed it to. I'm currently working towards my MBA and so far the classes have been excellent.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Good program, terrible institutional support

Master of Arts in History - March 16, 2012
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Like many of the other people writing reviews I was a bit wary about attending an entirely online university, in particular one that I had never heard of. I picked AMU for a two reasons: they offered one of the few online graduate programs in History that I had found, they were regionally accredited. The ease of application was nice, but still worried me. It felt like anyone could get in if they had a bachelor's degree. The classes were what finally sold me on the program. I've had to work hard to keep up with school while working. I've learned a lot and the teachers seem very knowledgeable. I feel like I'm getting a good value for my degree. Materials: They provide a decent and relevant reading list for each semester. The texts are your primary vehicle for learning. The online discussions are barely more than a weekly response paper where everyone is focused on their own opinion and finding a way to chime in on two other student's posts before each other for another week. That said, the teachers typically respond to your post and ask follow-up questions that require additional research and if they take the time to really grade your posts they're a good teaching tool. Teachers: Like anywhere, some were good some were bad. None were great in my experience. Institution/Support: That's where I was really disappointed. The signup process was pretty easy, but when it came time to re-enroll and I was having trouble finding the classes I needed it was almost impossible to get anyone on the phone and their email responses would consistently come from a different person each time often restating their first form response without any indication they were reading my question or trying to address my concern. Seriously, i can't wait to graduate and be done with this school. They also don't pay for access to all of JSTOR, so often when you're researching a paper I had to drive to a local university and bribe a student to print the paper I was looking for. Value: I learned a lot, but no one I talk to has ever heard of this school. For the purpose of my job (I'm a federal employee) they'll accept it at face value because it's from a regionally accredited school but they're going to have to market themselves a lot better before I'd say the degree is valuable beyond the lessons I learned obtaining it.

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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Good Master's Program

Homeland Security - March 12, 2012
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After obtaining my Associate's degree and Bachelor's degree from a "brick and mortar" school, I was skeptical about pursuing my Master's on-line. I honestly can say that I have learned more taking online classes than sitting in a class room. There was a technological problem last year do to a system upgrade that did not go as planned and this has since been corrected. I am enrolled in the Homeland Security program and have enjoyed every class I've taken. I would highly recommend this school!

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

BA in Military History

Military History - March 9, 2012
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Fantastic school, great staff, and great program. I really do love everything about the school. I'm five classes away from my BA, only one semester to go and I wish that I had done my AAS here as well rather than a traditional school. I think I would have enjoyed it more and gotten more out of it.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

You get what you put in

Security Management - March 6, 2012
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I am taking the Master of Arts in Security Management. first of all I want to point out that I obtained my BA from a traditional school, and prior to that I had taken several courses from other traditional schools. There is no way to "get by" in this school, or with the current coursework. This is a self starter, self motivated type of program. If you don't put the work forward, you will not do well. I have learned more in this program about research, writing, and my current field than anywhere else. The learning is up to the student. I gave the value an 8 because the tuition went up this year, which I was not thrilled about, however it is still a decent price. I have definitely learned quite a bit through the reading materials, textbooks and my own research. This is no degree mill by far. To those that say it is, I challenge you to take a 500 level class, or two and find out for yourselves.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Better than Nebraska

National Security Studies - March 2, 2012
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I have been attending AMU for two years. I began in Military History but changed due the recommendation of AMU because I was in the graduate history program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), my alma mater. I have just finished a course in which the work was crushing, far more then I had experienced at UNO. This was not usually the norm with an AMU course, but, it goes to show that you cannot take these classes expecting some kind of cake walk. I mean, who ever heard of having four book reviews due over four weeks DURING Christmas and New Years? I spent Christmas day doing school work. I am NOT complaining. This course was exceptional in the material covered and in the expectations of your accumulated knowledge. In comparing a State University to AMU there is no difference. I have decided to transfer my credits to AMU from UNO. I "got stuck" taking a history seminar course at UNO entitled "Gender and Slavery" taught by a woman who had an issue with men. Both of us "men" had to drop the course (only 2 men in the course). With AMU I have a plethora of courses to choose from; subjects that I am interested in taking and not courses that I am forced to take because the course was the only one available when it came my time to register. My Military Studies MA has been taught so far by NYU, Naval Academy, UPENN, Harvard, and NYU professors. The professorial staff is of an extremely high caliber, and they expect much. During a FSL issue between both schools, UNO just did not care in helping me resolve the issue. I was a number, not a person. AMU, much to my surprise assigned me an adviser in the financial aid office and she worked tirelessly to solve the problem. I was impressed. I had heard from various blogs, forums etc. before I started AMU that it was a diploma mill. This is absolutely not the case. Amu was started to assist those who serve with obtaining college degrees. AMU is now the school recommended to employees and soldiers by the government and military to obtain a degree from. It is regionally accredited by the North Central Association. So, credits transfer to and from other colleges without an issue. They are also accredited by the Distance Learning Council, UNO doesn't even have that one, and UNO does distance education. I know that the education I receive from AMU is as good or better than the State school I attended. Many of the degrees at AMU are those which have a direct impact on systems and people. Many times, peoples lives may be on the line and those who have graduated from AMU are responsible for those lives. Homeland security, Military intelligence, National Security studies, or Strategic Studies have real world implications on a daily basis. This review has not been an ad for AMU. I am a real and current student, and have been around during my 50 years. Situational awareness in the hallmark of security studies and of life. You have to be able to tell the shit from shineola. The UNO history department, like so many other history departments in ivory towered institutions, thinks that they are important to life, they are not. Research has its place, in truth research universities like UNO or UN-Lincoln pay their professors to research and publish, teaching students is a side show, it pays the bills. Do not hesitate with AMU, you will learn the important stuff.

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Choose another institution

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - February 24, 2012
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I attended AMU and graduated in 2004 with a Criminal Justice Bachelors Degree w/honors. Since then, I have been an Adjunct Professor at two colleges and earned a commission in the Army. This was all due to my completion of my bachelor's degree. In the beginning, I would tell my students and peers about AMU. It was a very good institution until what I have learned now. Late 2011, I was informed of several negative issues that were occuring with AMU. The instructors were teaching from the wrong syllabi, giving tests that were not part of the assigned reading or cirriculum, student aid dept. was not helping students, but were providing misguided and wrong information that caused students to lose taking classes because of their constant mistakes, accessing e-material has become a major issue for students, the webpages designed for easy and quick access will constantly give an "error" message only for the student to start all over again, not allowing students to proceed with their classes due to constant website errors produced by AMU, lack of communication between the students and administrators by changing school policies without informing students which ultimately affects their grades. I contacted the school and spoke with Nicole Wolf. She said these issues have been brought up before and she would contact the students I referred to resolve the problems. It has been three months and she nor AMU has resolved any issues. They haven't contacted anyone! This school is not worth what you put into it and I would strongly encourage others seeking a legitimate degree go to a more reputable educational institution who will take care of their responsibilities and the more important issue, the students. I gave the total value of AMU as a five, why, because having a degree is better than not having one, but to constantly be sucked in by the lackluster performances of AMU should not negatively affect any student; the way AMU has handled business in the past year is unacceptable as they have not moved an inch to solve multiple student issues and I don't see that being improved anytime soon.

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32 of 71 people found the following review helpful

New to AMU.....cautiously optimistic!

Criminal Justice - February 22, 2012
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I am just starting at AMU, awaiting transfer of credits which should place me just over half way to my BA in CJ. The admissions process was smooth, information provided timely and accurately thus far. Financial aid was fairly easy to deal with, as well as initiating the VA process utilizing the GI Bill (Chapter 30). The only issue that I have with the requirements are related to the required course for online studies. This course is intended to teach you how to learn on line and guage your ability, according to the details, and I am paraphrasing. Here is my issue; I have taken dozens of online courses at two other schools. Having said that, and having transferred my credits which came with a current 3.4 GPA, not too shabby, the argument for me taking this class should not be to guage my ability to learn on line. Now...they DO offer the ability to waive the course. To do this you have to submit a resume, write an essay paper and request the class to be waived. Here is my problem; after you have done this, you do not receive credit for the class but credit as having not having to take that class. What happens next is the class MUST be replaced with another elective class to make up the valued credit hours. I have no issue with making those requirements to waive the class, but if you are forcing me to take a class that my record clearly reflects not needing, at least give me credit for the course in the same fashion you would with transferring credits. Outside of that, I have no problems with entering. After reading some of the negative responses I am entering with a cautiously optimistic point of view and am motivated to finish my BA and move on educating myself from there. Good luck to all.

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Great courses and wonderful staff

Intelligence Studies - February 6, 2012
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Thus far, I am in my 10th graduate level course and I have learned more about my field of study, then I have actually learned in the field. Moreover, I find most of these courses more challenging then others I have taken at the war college. Overall, I would recommend this institution and program for all of those who are serious about there education. AMU is my recommendation.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

American Military University experience

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 25, 2012
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I am currently enrolled in my first course at AMU and was not sure what to expect. So far, it's been a positive experience. The instructor is responsive to questions that the class has submitted. Yes, there is a lot of work and you have to be disciplined in order to keep up and meet the deadlines. I like the fact that your classmates are from all over the world which gives you a interesting perspective to questions and topics that are being discussed. In addition, I like the fact that the courses are offered on a monthly basis and the my classmates are located all over the world. That brings a more diverse opinion to our discussions.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Solid Education

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - January 11, 2012
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I completed both my Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Criminal Justice at AMU. The material was challenging and relevant to my job in law enforcement. Online learning is a great thing, but you must be self motivated and disciplined to suceed. I have recommended AMU to my friends in both the military and civilian law enforcement.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

If you put in the work the it pays dividends

Intelligence Studies - December 25, 2011
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I have 2 associates degrees from brick and mortar schools and I completed my BA with AMU. There were quality professors that exceeded my expectation of quality instruction/guidance and there were a few rotten apples that always come with the territory (you know who you are). The materials that is given to you is more than sufficient to help you on your path to education. No extra costs for textbooks or other study aids. The support center was always ready to help and got back with you within 24 hours. My only complaint was the new SAKAI classroom which I found slightly annoying. I thought the old way was simpler but adapt and learn. If anyone thinks this is a bogus school and has no merit, then try it. I dare you to pick a major that interests you and see if you won't be challenged. I worked hard for my honors credit. I sacrificed a lot of weekends and had plenty of late nights finishing this program. This school will not hand you anything, you have to work to get it.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

You get what you put in.

Intelligence Studies - November 25, 2011
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I can honestly say that although AMU is not Penn State or some other widely known school such as Harvard, I did have an instructor that was a Harvard professor at some point in his teaching career. Does that make a big difference in the level of education that I have received, no. People put entirely too much emphasis on the name and not enough on the quality of the individual student. The schools name is good to an extent because there are hash and trash students attending colleges all throughout the world and just because I can't afford to attend Harvard or Dartmouth doesn't mean that I am not a sharp or capable individual. I have learned a great deal with the classes I have taken at AMU thus far. Maybe people need to simply apply themselves a bit more before they write a derogatory review. I have attended, Columbia College of Missouri, Thomas Edison State College, Portland Community College and now American Military University...I personally think they were all good schools that taught me well as I am a student that wants to learn. I think AMU is great for me and I have interacted with excellent students throughout my classes.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Needs improvement but worth the time.

Information Systems Security - November 20, 2011
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Matierials are probably one of this schools strong suits, they don't charge you for books and the books them selves are very informative. Some of the texts I used were a little out of date but just because they are a few years old doesn't mean that the information provided in them is useles, infact it's much harder to learn much less understand the newer information if you don't have a solid base of previous applications and systems. I liked the teachers here because they are, for the most part, working in the field that they teach. I had one professor teaching a network defense class that actually works on network security for his fortune 500 company. What I did not like about the teaching here was that is seemed too easy to just coast and they teachers didn't really enforce due dates for assignments, and while on the one hand it makes it easy to catch up if life gets in the way for a while but also on the other hand it sometimes felt like I was being babied. I think that the teachers sould consider adding penalties to late assignments, if gives the student flexability when life get hecktic but also holds the student accoutable for his/her assignments. Most of my professors didn't do this, some did to an extent but I feel like it should be across the board. The school it self was easy to navigate and very user friendly which i feel it something that is great for students who, like myself, are to online learning. The school's support staff probably needs the most work. Over all the staff is a very informative and helpful group; the times I have ad to call in to the school and get information or have a question answered they were more than happy to help. The problem I have run into, and this may not even be the school or the employees' fault, was when I would email and ask a question it would take them a while to respond and usually their email alone did not answer all my questions. The value of the school is really hard to beat especially for an online school. Most schools that I have looked at for online degree programs charged around 300-500 per credit hour while AMU only charges 250 which is perfect for those of us in the military whose tuition assitance will only pay 250 an hour. The use of technology that I saw at AMU was probably the best and most effective use of technology I had seen in a while. The majority of my text books were in PDF format which is probably the most widely used document viewing format next to JPEGs, but that would take up a huge amount of data space. Their systems and classrooms were easy to access and easy to move around in which made learning and doing my assignments easy and effective. Overall I think this is probably one of the best online learning institutions that a person, especially a soldier, can go through. This school is regionally accredited, the classes are challenging and require a good amount of work, the value is very hard to beat, the staff is helpful and informative, and they are more than willing to help the students out with anything that comes up. The schol does need some improvement, but at the same time it's nothing major that makes the school unmanagable. I did not feel like this was one of those "on-line degree factories" because the classes were challenging and required a good amount of effort on my part. I will, and have been, recommending this school to several of my fellow soldiers and friends.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Master of Arts in Military Studies

Master of Arts In Military Studies - October 25, 2011
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I completed my MA in Military Studies several years ago through AMU. As a military officer, I looked at several other acedemic programs but decided that AMU was the best choice for me overall. I was not disappointed. The courses were both interesting and challenging. The instructors were superb. The flexible schedule was critical after 9/11 and the cost was in-line with military tuition assistance. I know I worked as hard and learned as much as my "cubicle-mate", who chose a nights and weekends path. I would take this degree program again.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience and Great School

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - October 17, 2011
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I have had nothing but a positive experience at AMU. The professors are above par and maintain a challenging curriculum. I attended a traditional private ($$$)brick and mortar university in Boston for my undergrad and it pales in comparison to the education that I received at AMU. In addition, the professors were eager to help me improve my scholarly writing and to get me up to speed on a Masters degree level. In the end, your degree is what you make it. If you do not have the educational maturity to be self motivated then AMU is not for you.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Good and getting better

Masters Public Health (MPH) - October 17, 2011
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I am taking the last two classes in this program. I can’t speak intelligently about other programs at AMU/APU because I have not attended them. My undergraduate degree is from a traditional program and I’ve attended a traditional graduate program. I mention this to validate my comparison. Students need to have a good understanding of the subject matter prior to entering the program. Students with little to no public health experience will benefit greatly from gaining experience prior to enrolment. This is true of every program as there is no substitute for experience. AMU/APU has applied for and is anticipating the findings for the CEPH accreditation in the spring of 2013. I can’t overstate the importance of this accreditation. The CEPH appears to be the gold standard for public health education accreditation, and if this university receives it, the value of the degree will greatly increase. The cost of the graduate program at AMU is very low ($300 per credit hour at the time of this review) compared with other graduate level programs. No GRE or letters of recommendations are required. The education I’ve received from AMU has been of the same quality as the traditional schools I’ve attended. There is a lot of self teaching, and research, but that improves the quality of the education. I didn’t select a school to improve my ability to network, or join superfluous organizations. I have the experience necessary to advance in public health so these motivations were not important to me. If you are inexperienced in public health and need professors to spoon feed you from their experience than a traditional school may be a better choice. But if you are a competent public health worker/professional looking for a way to improve your education and credentials without the commute, AMU may be a good choice for you.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Bait & Switch

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - September 27, 2011
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Enrolled in a competitive intelligence program, but halfway through they dropped the program. Instead of taking the courses I expected to take I had to finish up with a bunch of useless MBA courses. Many professors and department chairs are borderline illiterate with bogus credentials. Course materials and assignments virtually unintelligible due to poor grammar and spelling. Administration hostile to non-PC thought. Difficult to believe this is a grad level program. There are a lot better programs out there for the same or less money; shop around.

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9 of 27 people found the following review helpful

MA for cheap, but not worth much in the working world.

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - September 22, 2011
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Like everyone one else in the field, I wanted the MA check mark when applying to a supervisory position. I went to a highly ranked school for under grad and worked very hard for good grades. This school is for profit, does not make you take the GRE, allows you to be accepted with in 20 minutes, and has no GPA requirements. That shows that it isn't a very good school right there. However if you are satisfied with just the check mark and want it for a cheap price and little work, you have your school. I tried one class and am not a fan. However my work pays for my degree, so I am in a little different position as most. I am going to go to a brick and mortal school. I personally feel it is a scam and the wrong way about getting an education, but I am glad I gave it a shot, so I can give it an honest review.

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5 of 23 people found the following review helpful

AMU - A decent educational experience

National Security Studies - September 22, 2011
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I have been attending AMU for about 3 years and am nearing the completion of my degree there. On the positive side, AMU has classes that start every month and on the military TA, you can take 6 classes per year. I am using my GI Bill benefits, which exceeds the cost of tuition. Since it is online, it is very flexible for those that do not have a lot of time to attend conventional classes. Some of the instructors/classes have exceeded my expectations and I have really learned quite a bit from them. Not all classes have open book tests at the end, but require a research paper of anywhere from 5 to 15 pages. The classes I have gotten the most out of had engaging instructors and students that were involved almost daily in the discussion board topics. In those cases, it made me wish that we were in the classroom and could discuss issues face to face. Some of the classes have been rather lackluster, and this can be attributed to not having face to face engagement that you could get in a classroom, busy instructors, and students trying to breeze through. I have been able to complete some classes without opening the text book, but that is mostly due to having easy access to online resources. The bottom line is that you will get out of the class what you put in to it. I tend to work harder if I have someone pushing me a bit, but then again, an engaging instructor always makes a class better. It's not a diploma mill, since you actually do have to put forth some effort, but it's not Harvard either.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Okay School

American Military History - September 21, 2011
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I have been attending AMU for around 3 years. I am 37 credits away from finishing my degree. It is an online institution. The price tag for a 3 hr class is 750 dollars, so there may be a cheaper bargin. The classes are good. Most history classes consist of 2 to 3 papers, discussions boards, and several readings. There does not seem to be a standard across the university, as some classes are fairly easy, while others pile on the work. It seems to be up to the discreation of the professor. The worst part about the school is the new classroom portal that the school has switched to. It is terrible. It is difficult to attach word documents. I have failed to turn in assignments because I thought the word document attached but it did not. This was after I tried 3 times. It also says you will get an email stating the assigment is turned in, but I have yet to get one of those emails. Reading the gradebook is also more complicated than before. The previous version was a lot easier to read and less busy as a web page.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

The Inevitable and Inexorable Emergence of Online Learning

National Security Studies - September 10, 2011
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My overall experience at AMU has been unequivocally positive, nonetheless there were some negatives: 1)The communication interface (Sakai) is ponderous. 2)A challenging instructor I favored was released (Mike Collier in the National Security Studies program). 3)The forums are generally based on exchange of information rather than the confrontational debate that I favor. In cases were I tried to incite heated debate, the instructor terminated the discussion before resolution. 4)The financial aid process appears to be ponderous and centered around meeting the needs of military personnel versus civilians like myself, hence I paid for all of my courses up front and out-of-pocket. The positives: 1) Interaction with many knowledgeable peers who possessed a unique skill set acquired from working in the military. For example, many of my fellow classmates were highly specialized mid to high level 'managers' in the armed forces actively engaged in the Global War on Terror. 2)Accessibility and low cost of books and other material. 3)Unlike my previous experience at 'respected brick and mortar' institutions in which professors peddled their own textbooks in a callous attempt to make a few bucks at the expense of a captive student audience -- the textbooks required at AMU were awesome and written by acknowledged experts in the field who were not associated with AMU. 4)Courses on research methods and analytics that helped improve my overall ability to conduct, analyze, and present technical reports. 5)Objective, fair, balanced, highly knowledgeable and highly experienced instructors. Lastly, my review has context since I have extensive and varied experience with both traditional 'brick and mortar' institutions and online schools. Both are demonstrably effective depending on the instructors and the programs. Indeed, based on advancements in electronic communications, I believe that online institutions are in ascendance.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU MBA Accounting

MBA - September 6, 2011
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AMU's MBA program is a two year program. Classes last eight weeks and each class can be started at any month. The MBA program offers many concentrations from Finance to Homeland Security Resource Allocation. Pros: The MBA program has a standard mix of business classes in its core curriculum but offers a good amount of concentrations to customize your MBA to your liking. The business program is ACBSP accredited which adds some prestige especially if you plan to teach. The MBA program is doable in one year with the eight week classes and flexibility of offering classes once a month. The customer service at AMU is great as staff will quickly accommodate the concerns of students. Classes are very affordable at around three hundred a graduate credit. That is a great price for a regionally accredited MBA program. Cons: AMU is an online college and doesn't offer in person classes. Online classes still leave a little left to be desired especially the networking factor that good MBA programs can offer. AMU doesn't have the greatest reputation academically. You could a find more reputable school at the same price with in state tuition. AMU Lacks AACSB accreditation which is the gold standard for MBA programs. Academic quality isn't the best. Discussion is limited to discussion boards and lacks video lectures and graphics; does not make full use of technology. Exams are not proctored and open book. The homework load is a little light. The graduate classes took me about the same amount of effort of undergraduate classes at a local college. The comprehensive final exam is an open book six hour exam. You could always go beyond the call and do extra work for learning purposes but still... Admission standards are low and the quality of intelligence in the classroom is pretty mediocre. Part of the value of an MBA lies in how selective it is. Conclusion: AMU is a regionally accredited college that provides an affordable MBA program that is convenient, and ACBSP accredited. If you already have a career or in the military and looking for an MBA program to move up the ladder, then AMU's MBA program is for you. AMU is military friendly. However, if you are looking to find an MBA program that will help you find a career or looking to teach business classes than you should look elsewhere. AMU on your resume will not impress anyone nor will it provide much networking opportunities.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Masters Program - Psychology

Psychology - August 21, 2011
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Myself and my spouse attend this school, I am in a masters program, my spouse is in a bachelors program. Overall, it is good for the money. I am not happy with the majority of instructors or the financail aid/military tuition office. They used to be very responsive, a quick reply within 24 hours. Now, it can take several weeks and IF you hear back at all. My husband has put in his VONAPP months ago, he has emailed and called the VA office at the school, still no response. He will not receiving his VA educational benefits because the school has not done their part. This has put a huge strain on us financially. I noticed I am not the only one who is concerned with faculty response. I have been graded prior to deadlines, and I do not receive responses to emails or questions to the professor. This is really unacceptable when you are in a learning environment. It seems to me they are collecting a paycheck and not contributing to the course whatsoever. Not a good experience. I have had some wonderful professors, but its about 50/50. Sometimes, you do not have a choice of who your instructor is. Because the class lengths are short, you do not have much time for deciding to stay in or drop the course.

