Q: What is the background and history of AMU?

A: American Military University [AMU] is part of the regionally accredited American Public University System [APUS] which provides 57 associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs to 27,000 students worldwide.

AMU was founded in 1991 by a former Marine Corps officer who wanted to focus on meeting the unique educational needs of the military. At its launch in 1993, AMU enrolled 18 students in 22 courses and offered only graduate degrees. In 2002, APUS was developed and we began operating through two brands, AMU and APUS.

APUS received regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges in May 2006 and is one of the few universities in the country with both regional and national accreditation. We offer an extensive array of academic programs and have one of the most comprehensive military studies and national security curricula outside the Department of Defense. Our homeland security degree program is one of the nations largest.

Q: How do you serve the military student?

A: More than 80 percent of our students are affiliated with the military, and we are keenly aware of the demands facing military members and their families. Our admissions and student services personnel provide superb guidance and academic advisement to our students. We have an 11-member Military Outreach Team that serves as the face of the university in 38 states, including Hawaii. They stay in constant contact with education office staffs to answer questions and troubleshoot problems for our military and civilian students.

Our affordability, flexible learning environment and liberal credit transfer policies are strong incentives for military students to attend AMU. Our tuition costs are comparable to most 4-year state institutions and our undergraduate book grant saves students substantial out-of-pocket expenses.

Q: Can you tell me about AMU’s online library?

A: AMU’s Online Library offers both a research launching pad and source for classroom materials. Students and faculty enter an “Information Commons” with virtual resources laid out for easy access. A central information grid opens to a growing collection of over 70,000 e-books, runs of 21,000 journals, and specialized departmental portals with links to millions of pages of trusted materials.

The Tutorial Center licenses one-on-one tutorial services for a wide variety of disciplines and anti-plagiarism software. In addition to the requisite library master’s degree, our typical librarians have two subject master’s degrees. Our librarians include the former head of NSA’s libraries, director of the Walter Reuther Labor Library and Tulane’s Amistad Research Center, and a chief reference librarian for the FBI Academy—as well as experienced military librarians from every branch of service.

Q: What does your Website mean by mission-ready degree programs?

A: Our degree programs in homeland security, intelligence, emergency and disaster management, weapons of mass destruction, military studies, to name a few, are highly regarded and taught by experienced faculty who have extensive experience in their respective disciplines. These niche programs set up apart from other schools.

The term mission-ready means the knowledge gained in the classroom will relate to the daily activities of those serving in the military and in public service professions. We feel our real world approach to learning appeals to our students and satisfies the need of DoD and the services to see a return on investment for the millions of dollars they spend on tuition assistance each year.

Q: Does AMU have any new degree programs on the horizon?

A: We just launched several new degree programs in education and information technology. Our Master of Education in teaching with a concentration in instruction leadership is designed for individuals who want to broaden their skills in a K-12 setting. We were recently approved by the West Virginia Department of Education to offer an M.Ed.–administration and supervision for licensure and certification. We plan to offer courses in this program early in 2008.

We plan to offer an additional M.Ed. program in counseling in 2008 and are studying the feasibility of offering doctoral programs in disciplines that appeal to our core market.

Our four new degree programs in information technology [A.S. database application development; A.S. Web publishing; B.S. information systems security; B.S. information technology] were designed to complement our existing programs in information technology management and A.A. degree concentration in computer applications.

Q: What challenges and opportunities do you see ahead for AMU?

A: We continue to grow at an unprecedented pace, increasing from 11,000 students in 2005 to more than 27,000 today! As a top provider of academic programs to the military community, we are committed to providing first-class service to our students. We’re doing this by increasing faculty and support staff at all levels, keeping our Website informative and interesting. We will also ensure that our IT department is well positioned to meet the emerging technical needs of the military services as they develop new programs and expand the functionality of their respective education portals.

Our greatest challenge and opportunity will always be to meet the high expectations and aspirations of those who serve. ♦

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