American Military University

Date: Dec 06 2011
Major: Unknown (This Major's Salary over time)
First off some of the grades assigned in rating AMU are really not applicable as it is a distance learning environment, I.E. everything pertaining to "The University" and "Social/Interactive".

I have began my college studies by in a traditional "brick and mortar" environment completing roughly 25% of my studies in the traditional method. I attended four different schools as I'm active duty military and when I began schooling distance education hadn't really come into its own at that point (1998 time frame). A fellow active Marine informed me of AMU and how the format made it easier to fit into his schedule as a Marine.

I began my studies with AMU and due to deployments, the high op-tempo and training it took me about six years to complete my degree. It should be noted that I lost over 21 credits I had taken with AMU as after a year of inactivity one must re-apply for admissions. This happened on two occasions due to operational commitments, both times I lost credit in classes I had already taken via AMU. This was not a scam or some ploy by AMU to get more $, but the classes I had to take over were due to the fact that AMU is constantly re-evaluating their curriculum and increasing the academic rigor of the courses.

Most of the instructors participated quite a bit in the online discussion boards providing thought provoking questions and observations. Most instructors provided constructive criticism and critiques in a timely manner to submitted work. The communication between the instructors and students was typically very good. That's not to say there aren't a few "lemons", but those professors are the exception, and certainly not the rule.

At three quarters of the way through my degree I decided to apply to Oregon State University. I completed the application and was subsequently accepted to OSU, and ALL of my credits and classes taken through AMU were accepted by OSU and received transfer credit in some capacity. In the end I decided to stick with AMU due in large part because the legitimacy of the school was validated in my eyes by the acceptance of the courses I took at AMU.

My studies at AMU were fulfilling and enlightening. Some classes were easier than others, but the same would be found in a B&M setting as well. Some classes were much more difficult then those I had taken in a B&M setting. All in all it was a positive experience and I would recommend AMU to any busy professional trying to juggle the obligations of family, work and pursuit of higher education. Be forewarned, even though AMU allows one to juggle the numerous obligations of adult life, it's not an "easy degree". AMU is no degree mill. The better part of every weekend, both Saturday and Sunday was spent reading and writing while I took two classes simultaneously. I sacrificed a lot of free and leisure time in pursuit of my degree, but it was worth it. A degree from AMU is good enough for a commission in the military, that in itself should tell you something.