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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Just some thoughts

BA in History - August 17, 2011
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Just observations, not complaints. It would appear that AMU has set itself up as the defacto university for the Military. The costs are very affordable, there are many policies in place that support a service lifestyle and all that entails. In that respect AMU is very good. Shortly into my degree, I noticed that despite the words, some of the instructors aren't that engaged. This maybe due to them holding down day jobs and working for AMU in the evenings? If so, that's understandable. This might be a personality type thing but it seemed to be a theme I encountered more and more. Also, the tests aren't proctored and, in some cases, not timed. This tends to make them ineffective as far as testing knowledge. I'm not griping, I'm just making observations that some others might find important when looking at online education. Just to summarize: The price is right, the offerings are substantial, the reputation is constantly building and, the staff and faculty do appear interested in the individual's success.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Loved this school

Intelligence Studies - August 10, 2011
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I took courses with University of Phoenix online and brick and mortar colleges and finally started with AMU because of the cost of education. It was scary because I had heard very little about this school. Intel Studies was challenging at times (always more challenging than course I took at other colleges) but the Professors were great and very diverse. I felt as if I got the best of all over the country. Many of the bad reviews are from people that did not put time into themselves in order to achieve with this school. They will not give you a degree, you have to work for it. On the bright side I never had an instructor that would not work with me or extend if the reason was good.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Great school with a great reputation!

Intelligence Studies - August 7, 2011
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I am totally pleased and proud to be taking my degree at AMU! Sure, there are always things that can be done in a different manner, but you will also find that to be true at Harvard, Princeton, etc. I sought out AMU because it was recommended to me by people in the field I dream of being able to work in. Being a foreign student, I must tell you that AMU has an international reputation in the Intelligence and security (terrorism) field. And that reputations is very, very good! This thanks to professors as Jenny Hesterman, Steven Greer, Paul Medhurst, etc. World class teachers that make you work hard for your grade. True professionals! But, I have spent time researching my professors, before I sign up for their classes. Read their bio's, choose those that you feel have the best experiences to teach your subject. In all my classes at AMU, I have only dropped out of 2 classes due to the professors. As many others have written, AMU is not a school for those who need to have their hands held at every turn. The school demands that you work hard and if you do, they are there for you. A great school that is highly recommended!

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great multidisciplinary degree

Space Studies - August 3, 2011
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This degree provides excellent grounding all aspects of space studies. There is opportunity to study planetary sciences, aerospace sciences and aspects of the space industry such as mission management. There is plenty of opportunity for research and a lot of opportunity for discussion with other students. My overall experience has been very good.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Not convenient in the least!

Intelligence Studies - July 22, 2011
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I chose an online college for convenience. There was nothing convenient as I was instructed to treat this college as if it were any ordinary brick & mortar school. If I wanted to attend a brick & mortar school, I would have. I initially wanted a school where I could go at my own pace while managing a career and family. AMU requires that you log in very frequently so that you can interact with other students in a discussion board type format. I'm not in school to make friends or listen to others gropes and complaints. I'm here to get a degree. I know plenty of people who attended regular universities and had little interaction with other students. Social networking should NOT be part of your grade unless of course you are attending Facebook University. Because of my military job, I am only allowed to log on maybe twice a week. When I do, I have dozens of emails from instructors telling me that I am behind and that I am not "interacting" with other students. Bottom line.....log in every day or fail. Not worth it. And by the way, I used the Pell Grant in order to attend yet the admin folks still claim I owe close to 5 grand in tuition!

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6 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Just Got 10 More Years of Regional Acceditation

Master of Arts in History - July 20, 2011
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I am a fairly new graduate student at APUS but I am very impressed. I wish they had a stronger lecture component - but otherwise it is probably how school should be done - lot's of writing, writing, writing and reading. I'm in a class right now that has 5 required books. Also, many students possess one or two masters already or even a Ph.D. I am telling you from real world experience that that is NOT common in the brick and mortars. Oh - the staff - - talk about accomplished people - I never had a professor write books before until I started at AMU - now I've had 4! One wrote 10 books. And online learning? Harvard Exten. School has an online program with a 15% or so residency requirement - - and they don't discriminate between online or on-campus on the transcript. Online is the real deal folks - - just make sure you get a regionally accredited school. APU/AMU were just renewed regional accreditation for 10 years (through 2021). And have you see the costs here? Unbeatable. And free books for undergrads... What's not to love?

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

A good school for the money

Political Science - July 4, 2011
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I am two-thirds of the way finished with a Master's in Political Science from AMU and I am satisfied. I work in a remote geographic location and I have a wife, two kids, a government career, and two mortgages, so going back to school wasn't an option. I enjoy the online medium and the freedom it affords. I feel that I have learned a wonderful amount so far, all of which I can apply to my life and work. There are times when I wonder if going to an established brick-and-mortar school would have been a better road to take for a Master's. AMU does not offer mentorship from professors, lectures, or the chance to teach undergraduates, which I've always thought must be a valuable learning experience. Nor is there much prestige tied to the name, as with other schools. But this school is evolving, and online learning is surely the medium of the future. This degree does provide ample opportunity to read, write, and to a lesser extent debate, and to explore ideas and interests, all of which turns the student on to many new concepts and sharpens his or her analytical and writing skills. I also know plenty of people with Master's degrees from mainstream schools who have either done nothing with them or seemingly profited very little from them, all the while amassing a hefty debt. These classes are more challenging than my brick-and-mortar undergraduate alma mater in that timelines are compressed, workloads are greater, and standards are higher. I attended a small law school 10 years ago for one year only and the law classes required much more reading and included much more difficult tests. This degree falls somewhere in between. I am not taking this degree to impress an employer specifically and if that is your goal you might want to go elsewhere. I am taking this degree to challenge and enrich myself. What job does Political Science lead to anyway? But this is an accredited Master's degree and I can combine it with my other skills, employment history, references, etc. to help achieve another promotion at some future time. My point is that this degree will probably not magically unlock any doors for you, but neither will almost any other Master's degree. Most employers are looking at you as an entire package and your degree is only a part of that. Don't enter this degree thinking you're going to teach at Harvard some day. I'm not sure a Master's at AMU would even be accepted by most non-online Phd programs. But if you go into it with the attitude that this program is one more opportunity to challenge yourself, apply yourself, and learn something useful, you will not be disappointed.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Intel Studies

Intelligence Studies - June 25, 2011
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Good luck finding a school who teaches intelligence studies, is regionally accredited, has world class professors who know their stuff inside and out. One of the professors had to cancel class when Russia invaded the Republic of Georgia, because he is the Chief Military Advisor.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

AMU passes my muster

Environmental Policy and Management - June 5, 2011
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I am enrolled in the Environmental Policy and Management masters program and it is challenging. You have to keep up and present your work professionally. The only thing that is a bit disappointing is the lack of networking because you never really interact with other students. I think this is what online universities lack. You have to try a lot harder to reach out to people. By the way Dr. Polio is a gem. She anchors this major.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Mixed bag

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - June 4, 2011
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I am one course away from completing a Masters from AMU. The first half of my degree process encountered good instructors who challenged and actually took the time to provide feedback on papers. They provided weekly summaries (lectures) and actually took the time to critique the papers, of which there are MANY at AMU. The last few classes however, ugh. No feed back, or a simple, incomplete sentence of acknowledgement. No lectures, no getting into the discussions, NO TEACHING. I understand this is a Masters program, but the way I see it, I am not perfect and could probably use some "fixing" in my papers. For the money going into this "for profit", I would expect a better product. I am one class from doing my thesis and have seriously considered dropping and going somewhere else. That is saying alot since I have invested 2 years so far to complete the program and am so very close. I do not feel challenged in the past few courses, the interaction with other students is good, but there is a lack of critical thinking in posts. Most just regurgitate the information like a 7th grade book report. The programs are accredited and overall, I think a degree is a degree, but I was hoping for a bit more challenge.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Just completed my MA in criminal justice

Criminal Justice - June 3, 2011
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To all of these people who say it is a scam and that if you get deployed they try to scam you is far beyond accurate. All teachers have a biography and most teachers I had in the CJ field have shown their credentials. I completed my program in 2 years and all the courses were relevant and the books I received were comprehensive. Financial Aid, Academic Advisers and the teachers were all great and everything was handled in a timely fashion. All of my teachers were intelligence officers, forensic examiners, lawyer and security personnel with most have a JD or PHD. The fees are not that high (tuition)at around 900 per class isnt too bad. They have many programs in all areas of education. To those who have commented negatively are probably just people who couldnt handle the online learning curriculum and did not so too well in their classes. AMU, I would definitely recommend.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU is Outstanding, glad I decided to attend this University

Transportation and Logistics Management - June 2, 2011
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I completed my BA in 2010 and after completing 26 years in the military within the logistics field.... my degree not only was a perfect fit for me but relly keep my interest during the entire process. I am currenlty enrolled in the Master's program and look forward to completing my degree. After reading a prior comment, guess you can't please everyone.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Very Impressed with quality of course work

Public Administration - May 27, 2011
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I was hesitant to begin my graduate degree in public administration with an on-line university after leaving Webster University. I have to admit that I am very impressed with the course work, and do not regret pursuing my degree with AMU. Based on the reviews on this website, much o f the complaints seem to be with the financial aid department, and not so much the faculty/instructors. The instructors are knowledgeable and work well with students. I’ve had some very obnoxious instructors from other so call “prestigious” universities; it just shows that you don’t always get what you pay for! I wasn’t going to continue paying a pretty penny at UMUC to get talked down to by a particular instructor. If I was a subject matter expert in philosophy I wouldn’t be enrolled in the course right? After all that is why people go to college/school- to learn, right? If you are serious about your education AMU is a great school. Ultimately, I believe that one’s experience at AMU (and any other university) is highly dependent on the effort and dedication that one puts into it! Best wishes!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Education for Responsible, Motivated, Self Starting Professionals

Intelligence Studies - May 15, 2011
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Just like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. The same could be said for an Ivy League education, or one's experience in the United States Armed Forces. For those who expect their education to be given to them, I wouldn't recommend AMU. Sure, you might get passing grades, but seriously - is it worth all that for a piece of paper with no personal meaning behind it? For professionals and practitioners who take education seriously, and who are willing to put in the time to really learn, then AMU is ideal. You can really get a lot out of an education with AMU, but you'll have to sacrifice weekends and evenings to do homework and required reading. You'll be encouraged by your professors as much as they perceive your sincere ambition to learn backed up by some very hard work. For those who wish to take an education, AMU is as good as it gets. The only limits on a student's academic achievements are self imposed.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Two Thumbs Up

Business Administration - April 9, 2011
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I had no problems with AMU and believe it was a great value. The work was harder than my brick and mortar classes and I feel that I learned just as much if not more. I would recommend them to students who willing and able to work hard on their own.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

KUDOS to AMU

Criminal Justice - March 30, 2011
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I just finished my MA in Criminal Justice and I feel it has been such an accomplishment. I am a homicide investigator and officer in the Coast Guard Reserve so free time is limited for me. The program allows for flexibility to maintian such a schedule. Most importantly, the school certainly meets the objectives of providing top notch education, and high standards for completion. I feel I earned my degree and at no time felt any professor wasn't worthy of his/her position. I would recommend anyone wishing to fulfill educational goals to do so with AMU.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

My niche`

Homeland Security - January 26, 2011
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In my short time with AMU, I have found the professors are brilliant and experienced, the support staff is phenomenol. I enjoy being surrounded in courses with all of my heroes and their thoughts and willingness to share their personal experiences. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful school

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Civil War History

Military History - January 25, 2011
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AMU is a great school to study for a Master's degree online. I started my degree in South Korea and have continued it back here in the USA. The classes are challenging, most instructors interact well with the students and its a very convenient way to study. I also love the fact that I can study Military History online. Most online programs do not offer the amount of options in Military History that AMU does. Overall, AMU is a great school with a solid History program and if anyone wants more information on the Military History program, they can contact me at corvus37@yahoo.com.

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Highly recommend for online newbies and veterans

Information Technology Management - January 21, 2011
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I am an active duty USAF member completing my last two courses toward a B.S. in IT Mgmt. I've had experience with traditional schools (U. of S. Miss., Macon State College, Chapman U., U. of Maryland) and online courses (Macon State College, U. of Maryland, AMU). I can honestly say, with regards to online learning, my experience with AMU is phenomenal! The courses are well developed, standardized, and easy to use. They are designed to be accessible all the time and therefore do not impose time constraints on students for when they need to attend class or log in (with the exception of weekly suspenses for work, exams, etc.) The instructors are well versed in their specialties, open to feedback, responsive and engaged with students/classes. Collaboration with other students is positive, engaging, helpful and fun. Most classes are 8-weeks long with some as long as 16 weeks. Although tuition for military members is much easier than civilians, I suspect the rates are as good, if not better than most schools, considering what you get for the price. I would recommend AMU for anyone who is not experienced or confident with online learning as well as veterans of distance learning. I've really enjoyed my time with AMU as they have made university-level learning fun and engaging. AMU has exceeded my expectations to the point that I hope to continue taking courses just for the fun of it!

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Who misspelled Emergency?

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 18, 2011
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I'm in progress, have 6 more classes to go. Most classes have alot of reading & writing, some have 20 page papers due- I don't know if that's standard with master's courses, but please, we're not allowed too many independent thoughts and there's only so much to write about. I've had only 2 classes where the "instructor" actually chimes in on the board. We are not instructed, online learning makes us teach ourselves. Most of the books are too old. That needs changed.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Great degree

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - January 15, 2011
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I am within sight (4 months) of completing my degree with AMU and I am very happy with the way it has progressed so far. I had no problems with UOP either but I like the 8 week as opposed to their 5 week classes. AMU also offers 16 week classes so you can catch a breather sometimes...8 week courses can be grueling. Of course I did some of the classes from Mexico and the Bahamas so the flexibility is nothing to sneeze at! I like my school and would recommend it to anyone. Mark

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Trans & Logistic Management

Transportation and Logistics Management - January 9, 2011
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I have 8 course remaining for my BA in Trans & Logistics Management. I have enjoyed everything about my experience. I would love to share some aspect that I do not like, but the truth is that I do not have any about this university. The Trans & Logistics degree does focus more on the supply side. Other than that it is great.

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AMU HAS PROVEN TO BE A GREAT SCHOOL!!!!

Middle Eastern Studies - January 7, 2011
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Back in 2006, I was a student of International Relations at Florida International University. When I was a junior there, I was dissatisfied with the level of expertise and availability of courses that concentrate on the Middle East. After doing a little bit of research on some of the online programs, I found out that APUS (AMU) was the only online-based institution that offers in-depth concentration on the Middle East through its BA Middle Eastern Studies program. With some skepticism in the back of my head, I have transferred to AMU, while simultaneously joining active duty military. In the beginning, it was tough being a full-time soldier and a student at the same time. I had to concentrate on my priority--obtaining a higher education. This way, whenever the Army was not able to accommodate my schooling, I had to go ahead and find time, regardless of what was going on around me. With sufficient time invested into following through with the coursework, I was able to pull up my GPA to a decent 3.4. This was not an easy task, though. In fact, I have found the online format to be more rigorous and more satisfying, as far as my education goals were concerned. When talking about the Middle Eastern Studies program at AMU, we have to have in mind that this is a one-of-a-kind program that is mainly available within only a few traditional colleges and universities. Based on my initial search for similar online programs, AMU was the only online institution that grants a BA in Middle Eastern Studies. Today, as a graduate, I can sense that my academic understanding of the Middle East is extremely vital to myself, to our nation, and to the world in which we live. Thank You, AMU, for your academic excellence and a professional approach to education!!!!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Convenient and cost-effective!

Business Administration - January 2, 2011
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I'm about 5 classes short of completing a BS in BA. I've only been enrolled at AMU for a year, but in that time, I've managed to complete 8 courses while in the active-duty Army. For the most part, the classes have been engaging and challenging with responsive instructors who are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt concerning any issues/problems that arise in a course. For instance, some of the exams are time-sensitive and once "opened" online, cannot be "reopened" for completion, basically giving the student one opportunity to finish a test. On a couple of occasions, I inadvertently and prematurely closed an exam to my detriment. A short email to the instructor explaining the circumstances enabled the exam to be reset for another shot at completion. The most challenging classes I've had so far have been general education courses such as History 101 and 102 as well as a 16 week literature course. These courses required extensive reading and writing requirements. Within a week or two of most of these 8-week long courses, a student will be able to grasp exactly what a particular instructor requires to obtain a decent grade. Needless to say as well, a student's work contributions within the initial few weeks of instruction also gives the instructor a better grasp of a student's capabilities. In the end, AMU isn't Harvard or MIT, but for most, getting a degree with minimal debt, if any at all, and in a format that works well with a full-time work schedule is all that matters!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Serious school, affordable

Information Systems Security - December 26, 2010
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For all the "this is a joke" naysayers out there, some facts for you: AMU is accredited by the same commission as Notre Dame, and an ex-astronaut is dean of their technology dept. I'm a grad student and I can tell you first hand, this is a serious school. So keep your uninformed/disgruntled opinions to yourselves. The only complaint I have is that their support staff could be a little more responsive.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Okay

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 8, 2010
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I've attended multiple schools and feel that AMU is about "middle of the pack". Enrollment is very easy and the pace and schedule is very accomodating to a working adult. I found the support staff to be less than helpful unless trying to deal with a funding issue, in which case they quickly bent over backwards to make sure that AMU did what they had to do to get the money. Also found most teachers to be less than helpful in addressing issues, concerns and questions. Also, the University's fees to request an official transcript are pretty high. Due to the lack of support I've gotten from the staff & teachers I am going back to a local "brick and mortar" school which also offers all their classes on-line.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Overall a Solid Program - Effort In, Results Out

International Relations - December 1, 2010
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I completed an M.A. in International Relations with a focus on International & Transnational Security Issues in about 2.5 years. Overall, it was a solid program that required honest hard work, sound writing skills, and a reasonable amount of time and effort. It would have been easy to do less work, but as a professional and a military officer that was not an option. Cons: Instructors are hard to vet and most did not put in the effort to build any rapport with the students. Unfortunately, neither did many of the students. This doesn't mean that they were bad teachers, rather they just were not very good with the people side of an online community. I was also very disappointed with several of my peers' writing abilities. I guess there's a reason for the GRE. Also, after several honest, and occasionally scathing, course reviews I never heard back from the school or the instructors. While all this sounds very negative I also experienced a couple above average prof's and one utterly fantastic prof from whom I took three classes (out of twelve). Pros: The course work and topics were interesting and relevant. (My projects and papers were normally on something that made me smarter at work as well.) The technology used by AMU is bomb-proof and the online library was adequate. One of the biggest draws to AMU for me was the frequency of the courses in my program and the flexibility with which I could enroll or disenroll if work picked-up and it looked like I needed a break. (You can drop a course in the first week after reviewing the syllabus without penalty.) I had some trouble with the grading of my comp exam, but after laying out my case to the instructor and his boss they fixed their error, but even then the comp exam was fair and challenging. Again, overall I think AMU is a sound investment of your funds & your time. Like most endeavors in life you will get out of it what you put into it.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - November 29, 2010
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I have just completed my Masters in Emergency and Disaster Management from AMU. Having recieved my undergrad degrees from a private university I was concerned about the information and level of education I would receive from an online Masters Degree, but it was my only option in the field of study I wanted to pursue. Overall, my expectations were exceeded. I had to leave one class to respond to a natural disaster and the process to do so was flawless. Most of the instructors held the class to a high level of participation, and the school did a fantastic job of asking for advise about every class and professor. In my opinion, it was worth every dollar.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

It's Alright.

Intelligence Studies - November 14, 2010
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AMU is okay. It's not the greatest, but you could do much worse. Admissions is very easy and almost painless, it just takes a fairly long time (like 6-8 weeks) to get your transcripts evaluated. This doesn't prevent you from starting classes, so look into taking classes for your major. A lot of hiring managers will not take your AMU degree seriously. However, the government does, and a majority of people at AMU are there to try to get government jobs. AMU does have a fairly good reputation in the DC area, though. The professors are like those at any other school in the nation, some are great, others are horrible. While the profs have amazing backgrounds, most have other jobs at the same time. This does reflect on the classes, as it feels a decent percentage of the profs are just there to grade your papers. The financial aid department is horrible. They don't respond to emails or phone messages. If you try to call them, you're on hold for three minutes before they transfer you to voicemail. Everytime I've had to deal with them it takes me 7-8 phone calls in a row to get a human. However, once you get a human they know what's going on and can help you very well. The intelligence studies program is considered one of the best in the nation, but I can't vouch for other programs. If you have questions about going to grad/law school, lots of people claim that there are graduates who go on to all sorts of schools. While I don't disbelieve these stories, I have yet to see any student come forward to say they went on to a law/non-AMU grad school. If you really want to succeed at AMU, you'll probably need to drink the Kool-Aid. The school is very fierce about defending its reputation, and many students are poised with very well-written, almost script-like comments and stories that all sound the same. At the end of the day, it's just alright. I've enjoyed a good many of my classes, and the school is very affordable. With my Pell grant, I'm only going into about 5k of loan debt, which isn't bad at all. The only thing lacking with this school and other online ones is the lack of student interaction. Message boards are not an ideal medium for making friends.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Good school

Master of Arts in History - November 5, 2010
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I am enrolled in American Public University. I have mostly positive comments to say about the school. The quality of people who attend the university are amazing. People who already have other Masters and PHDs, people who are teachers, doctors, lawyers, work for NASA, the government, etc, all attend this school. That speaks highly of the school. I have zero issues with admin or the VA people at the school. This school is for adults, who are self starters, and can comprehend learning somewhat on their own, An online professor can only do so much. So if you want one on one attention eveytime you are in class then go to a brick and mortar school. I can gurantee you that even there you won't get the one on one attention you think you will get. Do what you feel comfrtable with. This school is highly accreditied with the same profesors you would find at any major college or university (same skill sets). You will work hard at this university. If you have no inititaive and are still a baby don't attend. If you are disciplined, need flexibility, and want a challenge, then enroll. Statistics show that online learning will grow in the next decade with 50% of all graduates in America earning an online degree. That number will increase and the brick and mortar schools of the past will fade into obscurity in the next 50 to 100 years. I have learned more online than I ever learned sitting in a classroom because it forces me to do research and go through the website, etc. Mike O'Neil

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The course work is about the same...

