HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

American Public University System (APUS) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
, for-profit,
online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" or ...
university system A university system is a set of multiple affiliated universities and colleges that are usually geographically distributed. Typically, all member universities in a university system share a common component among all of their various names. Usually ...
with its headquarters in
Charles Town, West Virginia Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and is also the county seat. The population was 5,259 at the 2010 census. It is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of President George Washington ...
. It is composed of American Military University and American Public University (APU). APUS is wholly owned by American Public Education, Inc., a publicly traded private-sector corporation (). APUS maintains corporate and academic offices in
Charles Town, West Virginia Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and is also the county seat. The population was 5,259 at the 2010 census. It is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of President George Washington ...
. APUS offers associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees, in addition to dual degrees, certificate programs and learning tracks. APUS has approximately 110,000 alumni worldwide as of March 31, 2021. Despite its name and brands, APUS is not a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...
and is not a part of the government or military. In 2018, the school paid $270,000 to the state of Massachusetts following an investigation by the state's attorney general into allegations that it misled potential students. Approximately 56% of APUS students reported that they served in the military on active duty at initial enrollment. About 55,000 military service members get tuition assistance for APUS schools. Another 16,702 use their GI Bill benefits for the schools.


History

The university was founded in 1991 by Major James P. Etter (USMC, retired) as American Military University. Operations began in January 1993 with the enrollment of 18 graduate students. Initially, the main goal of the university was to meet the unique educational needs of military personnel needing courses in specialized areas, such as
counterterrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
and
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from ...
, that were not included in typical university course offerings. In the early years, instruction was done through conventional correspondence. In June 1995 AMU became nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). In January of the following year, the school introduced its first undergraduate programs. The first online courses and online classrooms started in 1998. In 1999, all undergraduate classes and programs went fully online, with graduate programs shifting to online in 2000. In 2002 AMU expanded to become American Public University System and established American Public University, intended primarily for civilians interested in public service programs. In 2006 APUS was granted regional accreditation from the
Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
. In 2012 American Public University System resigned its DETC accreditation. In 2016, the university was listed as tied for 58th place in '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranking of online bachelor's degree Programs. In July 2016, long-time President Wallace E. Boston was succeeded as APUS president by former Executive Vice President and Provost Karan Powell, while continuing his leadership role as CEO of APEI to provide strategic and leadership support to APUS and other APEI ventures. In September 2016, Vernon Smith was named senior vice president and provost, succeeding Powell. In September 2017, Dr. Boston was reappointed APUS president after the resignation of Dr. Karan Powell. In September 2019, Angela Selden was named CEO of APEI, succeeding Boston who would remain APUS president until his planned retirement in June 2020. APUS had a partnership with
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarte ...
from 2010 to 2019. Walmart spent $50 million on the "Lifelong Learning Program, chiefly for tuition grants for Walmart workers to 'further develop a pipeline' for leaders". From 2013 to 2017, APUS' enrollment declined from 127,000 to 84,000 students. In 2018, APUS paid the state of Massachusetts $270,000 after an investigation by the state's attorney general into allegations that it violated the state's for-profit and occupational school regulations, which are aimed at protecting students from the deceptive and unfair business practices by for-profit schools. In July 2020, Wade Dyke, former president of
Kaplan University Kaplan University (KU) was a private online for-profit university owned by Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. It was predominantly a distance learning institution, maintaining 14 ground locations across the United States. Th ...
was named president of APUS. In October 2020, American Public University began the process of acquiring Rasmussen College, later named Rasmussen University. Under the 90-10 rule, schools are required to get funds that are not federal funds. In 2021, Congress closed the loophole in the 90-10 rule that previously excluded DOD Tuition Assistance funds and GI Bill funds. The Veterans Education Project reported that American Public University System would be the largest for-profit college chain negatively affected by the modified rule.


Accreditation

APUS is
accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
. In 2018, the accreditation status was designated "under governmental investigation" as a result of an investigation by the Massachusetts state attorney general into deceptive and predatory recruiting practices. The investigation ended in a settlement in which APUS paid $270,000 to the state to provide relief to eligible AMU students, and has agreed to change its disclosures to prospective students, and the designation was removed. From January 6, 1995 to April 30, 2012, the institution was accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. APUS resigned its accreditation through this organization as of April 30, 2012. The university's School of Business is accredited by, and several business programs have specialized accreditation from, the
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learni ...
. The university's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program is accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and th ...
. APUS'
Master of Public Health The Master of Public Health or Master of Philosophy in Public Health (M.P.H.), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Medical Science in Public Health (MMSPH) and the Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.), International Masters for Healt ...
program was accredited in July 2017 — retroactive to 22 July 2015 — by the
Council on Education for Public Health The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs offered in settings other than schools of public health. T ...
.


