American Public University

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

Having just completed my studies, and graduating from APU in June 2015, I can say this school is the best in my opinion. I have had family members and friends attend also, with some transferring from other universities and colleges. The cost of tuition is the lowest for a Graduate degree, even with the recent minimum increase. The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice builds off what was learned during my undergraduate studies (A.S. and B.A in CRJ). The coursework, reading and researching here at the graduate level is heavy, but is manageable. I recommend only taking one graduate class at a time!!! Most of the courses, require 15-20 hours per week in order to be successful, or maintain a high G.P.A. Critical thought and analytical skills, along with graduate level writing is required. Do not enroll thinking that your courses will be easier than attending in person, as is the view with some towards online schools. The coursework is the same, and maybe even a little more complex. Most of the classes required the use of academic journals, so becoming familiar with the library, and reaching out to the department assigned librarians is crucial. Most of the Professor were very helpful, and responsive, replying to emails or other correspondence in less than 24 hours. They were also helpful in assisting and guiding when needed, or going off-track. I found that most provided accurate, helpful, and sometimes critical feedback to my forums, assignments, and research papers, which only assisted me in successful completing the learning objective. I would say that only one Professor did not fulfill this requirement. Overall on a scale of 1-10, this school gets a 10. Some may review lower due to issues with FA, which were caused by changes in the schools software, along with system changeovers with the Department of Education. I found that if you manage, and keep track of your FA files periodically (monthly), you won't have a problem.

I graduated with an MA in Criminal Justice in 2011. I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions I ever made. Because of where I live, my only option was to obtain an online degree. Prior to attending APU I did my homework. I researched dozens of schools, and APU best fit what I was looking for at the time. The class schedules are very flexible. You work at your own pace. For me, I was in no rush to get my degree. I took one class at a time. Many other schools have a very strict schedule of what classes you will take and when you will take them. That didn't work for me due to my work schedule. So for me, being able to take classes when it was convenient for me was a HUGE plus. Next, tuition was one of the lowest I found during my research. Inexpensive does not mean cheap. I received a quality education. The instructors (for the most part) were very knowledgeable and engaging with the students. The only issue I had while attending APU was a very poorly written syllabus for one class I attended. The syllabus made no sense, contradicted itself in many places, and clearly had not been reviewed or updated in who knows how long. Due to the misinformation in the syllabus I was docked points on a final exam. When I brought this to the attention of the instructor, my complaints were ignored. When I brought it to the attention of the program director, my complaints were ignored. Unfortunately I had to file a complaint with the accrediting body (The Higher Learning Commission). Only then did they actually address the issue. Considering this was the ONLY significant issue I had at APU, I still give them very high marks overall. I've attended public schools, private schools, online schools, and traditional in-person schools over the course of my academic career. APU was easy to work with, a great value for the money, and I received a great education. Having this degree has helped me professionally, and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future. I recently applied for an adjunct instructor position, teaching criminal justice part time. The program director for the college recognized APU was was familiar with them. I was concerned I would have to defend my degree, as some people still feel online degrees are not comparable to traditional degrees. To my surprise, I was offered the job on the spot. Online learning isn't for everyone. If you are not self-motivated this will not work well for you. Procrastinating will result in poor grades. But if you feel that an online degree is something you want to pursue, I would highly recommend doing your research. Figure out what aspects are most important to you in choosing a school. It isn't something to rush into. I'm glad I went to APU, and I'm sure there are thousands of others out there that agree.

I have attended this school in the Masters of Criminal Justice program for 2 classes (4 months) and I am very pleased with them, in all areas. My instructors have been awesome - both at making me understand what they expect from us and when I have had a problem with something. There were no glitches in the financial aid process, and no problems in receiving funds to me when due. The support at this school has been wonderful. They answer all questions and when done, ask if you have any more. I received my BS at another school, and was more unhappy than I am here, so far. As in any online university program, you have to be able to do a lot of work on your own, and some assignments need more time than others, but it has been great. I wish I had gotten my BS here and I would have been happier. I am proud to say I go to this school and tell everyone I know that is interested in starting school, to go here. Great place and great process. I am an older student and I recommend older folks that are thinking about going back to school, to look at APU/AMU. You will not regret it.

I am currently attending as a graduate student. I have been very impressed with the quality of the instructors. This school is no "cake walk". You need self discipline to keep up, but once you get into a routine it isn't too bad. Like other raters I have sometimes been disappointed in the quality of some students. On the other hand I have no way of rating how the school deals with other students, so maybe they wash out. I rated the value of the school as excellent. The cost per credit hour is reasonable although the cost of text books for a couple of the classes has been really high. I order most of my books used to defray cost.

I am preparing to take my final comprehensive exam. I must say that so far APU has proven to be an awesome school. The financial aid process was a breeze as well as the application process and registration. Staff and professors were very helpful, with the exception of a few. My biggest complaint is that Graduate students have to pay out of pocket for books. At the other grad schools I attended I received a book voucher that was deducted from my financial aid award (student loans),which by far makes more sense. Also, if you are looking for an easy degree that does not require a lot of research and writing,then this is not the program for you.

APU means: Education,Closeness,Credibility,Loyalty,Pride, Encouragement. APU has good professors,resources and student services that work hard to help you every day.

I just completed the entire Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with APU. It was an excellent program. All the professors had attained their Ph.D. The classes were challenging. Some of the fellow students were lacking for the graduate level, but I would expect to find that at any graduate school. I had no problems with the staff such as advisors, etc. The school is properly accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. I would recommend the program for those seeking a MA degree and opt for the thesis option. I would do it all over again! I wish they had a Ph.D. program.