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - October 29, 2010
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Like any other university, AMU has both good professors and bad ones (I have had both while working on my Master’s Degree at AMU). Like every other university on the planet, most of their classes are interesting and challenging, yet there are some that seem to be little more than a paper-drill. I would have to say that it was more difficult to earn than the B.A. that I received from Troy State, but at the same time I am not totally sure how it will be viewed by UNC when I apply for admission into the Doctoral Program this coming spring. I will update when I find out.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU - Transportation & Log Mgmt Bachelor's Degre

Transportation and Logistics Management - October 26, 2010
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I got my degree done (19) classes from January 2010 - October 2010. It was extremely challenging. Some teachers seemed out there, others were really good (Scott Brown, Bob Jaffin, Jennifer Batchelor, Roxie Ostlund, Craig Magee) Were a few that really stood out for me. I read a lot of negative reviews before I started, but if you really need the 1 on 1, you need to go to an IN CLASS classroom. To me the online degree was harder to get because you had to motivate yourself, and there was a massive amount of reading. If you are deployed, or simply don't have enough time to take classes actually in class, go AMU. This was perfect for me.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Better than most brick and mortar schools

Military History - October 20, 2010
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One can play the system in a bricks and mortar school the same as in an online distance learning school. Or one can experience great educational opportunities in each. The difference at AMU is I get the same quality of instruction, better resources, no hidden costs, and super technological support for my classes. When in a pinch I've even participated in discussions with professors and students around the world using my iPhone! I've learned more in my MA Military History program than I would ever imagine. The AMU system is just fantastic.

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It was ok, but I had to walk

Intelligence Studies - October 15, 2010
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My experience with AMU started great. The staff was accommodating, and I was helped promptly. But once I transferred from the AA to BA program, things to a turn for the worst and I have left the school to seek better education elsewhere. Starting with instructors, I was not impressed for these being 300 level courses. The syllabuses given to us were outdated and were cookie cutter templates with mere words changed. There was no depth to them and I was not able to consult the syllabus and get the answers I was looking for to complete and assignment because there was no breakdown of weekly assignments. It only had a summary chart of what was to be done each week. Trying to find assignment info was like playing hide and seeks: the information was not consolidated. Some of the assignments were in the course materials folder, others were in the discussion board and some were on the instructor announcements. Unfortunately, after several emails, I found out that some of the information was outdated that my instructor had posted and he had to twice fix the announcements to truly post what we were to do. So it leads me to believe that these instructors were using cut-and-paste, cookie cutter announcements that they forgot to update as the course changed over time. There VA Office sucked! I sent my change of program to go from the AA to BA on 27 July and got a confirmation email saying they had received it, updated the VA online site and sent the hard copies to the VA from a VA Rep. Fast forward to yesterday and I learn that they hadn’t received it. After a email I forwarded, it went from “they had not received it period” to “we received it but we didn’t know why you sent it” which, in conclusion, means this $3000 in school charges will by my responsibility until the VA kicks into gear and awards my money, which could be weeks! I think this is the biggest sticking point because of the dishonesty from the VA Office. They told me something they had done and then reneged on it when crunch time approached. Overall AMU was a decent school. I just think the level of professionalism should increase as the courses get harder, not decrease, leaving the student out and dry.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

An on-line degree with true employment VALUE!

BS: Information Technology-general - September 29, 2010
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APUS/AMU uses technology to deliver courses which are current and equal to courses at "B&M" universities. The assignments and assessments are challenging but the support and interaction with staff and fellow students make completing courses easier. The course content is truly current and up to date. I'm completing my third year and the growth of the school is impressive but the level of support is still TOP NOTCH. Financial aid, services are excellent. I highly recommend the school. The degree earned at APUS/AMU does have “street value” and will open more employment doors.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

MA in Humanities

Humanities - September 8, 2010
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This is a regionally accredited program that enables motivated students to earn a MA degree in general humanities largely through independent reading and writing. It was exactly the kind of curriculum that fit readily into my professional life. It is NOT an easy course of study to complete. Graduate students are expected to be self-disciplined and proficient at reading and writing. The faculty with whom I studied all held traditional PhDs from well-known universities. It took me six years of parttime study to work through the program. To me, it was worth every minute and every cent.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great Degree For Bragging Rights Or Not?

Master of Arts in History - September 7, 2010
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I am a "Graduate" student at AMU. I don't plan to use this degree for employment purposes, as the value of this degree doesn't appear to be very high, so this is more like a hobby. The personal value I have for this degree is enormous, and I plan to show others my degree with pride. AMU has done right by me. No problems with my financial aid so far. The instructors are professional and appear to be among the best in their respective fields. The material is challenging and relevant. The classroom technology is annoying, but they have plans to change it. This university is geared towards military, and people who need a quick degree to get a promotion. Graduate students are not treated as budding academics and there is very little support given to students who wish to pursue a PHD. Students who have a poor idea of what pursuing a PHD entails are looking for AMU/APUS to start a PHD in History online program. They will probably be waiting forever. My advice is... if you want to eventually get a PHD, you are better off going to a traditional university. There are teaching, research and funding opportunities there and you won't have to worry about whether a PHD program will accept your M.A. or not. Overall, AMU is good for those who like to earn degrees for fun. It is an excellent value if you are able to get your employer or Army to pay for it. I wouldn't pay more than $10,000 for a degree from here. For those looking into the institution's professional programs, beware of the accreditation of the program. The university may be regionally accredited but it may not have the actual accreditation for that profession.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU is no "free ride"

Master of Arts in History - September 4, 2010
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I received my BA in History from Excelsior College and while working towards it, I took classes at a half dozen schools (online and in person) and transfered credit to Excelsior. I just started with AMU and am working towards an MA in History. Comparing the two History classes that I took at AMU versus Excelsior, U of Idaho, Cal State Northridge, U of Texas at Arlington and Brigham Young, the classes at AMU were (hands down) the most challenging - academically and the challenge posed by the professors. Idaho was a close second. I can say this: the online classes were harder than a class I sat in at the Cal State schools. The Excelsior classes were easier than AMU and the Brigham Young were mid-way but required more discipline as they were "at your own pace" classes. The AMU classes not only required a lot of writing, the STANDARD was very HIGH in that no amateurish work was allowed. Each paper had to be to standard: documentation, thesis, logical and FLOWING argument, punctuation, etc. AMU is no "easy way" out - really, the only advantage in going the AMU route versus your local "brick and mortar" school is the 8 week class length & the ability to work from home (or in my case, Afghanistan). You aren't getting a "free ride" by going to AMU and I can't imagine ANY school or entity not taking the degree seriously if they know the crucible that the student must pass to finish a course. Oh, and 8 week classes are no joke; expect 200% the work load of a 4 month class. And only take 1 at a time; I took two once and it was near academic suicide. Typical AMU 8 week course consists of reading 3+ textbooks cover to cover, writing at least one 4 page paper + a ten page research report, weekly discussion boards (and no "simple" posts - you are required to post a 250+ word argument that is backed up by documentation and reference to the texts and/or outside sources), TWO answers to other students that also require documentation and reference to the texts, a mid-term - usually a term paper), a final exam (another paper), bi-weekly quizes, etc. Yeah, its a lot of work. You should expect to spend 10 to 12 hours OR MORE in front of your computer each week. Its like having a part time job.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU

National Security Studies - September 2, 2010
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I have a BA in International Relations from AMU, currently in the MA program for National Security Studies. I have attended B & M universities, however I found AMU courses challenging and learned considerable more than sitting through lectures. As a working professional it doesn't get better than AMU for education. I wish when I was active duty military this would have been avialable. The professors are of high quality with real world experience, many teaching at other major universities. I truly believe AMU is ahead of its time, and that they are the future of education.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

MS Environmental Studies

Environmental Policy and Management - August 30, 2010
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I'm currently in the Enviromental Policy and Management program. I chose this program because it was the only online Masters Degree I found interesting. I'm active duty military and live about an hour from the nearest university, so online was my best option. After my first class, research methodologies, I almost quit the program. I found the online class structure very confusing, but decided to give it another shot. Once you take a couple classes and catch-on to how the courses operate, it gets easier. What I've found is that the assignments and courses take a lot of planning and personal responsibility to complete on time. It is a heavy workload, but I've found I can get away with less than my best work and still recieve at least a B. I'm using military Tuition Assistance and GI Bill Top-Up to pay for the courses. If I had to pay out of pocket, I would put my money into a better school, but for what my circumstances allow me, this free degree from AMU will be just fine. I certainly won't flaunt it, but hope it will give me an edge against other applicants when I retire and move into the civilian sector. So far as professors, like others have said, it is a mixed bag. Some are totally absent, while others are very interactive.

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My experience at AMU

Business Administration - August 25, 2010
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To all, I just earned my BBA with AMU and have enjoyed my experience here. I am starting my MBA program in October and am ready to fulfill another chapter in my life. The professors, advisors and staff have really kept close, making this experience the best it can be. In order to learn in this setting, you have to take your work seriously and study on your own. Many believe they have to be in a traditional setting to "feel" like its credible. This is far from the truth but MUST be said by those who need their hands held to higher their education. Again, I enjoyed my time and will be furthering my education with them and highly recommend them to working class adults!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU Rocks

Security Management - August 23, 2010
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I finished my MA in Security Management. Being on Active Duty I had to move around alot and the folks at AMU were always there even when deployed to Iraq.

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AMU is as good as B&M colleges

Homeland Security - August 16, 2010
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I am 15 weeks from my BA in Homeland Security and previously attended two exclusive, private brick and mortar colleges. Although you cannot always talk to an instructor at a certain time, you also cannot at traditional colleges. In this online method there is much more writing than a b&m college and the student is required to be mature enough to learn without hand holding. Material is relevant and for the most part the instructors are timely with ffedback. The administration part could use a little improvement, but that can be expected of any college that deals with many students.

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100% Military Friendly

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - August 8, 2010
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As an active duty member of the US Air Force, I quickly fell in love with American Military University based on their support & willingness to work with me during my short notice military deployments. As they have a thorough Student Handbook that outlines student options, I was able to request course extensions online when I would be enrolled in class without access to the internet. My area field representative quickly answers questions I email him with and most importantly, the quality of education is the best I've received in my multiple schools I've attended. AMU is the way to go!

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American Public University/American Military Unive

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - August 6, 2010
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I found the university to be both challenging and intellectually stimulating. If this is your first online course, initially you might not comprehend the amount of work that is required for a successful learning experience. The majority of the coursework consists of researching material and then writing papers about subject. Make no mistake about it, you will be writing paper after paper and they are dissected word by word and comma by comma. Every week a different topic is put up for discussion and you must respond to at least two students with some meaningful dialogue. The response should contain references to your subject matter and be at a scholarly level. Your papers also must be of a scholarly nature complete with intext citations, references and according to APA 6th Edition writing guidelines. All written papers are subject to plagiarism review under TurnItIn. If you are unfamiliar with TurnItIn, it is a plagiarism review site that generates a specific report as to the percentage of copied material. It is impossible to copy and paste information into your written papers, so all work is original. I typically spent 2-3 hours per day during the week and all of Saturday and some of Sunday, researching the material and writing. It was necessary to devote this much time to keep up with the academics and to respond to my fellow students with clarity of thought and that the material I wrote was pertinent to the discussion. I graduated with a 3.9725 GPA, and earned every bit of it. Based upon my transcripts and GPA, I was accepted into two different doctoral programs, and have just finished my second quarter of doctoral work, holding a 4.0 GPA. The professors at APUS-APU/AMU prepared me for the rigorous academic work required at the doctoral level, and for that I am grateful.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU is for Grown Ups

Intelligence Studies - August 3, 2010
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If you are interested in AMU, you must remember that they do not cater to children who do not know how to manage time. I have actively continued education with AMU (on and off active duty) and always found certain constant factors: -They always maintained good communication (reply within 48 hrs) -The books were in my mail once the tuition was paid -They take the GI Bill without issue -They allow drops in courses (if within the first week) -They expect you to work for your knowledge -They dealt with every road block I constructed (professionally) If you want a quality education, you must actually read your assigned course work. If you want a quality grade, you should know how to write properly. This includes punctuation and spelling! I am honestly sick and tired of those who are so self- righteous in believing that a degree should be served to them on a silver platter. Just because you pay a university and log on to it once a week does not mean you have substance in your thought. It certainly does not mean you have EARNED a degree. Once you accept you must put some work into the classes, you just may succeed. Once again, AMU is for grown ups. You can be over 18 and still act like a child. Put the work in, use your brain, and you will be amazed at the end result! This school is highly recommended for those who can define two words: comprehension, accountability.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Solid Education + Great Experience

Psychology - August 3, 2010
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AMU has been a good experience. Some courses and teachers have been more challenging than others. But for the most part I've gotten my moneys worth. I was initially concerned that an online education would not be the same quality as the traditional route. I was wrong! My skills in class discussion, research and writing have grown tremendously. For the most part your online professor is a guide throughout the course. Constructive feedback is something lacking with probably 50% of the instructors. Course content is excellent. Research papers and projects are challenging. It's definitely not the type of learning environment where you memorize and regurgetate information. Critical thinking and communication skills will definitely improve while attending this university. It's not Ivey League but its competitive with State Universities.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Very Poor Experience

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - August 1, 2010
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I enrolled in a course and was then notified of a of military deployment. I contacted the university and advised my timeline was changed and I was not sure of my ability to start the program given my military responsibilities as a commander.I was advised to call them when I determined my ability to continue and then I could drop or continue depending on mission requirements no issues. I contacted AMU and advised I would not be able to start the course. AMU said sorry too late and I received an F grade on a course I never even started and received NO refund. AMU lost a student and this senior officer will never recommend this university. So much for support of military.

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5 of 11 people found the following review helpful

student

Transportation and Logistics Management - August 1, 2010
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This school is awesome! You can tell because when you apply to the school they don't try to sell the school to you like phoenix or aiu. When you start they mail your books. The classes are very informative. The teachers help you with whatever you need. the admin people take care of you when ever you have an issue. If you fail or have a problem you probably have bad time management skills. All in all this is a great school and its the best decision I've ever made and its affordable since text books are included and judging from other reviews a lot of people are happy with the choice.

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APU Student

Information Technology Management - July 29, 2010
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I am currently a student at APU. I am still in my first semester but the classes have been moderately challenging from the get go. I was doing 4 classes this semester and I do not remember ever having a break from studying,reading or writing so the classes keep you very busy. Most of the Professors have been great. Before I choose my Professor I usually look them up on ratemyprofessor.com. Unfortunately there a few things I have noticed that could use some improvement. I must say that I have noticed that there are not as many resources on the APU online campus as on the AMU campus. I also noticed that most of the workshops are for AMU students. Also the customer service is not the greatest. I recently had to request some paperwork directly from APU because the paperwork that is on the online campus is not acceptable to my employer because it does not have a signature therefore they did not believe I was attending an accredited college. No one at the school was willing to fax the papers over. Well it took several emails and calls to finally get someone to fax the papers to my employer. This really raised some concerns and doubts about this school. I am planning on looking into other online schools for the next semester

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Security Management

Security Management - July 27, 2010
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I highly recommend this school. I have a BS in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams in RI, a very well known school. I was pursuing a Masters at Salve Regina and dropped them. (and ate some courses in the process) I have learned far more, and worked harder than I expected. The instructors are int eh field of Security Management and are excellent support.

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Great

Legal Studies - July 21, 2010
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I loved my time at AMU. I mainly wanted to write a review to let people know that this is not a diploma mill school. My first class was History 101 with Dr. Barry Shollenberger. You will work your butt off to pass his class. I have had instructors from University of Chicago Law School, and Harvard who "moonlight" at AMU, so it is not always a cake walk just because it is an online school. My legal classes were all taught by professors with a J.D. You get out of it what you put into it.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Perfect for Military, Great for all Others

American Military History - July 20, 2010
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I am about to complete my BA in Military History. I have to say, for the military people who transfer in, you will get a substantial amount of transfer credit. I recieved 33 hours for just military experience. This may vary depending on your job, but you will get something none-the-less. Potentially, you can save yourself an entire year of school(about $7,500). Most of the teachers are amazing. Some have little quirks that can get annoying, but that is normally the case when studying under anybody. Also, getting course materials for free is always great. I would highly reccomend this school and program to anyone that has an interest in history or military strategy. I can honestly say I have learned a massive amount from this school and will be forever better for it, even though I will not have an opportuinty to work directly in the field.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Challenging, But Not Enough Technical Focus

Information Systems Security - July 18, 2010
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AMU's Information Systems Security (ISS) program is still in its "beta" phase apparently. Since signing up for the program in 2008, they changed the program to include a Digital Forensics class (but made the class unavailable to "older" ISS students). The course material is relevant, but most of the books are very outdated. For some reason, many of the core and major classes use CIW training books, which are between 4-7 years old - an unacceptable amount of time for Information Security. It was only with one or two core/major classes that a real up-to-date book was used. Also, there are next-to-no real hands-on labs that can be practiced. AMU does not take advantage of Virtualization Technology to help students practice the labs included in the books. Multiple students have recommended that AMU setup a practice environment for students to practice what they've learned (i.e., setting up a practice server to perform enumeration, scanning, and exploit techniques on, etc.), but the request has fallen on deaf ears. The ISS degree does teach students a lot of theory on the Information Security field - something that can prepare them for a more management-focused position. Where they fail is on the technical Information Security "side of the house." I wish I would have known about the IAE/CAE accreditation before signing up, but I am now just a few months away from graduating. I plan on transferring into a graduate program that is IAE/CAE distinguished, so AMU's regionally accreditation will help with that. Most of my learning came from the final papers I had to write (average of 10-15 pages per class). Since I conducted the research on my own, I was able to learn a lot about specific subjects. Also, some of the students have a good amount of experience in the IS field, and they can be awesome resources for information during the discussion boards. Most of the courses went smoothly, but some classes had exams and quizzes with questions unrelated to the course material being studied. It seems like the instructor(s) copied and pasted questions off of exams they've taught in other courses, leading many students to answer incorrectly. To summarize, AMU's program is acceptable if you already have experience in the IS/IA field. DON'T expect it to turn you into a technical practitioner with penetration and auditing abilities. DO expect it to teach you a broad view of the Information Security field; DO expect employers to accept the degree as being regionally accredited; DO expect flexibility with your military/working schedule. If you want to learn how to be a "hacker," many of the labs included in the books can be practiced on your own time, with your own security lab (don't expect to conduct any teacher-assigned exercises during the program). If you're a new undergraduate student looking for a Information Security degree, try to find other alternative programs that are actually IAE/CAE distinguished.

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Challenging, but fun, and a great value!

Space Studies - June 29, 2010
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Great value for a program you will find nowhere else (at least not online). In fact, many of the school's programs have no equivalent in the online world. I've found the faculty very helpful and the coursework interesting. Discussion boards provide for great interaction, and also force one to learn to sharply fashion his or her arguments in writing. The faculty has also been very willing to work with me when work or personal situations caused me to be on the road (this does require the student to be proactive). I certainly sharpened my skill as a researcher and writer, which I have found very useful in my career! I'm taking a second masters through AMU, and also loving it!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Good Program

National Security Studies - June 15, 2010
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I recently completed my M.A. in National Security Studies with a concentration in Terrorism Studies from American Public University (APU). My biggest complaint is that much of the assigned reading material was dated. I would have liked to see more handouts also - some teachers used very interesting ones and others did not. Like other schools, there are good and not so good instructors - APU is no different. I've taken graduate courses with Auburn and the Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC)- both in-residence, I enjoyed the subject matter the most with APU but liked the school and professors better at Auburn. I would have graduated with Auburn but my assignment was completed and I had to relocate so I wasn't able to complet my graduate work with them. JMIC had the worst instructors in my opinion although the subject, Strategic Intelligence, was timely and interesting. Looking back, I find that I prefer an actual classroom enviornment to the on-line format; however, the on-line classroom met my needs based on convenience, affordability, and time/attendance. APU had the best support staff and tech response out of the three institutions I attended. Bottom line, if you are looking for affordability and convenience - you can't go wrong with APU/AMU. If you want mental stimulation and the ability to learn from fellow students in an actual classroom enviornment go with the more traditional "live" learning format.