Professional recognition and affiliation

Select APUS programs are also affiliated with and/or recognized by such professional organizations as: *
Society for Human Resource Management The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a professional human resources membership association headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. SHRM promotes the role of HR as a profession and provides education, certification, and networking to ...
* American Sport Education Program *
Council on Education for Public Health The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs offered in settings other than schools of public health. T ...
* National Academy of Sports Medicine *
NSA The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...
's Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation *
National Council on Family Relations The National Council on Family Relations (abbreviated NCFR) is an American nonprofit, multidisciplinary learned society dedicated to research on all aspects of the family. Founded in 1938 as the National Conference on Family Relations, it was ren ...
*
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learni ...
.


Academics and finances

APUS is an open enrollment institution. The system employs approximately 410 full-time faculty members and 1,800 part-time faculty members. Full-time professors are salaried employees without tenure. APUS offers 200 degree and certificate programs across six academic schools through American Military University and American Public University, including the following: * School of Arts and Humanities * School of Business * School of Education * School of Health Sciences * School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math * School of Security and Global Studies As well as professional certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees, the university now awards doctoral degrees. Beginning in May 2017, the university began awarding doctoral degrees in the following courses of study: Doctor of Global Security (DGS) and Doctor of Strategic Intelligence (DSI). According to the
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
, the 6-year graduation rate is 29%.


Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges

American Military University participated in the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges program before it was disbanded in 2019, with eligible bachelor's degrees in Homeland Security, Intelligence Studies, Emergency and Disaster Management (Coast Guard only), Criminal Justice, Management, and Business Administration. AMU is also a Navy College Program Distance Learning Partner.


Student outcomes

According to the College Scorecard, American Public University has an 8-year graduation rate of 22 percent, with a salary after completing ranging from $15,650 (AA in Human Development) to $76,460 (Bachelors in Fire Protection). Of those two years into student loan repayment, 27% were in forbearance, 21% were not making progress, 19% defaulted, 13% were in deferment, 8% were making progress, 6% were delinquent, 3% were paid in full, and 3% were discharged.


Notable faculty

* Wendy B. Lawrence, retired Space Shuttle veteran and Navy aviator with 25 years of service; professor of Space Studies


Notable alumni

* Monique Marie Chouraeshkenazi,
scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...
, chairwoman of the National Security Program and Professor of
National Security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military at ...
for the Daniel Morgan Graduate School (DMGS) of National Security in Washington, D.C. * Nicole Malachowski,
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
and the first female pilot selected to fly as part of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. (Master of Arts (with honors), National Security Policy, 2009) * Yasser Harrak, Canadian writer, columnist and human rights activist * John Wills, Iowa State Representative. Former Vice President of the Okoboji Protective Association. * Brandon Wolff,
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inco ...
, former
Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
fighter of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest M ...
and former
Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting ...
. * Lee Tilton, former Chief, Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA), for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and a former protégé of Chris Oynes.


Student organizations

Students at APUS are involved in a variety of different student organizations and honor societies. This includes chapters for the National Association for Environmental Professionals (NAEP),
Association of Information Technology Professionals The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) is a professional association that focuses on information technology education for business professionals. The group is a non-profit US-oriented group, but its activities are performed ...
,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operatio ...
, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM),
Model UN Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...
,
Phi Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( or P.A.D.) is the largest professional law fraternity in the United States. Founded in 1902, P.A.D. has since grown to 717 established pre-law, law, and alumni chapters and over 330,000 initiated m ...
(PAD), Student Veterans of America (SVA), the Society of Human Resources Management (currently inactive),
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) is a non-profit international student organization whose purpose is to drive space advocacy of space exploration and development through educational and engineering projects. Hi ...
(SEDS), and The Saber and Scroll for History students. Academic Honor Societies include:
Alpha Lambda Delta Alpha Lambda Delta () is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher during their first year or term of higher education. History Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the Universit ...
,
Alpha Phi Sigma Alpha Phi Sigma () (Phi is pronounced "fi") is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Can ...
, Sigma Beta Delta, Epsilon Pi Phi, Epsilon Pi Tau, Eta Sigma Delta, Golden Key,
Kappa Delta Pi Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, () is an honor society for education. It was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. Its membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering ...
, Pi Gamma Mu,
Delta Mu Delta Delta Mu Delta () is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence in Baccalaureate, Master's, and Doctorate degree business administration programs at Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)-accredited ...
, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Sigma Iota Rho, and Sigma Tau Delta.


Educational institutions owned by American Public Education, Inc.

Each institution listed here is separately incorporated and accredited. * American Public University System, which uses the brands American Military University and American Public University * Graduate School USA * Hondros College of Nursing * Rasmussen University


References


External links

* {{authority control Distance education institutions based in the United States For-profit universities and colleges in the United States Private universities and colleges in West Virginia Educational institutions established in 1991 1991 establishments in the United States Charles Town, West Virginia