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MA International Relations

International Relations - June 3, 2010
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I have completed three courses so far towards my M.A. in International Relations and Conflict Resolution. When I was trying to decide on what school I'd like to get my Master's in, I chose AMU because it fit with my budget, using military Tuition Assistance and my schedule on active duty. I was very cautious about a school that didn't need an entrance exam or minimum GPA, but I decided to take a couple classes and see how it goes. After all, if you are not capable of completed your degree, it shouldn't matter what requirements there are to get in - only graudates are those who represents the degree. I got my BA in Political Science from a B&M school and I feel that the subject material I've had so far is an appropriate step up from a Bachelor's program. You are expected to have prior knowledge and experience with the issues. I did take a year of online courses through my B&M school and AMU is far more organized and feedback is much more helpful and specific. My only concern about AMU is the reputation it has. I would like to consider continuing my education at a Ph.D level at a B&M school when get out of the military, but I'm afraid I will not be competitive or schools simply might not accept a degree from AMU. When speaking to a representative, they told me they couldn't guarantee acceptance to a Ph.D program. I plan on going to law school regardless, so an extremely cheap Master's degree (after TA) only improves my knowledge and credentials on a subject I have a lot of passion in. Another issue I had with them was trying to get them to sign my form to defer my federal student loans I took out for my undergrad degree. I still havn't resolved this issue, and while I have no problem continuing to pay my loans off, I feel that I have a right to deferrment as a part-time grad student. Overall, my professors have been very good. I am enjoying a smaller class size tha my undergrad classes and the attention it brings. I feel like I'm getting to know other students in my classes because we seem to be in the same program and taking the same classes. If you're looking for a professor to tell you what to think or if you need your hand held, the online format is not for you in general. With that said, AMU has done a great job with the online format.

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If you want quality, go elsewhere

International Relations - May 18, 2010
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AMU is largely hit and miss... If you have an instructor who is teaching at a traditional school while teaching at AMU on the side, chances are you're going to get the short end of the stick when it comes to attention because they are more concerned with their work with "real" students. Check the instructor bios; if they only teach at AMU, that's a good indication you'll get the attention you deserve. However, students must remember that the curriculum is NOT set by the instructors, it is set by the school; thus, the curriculum you are required to complete is often out of synch with the text you are required to read. That is, if you are lucky enough to get a textbook. In order to cut costs, AMU will often require students in the United States to use E-text; in other words, you have to read off the computer. I don’t know many people who prefer this, and unless you have an iPad or something, it is very inconvenient. The instructors, on a whole, were generally well meaning, but without the ability to set the curriculum they are teaching, their impact is minimal. Of course, it could be worse, and it is. In some classes, you aren’t given a text at all. Instead, you utilize materials online. While much of the materials used in this way are relevant to what you are studying, they are often excerpts from various textbooks and do not provide students an opportunity to develop continuity of the information they are learning. Online materials can be valuable, but they should be used in addition to a text, not instead of one. This would not be too bad if it were for an introductory 100 level class, but when I saw AMU doing this for complex 400 level classes, I decided it was time to go. Sure, AMU is accredited. Sure, you’ll get a degree. But the education you receive will be of low quality, and being that AMU is a for-profit school, your degree will be viewed in the same light as those from University of Phoenix and the like. AMU can be useful. Take classes that are difficult for you here since you are not subject to proctored exams. Also, with 8 week semesters, this is a good school to use to get those pesky general education requirements out of the way quick, then jump back to a real school to finish the core requirements and actually learn something. Overall, the education to be had at AMU is of very low quality, and I could not in good conscious recommend them to anyone.

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3 of 10 people found the following review helpful

My Time at AMU

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - May 15, 2010
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I completed two degrees at AMU. both in the Criminal Justice Feild. I have no problems with this school at all. My professor's contacted me in a timely manner when there was an issue. There were a few glitches here and there but we worked them out. Had a very good time, I am pursuing my masters at a different school and must say the work I did at AMU on my BA was harder. I read the reveiws and most are very good. Some however seem to have been written by some whining little kids, who as one person stated "need their hand held." There are other schools if AMU does not cater to what you think you should be getting.

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General Degree

Interdisciplinary Studies - May 15, 2010
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I took classes with AMU about one year from leaving the US Army. Overall the classes and teachers were great. Some classes were easy (but that was because I had an interest in the subject and already knew a lot of the material especially after living through some of the material) I did have an issue with one teacher who insisted that you write the question as well as the answers on assignments. The only problem with writing the question was that some of the questions were three pages long with answers being of equal length. She did not want to work with me nor did the staff really address the issue once I complained, but that was the exception to the case. Overall my experience with AMU was awesome. To those who stated they were not military friendly, I would object. I never had issues with the staff concerning my military job.

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AMU Undergrad

Criminal Justice - May 9, 2010
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I am not going to say that AMU is the best school out there, nor the cheapest. However I started attending AMU while I was on active duty with the Corps. And I found with my work schedule and the lack of time to attend a traditional school, AMU was perfect. I had no problems with my professors in the criminal justice program, how ever the general education teachers were not the best in the world. If you are a person who needs their hand held during school then AMU is not for you. If you are looking for a school that has constant communication with their professor in regards to class work, then I suggest you attend a traditional college. I enjoyed going to school with AMU because for the most part I was able to complete my required assignments at my own pass. I tried a traditional school and the class was moving to slow for me, because of all the stupid questions about the topic that was covered multiple times. If the student didn’t understand the assignment then he should have stayed after class and not hold up the rest of us. I also liked the fact I was able to complete my weekly assignments when ever I had a free time. Were as a traditional college you have to attend classes two to three times a week and complete any work that is required. At least with AMU online schooling you are just required to turn in the work. For the most part my professors responded to all my emails with in a timely manner. These professors teach multiple classes and could have a semester student load of about 200 to 500 students. With that in mind I was able to accept if a professor took a day or two to respond to an email of mine. I also loved the fact that all the books for my undergrad courses were free. I do not know of any other schools that would pay or have a grant for your books. The only thing I have to complain about is that fact that after I completed all my required classes I had to complete a survey and pay a hundred dollars to graduate. I also think the other reason I did so well with AMU was because I had a plan. No matter if you attend an online school or a traditional school you need to make a plan and try to keep to it as best as you can. You also need to stay on top of your paperwork. If you fail to turn in or update Federal Aid then it will be your fault for not being able to start a class on time.

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Great School

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - May 3, 2010
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Amu was a great school! It is difficult in the beginning to transition to online learning. However, I enjoy the solitude. I received my AA at a local community college and hated going to class. I learned a great deal more through this method. I would (and have) recommend this school to others.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU Review 2010

Intelligence Studies - April 27, 2010
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I have learnt more at AMU than any on-site campus. However reading the reviews of others on this site, it does scare me. Make sure you read between the lines of these postings. The ones marked negative have the reason why. If someone was pushed back a month due to financing, then they will post a negative. I myself was pushed back a month, however that was due to the clause that my financing request was cutting it close to the class start date. Also there was an instance where I did not receive my books on time, however I did register for the class three weeks before it started when the school recommends you do it a month at least before. It takes planning. My review: I have received great grades here as well as two (C)s. Do not for once think that you will be handed easy grades without doing the work. As for the work, it is really really really easy because all you have to do is read the material and take the test showing you have read it. Same as any on-site campus. In my history class, the instructor even posted quiz questions from the side boxes to make sure you read all the material such as additional did you know at the end of the chapter. There were also two times when I had to drop a class because it was so much work. When going to this school, take two classes at a time, or contact the instructor beforehand for a course load assessment to avoid having to drop a class. The INT Comm class has a lot of reading and books. Some classes taught here will have you reading roughly five chapters a week. On top of that, you have other classes at the same time to read the material as well. Make sure not to overdo your course load. Accreditation: I originally was sketchy about online schooling. I contacted tan INT agency and requested verification they would accept a degree from AMU. I was informed that yes they will. I also went to an Air Force recruiter to talk about enlistment. When I stated I was attending AMU they looked at me in shock and stated they have a lot of soldiers who use AMU to better their education. They were also amazed that a civilian at the time even knew about AMU. They recruiter stated that AMU is a good school and even changed their body posture and treatment to more accepting after mentioning AMU for my schooling. Instructors: When registering for a course, I do not just select an instructor. I use the faculty link to view their picture as well as credentials to determine which one I feel would make a good fit. A lot of instructors from AMU are very credible as well as veterans within the INT community. You never know if you will be taught by an FBI agent which is very comforting. Student Involvement: The school offers a mentoring program that cannot be beat. You have direct access to a professional within the field of study you are in. I found this helpful since I am in the INT field to be able to contact and talk about career paths for the government as well as what any setbacks may be. Closing: AMU so far has proven to be a great school choice for myself. It may not be for you. I would recommend the school to anyone as well as recommend anyone attempting to use the school to investigate and do your research just as you would for an on-site school. As far as it goes for competition when applying for a job, there will always be someone from a better school, however an employer does not only focus on your education. Be sure to get involved within your local community since you are not able to with an online school such as extracurricular activities. Also make note that some people graduating from Princeton and Harvard work at walmart as a cashier due to the economy. Just because you have a degree does not make you entitled to a position. Get involved in a co-op program with an agency or offer to work there as a volunteer free of pay to gain more experience hands on for your resume.

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Fantastic Accredited School

Intelligence Studies - April 25, 2010
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Being in the military and living overseas for the past 8 years, there was few if any paths for me to get a degree. I found AMU from an Army education counselor and started the degree a little over two years ago and I have loved it. I have done the job in which I am getting a degree for several years and I still learn new things and new ideas every day. The school is nationally and regionally accredited, the professors are incredibly experienced (the anatomy and physiology class was a former air surgeon general in Ohio), and the advisors and leadership are quick to respond and assist in questions. As I have read some people claiming that these reviews are not true, I can assure you this one is and I am incredibly glad that I found AMU and am almost done with my degree. Honestly, had I had the ability to go to some well-known institution, I would have, but I don't and I am very happy to have the degree I do now.

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-

Business Administration - April 12, 2010
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Like anything in life you get out of something what you put into it. Most of the negative comments seem to revolve around students who needs their hand held at every turn. I have found the work to be very challenging and rewarding. I have a BA degree from a very difficult school from Minneapolis which I took in a traditional classroom setting. This course is more difficult than my original degree. I fully expected on line learning to be a little easier. I was not looking for a "junk degree" and certainly don't feel like I am getting one at AMU. To read the negative comments tells me that some out there are looking for an instructor to spoon feed them. My message to all of you is that AMU/APUS is designed for adults only.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Come on people!

Transportation and Logistics Management - April 2, 2010
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I have had no issues with AMU yet. I have gone to multiple colleges (due to military moves) and it’s the same across the board. If you read the information given and pay attention, you will take away what you put into it. I attended a community college as well as larger more well known schools, like Columbia College of Missouri. I have assisted more than a few friends with attaining their degrees as well and they went to different schools i.e. Park University, University of Maryland, and Central Texas College etc…that is how I know that most have the same curriculum. If you expect the degree to get you where you need to be in life, then you have already missed the bus. The degree does not dictate your ability; it simply means that you met the requirements of what was asked of you to show a level of proficiency in certain areas. I do not have a degree completed as of yet and I am a hell of a lot sharper in different areas than a bunch of my colleagues. I hate to say it but its true and many of them are 15 to 20 years my elder. It is the individual which dictates where they will end up and what they will achieve in life. I have heard more than a few times from the people who have attended great schools that did drugs and drank all the way through and received a degree. People, you need to create realistic goals for yourselves and choose the best path for you with the degree being a supporting document rather than a definition of your ability.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

More challenging than I thought...

Business Administration - March 29, 2010
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I've only taken 4 courses at AMU towards a Bachelor's in Business Administration and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with the program so far. I previously attended NYU back in the 1990s and I have to say that the level of work is on par with what one would find in a traditional college setting (other than the face to face time). The condensed coursework spread out over 8 weeks instead of the usual 12 to 16 weeks generally makes for a lot of reading and writing so much emphasis is placed on time management as assignments are due each week. The fact that accredited online institutions like AMU even exist are a great help to full time military personnel who would otherwise have to wait until departing the service to commence their studies. I expect to finish my degree within a year and will then move on to their MBA program. For what the military pays in tuition assistance towards programs like these that basically accept TA for full payment towards classes (limited to 6 per year based on current rates), anyone in the military would be foolish to not begin working towards a degree while serving in uniform.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Worst Mistake I've Ever Made

Medical Assisting - March 26, 2010
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This was absolutely the worst decision I've ever made, no doubt about it. I had my reservations about attending this school from the get-go, but the admissions team really sold it. They make it seem like they are far superior to other schools, but it's all a lie. The second I was accepted and all my paperwork was complete, nobody had a second to spare for me. Communication between students and faculty was a joke. The externship coordinator played God, and took a personal vendetta against anyone who questioned anything about her methods. While my instructor was extremely knowledgeable, she was more concerned with looking good to the higher ups then controlling our learning environment. I honestly can't say enough awful things about this place, and that's not like me at all. I even feel badly about writing this review, but I hope anyone who reads it won't make the same mistake I did.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic, Fire UP!

Criminal Justice - March 26, 2010
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I am presently enrolled in the Masters program at AMU, and I think it is great. Some classes are a much more detailed than others, and this is normal. I value what I hvae learned, and I am not looking for an easy way to get a diploma. AMU is not easy, and you will earn your diploma by learning and working.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Not for the average student

Military History - March 20, 2010
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I graduated from AMU in 2006 and to this day I do not regret getting my degree from them. If you need hand-holding DO NOT go here! I worked by backside off for 4 years to get my master's degree. I have many friends that went to a b & m school and did much less work than I did foe their masters degree. AMU is about learning; you read, reflect and write. My professors alway had relevent comments to make and even though I already had a good grounding in my subject I learned a hell of a lot more. If you are a self-directed learner, willing to work go for it. If not find some other place that will coddle you and hold your hand.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

0651/0656 Marine AMU Transfer Credit

Information Technology Management - March 11, 2010
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I just wanted to help out Marines that have an MOS of 0651/0656 and are thinking of attending AMU. I couldn't find any information about how many credits are earned via SMART Transcript with my MOS so i figured i would post here, where i found the most information about AMU. I recieved a total of 17 credit hours with my SMART. 11 credits were from being a basic Marine that attended boot camp and MCT. 6 credit hours were for my MOS. One was a networking class and the other was introduction to computer science. I just started at AMU and am taking 2 classes. I am taking Foundations of Online Learning and Sociology. So far I have learned a lot. I recieved my books for free which I didnt know about before I enrolled. I know most people think online colleges are diploma mills but so far I have realized that online colleges force you to learn! You HAVE to read the assigned readings and HAVE to do the assignments. When I was attending a local community college I just payed attention when it was review time and didnt retain much course knowlege. The only thing i did like better about the community college is ONE teacher that I had that taught us a lot that was not on the syllabus. Hope this helps!

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My experience so far Master's in Homeland Security

Homeland Security - February 11, 2010
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I began my work towards a Master's in Homeland Security in the fall of '09. I had to withdraw from my first course due to work conflicts and where I was physically located. I ran in to considerable issues with the registrar's office and even had contact with an individual (I believe he was the VP of Student Services or something similar) after voicing my concerns over the schools apparent lack of interest in you or your issues if you are not military. This VP individual assisted me through my issues though and I have come back to once again pursue my degree. I am on my third class now and can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. Like most things in life, this program is very much based on the individual. You will only get from it what you put into it. Sure, you can skate by and claim it was easy and all of that. If you are serious about learning your chosen subject matter however, there is plenty here to keep you busy and engaged. My so-so ratings are based on my over-all experience thus far. Dealing with the Registrar's office was a real let down. They came off as being extremely dismissive. My instructor's have been helpful, responsive and have chosen very relevant materials as well as included outside materials and current events to supplement the courses. To me, this all makes sense with this sort of medium (on-line learning). I will continue to update as my degree progresses. Good luck to all. C.S.'09

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

You ARE YOUR degree

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - February 10, 2010
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I am a Professor at AMU and I’ve read these reviews and I see nothing out of the ordinary. Some pleased, some not. I offer my two cents. For clarification before I start, I have an undergraduate degree from a small, brick and mortar, four-year University, private school and a graduate degree from one of the Top FIVE of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools: 1. EVERY University has poor professors. Period. Professors fall into three categories. Poor; great ones that students love and great ones that students hate. A Professor is not supposed to know more than you. His/her responsibility is to challenge you and in the process make you a better student. College is a developmental milestone, not a Game Show. 2. You ARE YOUR degree. I do not care where you attend college; Harvard or some mail order Dental School, YOU GET WHERE YOU GET IN LIFE on merit. I have colleagues with degrees from Cornell and Princeton and I would not let them babysit my cat. On the other extreme, one of the most successful people I know (small business owner, retired at 35 and lives very comfortably) barely finished high school. So, if you expect a COLLEGE DEGREE to define you. DO NOT ATTEND AMU. I don’t want you in my classes. I build decisive leaders with a strong foundation of academics and most importantly an understanding of academia’s place in the ‘REAL WORLD’. I build people the type of people I want next to me in my profession. On a personal note; if your post is riddled with misspellings and poor grammar, forgive me if your opinion of higher education does not hold water.

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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

Very Impressed

Religion - February 3, 2010
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I am concluding my first year of study with AMU I am very impressed so far. I am seeking my Bachelor's in Religion and I love it! Now, that being said, do not enroll if you just want an easy degree. I have to work very hard to make the grade in my courses. The only complaint that I have is that the instructors are never very involved in the discussion boards, and you learn very little from them unless you ask a specific question via email. I have attended the University of Tennessee, and the difficulty of those classes pale in comparison to AMU. At UT, I was the typical 18 year old college student, partying constantly with occasional Cliff's Notes. Not so with AMU--I spend much more time studying and retaining what I learn. Online study is much more difficult than I originally thought. Much more discipline, time, and effort required. Overall, can't complain and would recommend to the serious student.

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Over all a great experience.

Intelligence Studies - February 2, 2010
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I am currently enrolled and am taking the final requirement for my MA in Intelligence Studies. I chose this school at first because it fit my budget (Military TA) and schedule (Full time Military). Nearing the end of my program, I have to say that the experience at the school has been an outstanding one. First off, the assignments and course work was challenging. At times it was a bit easy, but that may have been because I had prior insight into subject. The subjects I did not have any insight on, were very challenging and educational. The teachers were for the most part, engaging and gave useful feed back. I did have a few teachers that were not so interactive, but every school has those teachers. The support was outstanding. When ever I needed to speak with student services, they were helpful, understanding and responsive. If I sent an email, it was replied to the next day. I am stationed in Japan, so saying that the service was outstanding means a lot considering the time differences that had to be overcome. Over all AMU is an outstanding option for anyone in the military. Now I feel I must address some of the negative comments. Every person's experience will differ, but here something’s that should be considered when starting a program with AMU. The support will help, but as an adult you cannot or should not expect everything to be done for you. I had to stay up late at night to contact support, but when I called, they were always helpful. I cannot speak about being deployed, but again, as an adult you should be responsible enough to plan ahead. As far as the teachers and lack of teaching, you are taught in high school and in some undergraduate classes. The part of being a Graduate student is that you have learned to develop your own ideas. You accomplish the reading and formulate your own opinions. After all, you will soon receive the title of MASTER in a given discipline. The teachers do not "teach" you because after you are complete with your program they expect you to be almost on par with their education or close to it. One thing I should also note about some of these complaints. They sound recycled and have read the same complaints from other college reviews. AMU is a great option. It is not Harvard or other well known universities, but why even compares AMU to these Universities? With an open mind, effort, and responsibility, AMU will get you to your goal.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Current Student

BA in History - January 26, 2010
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I am currently enrolled in AMU in there B.A. in History degree. I have attended a "Brick and Mortar" college in the past. Keeping those points short, I can continue to my current experience with this University. I have had a couple of problems with AMU, none too dissimilar from those who posted negative comments here. I have taken 5 classes and withdrew from my 6th course. Within the first five courses there were a few issues that arose that were aggravating but none that were real "deal-breakers" for me. The first course (COLL100) was one that I initially felt I did not need to take. I am 35 years old, have attended college before, and have been doing online research for years; taking this course seemed to be a waste of time for me. However, once I put my ego aside and committed to the course, I found it actually very informative. Granted, from an academic learning standpoint, it was useless, but I did learn how to assess my learning habits and it helped me develop a routine for successfully navigating my online learning experience. I did take issue with one instructor for his lack of activity in the Discussion Boards but my grade was not effected because of this. I actually ended up having quite a discussion with him (course related) through emails. I did have one instructor who's computer did not meet the schools minimum technical requirements and, thus, had to adapt my assignments to formats that met the instructor's computer capabilities. These were aggravations, but did not I did not hold the school responsible for this. The materials in these courses has been challenging and assignments have been, overall, demanding. The sixth course (the one I withdrew from) was an entirely different "beast". The instructor set very high demands on grammar and format, yet her syllabus and online writing was atrocious. As a student, I was informed that I would be marked down one point for every grammatical and format error, yet she did not seem to hold herself to the same standard. The class also had "weird" deadlines that were very different from my previous classes. We had assignment deadlines on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday with some assignments to be turned in on a Monday following "X" week. The schedule she laid out would put me in front of the computer just about everyday and, I felt, this was a bit too demanding. So I dropped the class and will take it under a different instructor at a later time. I really do not feel that I would have any different experience with any other college. Overall, I am satisfied with the materials and the school. I agree there is definite room for improvement, but that seems to be consistent with every school I have researched. The price of this school and my overall experience (so far) is the reason that I recommend this school to friends. Thanks J.D. Current Student

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Don't expect to be coddled

Military History - January 17, 2010
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I graduated from AMU in 2006 and I found it a wonderful experience. A word to the wise: "Don't go here if you need constant hand-holding!!!". The program I went through was rigorous and demanding. I DID NOT expect my teachers to walk me through the courses. This is mostly self-directed learning. You read, reflect and write. If you can't do this go to some other school. I worked by rear-end off for 3 1/2 years and earned every credit I got.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU is the Best Decision I Ever Made

Intelligence Studies - January 15, 2010
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AMU has changed my life. As soon as I saw the program I knew it was for me. I am a civilian and have been working towards my MA in Intelligence at AMU for the past 2 years. The teachers and even students are quality and intimidating. This program, the material, the calibre of people are a challenge, hands down. You have to be 100% committed. At first I had to fight past this intimidation and now I am learning to be stronger leader. All this I learned online; incredible how this can translate over into your actual life. It gives you "ammo"! Because of AMU I am now president of a local political committee. I use the confidence and substantive material that I learned now and I will continue to use it. I cannot see how anyone undermines this program - the books and amount of reading and writing is intense. I still cannot remember everything! I have one more year left and I have faith that I will find a challenging line of work in which I can apply this degree. AMU churns out U.S. leaders, even from civilian students. Love it; proud to be a part of it. God bless AMU and USA.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Wonderful School

Criminal Justice - January 15, 2010
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I completed my BA in Legal Studies from AMU in November, 2008 and, after carefully researching several universities, I recently started my MA in Criminal Justice at AMU as well. I began AMU in 2004 while I was active duty. When I registered for both my BA and Masters I have gotten and immediate response from AMU staffs either by e-mail. Considering it is an on-line school I believe this practice to be perfectly acceptable. While in active duty I deployed and went TDY several times; I never had an issue getting an extension or dropping my classes. The professors where extremely knowledgeable and experienced on the materials they were teaching, often challenging students to do well. Discussions were posted by the professors and all students participated. I was able to contact my professors frequently if I had personal issues or if I had questions about my assignments. English is my second language. Professors where understanding of that. I never felt that I was put in the back burner for not being an English native speaker. When you register for a class you are provided a list dates the classes are offered and the names of the professors who will be teaching the class and their biography. This is an outstanding practice since everyone has different personalities, thus you might work better with some professors than others. I’ve never had my schedule or professors changed out on me. One great perk with going to school at AMU is that text books are included in your tuition. Not only did I get my text books deliver to my home, they also got delivered to my places of deployments and TDY’s. I’ve even gotten my books in Puerto Rico while I was there on vacation. You get good quality text books that you sell back to the store they buy them from. Yes, you get a free text book that you can sell back and get some cash in your pocket. The same text books are provided to you online at the library. I am not saying that everything was perfect all the time, but it was at least 90% of the time. The negative was overcome by the positive. I was setting my own schedule, going to school from anywhere in the world, having my books delivered at my door (wherever that was), not having to schedule vacations around school, having the flexibility to manage my military and civilian life (I am now in the reserves) and finally graduating from a bachelors program and now having a degree that makes me more marketable.

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Great Program!

Criminal Justice - January 14, 2010
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I'm just about done with my MA in Criminal Justice and overall have enjoyed my learning experience with the University. With one exception, all of my instructors were knowledgeable and very helpful. The one who wasn't I believe is no longer with the program. If I ran into any issues, I always felt as though if I couldn't resolve it with my professor directly, I was able to go to the Program Director. She has a great open door policy. Going to school on-line is like everything else in life - you get out of it what you put into it. Really hoping that they decide to pursue a CJ PhD - if so, I will definitely sign up!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Homeland Security

Homeland Security - January 8, 2010
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I completed my BA in Homeland Security with AMU and do not regret it an instant. I thought the books and other material were excellent quality. I was also very impressed with many of my instructors. Most having military backgrounds were understanding if situations came up (due to military life) that made perhaps completing a test and homework in on time highly unlikely. Excellent for anyone deployed I would say. I have read many of the reviews concerning the school. Most of the negative one come from people who have completed less than four classes. I have had a few encounters with instructors that seemed distant or their syllabus were confusing. However overall a great experience.

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Its a joke with effort!!

Environmental Studies - January 6, 2010
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Well first of all the classes were easy, it is what you make of it I completed my AA in General Studies, when I was taking Anatomy and Physiology on line I googled one of the questions on a test and I found an online test from another instructor that had no connection with my , he posted the answers online my Instructor was using the same test in the same order with the same answers as the test online. WOW what type of crap they must think that people in the military are a BUNCH of Idiots and that we would not find out that the Instructor are full of it. My credit were regionally accredited so that was good, if you are using Tuition Assistance go for it, but do not pay out of pocket for this education!!!!!!!!!!

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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Program!

Security Management - January 5, 2010
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I'm in my sixth class with AMU leading to a Masters in Security Management. The professors have real-world experience along with fine academic credentials. I've learned more than I expected in this program, and that comes from someone with 25 years in the field. I'm VERY pleased with the speed of feedback I'm getting from all the professors (my B.A. is from St. Leo Univ., completed on-line, where half the professors disappear for weeks at a time...). So far, AMU is EXACTLY what I was hoping to find!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

American Military U. review

American Military History - January 5, 2010
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Various AMU reviewers on this site have an unrealistic view of what a college education is for. They seem to think that the reason you go to college is "to get a job." In a way, this is not the reviewers' fault as AMU and indeed most colleges and universities actively promote this idea. While it is undoubtedly true that having a BA, an MA and even a PhD is a path to getting a job, the principal reason for getting any of these academic credentials should be simply to become an educated person and getting a job may be one of the consequences. I say may, because there are probably many, many examples of people with degrees who are unable to find work and comparatively few people who are actually employed in the field of their undergraduate and graduate studies and, regardless of the institution in which they studied. To me it is a breech of ethics for AMU and indeed any liberal arts school such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton etc. to state or even to imply that their degree will result in a job after graduation. Now as to AMU and its on-line graduate military history program. It is just fine and perhaps even better than most I have looked at including those at "brick and mortar" (BM) schools. All of my AMU professors have the PhD credential from prestigious schools and have been published. Furthermore, many are still employed at a BM institution and some are currently in the military or have served. As an example one of my professors is a graduate of U.S. West Point Military Academy, the Army War College and Has a PhD from Duke and headed up the Army's History program. In short many if not most of the AMU professors have multiple degrees are published and even better, have practical on the job experience. Accordingly they would get Thucydides unreserved approval, He said: "The state which separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by fearful men and its fighting by fools.” Now as to on-line education, students should realize that in fact there is no such thing. You get an education by reading. At Oxford, the Sorbonne, the Universidad de Salamanca and other top European schools its graduates say. "I read history" meaning that there were extensive readings and that often they had to read their papers or at least share them with their classmates. Learning also highly depends on the individual's self disciple and motivation to learn. So it still comes down to the effort that the students put into their education that ultimately determines how much they will retain and how beneficial the overall experience was to their future career.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

great experience

Legal Studies - January 5, 2010
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I'm having an excellent learning experience at apu. I've read through many of these posts. I can't get over the negative ones! The majority of their complaints are because the school won't refund their money because they dropped a course, or, I'm having problems with financial aid. The policies were in place before you signed up. I find it very, very hard to believe that someone who does very well at this school, would go back and post something on the internet about how easy it was, how they got a 4.0, how its such a joke. It makes absolutely no sense. Do excellent at a school, whether online or brick and mortar, then immediately go onto the internet and write a complaint about how easy it was. You would be hurting yourself as much as the University, and simply would not do it if you were an intelligent person.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Don't Waste Your Time or Money at AMU.

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - December 30, 2009
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I am convinced that AMU/APUS is a scam. I received conflicting messages from the people at Financial Aid which made me extremely leery of this institution, so I left. I was also discouraged by the comments of current students who say that it is extremely easy to make good grades at this school and the frequent complaints about the discussions being canned. If I am going to use federal student loans for a Master's degree, I figure it should be used at an institution that has a solid academic reputation. If I am just reading books and learning entirely on my own with little to no interaction from the instructor, I am financially better off if I go to the public library. I was told by several professionals within the Intelligence community that this university is not a good place to go if you are looking to successfully switch careers, go into highly competitive areas (such as Intelligence) or further your education at the PHD level. Contrary to various online sources, AMU Intelligence graduates are in for a rude awakening upon graduating, because when they are up against someone from one of the more reputable Intelligence programs, or even someone from a more reputable school period, AMU graduates will loose every time unless they have substantial military experience and a Top Security Clearance. As far as PHD aspirations are concerned, any reputable school will frown on a Master's degree from AMU, not because it is online, but because the curriculum is severely lacking in crucial areas. I even had an "Intelligence Studies" academic advisor admit this to me. This college is good for retirees, those already financially well-off and who can afford to pursue degrees in their hobby/special interest, or those who have already established a solid reputation at their job and just need to get a degree at the dime of the military or their employer. Any graduate school that does not require the GRE, a min. GPA, or at least two letters of recommendation is not a legitimate graduate school. Graduate school is suppose to be competitive, not open to anyone who can submit a transcript of their undergraduate academic record. I understand that some people don't want to go through the process of applying to grad school and some may not be good with the GRE, but anything worth having never comes easy or cheap. Think about that before you enroll in AMU, especially if you are trying to further your education and taking out loans from Sallie Mae to finance your education.

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Solid Program

Sports Management - December 29, 2009
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I am enrolled in the masters program for sport management. Overall, it is a solid school. The professors work with you well if you communicate with them. The material covered is up to date and relavant. The 8 week course format is perfect for me because I have a full-time job and I can focus on 3 credit hours at a time. A few of the courses are a tad watered-down, but the relevant text books do provide you with the knowledge to go along with the degree

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

No Complaints

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - December 29, 2009
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Beginning my final year and generally speaking, I'm very satisfied with AMU. Most of my instructors have been excellent and I have learned a lot in an area of study that I have already been working in. I did have one instructor I was not pleased with. I think she only scanned papers for format and basic content. I was always having to argue my case and as a result always received additional credit. I have had instructors like that in conventional classes as well so sometimes it's just luck of the draw.

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UoP clone

Information Systems Security - December 29, 2009
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Another example of ripping off the taxpayer...another UoP. Students have to be hand-carried through the course material just like high school or in basic - which is all most of them know. The program is student/customer focused and taught by adjuncts that are paid per student completing their classes, and is designed to "check the block", and spit them out at the other end with a "degree" and take their military tuition assistance checks to the bank. The graduates tend to focus on government positions that have a veterans hiring preference - they are not competitive in the "real world". As with UoP, the "learning curve" between when they enter and when they leave is not high...and the graduates increasingly have a "WTF" reputation.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

My two cents...

American Military History - December 28, 2009
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Ok, first off I would like to say that I am not as advanced in this system as most. I have taken about 5 classes with these people thus far.. Good: -The classes are all covered by the TA for active duty. -The books are FREE!! for undergraduate classes -There is a $100 fee to get all your trascipts together, but they doo all the footwork. -You can transfer from degree path to degree path if you chose, you just have to submit the right paperwork. I originally started as courses for transfer because i had other plans. however, now I am continuing with a degree from these guys as I was impressed. -The instructors worked around my field time and allowed me to catch up. This is easy to do unless you are just that much of a tool. -Customer service has been very quick to respond to any of my concerns regard degree plans and changes to my courses being taken. -Great feedback from students and instructors alike. -The website is accessible via the military computers and work can be completed at work. However, other school websites are blocked for one reason or another and you have to wait until you get home. Bad: -some may think that the $100 fee utilized in getting your transcripts together is too much to ask. -Courses are in fact $750 each, which is a bit much compared to other schools, BUT concidering books are free AND TA covers the cost...is it really too much? -I did run into an instructor that was very rigid in her ways, but that was only 1 out of 5. I was still able to work around her guidelines and my field time, but it proved to me a little more challenging. Thank God the other instructors were more flexible. All in all, there are TONS of schools that one could attend. Yes a degree from Harvard would be MUCH more prestigous than an AMU degree, but if you you could attend Harvard...why are you even talking about AMU? For Active Duty folks, I think this college is great! If it works for you, then great! If it doesn't and you prefer to go elsewhere then do so and good luck to you. AMU isn't for everyone. Nor is Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU BS in Information Technology Management

Information Technology Management - December 28, 2009
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I recently completed my BS in Information Technology Management. The classroom experience was awesome and very flexible. I was able to learn on my terms. All undergraduate books are sent to you in the mail and included in tuition. I would have perferred more use or streaming video, CBTs, WBTs, and audio streams, though overall the use of technology was fine. Classes start every month and you have your choice of 8 week or 16 weeks courses.

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Wow...

Criminal Justice - December 28, 2009
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I have been attending AMU for 9 weeks now; and so far, I have been far from impressed. I wrote my final paper and received the feedback from my professor stating that my paper was too short. I pointed out to her that the final paper requirements stated that the length of the paper was to be the amount of pages I wrote-so she kindly bumped me up a couple of points. Then in my other course, I had the same problem. The professor wrote: "Paper should be two-three (3-5) pages in length". Okay, so what is it, 2-3 or 3-5? Then to top that off, there was no emailing her because she took it upon herself to take the week off for Christmas. I know I am not the perfect student, and that there is no such thing as perfect professors. However, I would think that we can and should expect a little more from a UNIVERSITY. I recently earned my BA from another online university, I took 14 courses there, and not once did I have these types of problems. I guess you really do get what you pay for! I am presently looking into different colleges and I am hoping that I can find one that lives up to the same type of standards as my previous college. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, you make your own schedule here, choose the professor you would like to take the course with, and they change it on you without even telling you. You log into your portal and tada! It has been changed!!! This has happened to me twice in 9 weeks. What is the point of choosing your courses and professors if they are just going to change everything to how they want it anyway? I should have known to stay away from this university. I had applied and no one bothered contacting me about how to go about the rest of the process, and I tried calling and I got a voicemail, left a voicemail, never got a call back. So I withdrew and then they called wondering why I withdrew I let them know, and they asked if I would give them another chance. I did, and now I regret it...

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU Opinion - Thumbs up

Emergency Management and Disaster Planning - December 20, 2009
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I am taking my Masters in Emergency Management at AMU. I find the course work challenging, and I find the work load daunting. I have taken 6 courses at AMU so far. I am doing very well. I am working my butt off doing the work. 4 of the professors have been excellent with quick feed-back and thorough fisking of my written work. APA format is a killer. I graduated with a BS from a Pennsylvania State University in 1994. I breezed through everything I took there. Hell, I was half drunk and missing classes my Junior and Senior year. AMU is much harder. The essay format and weekly writing assignments make sure I don't miss a word in the copious amount of reading that is required each week. The discussion topics are hit and miss depending on the people in your classes. A class size of 20 seems to keep things lively.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Skeptical at first

Intelligence Studies - December 17, 2009
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I graduated from a traditional private B&M school in May 2009 with a duel BA in History and Political Science with honors. I am 23 and started AMU in October 2009. At first, I was extremely skeptical about taking online classes because I did not think the quality of education would be comparable to a B&M school. To my surprise, the course was very challenging. I took a few Master's courses from the B&M so I had something to compare the online course against. I learned a great deal from my course and will continue taking classes. For some of those who complained, almost every school has BS classes. There will more than likely be a mandatory intro class. It sucks but get over it. I had to take a piano class and religion as a requirement for my undergrad. School Policy. The Professor at AMU gave me excellent feedback on my work. A research paper for the class ended but being 18 pages-10pt font and single space. I am used to writing because of my History degree; however, this paper was definitely a challenge and graded strictly. As with all universities, you get what you put in.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU is worth the price

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - December 14, 2009
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I just completed my AA in Personnel Administration and am currently enrolled in the BA Criminal Justice program at AMU. As a law enforcement professional and Army Guard soldier, I was concerned with having the time to go to school and not having time for my family. Not to mention getting a quality education online. My brother graduated from AMU with his MA in Sports management and recommended AMU to me. I have found the entire AMU experience to be positive. Enrollment, financial aid, educational advisors, etc. have all been prompt and efficient when dealing with any issues I have had. The flexibility of the online delivery has eased my concerns on being able to manage all of my time committments. The instructors have been very good and for the most part easy to get along with. As with any organization, there will be an instructor or two that a person just does not care for, however that is not indicative of the institution. I have found the coursework challenging and insightful, as well being able to utilize real world scenarios to apply the concepts being presented. Instructors do a solid job of facilitating discussion amongst the class via the discussion threads. I am extremely happy with AMU and would recommend it to anyone, especially adult learners, who are trying to earn a college degree. With AMU being regionally and nationally accredited, a degree from AMU is worth the price of admission.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Professor Lists need Scrubbing

Homeland Security - December 9, 2009
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Perhaps not a diploma mill, but AMU/APUS has a long way to go with regards to weeding through its professors. Many use a standard program throughout each semester and do not involve themselves in the processes at all. They expect you to self-learn without feedback. I understand the differences between traditional learning and online, however online professors also need to be involved in each session. If I wanted to be completely self-taught I could have saved a lot of money and done it on my own instead of paying a fortune for someone to used standard tests to assess what I've read. Four out of every five professors I've had so far have all been the same. Sure many have some impressive credentials, but that certainly does not mean that they are capable of preparing students for a future in the field. I recommend that AMU/APUS take some serious looks into how classes are being taught and how involved the instructors really are. If you don't want to learn, AMU is the place to whiz by and essentially pay for a degree. I haven't picked up a book in three semesters there other than to whip through a quiz at the end of a week or a final exam. I haven't read jack and am sitting with a 4.0 GPA THIS IS A FREAKIN' JOKE. I would have loved to actually be taught something, not teach myself...that is not online learning ... that is online scamming. $750/class is outrageous for this service. Get some real instructors or shut your doors. Positive posts about AMU here are by the ill-educated or by AMU staffers ... guaranteed ... I email my classmates and the vast majority have stated that they are very disappointed but staying with it because the government pays and they get a easy degree.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies - December 5, 2009
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I was a little worried about an online environmental studies program. I did not think I would get the experience I would need to find a job in the field. I just finished my first session, and it was great. One of my professors had a Phd, and the classes were challenging. I have decided to continue on, and will until I graduate. I am not so worried about finding a job anymore, and I feel I will be just as prepared as anyone from a brick and mortar university. If anyone is considering AMU, I would highly recommend it. I have attended a community college, and I also attended another online program at a traditional school. AMU had proven to be the best so far. They do provide a quality education. I was impressed that they use Rosetta Stone for language courses, and for lab courses they send you a lab kit containing everything you need. Great school that I highly recommend.

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Solid school even when compared to a Big 10 Campus

Homeland Security - December 2, 2009
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I have an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State and a B.S. from Ferris State. I just finished an M.S. in Homeland Security from AMUS and I believe the quality of education that I received from American Military was very comparable. I found my professors to be very well educated and taught very relevant material. I enjoyed my time with American Military and who heartily recommend it to other military members.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Education that is Well Earned

Master of Arts in History - December 2, 2009
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AMU is Top-Notch school that delivers its promises. I enjoy being challenged to learn from Professional Teachers. The books are well rated and correspond to the subject matter itself. I will say that there are a lot of Poor Students who say that AMU is terrible, but they are just quitters who never gave this school a chance. All in all, if you value a high quality education and value hard work in achieving those goals, then AMU is right for you.

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Skip this School

Military History - November 27, 2009
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If you a serious about your education I would advise skipping this school. I am currently in the Masters Military History program and I will give you my experience. The Instructors are a joke, I question if they are truly qualified to teach anything. This school is obviously about making money and not about a quality education. I am currently looking for another school because I have yet to find a instructor at this school that can teach. I have read reviews from other students who say they like this school I am not sure what they like about.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

AMU is a modern and top-notch learning institutio

Master of Arts In Military Studies - November 12, 2009
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AMU's flexibility must be not be misconstrued as "inferior quality". In fact, the institution must be credited for its superb efforts to assist many military professionals whose demanding schedules prohibits them from attending "traditional" institutions. My professors have impeccable resume and were very knowledgeable in their respective field of expertise. I experienced working on my thesis and electronically submitting it from a remote internet cafe somewhere in Southeast Asia wearing flip flops; peppered with mosquito bites; sun-burned skin; and long hair in order to meet standards.

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Associates in General Education

General Education - November 8, 2009
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I received my Associates degree from AMU back in 2000. It was GREAT! It set me it for advancement in the military. Through AMU I was able to (on the third try) get a Commissioning program called MECEP. Once accepted, I went to Miami University in Ohio. I can tell everyone here, I STILL remember things from AMU where I can't really recall that much from my time at Miami, the brick and mortar school. Suffice to say, when I went back to get my Masters from Webster University, I made sure that my classes were split 50/50 between traditional learning and the on line experience. Thank you AMU!

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disagree

Criminal Justice - November 6, 2009
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I'm very surprised at the comments about AMU. I have not had any problems and frankly think the instructors are great. Also, it is an accredited school. My employer would not pay for it otherwise, and they do very through checks. I am curious to hear an example of the problems you have had, other than the reimbursement for deployment issues. My only issue is the shortened course time, most classes are now 8 weeks and I do not find that beneficial.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Good School

National Security Studies - October 30, 2009
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One of the best things about this school are the instructors. Many are involved in the field of study in which they teach. I like the fact that they bring in people who have knowledge (not just academic) about how the "real" world utilizes the information that they pass on to students. Instructors like Dr. Steven Greer, Dr. Anna Simmons, and Dr. Edwin Bundy are examples of those who actually practice what they teach. The only issue that I have is how they schedule their Master's thesis course. For those of us using federal employee vouchers and who have to submit them ahead of registering, they make it difficult when registering for that final course. Even though I tried to get my academic advisor to understand that I am capable of carrying that course plus an elective (GPA: 3.85, now higher after this term) and explaining my voucher process, my complaint fell on deaf ears. Other than that issue, I like the school. It is tough, a lot of research, reading, and writing required.

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great school but other depts are awful!

Master of Arts in History - October 14, 2009
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I have almost completed my Masters in History. AMU is nowhere near a "diploma mill" or a scam (like former posters have said) - they are regionally accredited and the instructors have top notch credentials. Regionally accredited means the credits are the same as you would get a any normal University and they transfer with no question. However, the other departments are not really that great. I have had a couple of complaints about certain instructors and they fall on deaf ears. Oh, they say the right things but that is it. But my biggest complaint is with the financial aid department. I have attended several Universities and so have my children. None of them..let me stress that...NONE of them wait 30 days before even getting a person’s financial aid...then if you are lucky they will actually process it in 14 days. They have no way for you to see your own student account so you could get an idea of what is going on with your disbursement. Most Universities have direct deposit of refunds for students but AMU is not even close to that. For all the professionalism of the rest of the school - the financial department runs like a diploma mill place - If they would establish a way for students to see their account it would eliminate hundreds of phone calls to the office and then maybe they could actually do some processing. For a place that has as many students as they do, all over the World, you would think they would get an updated financial aid system that benefits them and the department. I know the employees are working with what they have but they are so stressed that they do not seem to care about the students. Your financial aid department is an important part of your school experience and in this area AMU fails miserably. In fact, they come real close to violating the federal rules of distributing financial aid.

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Very Tough Program

Intelligence Studies - October 13, 2009
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I'm several courses into an AMU masters program. It's turned out to be a very informative (and tough) course of study. All in all, I wouldn't change a thing. All the courses have provided great insight into the areas of intelligence and national security.

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Great Online School

Master of Arts in History - October 5, 2009
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I went to AMU for the past 2 years, and recently got my MA in American History. I had a few reservations at first with going to a 100% online school, but the professors and expectations were great. Plus, most "regular" Universities have already started offering online, distance education courses. Cinncinati, UCSB, UCLA, etc., all offer some degrees online. AMU is one of the best because they offer many programs. All I know is this: I'm a teacher and the last thing my district wants to do (especially right now) is pay more money for a MA degree. My district verified that the credits earned at AMU were legit and no different than my credits at a "brick and mortar" university, and I got a pay raise. As far as I'm concerned, that's all the confirmation I need that AMU is a great school!!!! (That and the quality of the courses as well...)

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Criminal Justice - October 1, 2009
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im well 2nd yr at AMU and have found the overall process outstanding. Books ARE free and an online version is available as well. Ive had to break from class for two reasons 1 Emergency leave for 6 weeks Got a 1 month extension after I got back to finish (no penalty) and 2 wife was having surgery Im still in that class but received an extension to turn in the test and homework (no penalty). Also if you want to look up your instructor go to the link meet our faculty I have had no problems seeing you my professor is most of the time thats how I choose my prof. while im registering.

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What I expected

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - September 22, 2009
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I finished my BA with AMU and am now more than halfway through my MA. I've never attended a traditional brick-and-mortar college, so my experience is completely based on online education. I feel like I've skated through both degrees, though the MA is taking a little more dedication and work than the BA did. I wouldn't go so far as to say the school is a degree mill, but it's certainly not as intensive as what I believe the traditional university educational experience is. Though it's horrible to admit, I will test my professors and if they let me get away with subpar work, that's what I turn in. I don't feel as though most profs grade according to the rubric - it seems more like a bell curve and the expectation is pretty low. I've turned in papers written at a 9th grade level and received glowing comments and high scores. The readings for the intelligence programs are good and cover the breadth of intel from terrorism to signals intelligence, the history of the intel community to present day operations. I've been impressed with most of the assignments. I think it's hard to offer a degree in intelligence since so much of the work is classified and unavailable to those not already in the community. It's difficult to "teach" collection and analysis. The school works hard to give the student a full complement of intelligence readings and assignments. Overall, I chose to stay with AMU for my Master's because it's accredited and I believed the coursework would be easier than with another school. Plus, you can't beat the cost.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

It's College

Philosophy - September 16, 2009
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Okay. I am the fence-straddler reviewer. My time at AMU has been mixed, but I look at it from the perspective of someone who has in the past attended brick-and-mortar institutions as a full-time student. For the part-time student with a full-time job, crazy schedules, children, or any other distractions, AMU is unparalleled in the support they provide. I managed to eek out 24 hours while I was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom for 15 months, and I traveled within the country extensively! If it were not for AMU's compassionate system and professors willing to give me the time and space needed, I could not have even approached college work while participating as a combatant. For the full-time student, AMU provides an excellent opportunity to finish your degree early. I am taking 9-12 hours per 8 week session which equates to around 18-24 hours per semester. The price is not all that bad either considering the book grant for undergrad's, Lexis Nexis access, and many other perks. The actual academics and workload can, admittedly, seem too easy at times, but there are facets of the experience that make you "earn your degree." Discussion boards continue to be a pain in my side since many of my peers only provide what is required by the syllabus and give no extra effort to synthesize and analyze materials. Non-essay tests are often a joke since they are non-proctored (however, I prefer this) and rarely timed. However, essay tests and timed tests can often be a thrilling challenge. In my particular field of study (philosophy major and history minor) there is extensive writing. I have calculated upwards of 2000 words per week per class to include discussion boards and responses. The science classes I have taken thus far have been interesting, and I have particularly enjoyed the virtual labs. For a final thought I leave you with this - I was going to transfer to Georgetown University this fall (2009) but was unable to due to family issues. Georgetown calculated that ALL of my credits earned at AMU were transferable. I believe it, and I am going to stick out the last 30 hours of my BA with AMU.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good school with great instructors!

Homeland Security - September 14, 2009
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I am a new Navy vet of 4 years and previously attended a 4 year liberal arts college. I am a 28 yr old father of two. I am currently 12 credits shy of my Masters in Homeland Security. I am now working for a DHS contractor at the National Operations Center in D.C. I will offer two perspectives. First, I found the workload and types of materials challenging. My current Masters studies involve more time management than my undergraduate studies on a traditional residential campus. There are distractions, kids, military assignments, and AMU strives to make education in that atmosphere conveinant. Secondly, I would give AMU professors a good to great rating. For the most part they strive to assist you with scheduling conflicts and personal matters that can sometimes get in the way of the books and papers. Although it is an online forum you still have to assume a level of responsibility of being a college or graduate student. Deadlines are deadlines and extensions can only extend so long. For the amount of money you pay for courses I see the professors as people of great value.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Unrivaled!

Legal Studies - September 8, 2009
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I recently graduated with my B.S. (3.0 GPA) and I would recommend AMU to anyone who is serious about their education. Several individuals wrote that the school is a diploma mill and it is not worth your time. If you are considering attending AMU, please do not listen to a few frustrated individuals who probably were looking for a diploma mill. Oh, they are also Regionally Accredited; that is the highest accredation any college/university can have. I am currently enrolled in the Homeland Security program (MA) and I highly recommend AMU.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

A lot of bitter, petty reviews

Military History - September 3, 2009
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I am working towards a MA in Military History, and I have had a challenging and rewarding experience with AMU. I have not had any of the problems the minority (complaints) have cited, and it seems that many are merely being petty based on what seem like relatively minor points. I can only speak as to the graduate level courses, but people do not simply coast through with a 4.00. I was kept off of the President's List because I had two A-, but my GPA is not representative of the whole. Of those I have taken classes with, I have only seen one other make the Dean's or President's Lists. If everyone was skirting through with 4.00's or close to it, shouldn't we all be on the list? I have had relatively few problems with financial aid, and no more than I have had with other schools. It seems a few bitter reviews revolve around some minor mistake, or they couldn't get transfer credit for "life experience." Most schools that will give you such credit are diploma mills. I also have not had professors that completely checked out. They have taken part in discussions, have given content-specific feedback on papers, etc. I have not agreed with or been chums with all of my professors, but my grades never suffered because of their personal biases, etc. I will also say that AMU is most assuredly not a diploma mill. I write more papers in one semester than most other people that I know write in a year at B&M schools. Also, the person that said accreditation does not matter because AMU is private is a moron. All accreditation is done privately by the regional organizations. In reality, anyone could argue that the entire system is bollocks, but it is what we operate under. AMU is accredited under the APUS by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission, which accredits some of the best universities in the US. AMU may not be on par with the University of Michigan, but they have to meet the same standards to be accredited by the HLC. Most of the negative reviews appear to be petty, bitter, and full of misinformation.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AA Real Estate Mgmt

BA in History - September 2, 2009
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While I agree with the one review of '5th grade' level education from a conceptual point, I disagree with his overall review. The faculty do not have the pleasure of adjusting their syllabus, therefor the responsibility to adjust workload/tests/etc falls on the curriculum developers. He is right in regards to the tests, and I laughed at the comments about discussion boards because I can relate. I also agree that a placement exam MUST be instituted for all online schools (currently there are almmost none). This would weed out students who are simply not cut out for higher education - and yes, there is such a thing. However, I do not think this makes the school any less valuable. Many of the shortfalls experienced at AMU can be found in nearly all schools (including brick and mortar). From sport jocks forced through despite lack of ability to inept teachers. There are likewise many classes that are 'easy' at such schools. I would however prefer to see final papers for classes rather than open book exams which assess nothing other than my ability to read. All in all, AMU is one of the best online schools, and a decent school all together.

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The point is.. I AM LEARNING

Political Science - August 28, 2009
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I am finishing my 5th class with AMU. I jumped on this site looking to see what others have said about the school, and I have to say I don't think it's fair to rank down an institution with all "1"s if you had problems funding your first and only class, if you had a problem with registration ect. EVERY college has bureaucratic B.S. you have to go through when you are getting up and going. I had the same problems. I had to drop classes, cancel TA, get my dates pushed back into a new FY. That meant less money for me to complete my degree, messing up my timetable. But I can't say "DONT GO TO THIS SCHOOL" like I have seen some people say on here, because that would not be fair. That is just the way it goes with many organizations. Now, as for the teachers, yes, it would be nice to get a little more attention and personal feedback on assignments, especially considering how much time I have spent on certain papers. But they always respond to questions, they always make corrections that need to be made (and that are constructive) and they have been reasonably flexible with my professional obligations. The point is, I AM LEARNING. I am learning a lot, actually. My readings and class material are challenging, but not impossible. If you put the work into it, just like anything, you can maintain a 4.0 average. Sure, some classes are easier to get "A"s in than others. But that is the truth for any school, isn't it? I have one I am in right now that is DAMN hard, the professor grades his essays real tough and weights them heavy in the grade. A student has to be on the ball. My point is if you are looking up reviews to choose a school to go to, don't listen to the "bah humbug" reviews in the thread. Take a class, one class (not the "Foundations of Learning", that is a B.S. mandatory class. An example of easy "A"), and see for yourself. Good luck.

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Update stay away ....to GREAT

International Relations - August 28, 2009
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Update on stay away. APU/AMU took care of the problem. Just spoke to the wrong person. Since then APU/AMU has been great. Financial aid, services, and everything spot on! I was very hesitant, but am glad I checked back!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

It’s true! AMU is not entirely a diploma mill.

BA in History - August 23, 2009
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At first I thought the complainers here were just idiots who couldn’t follow the school’s policies and procedures. But after completing 6 classes I began to realize how overrated the education really is at AMU. The instructors provided simple, cookie-cutter questions that any average 5th grader could answer. Of the 15 books that were assigned for my classes, I never cracked one open and yet I received an ‘A’ in 5 of my classes. The mid-term and final exams were never proctored and the instructors never gave less than a week to complete the exams. Even more surprising, my assignments were never adequately addressed; my personal feedback seemed very general and could’ve been written for any student. Though many of the instructors are experts in their fields, it seems they hold primary jobs at brick & mortar schools and work here for extra income. For those who disagree, just do a little research. Unfortunately, because placement testing is not required for enrollment at AMU, I would say that over half of the students I encountered couldn’t string more than two grammatical sentences. As part of the standard workload, students are required each week to answer Discussion Board questions and in turn respond to their classmates’ work. It was very frustrating at times to co-exist with students who have little or no basic analytical skills. Could AMU improve its education system? Sure, especially if AMU itself believed that “education is what you put into it.” If AMU delivered both asynchronous and synchronous learning, then perhaps the bar could be raised. Some possible improvements: mandatory placement testing; web conferencing tools to help build better communities (live meetings, face to face); pre-recorded video lectures on all classes; ALL exams to be proctored and timed (no open books). Otherwise it’s too easy to attain a 4.0 GPA and hard not to feel guilty about it later. Before I transferred with an A.A degree, I had some experience with online classes at a community college, but those classes required proctored exams and only 3 hours to complete – not all week with an open book. For obvious reasons, I cannot recommend AMU as a means of gaining a higher education. I understand this institution is regionally accredited, but what is accreditation without quality education? It’s a no-brainer.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

World-class technology and library

Environmental Policy and Management - August 22, 2009
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My undergraduate degree is from UC Berkeley (also in Environmental Science). I started the MS at AMU thinking it would be an easy way to refresh my knowledge after being out of the field for a while. Imagine my surprise at this very challenging program. The professors are quite distinguished and most of the students in my classes are professionals in the environmental field. It takes a lot of reading and research just to keep up every week. The AMU on-line library is world-class. What else can you expect since the military (or was it Al Gore?) invented the internet. At any rate, the AMU library gives you access to the world, let me just say that.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Masters in Environmental Policy- Challenging

Environmental Policy and Management - August 22, 2009
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I am midway in a MS in Environmental Policy and Management at AMU. My undergraduate degree is from UC Berkeley --also in Environmental Science. I started this MS at AMU just to refresh my degree to make a transition back to environmental after being away from the field for a while. I started AMU quite smug, thinking this would be an easy on-line class. Especially since I consider myself so smart. Let me tell you, the program is quite challenging--even more so than my undergraduate degree! The professors are very distinguished in their knowledge and you really have to work hard each week to stay on top of the materials. It is paying off though. I can see how much I have learned in the last six months. The military has the world at its fingertips --especially the AMU on line library -- it is world class. Very satisfied.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU-Online vs. Traditional

BS Business Management and Leadership - August 17, 2009
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I have read the reviews of some of the people who say that AMU gives out degrees. That the classes are easy. That most students graduate with a 4.0. Well, those people have not done their research. Online studies are different than traditional class rooms. The mode and method of study is completely different. They both have value but I would say (my own opinion) that online course have more value. The reason is I say this is because traditional courses rely on theory, where online courses rely on the real world experiences of the students and the professor. At AMU, all the professors have worked in their field of study. When I was taking course at my traditional university, I only remember one of my professors who ever had a job outside of teaching. Some of the course may at times seem easier than in my traditional course, but I realized that I was learning more than my traditional course even though it was easier. Why was it easier? It just seem that way because it was made personal by using real examples from my work and those of the my classmates. I ask for my fellow AMU classmate who wrote "if you want to get a piece of paper (degree) without the work" to try this: Take the same course at AMU as your local University and tell me which one you learned the most from and was practical for your occupation. I also would like to end by saying that not all professors at AMU are stellar performers. That is true at any university. In fact, that is true in any field. Do not judge an entire system because you had one or two lazy or bad apples.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Challenging program

Intelligence Studies - August 7, 2009
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I completed a Master's in Strategic Intelligence and found the courses comparable in content and difficulty to those provided through the JMIC/NDIC. It took a lot of work to get through it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic

Military History - August 5, 2009
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For the busy professional. Instructors have legitimate experience / credentials. You get out of it what you put into it. Worth every penny.

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What the hell!!!

Homeland Security - July 27, 2009
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I just finish my third class with AMU, and I got mix feelings. My first and second classes, sometimes I seems that the profesors were not there, ONLY to get and attitude about a paper and to reply, "This is Grad School". My last teacher, swears up and down that he is this and that, BUT his instructions are misguiding, the class references are a bit old, and if you don't write the way HE wanted, well, he will flunk you. Last time I check, GRAD school papers were done either APA, or MLA style!!! Well, can't complaint too much, I only pay the difference of the TA and books...Good luck everyone.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU is Supportive of the Military Way of Life

Intelligence Studies - July 27, 2009
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I have been with AMU since 2004 and have had great experiences all around, even through multiple TDY's and deployments to Iraq. The faculty truly understands the military sacrifice and will typically work with the student to resolve any scheduling problems that arise. The classes have been challenging and applicable to my job in intelligence. As for course-work, be prepared for lots of papers. Since most students go to school online, the benchmark for grading is written: term papers, essays, and multiple discussion board posts throughout the week. I have never had an issue with TA and the advisers have always been more than helpful.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Challenging, if you want it to be

Criminal Justice - July 25, 2009
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I began pursuing a B.A. in Criminal Justice at AMU after a ten year hiatus. I had dropped out of a local community college that I attended immediately after H.S. graduation and I had intended to but been unable to return to school until three years ago. When I began pursuing my degree at AMU I was shocked by how challenging the classes were in contrast to my C.College experience. Although it seemed you could get decent passing grades with little effort, achieving an A- or A at AMU is quite challenging and forces you to study hard. I thought perhaps it was my absence from college that made AMU seem so challenging, until I attended two classes at a local major public school at the behest of my employer (both business management classes). They were much, much easier to achieve an A grade in. I am convinced that by striving for high marks AMU will offer students an exceptional educational experience. Students who wish to simply "graduate" may also find AMU a decent diploma-mill that they can put marginal effort into and still achieve passing grades. If you're looking to continue your education beyond a four year degree, put the extra effort into AMU and you'll be rewarded.

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It worked for me

Environmental Studies - July 24, 2009
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I have no complaints. I found the program delivery excellent, and as a result learned a lot. In my opinion, online learning is a bit harder that what I found in the traditional classroom setting. You really have to apply yourself here.

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Objective Comparison

Intelligence Studies - July 23, 2009
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I have attended four "brick-and-mortar" universities to include: Texas A&M-College Station Texas A&M-Kingsville University of Texas- Pan American (UTPA) Northwestern State University. That being said I can honestly say that American Military University was not only the most challenging university I have attended, but provided the best quality of education. At any of the brick-and-mortar universities I attended (before I joined the military) I rarely went to classes did poorly on tests and still got As and Bs from professors with no real or relevant experience in the fields they taught (with little feedback as well). I no longer had the time to attend courses in person because of my work schedule so I had to find an online program. The downsides of the university is that most professors do not provide much feedback during the course and the education is on par with the effort you put in (imagine that at a university, oh my!). A lot of people are apprehensive about this school because it is an online program, but the professors are experts in their respective fields; a lot more than can be said about most traditional schools. At the four traditional colleges I attended I never read one book cover to cover, but while going to AMU I read nearly 60 books plus numerous articles, journals, etc. I finished my degree with a 3.8 GPA and was in the top 20% of my class (as indicated by being accepted to GKHS), while most schools a 3.8 GPA is no where near the top of a class and much easier to attain.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Not Entirely A Diploma Mill

Homeland Security - July 22, 2009
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Good if you want an easy way to get a VERY cheap & easy degree to add to your resume; however, if you are actually looking to learn anything - move on.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Quality of Education Stands up to the Best

Middle Eastern Studies - July 15, 2009
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I recently finished my BA in ME Studies. I had previously attended Brigham Young University as an Economics major for 2 years. After joining the Air Force, I became genuinely intrigued by Middle Eastern Affairs and switched majors. Over the last 2 years, I tried hard to do all the assignments and readings that were assigned by the instructors. I had always thought that the education I was getting might somehow be second-hand simply because it is an online-degree. But the materials and the expertise of the instructors to me was very similar to those I had interacted with while attending a physical campus. Nevertheless, there was still that uneasiness. That was until very recently. About 8 months ago I applied for a State Department Critical Language Scholarship for overseas Advanced Arabic Studies. This is a very competitive, merit-based scholarship awarded to students from all over the country. Well I got it. Imagine the inadequacy I felt during the orientation introductions in Washington, D.C. where I was surrounded by students from all of the Ivy League schools, and many other prominent ones...yes, ALL of the Ivy League schools, as well as some very good schools known for their developed regional programs such as UCLA, UCSB, UT Austin, George Washington University and Georgetown. Some students were pursuing their Bachelor's degrees, but most had already completed theirs and were now pursuing Masters, and even a few Doctorates. Most were focused on Middle Eastern Studies, International Relations, Islamic Studies, History, etc. I felt for sure that my ignorance would soon be revealed by simply participating in intellectual discussions that would undoubtedly arise. Well I have been in Jordan (scholarship) now for almost 2 months with these students and I have come to realize that I have been very well prepared and educated in ME studies and issues by the instructors and materials from American Military University. Of course, I do believe that one could easily skate through classes without putting in the effort that I did, but I know from experience and from talking with these other students that this can also be easily done in the nations best schools. The school (AMU) does indeed prepare the student; the materials are excellent, I had some professors better than others (which I made a point to bring up on each end of class review), and some classes were cake while some I wanted to throw out the window. It is the same at a regular university. I guess I expected much less out of an online school, but I got a much better education than what I expected, and as it turns out, one that can stand proudly next to the best schools in the country. My only CON would be the cost. I guess I shouldn't complain since TA paid for it all, but for those of you who do not receive some sort of tuition assistance, I feel like $250 per credit hour might be a little steep.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Master of Arts in History - July 14, 2009
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I have no complaints about AMU. One day this school will be known for its quality. And, no I don't work for AMU. I work in the entertainment industry and I just love history. I hope they get their PhD program one day. My only wish is that I wouldn't have screwed up my GI Bill and paid into it when I was a LT. Go AMU!

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AMU Review

Homeland Security - July 14, 2009
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I have attended AMU for the past 4 years. Overall an outstanding school. Several things drew me towards AMU -- online flexibility, doesn't exceed TA reimbursement, undergraduate book grant, and regional accreditation. My experience with instructors has varied from excellent to fair. However, I have also attended other colleges as a resident (not online), and found the same issues with instructors. As for faculty support, I have had success and good, accurate answers. The majority of my classes have had hard copy books. Once AMU receives TA payment, the book order goes to the book provider. Since I am in an undergraduate program, the books are paid for. How can I ask for more than the military to pay 100% TA and the college covers books? For me, a huge selling point. A person will only get out of a school what they put into a school. In other words, if you don't want to do the research, reading, etc then I don't know what you are going to get out of it. I would recommend AMU to my fellow military brethren. I enjoy th flexibility of classes (8 weeks only), the book grant, and the education I am getting through AMU.

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STAY AWAY

International Relations - July 11, 2009
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Great, up until you pay the TCE Fee. You are then locked in a system that is unflexible. The advisors will tell you what you want to hear, even if it's not the "Official APU policy." When you call to seek a solution (after you pay the TCE fee) you will get voicemail. So you then send an email to a nameless advisor supervisor. You will ultimately receive a "Gee sorry, I'll talk to the advisor that gave you the wrong information." This will by email of course. The closing portion will say, " this is the policy found on page 265, that MUST be followed" ........So sorry our agent gave you the wrong information, but this is the policy. Stay away unless you read the small print, before you speak with an advisor. Good luck.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

AMU

BS Business Management and Leadership - June 29, 2009
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I am currently attending AMU persuing a BA in Human Resources Management. Overall, AMU is a very good school. It is convenient and I am able to log-in to my classrooms at anytime. Some 'online' classes requires the student to logg on during a specified time/date, but AMU is all at your own time. It is really good. The only feedback I have is that I wish the school would actually mail a hardcopy of the books needed for the classes rather than an e-copy. Personally, I can't still and stare at a computer screen to read all the time - a book is my preference.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Very pleased so far

Information Technology Management - June 24, 2009
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I was looking for a shcool that would fit my frequent military travels and that would be able to answer tuition assistance and GI Bill questions. I first looked at U fo Pheonix, they gave me the run around about my tuition assistance. A friend at the base recommended AMU. I am currently halfway through my program and I am very pleased with everything. Most of the profs work or have worked in their respected fields and are very knowledgable and quick to answer questions. If you are looking for an online degree program that you can just slack around and finish your degree, I wouldn't recommend AMU. Most courses I have taken are challenging. If you put forth the effort, you will get what you pay for, a quality education.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great Criminal Justice Program

Criminal Justice - June 23, 2009
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I am currently pursuing a bachelors degree in criminal justice from American Military University and think it is a great program. I love that I can earn my degree online while I work full time. I am half way through the program and have found my professors to be very knowledgeable and skilled in what they teach. They use a combination of textbooks, lecture notes, and videos to help the students understand the course. All of the professors I have had so far have bachelors and masters degrees related to criminal justice and have a great deal of background in the field. All of my textbooks and course materials are provided and I receive all my physical textbooks through the book grant (absolutely great!). When I first started with AMU, I thought the courses would be easy since I would be taking them online. I soon realized that was not the case. The courses are demanding and require hard work and effort. You have weekly discussion boards, quizzes, and exams like you would at any university. So far, I am very pleased with American Military University. I look forward to completing my criminal justice degree online and would recommend the university to people out there who are looking to earn a degree online. The school is accredited and affordable!

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Great Choice for an Online School

Transportation and Logistics Management - June 22, 2009
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I began APU (the non-military part of AMU) in October 2008 for a Master's degree in Transportation & Logistics Management. I earned my BA at a brick & mortar school about 8 years ago and decided to head back to school for a career change. I looked into other schools such as the University of Phoenix, but after seeing the cost of tuition and reading some very very bad reviews I decided to give APU a try. I have no complaints about this school. In fact I cant remember the last time I learned so much in school. Sure, there can be a lot of work involved, and there is usually some type of paper due each week, but is fun material and isn't that hard, IF your willing to put the time into it. I think one of the biggest problems for online schools and their bad reviews is that people just are disciplined to do the work. I learned real fast that you have to stay on top of the assigned work and you can not slack off. Again I have no complaints about APU / AMU and would recommend it to anyone who was looking into an Online program. Mike

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Generally a great school, BUT...

Intelligence Studies - June 17, 2009
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I agree with those commenting negatively about the "Intro to Learning" course. I, too, absolutely did not need to take it, but was forced. The instructor advertises himself as an "expert" in, like, 20 different "careers", beginning with real-estate, and everything in between; he blasts his own trumpet quite loudly, and demands perfect grammar from his students, tells them to "shine" and then posts and out-dated syllabus, with mistakes throughout-spelling and grammar mistakes, no less! The instructors teaching the Intelligence courses, however, are absolutely excellent-all are senior level professionals in their field, intelligent, and responsive. Other than the intro class, other nightmare experience with one of the science courses-the instructor did not use the website/online resources that came with the textbook(a really good one), and instead had students trying to navigate their way through a nightmare website meant for professionals already working in this particular field of science! I have had no problems with financial aid, because i pester them...don't leave them alone, they get sick of me, everything's all set real fast. I, too, have been to B&M schools (2 of them), and can say that AMU is higher academically than either of the 2 I attended. I really like it at AMU, and already now (mid-BA) am hoping to do Master's there as well, and even P.h.D if they have it by then! Go, try it out, I do not believe you will be disappointed, and yes, there is TONS of work to do, but that's why you enroll in college, right?

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THIS SCHOOL HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MADE ME RICH

Transportation and Logistics Management - June 11, 2009
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THE INSTRUCTORS ARE AMAZING BUT INTIMIDATING. THEY ARE SO HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED, SO IT IS SOMEWHAT CHALLENGING. A GREAT SCHOOL BY ALL MEASURES BUT YOU MUST BE DEDICATED AND MENTALLY CAPABLE BECAUSE IT IS NOT A UNIVERSITY MADE FOR EVERYONE. THOSE THAT WANT EASIER SCHOOLS BUT LESS PRESTIGE SHOULD STICK WITH THE PHOENIX, TROY, DREXEL STYLE SCHOOLS. SINCE ATTENDING I HAVE HAD THE BIGGEST COMPANIES OFFER ME JOBS AND COUNTLESS GOVERNMENT ENTITIES CONTACT WITH JOB OFFERS. IT HAS BEEN HARD WORK BUT I AM SO GLAD I HUNG IN THERE. I HAVE HAD SCHOOLS THAT OFFER DOCTORATES ACCEPT MY APPLICATIONS I JUST CANT FIGURE OUT WHERE TO DO MY DOCTORATE BUT THEY HAVE ALL ACCEPTED AMU TRANSCRIPTS. ALL AND ALL IF YOU HAVE THE SMARTS AND THE ABILITY TO GIVE YOUR ALL THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU

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Scam!

Criminal Justice - June 5, 2009
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APUS is just another college scam. None of the instructors are supervised, none of their credentials can be checked out(so you might be getting "educated" by somebody who has an AA, best case scenario). Department of Education can't do anything about them because they are a private college,a business and not an actual school. Any private school can get accredited, i is not based off quality of education. The books they claim to give for free as often just low quality pdf files. Somebody needs to report them to the publishing company. Now instructors at AMU do whatever they want to do. They give assignments that are not related to class, they will fail you if they do not like you or your ideas, they will not explain anything, not mentioning teach. If you try to complain to school officials, they will try their best to cover up for the instructor and convince you that you are either : 1) an idiot 2) a foreigner and therefore an idiot That being said - not foreigner friendly. You will be filing discrimination complaints like there's no tomorrow. Not military friendly as it claims to be either. If you will get deployed and try to drop out of classes - good luck getting your money back. You will keep fowarding copies of your orders and they will keep having "system errors". I love the PR team though, so many great comments that sound way unrealistic. Good job guys! Anybody who had a bad experience with AMU please do not "let it slide", file a complaint with the "office of civil rights" or at least create an online blog describing your problem. People need to know the truth and the school needs to get shut down.

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2 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Tuition Issues

Environmental Studies - May 29, 2009
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At first I was impressed at how quickly AMU (APUS) processed my application and how easy the system was to sign up for my first classes. Any positive impressions I may have had originally have been overshadowed by the incredibly poor quality of service I've received when trying to get a refund for two courses I needed to drop. I dropped the two courses one week prior to their start date. I've been informed that it takes 30 days for them to refund my tuition to my credit card. An email to the registrar was answered "Refunds are processed by our student accounts department and generally take 30 days." The student accounts department responded "Refunds have a turnaround time of 30 days." I would NOT recommend AMU/APUS to anyone who may have a need to withdraw from a course. I get the feeling that their primary goal is not taking care of the student but rather maintaining a revenue stream.

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3 of 7 people found the following review helpful

UOP VS AMU

BS Business Management and Leadership - May 29, 2009
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I actually transferred to AMU from the University of Phoenix in Sept 2008. My experience has been different from UOP. First, I must admit that at UOP I never read my books I just read enough to complete the assignments. There were discussion questions, shorts papers, and power point presentations and that was it. I passed every class with an A, which was about 16 classes. Now imagine passing a class without reading and completely comprehending the reading materials. My professors provided the same feedback “Excellent work” “great job” etc…I was expecting concise feedback in reference to content, critical thinking etc… However, at AMU is slightly more challenging I actually received A’s B’s and C’s. This is mainly because they have quizzes and exams and if you do not know the answer or if you are not able to find the answer than you are SOL. Also, some of the exams are timed and require a proctor. Overall, an online degree is easier than the traditional school as I have attended traditional college as well but it just depends on the individual. In other words, my degree is not going to get me a job because I already have a career but it will be nice to say that I have one and I can say that I have learned a lot from my courses at AMU and I would be able to hold a conversation with someone who graduated from a traditional school.

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Good school with a couple of exceptions

Middle Eastern Studies - May 26, 2009
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I have been with AMU for about a year and a half and have been satisfied with the quality of instruction and the course materials. Most classes I have taken required a lot of writing and provided plenty of opportunity to discuss course materials on the message boards. My only real complaint was that I was required to take an extra political science class as a prerequisite for one of my core requirements. I was not pleased to have this additional requirement added but overall my experience with AMU has been positive.

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Great for me so far

Criminal Justice - May 18, 2009
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Overall I have had a great experience with AMU. The classes are not a walk in the park, and I do actually learn. As with any educational institution I have had some bad Professors and classes that I did not learn much from...on the other hand; I have had more classes and professors that were worth my time. I noticed a few people bashing AMU after they took 5 classes and such!? Doesn't say much for you to quit after such a short time. Also, I am convinced that anyone who has problems with this school administrative wise...its probably not the schools fault, as I have found them to be more then helpful.

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Recent Graduate

International Relations - May 8, 2009
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I recently completed my degree requirements for a BA in International Relations, and thought I'd write a little about my experiences at AMU and the program itself. In terms of support, I have no complaints. During my three years at AMU, I never had any difficulty communicating with my student adviser or program director. Additionally, I was able to utilize my TA, MGIB, and Financial Aid without any problems. Naturally there's a process I had to go through to get my funding 'online'. However, I was able to accomplish everything I needed through email and phone - calls and questions were returned promptly, and the entire process was painless. Tuition. At 250 per credit hour, it's cheaper than most 'for-profit' educational institutions, but keep in mind that 750 a class adds up - even with the help of TA & MGIB. If you follow APUS President W. Boston's blog, you'll know that the current tuition rates are likely to remain unchanged. Professors at AMU: Some are good, some are great, some I didn't like at all. Over the course of three years I found most professors to be engaging and demanding. Creativity, discussion and feedback are major components you'll come across in your academic plan. Overall, most online classes are writing intensive, and typical coarse loads included major research projects (15+ papers), 7-8 pg papers & LOTS of reading. Lower level classes typically demand multiple 4-5 pg papers, multiple question & essay exams. Now, did a few instructors run on 'autopilot'? Sure, I've come across two or three. Although, I should note that the university system is constantly providing opportunity for students to submit online assessment surveys & feedback - in fact one is available for each course you complete. If someone is dissatisfied with a course, they should annotate that dissatisfaction on a survey, or write the program director/school dean. Too easy. Overall, I found my time at AMU to be rewarding and challenging. Although still relatively unknown in the civilian sector, APUS has become highly regarded within the military and federal government - A fact which underlines the value of AMU's School of Security and Global Studies.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A great choice

Political Science - May 7, 2009
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I'm sorry some of you had poor AMU experiences, but mine has been just fine. Yes, teachers will sometimes run the course on autopilot, but education is always about self-motivation anyway. AMU gives you good resources--books, lecture notes, a great online library--but leaves it up to you to learn something. I write a ton for this program--more so, in fact, than my wife who attended a brick-and-mortar, accredited, private college. In fact, most mid-terms and finals are some sort of writing assignment. For some, the grad program is beneficial; however, I want to become a professional in my field, and am postponing my Masters until I EAS. A "normal" college will give me more research opportunities, internships and contact with professors. If I had no alternative, a graduate degree from AMU rivals any other online graduate program. Bottom line: Any school is what you make it. Both B&M schools and online schools have students who merely "show up to class," emitting no effort. A degree from AMU, combined with maturity, poise and a military background is sure to impress many employers.

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Profs Unresponsive. Classes on Autopilot?

Transportation and Logistics Management - April 14, 2009
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I don't think any of the graduate profs at AMU actually TEACH. They post an outdated syllabus and canned questions, then sit back and grade papers. That's IT. They don't participate in discussions, or even tell students if they are on the right track, barking up the wrong tree, etc. You are on your own. Literally! To ask a question, you must email the prof. The books says they have 24 hours to respond, but I have had to send followups days later just to get an answer. And although the department head says papers will be graded within 7 days, I personally have had to wait three weeks to get a paper graded. Study groups are not allowed. You are basically getting your degree completely on your own. No teacher, no classmates. In one class, there is actually NO BOOK required. The prof posts the questions along with "key terms for web surfing" (I'm not kidding) and you have to Google your way to the answers. The materials they do distribute are outdated (many before 9/11), and are full of typos and grammatical errors. The profs are sticklers for using APA format, but then contradict the examples in their own syllabus and mark papers down. I kept thinking it was "just this professor" and things would get better. It hasn't. If I wasn't so many classes into my masters, I would quit.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

American Military University

BS Business Management and Leadership - April 8, 2009
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I found the classes at AMU to be of a very high quality with degrees in many unusual fields. I have found my classes in Military History to be challenging. My Professors have been of a high quality which I did not find in the regular University I attended before. They had real life experience in the subjects they taught and seemed very interested in the subject matter. The one thing that I have had to get use to is the amount of writing I have had to do for my classes. I have had to write essays on every text we have read in a class plus the addition of a major paper at the end of each class. I feel as someone who is beyond the normal college age that this university is for those of us with active lives or those who are in the service who can use the flexibility of the online classroom to their advantage.

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AMU gave me the best education, not easy!

BS Business Management and Leadership - April 7, 2009
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I have tried other online colleges (Ashworth College) and they just didn't have what American Military University does. Professors that work in the field of your study. Courses that are in your career field or potential career field. The curriculum was top notch. Can't say that it was easy, online learning is not for everyone. It takes motivation and discipline, something not everyone has. Reading, research and writing! Lots of all three. But if you want a challenging to get the best education you can, then AMU is the best for you. You get to choose what your course load is, and whether you want it in a 8 or 16 week pace. The staff is there to help at anytime and the Professors are great. I have had questions in which I have spoken to them via phone and email at all hours, they avail themselves to all their students. American Public University and American Military University rival any four-year University out there.

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The easiest 4 year degree you'll find

BS Business Management and Leadership - March 30, 2009
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Current student here. I've taken 7 courses with AMU. If you want a degree fast, aren't very smart, or don't want to really try, AMU is for you. The classes are easy. The required involvement is minimal. The instructors regularly "phone it in". If you are looking for an education with some value, try a community college and then transfer to a real university. If you just want a piece of paper, buy one with AMU. For those that give AMU a high rating, what was/is your GPA? I guarantee that the average final GPA for all AMU students hovers at 4.0. Why? Is it because AMU students are geniuses? Or maybe the curriculum is somewhat less than demanding... Hmmmm..... Regardless, I only have time for an online degree and I'm only looking for a piece of paper. Hurray for mediocrity!

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4 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Socratic Tradition

Intelligence Studies - March 29, 2009
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I completed my undergrad degree in intelligence studies in 2003. In 2007 I entered into the graduate program. At that time it was Strategic Intelligence, and has since become Intelligence Studies for grad school as well as undergrad. During my active duty years I attended Long Beach State University, and graduate level classes at many military campuses. In my opinion, AMU/APUS is as Socratic a program as exists in the world today. I would not recommend AMU to anyone who is looking for an easy way to translate their training and experience into a degree. That's not AMU, not even close. AMU's programs stack up against those of the world's leading institutions of higher learning, and that is the level of dedication and effort a prospective student needs to be prepared to take on. That's not to scare anyone away - anyone of reasonable intelligence and dedication, who commits themselves to earning an undergraduate or advanced degree will succeed as easily at AMU as they would anywhere else, and the staff is there to see you achieve your academic goals; very supportive. This is a regionally accredited institution that will someday be among the most prestigious in the world, it's only a matter of time. So if you're reading this and you have reservations because you've never heard of AMU - put your self at ease and check out the University for yourself. You will not be disappointed. I'm very proud of my education. Education transends social interaction, and in terms of purely Socratic academics, AMU is as good as it gets.

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Pretty Good

Child and Family Development - March 24, 2009
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I only wish I had known about this school while I was active duty. I decided to leave a quick review since I noticed most of the commentary was on military, history or intelligence majors. All in all this is a great program especially if you want your CFLE or to move on to an alternative teacher certification program. The classes are very informative, teachers are excellent, and I never have a problem getting in touch with Veteran's Affairs or my advisor. This a great online school, I recommend it to every one looking to pursue their degree while working full time.

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Great School

BA in History - March 19, 2009
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This school is great. I took classes well deployed to OIF and they were both outstanding. The instructors are great and very understanding to the military lifestyle. Also, if you go on thier website and read the instructor's credentials, they are on par with any brick and mortar university and many are proffesors at other top schools. The system is user friendly and forces you to learn. No class is easy, and I always learn. Would reccomend to anyone. The staff is very helpful and the book grant is GREAT. Alot of online schools are more concerned about getting your money than getting you an education. AMU has shown me that they do care about the student and learning.

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Outstanding Program

Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies - March 18, 2009
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This program used to result in a degree conferral of "Master of Strategic Intelligence." It has now changed to MA in Intelligence Studies. I fell under the MSI name, and prefer that to the new one. Regardless, this program is truly outstanding. Just take a look at the professors' biographies and you will see that they are or have been professionals working in the intelligence community, and are experts in their particular fields. I highly recommend this degree, and the school in general. AMU's focus is mainly on those career fields and professions related to federal government service. In my opinion, this is a relative rarity today.

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pretty good

Information Systems Security - February 9, 2009
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Completed my program last year. Good college, no complaints.

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Good Program for military

Criminal Justice - February 6, 2009
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This school is great for military and as you can already see is 100% accredited. For those skeptical, I have used my military TA and VA benefits here and those institutions wont pay for non-accredited degrees.

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Challenging curriculum, good service

Master of Arts In Military Studies - February 5, 2009
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The curriculum was much more challenging than I thought it would be - yet it was interesting and unique from what I saw offered in other history-oriented master's degrees. The faculty really brought the subjects alive - even topics I would have typically found boring. The staff were prompt and courteous, my financing and student loans were on time, and when I had to withdraw from a course they did not penalize me since it was related to work. I'm going to go here for another degree level if they ever start a PhD in Security Studies.

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Very proud graduate, great school!

Intelligence Studies - February 4, 2009
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I recently completed the BA in Intelligence Studies program. I was a former military member (E-6) who completed about 5-6 classes during my nine year military career before I started taking classes at AMU. AMU was able to credit me with about 45 credits (Smart transcript and other classes). I took most of my core classes right off the bat and completed about 7-8 classes within the first year of the program. I was able to complete the program in three years with a steady workload of two classes at a time. I took breaks when I was feeling the heat but after things cooled down I was right back into it. The intelligence courses were great. There was alot of reading and writing and the classes were full of students with Intelligence Community backgrounds. Sometimes I questioned if an eight week class needs 3-4 novels and a couple other reference books, and some professors did not even fully utilize all of the "required texts" but that didn't matter because all BA student receive a book grant. I learned so much during my time with AMU and altough there were a few hicups along the way (Financial Aid, ect.) I am completely satisfied with AMU and it's instructors. They are the best! I am planning on staying with AMU for a master's degree. Their prices are very good after looking around at other schools and I really like the fact they offer both 8 week and 16 week courses.

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AMU - Good For Undergrad Degree

Intelligence Studies - January 29, 2009
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I received my Bachelors Degree from AMU, so I thought it would be a good choice to continue on for my Masters. After speaking to others who are/were enrolled in several of their Masters programs, it would seem they put more effort in supporting the Undergrad side the house with regard to curriculum and have become overall sloppy in administrative housekeeping across the board. As an Educational Services Officer for my organization, I was a huge advocate of AMU as one of the pioneers in the books & tuition model for Undergrad. However if they don't start to shape up people will go elsewhere.

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Great Experience /Excellent School

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - January 16, 2009
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I am a graduate of AMU with a BA in Criminal Justice. The coursework was heavy at times but the support from staff was excellent on preparing me for exams. The option to select either 8 or 16 week courses helped me set myself for success based on my strengths and weaknesses. This is an excellent school with great instructors. I have referred over 30 fellow Airmen and all seem thoroughly pleased as well.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great Experience

BA in History - January 3, 2009
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I strongly recomend AMU. I have had nothing but positive experiences there. I cannot speak to the finance department as some others have complained about here, but for military students there is no better bet. AMU has been helpful with any situation I have had come up and the classes put forth some great knowledge I am happy to have. When I signed up for a sociology class toward the begining of my degree I thought I could BS my way through the class. Not true. I had to put out a lot of effort but in return I learned a ton of information. The prices fall in line with military TA, however if they were a little cheaper you could take more classes per fiscal year, but if the military gave us more money we could take more classes as well. That is certainly not a fault of the University, after all every college needs to make money. Several people have had negative things to about the Intro. to online learning class. While I was an adult learner and already had a good idea of how to learn, this class was interesting to me, it put some new ideas out there I hadn't thought of before. Overall a great school with much to offer.

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The Best Intelligence Program Around

Intelligence Studies - December 22, 2008
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If you are looking for a graduate level program in intelligence, this is the only one that is regionally accredited and 100% online.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Can't complain

BS Business Management and Leadership - December 10, 2008
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I am in my third class with Capella and everything has been absolutely smooth from the advisors, counselors, and financial depatrtmnent helping me along to the actual classroom experience. This is my first online college experience. It does take a lot of time as I expected, but the great part is that I can do it at my own pace and not totally have to be away from my family. I am a mother of two young children and I am a wife. I work full time too so this is the best option for my situation if I really want to obtain a degree plus it has been a great way to enhance my professional skills at work. I transferred all of my credits from 2 traditional colleges and I was able to start off at Capella pretty much where I left off from the last school. I would recommend this school to anyone who is not ready to give up on pursuing their education. No online school is perfect. Research other schools and check out other school reviews. I did and I also spoke with some Capella alumni who currently work in my organization (a major HMO) and these people hold senior positions. It took me a while to decide, but I kept coming back to Capella. I have no regrets.

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Norwich University MMH

American Military History - December 10, 2008
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I finished in the second group of the military history program. I found the faculty and staff to be exceptional. The professors were willing to help with any issues I may have had. The university was available when needed. The residency week was extraordinary, just a great program. You will be challenged, but it is worth it.

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Better Than Average

Homeland Security - December 10, 2008
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I have been to several colleges and universities, and American Military University is one of the best in the business. The accredidation is the same as the major university I attended and I recieve more student teacher interaction. AMU accepted all of my CCAF credits and some of my credits from a local community college. AMU is way more than a "Pay your fee, recieve a "B"" university. The one thing I don't like is they use a lot of online books and online books are not good for math courses and the classes are kind of expensive although you can take 6 undergrad courses per year with your military TA.

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AMU is a tranfer nightmare and scam

American Military History - December 8, 2008
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AMU would not accept/transfer half of the credits that other online schools accepted for same degree program. They have one heck of a sales pitch about being so military friendly but expect military TA to pay for the same classes twice? They won’t and I can’t afford to waste time completing the same courses that I just got an A in last year. They also gave me 0 credit hours for military classes and training while another school gave me 45. Shame on AMU; I guess it’s really all about the money. Don’t waste your time! Having the word Military in the title is just a way to attract military dollars.

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3 of 9 people found the following review helpful

WWII History

Master of Arts in History - November 17, 2008
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AMU is a great school. I am studying for my master's degree in Military History and the courses are great. AMU does not require most of the stumbling blocks that Brick and Mortar Universities do. AMU has great professors and the discussions are excellent. The workload is alot, but if you want a reliable degree, then AMU is the right school for you. I just hope someday they will offer PHD programs in History.

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Great School

Intelligence Studies - October 29, 2008
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I am still working on my Masters in Strategic Intelligence but so far I have nothing but great things to say about this University. The instructors are great, and I mean that! They are very understanding with issues that come up that may require an extension or extra help. The instructors all have a ton of experience and it shows. I was a bit intimidated by the extensive backgrounds of the instructors and even some of my fellow students at first, but everyone has been very friendly and helpful. My only complaint is with some of the materials being somewhat out dated. Due to the nature of the subject being studied, much of the current data is still classified and material on the changes in policy are constantly being modified, so if you have a text that is 8-10 years old the concepts may be the same but the data is often changed. Price is better than most online Universities, and what you get is priceless, but if it wasn't so expensive I could take more classes and almost be done by now.

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I love AMU!

Intelligence Studies - October 24, 2008
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I've learned SO much at AMU...I returned to school for a Masters in Strategic Intelligence after a 12 year hiatus from the educational system (my undergrad degree is from a "regular" university) and I do not regret a minute! The educators are amazing. The curriculum is rigorous. Yes, the financial aid department is a pain, but even with problems there I've always been able to start my courses on time. With a full time career outside the intel field and two small kids, I've still been able to keep up a 3.8 GPA. This is not because the course work is simple, it's because I've worked my fanny off. If you're looking for an easy degree, keep looking, but if you want to actually learn, try AMU :)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Exceptional school / great experience

International Relations - October 6, 2008
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I have just completed my degree at AMU and wanted to write a review on some of the outstanding support and instruction I received. In my 3 year experience my course materials never arrived late, my professors proved to be engaging and insightful, and I learned A LOT. As with most online universities, there was much reading and research to be done at AMU, however I found all the course materials to be relevant to my program. It's no secret that this school is geared toward the government / public safety sector in the job market, thus the value of my education received here stands out above the rest. I would recommend AMU to any potential online student, as my degree has helped me get into GWU.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Bent over backwards

Intelligence Studies - October 1, 2008
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The past year was tough - I started my grad program and two months later, was put in the hospital. I applied for an extension for my classes, and then started them back up six months later. Shortly after starting the classes, my husband was ill and I had to get an extension on another class. Through all of the ups and downs, APUS worked with me. There were a couple of times I got frustrated with just how much paperwork was needed - but the school is fully accredited and they are a business. They have the tools in place to work with students in all types of situations and the ability to work my way through the difficulties of the past year and still not jeopardize my chances at a grad degree has been amazing. The brick and mortar school I attended, would have had me paying for each dropped/extended class, and retaking them, paying for them again. Not with APUS. Definitely a case of using the system and tools set in place, and having advisors and appeals folks that bent over backwards to make sure I could keep working on my goals.

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Great Online School

International Relations - October 1, 2008
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I found the American Military University while I was looking for online degrees for International Relations. And, I was completely shocked when I actually found a school where I could obtain this degree 100% online. Even foreign language classes are done online, they use Rosetta Stone. A person will not become fluent but will have a good handle on the language. The only down side is, as another poster complained about, the required "Intro to learning" course. I had taken similiar courses at two other places, but the one at AMU is by far the best one out the bunch. It is not the funnest or most interesting class but it does give a new student a solid base. The course work is a reasonable amount and also challenging. But, if you have the will, you can do it. I have a full time job, two children, and a husband, and was able to take 3 courses at the same time and made A's and B's. The best advice is:If there is a will, there is a way. Don't expect it to be easy, but do expect a wonderful experience.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Terrible experience

Homeland Security - September 29, 2008
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Shortly after beginning my graduate coursework for a degree in Homeland Security (first course!), I was called away for work for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately I was unable to receive the internet where I was and with the equipment that I had available to me. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, I fell behind in my on-line class. When I returned, I contacted the school and explained what had happened. I was told by one department that I would receive 50% of my pre-paid tuition for the course back. I was then transfered to the Appeals Dept. Their reply was that since I was in the 5th week of an 8 week course I would not receive any reimbursement of my payment. In addition to that, I also needed to pay an extra $100.00 withdrawal fee. My problem is that what I was asking for was to be allowed to transfer any funds to the same course beginning the next semester. I explained to the person in the Appeals Dept. that the $100.00 may be the last dollar they get from me as they were making it very difficult for me to even want to continue in their program. I only wanted to retake the same course. They would not budge one iota and now I am left with the decision of returning to this program and doing it all over again. This was my first course at this school. They don't seem to have any appreciation for a private citizen who doesn't have the Government bankrolling their education. The course was $825.00. So all in all, for ONE course I will pay $1,750.00? Not likely.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Great program, great school

International Relations - September 29, 2008
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My experience at AMU has exceeded my expectations by far. Coming from CCSU, I was new to the online learning environment, and as a consequence I carried some unease at the start of my academic program. However the staff and faculty at AMU have turned me into a believer. I am receiving a top notch education here, and will have my B.A. completed by this December. AMU has given me a lot of options - from internships to grad schools. I would recommend this school to anyone looking to pursue their academic goals online.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

M.A. Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice - June 27, 2008
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Very pleased with my decision to attend AMU. Exceptional bargain.

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Excellent School

Master of Arts In Military Studies - June 23, 2008
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I am a military officer who elected to complete my Masters with AMU because of the flexibility of the program. It best fits my schedule, and my concentration in strategy makes sense for my career. I attended Boston University for my bachelors degree, gained admission to Brandeis University for grad school (but did not attend) and completed one graduate course at Saint Mary’s University of San Antonio. AMU better fit my needs for graduate school, offering the courses I needed when I could take them, and maintaining an electronic campus I could access from anywhere. The work is almost all research and writing, and the professors definitely challenge students. The caliber of my classmates is almost universally excellent, and I learned as much from interactions on class discussion boards as I have from assigned readings and my own research. The three best aspects of AMU as a distance learning experience are the faculty, its accreditation status and its affordability: Faculty: I have studied under ten different professors at American Military University. Eight held PhDs: Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, and the University of Alabama for those who studied in the United States, University of Manitoba, York University, and the University of New Brunswick for the Canadians; and Bosphorus University. The two who were not PhDs held masters degrees from the Naval Post Graduate School and Duke respectively. Three were published authors of academic books, while all have engaged in preparing published articles and studies. Professionally, seven served as officers in the American, Canadian and Turkish armed forces; including service in combat. Five have taught at the University level in a variety of “brick and mortar” institutions including UW-Bothell, USMA, and USAFA. In contrast to my undergraduate experience, of which I can recall no significant interaction with professors, I have had significant contact with, and support from, all of my AMU professors. Accreditation: Accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association, the same accrediting body for schools such as Ohio State. This means it is a legitimate school, despite being relatively unknown. AMU is no diploma mill. Affordabilty: $275 a credit hour for graduate students is the best price for an accredited school of which I am aware. With tuition assistance and inter-library loan, I paid less than $800 out of pocket for my entire degree. Bottom line: There is no “better” school available for the distance learner than AMU in my opinion. There are many “better name” schools with distance learning programs out there today, but they cost a lot more, and I doubt the extra cost means anything in terms of a better education. I highly recommend AMU.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU: An Excellent Choice

American Military History - June 8, 2008
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For a military member in a time of instability due to deployments, TDYs, and more work with fewer resources, AMU is an excellent alternative to traditional schools. Where I am stationed, there are plenty of local opportunities; however, none were as accommodating as AMU. The issues I have with local schools are the travel time to the campus, the fixed/inflexible schedules, and those of the faculties who are not very empathetic to your situation. The positives of AMU are it is regionally accredited, TA covers the class AND books, career related programs (mine is Space Studies), flexibility to manage your time, and most of the facility are/were in the military and very understanding. In addition, AMU is now part of the Air Force's, Air University-Associates to Baccalaureate Cooperative Program adding to the school's creditability. AMU and distance learning are great alternatives to the in-residence universities, because these allow for personal management of your most valuable resource, time. If you possess self-discipline, time-management skills, and personal accountability, AMU is an excellent choice.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Much harder than I expected.

American Military History - May 25, 2008
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Before enrolling at AMU, I had attended several (four to be exact) brick and mortar Universities, and to be perfectly honest I was very skeptical of the quality of education that could be delivered over the internet. To my surprise, the standard at AMU was much higher than what I had experienced previously with institutions of "higher" learning. Anyone who is looking to enroll at AMU needs to be fully prepared for this, and needs to be ready to read and write in abundance.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Great

Master of Arts in History - May 22, 2008
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Great program. I love it. I have enjoyed my time there.

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First choice for online University

Information Technology Management - May 18, 2008
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I just completed the BS in IT Management at AMU. I would recommend this University and degree to anyone that is looking into adult learning options. I took several classes online at University of Phoenix before transferring to AMU. AMU is far, far better than UOP. First it costs half as much to go to AMU, based on each 3 credit class AMU was $750 and UOP was $1500 and increasing. AMU also does not have team based assignments. You might have to review a posting by someone else but that is it, there are no 10 page papers that you have to coordinate with someone else like you do at UOP. I thought the AMU evaluation of transfer credits was very fair. At most Universities it seems like they do anything they can to exclude your credits for whatever reason, but at AMU I felt like they tried to do the opposite and include my previous work wherever they could.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Alumni back for more

Sports Management - May 2, 2008
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I have graduated from AMU with my BA. I am currently over half-way done with my Masters. This was the best value in schools I have ever found. It is both regionally and nationally accredited. They have priced their undergraduate credits to match what the military covers in tuition assistance. There is an undergraduate book grant that everyone is automatically accepted into. This makes getting a Bachelors practically free for active duty members. My BA only cost $75 for a transfer credit evaluation and $75 for graduation. The professors are mostly helpful and the staff is courteous. Proctored exams were easier to do when I was in the service because the education office would do it. Now that I am out, it is a little more difficult.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Information Systems Security - April 24, 2008
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I am currently on my 4th class with AMU and have nothing but positive things to say about the institution. Contrary to some recent reviews, the TA system has been quick and flawless for me. I can only attribute others problems to "operator error". As long as you have what you need when you need it they take care of you. The staff and professors are knowledgeable and onpoint. I have always receieved my books on time. Like I said, nothing bad to say at all.

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AMU is Great!

Transportation and Logistics Management - April 24, 2008
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Have been taking classes with AMU for 2 years and have had an excellent experiance. Any issues have been resolved quickly. I am suprised that a few have had problems. The classes and profs have been great and the reginal accred. puts the issues of a real/not real degree to rest. For a working adult, this is a great university!

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For The Love Of God GO ELSEWHERE!!!

Homeland Security - April 22, 2008
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I have had nothing but problems with AMU since before I even got into this fine"university" (SNICKER SNICKER!)I was bumped from a Dec. start to a Jan. start to a MARCH start due to dealing with the combined ineptitude of the tech system and the petty bureaucrat functionaries whose customer service training was obviously from Bulgaria !(Cold,wrong answers,and often rude!)The readings were not current at all(many from BEFORE 9/11!!)and the books were definitely NOT written for a graduate-level course!Professors did not return e-mails or give any insight as to what they expect in papers and discussion board postings,thus making the learning process nearly impossible.Luckily,I am only two courses in and will NOT be returning after these are done.DO NOT GO HERE!!

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

AMU Financial Aid NIghtmare!!

Intelligence Studies - April 8, 2008
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I don't know how to rate any portion of the academics b/c I haven't been able to enter a class since I enrolled in January!! The financial aid process is a complete NIGHTMARE and all I have heard is excuse after excuse about why my financial aid package has not been submitted!! I was bumped back from a March start date to April and now it looks like I will have to be bumped back AGAIN to May b/c they still can't seem to get their stuff together!! Thanks a LOT AMU!!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Highly Recommended

Transportation and Logistics Management - February 27, 2008
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If you work in the Transportation & Logistics field, this program is an awesome way to increase your knowledge and expand your horizons. I was impressed with the experience and knowledge of the professors, as well as how closely this field of study related to my position in the Transportation field working for the Federal Government.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great value

National Security Studies - February 11, 2008
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I enrolled in this program for personal growth and professional development. As you might expect "National Security Studies" is not a common degree program at many colleges so I took a chance and enrolled for this completely online program. Having earned my BA Degree at a Brick & Mortar institution, AMU was my first online experience and I was unsure what to expect. Since being in the program I have been very pleased with everything. The online classroom is very easy to use and the instructors and support staff are very responsive to my questions and concerns. The instructors' syllabi are very detailed and their expectations are clear. I especially liked the cost for graduate tuition which is very affordable compared to other institutions. Most affordable program I could find. If you enroll at AMU be prepared to READ & WRITE A LOT. I have already completed several graduate level courses at a B&M and comparitively the amount of reading and writing at AMU is huge. Now in my opinion this writing was not really busy work. Rather it was a result of much research and critical thinking which was compiled into many assignments. As expected we are expected to synthesize current events with the information being studied. Many of these assignments are posted on discussion boards for other students to read and comment on. Hence you are also reviewing your peer's work and engaged in discussion. One thing I like about AMU is the common bond I feel between the students. AMU has cornered a niche market with military, government, and public safety personnel as its biggest clientele. This becomes obvious when students introduce themselves during the initial week of the courses. These are people I enjoy learning with because they are in my shoes. I would bet if you attend most other online schools you would have a very wide variety of people who you may not relate to. These might include soccer moms or people in the private sector who can't offer much insight. In the end it is the niche market which creates the networking opportunities. I have already met people at my own agency that are enrolled in AMU and our mutual coursework and common career goals create great dialogue. The worst thing about AMU and probably any "legitimate" online school is that self-discipline is absolutely required to complete the courses. Undisciplined students will fall behind and will not suceed at AMU. AMU is for self-starters. With all of this said I recommend AMU for people if they are interested in topics related to the NARROW fields of military, government, and public safety. These are its real strengths and main stay. Of course this would also include History (especially military history where AMU has really sharpened its teeth) and management (defense management and logistics). If you want to study arts, sciences, humanities, etc., then find another school because AMU does not specialize in these areas.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

AMU is simply excellent

Information Technology Management - December 19, 2007
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From my understanding, AMU is also about to start the process for a Ph.d program and is also working on several secondary business type accredidations such as AACSB, CPEH, etc. This school is truely second to none when it come to distance learning and is well respected in government, military, law enforcement, and other communities. Every traditional college institution I've spoken with in regards to AMU is either highly impressed or have never heard of the it. Once the ones who had never heard of it research it, they are very impressed afterwards. Keep up the good work and hurry with the Ph.d program!

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Education Coordinators

Intelligence Studies - November 29, 2007
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If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact the Education Coordinators for AMU, you can find your regional representative on the AMU website. They are SUPER helpful and you can contact them via email or personal phone number!

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Solid School

Master of Arts in History - November 28, 2007
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Their faculty in military history is truly unique and outstanding. Nowhere else can you go for Civil War or European Military History and find courses and faculty like this one - and it's online. They need a Ph.D. in Security Studies to top it off.

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Awesome

Homeland Security - November 8, 2007
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What an awesome school! I have spent many years in the military...along with many schools, both online and in residence, and AMU is defitely at the very top of my list. The courses give the right balance of giving you a great education and realizing you have other priorities. One of the greatest things about AMU is the support staff. They have been extremely supportive. I live in FL and there is a representative that meets with online students down here and has returned my email questions within minutes, even when it was late at night. I would HIGHLY recommend this university to anyone!

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Good School

Information Technology Management - November 1, 2007
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I just finished my MS in IT Management and I have to say that overall the school really shows how to get it done in regards to distance leaning. I have taken classes from multiple Brick and Mortar schools, and they could not compare to AMU. Another review had an issue with a professor but you will find that anywhere. Tuition is low, especially since all books are included at the undergrad level, technology is top notch, and customer service blows everyone else away.

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Faculty problem

Homeland Security - October 31, 2007
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First the positives. I would say that the online class was easy to navigate. Overall the system AMU uses is good. Now the negative. The faculty is very unresponsive. I already had 90 credit hours (3.8 GPA) towered my BA degree when I signed up with AMU. My first class at AMU was a mandatory “intro to learning” kind of thing. I made the mistake of mentioning that I really did not feel this type of class was all that useful for a 32 year old student like myself, a 19 year old maybe - but if I don’t know how to learn at 32, then I will never know. The professor then proceeded to give me low grades on all the work I turned in after that. My academic advisor was helpful enough to push me off on another faculty member, who simply said that the professor was right and I was wrong. Now I have a D- in a class I never wanted to take and I will have to pay back tuition assistance for the class. I can’t see by looking at the syllabus and adding my grades how I got a D- (even with the professor’s bias). Several times during the course the Professor would not accept work in one of the formats that the syllabus said was acceptable. Some of the online assignments had directions that the teacher seemed to be unaware of.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

21st century Top Rated

Environmental Studies - October 14, 2007
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I am a student at American Military University and I've attended other private and public institutions. I can tell you from first hand experience that AMU holds its own as the finest online university in the country. Among all top-five major traditional universities who have realized this is the 21st century, and as a technology age, are offering distance learning including Harvard University but AMU stands alone in this field because AMU teaches military and government personnel, and has prepared people for careers in the military, CIA and NSA. It may still be an insider thing but that is how well this school holds up in smart circles! The teaching is top rate by instructors with top grade top level credentials many from Ivy League schools. The value is still amazing. AMU started primarily for military/government training and what it now sees is a vast number of smart non-military students who have chosen to attend AMU over other traditional programs.

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Great School

Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice - October 6, 2007
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I have just completed my degree with AMU. I have no complaints. I decided to attend AMU due to their terrorism courses which really wern't offered by another school. Although I was hesitant becuase I started while they were still trying to achieve RA status, I quickly realized that it was good quality. I liked the fact that they accepted all of my junior college credits as well as my SMART transcripts. I knocked out a full year just from the military. THe quality of the instructors and the free books really made this school stand out. One of my terrorism courses was taught by a retired Detla Force Master SGT who had experience. It wasn't all theory, it was relevant, current practices in the field. Great information! I am currently trying to get hired on with a couple different Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. If I get hired or not, I will try to remeber to post here again with the results because I am as curious as the rest as to weather or not this degree will be looked at legitimate regardless of the RA.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Civil War History

Master of Arts in History - August 20, 2007
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I was very please with my AMU experience. Very hard work, but well worth it. Professors were uniformly excellent and demanded your best. I am looking at taking additional CEU courses, as I am very pleased with the variety of courses - many of which are not found anywhere else.

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Excellent

Homeland Security - July 18, 2007
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I have had the same instructors as the previous poster, and I must say that they are excellent. A long with the dept. chair and other instructors. I have attended other online universities, private colleges, community colleges, and even Ohio State and have found AMU the most difficult and most rewarding of all 6 colleges I have attended. I have learned more at AMU in their respective classes than any other University.

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AMU IS EXCELLENT

Master of Arts in History - July 18, 2007
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I did my research for a year. AMU is without question the finest online institution, frankly I was planning to attend the Harvard Extension but they do not offer 100% distance learning therefore I decided to distance learn via American Military University. I did an Audit class at the Graduate level at AMU and it was the finest experience I had in a college setting (AMU was my first online college.) The instruction was superior, far beyond what I ever experienced via a 'regular' college. AMU is highly recommended across the board and holds both regional and national accreditations, and trains the military. AMU is the ticket if you want to avoid children and lengthy slow pace learning. It is simply a terrific institution. If you are planning to go to Graduate school and must complete your Bachelors, AMU is the ticket.

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Homeland Security

Homeland Security - March 5, 2007
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Great program with outstanding instructors. Instructors have real-world experience (for example I had the Fire Chief of Tampa-St Petersburg, the head of the UN Anti-Terrorism branch, etc, as instructors) comapred to individuals just teaching from the "book". As an active duty military member I appreciated the flexible schedule, and the willingness of the staff to accomodate military duties and deployments. Additionally, my military tution assistance covered the entire cost of my degree, books are included in tuition. Only out of pocket expense was internet access and a PC. Great program, great books, and great staff. Worth looking into.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

I'm happy with AMU

Master of Arts in History - February 20, 2007
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I have to say AMU is a solid school. I have done hours of research on distance learning and think AMU is the best. If you have a GI-BILL or use active duty TA your school is free. Books are included and they even buy most of them back from you when your done. The customer support such as financial aide office, and academic advisor's are solid people.

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AMU

Security Management - September 15, 2006
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American Military University is a excellent school. The monthly semesters with either 8 week or 16 week courses gives great flexibility. I have completed 15 credits in graduate level Security Management and Homeland Security Courses. In the Security and Homeland Security courses, a significant percentage of students are serving in the military but many are not. Most of those who are not in the military are in security management, law enforcement, or emergency services careers. The professors have a lot of practical experience to ehnance their academic credentials. All of the professors I have had for class worked in their fields while completing their degrees. That gives a good perspective on what most online learners are going through. Almost everyone in the classes has had a full-time career while attending classes. Many were even completing courses while deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. The courses are very writing intensive which I suppose is typical for online courses.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful


Comments:

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