American Public University System Reviews of Master's in Criminal Justice

Enjoyed my time there mostly, but the thesis was quite difficult. In fact, I was worried when I first started writing it because of the time commitment and the fact that it was it was so slow in coming together. Once I finished; however, I was quite proud of what I had accomplished and I am using that knowledge everyday in my personal life. Other than the thesis portion of the degree, the rest of the classes were both interesting and informative. In addition, the faculty was incredibly diverse and... Read More knowledgeable.

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... Read More 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.

I am almost done with my MA in criminal justice. My experience at APU has been excellent. If you are motivated and organized there is no better way for a student to achieve an accredited degree and still be able to work. This is not a school for kids who need a lot of hand holding or who can't self motivate to get their degree. I found the quality of the grad school instructors to be superior. Their academic credentials were frankly amazing with many having a doctorate in one or more fields and many... Read More having a JD. All of the instructors had significant life experience as well. If life interferes with your ability to attend for a month or two it is no sweat as the classes each recycle at the beginning of the new month. This degree has been far from easy. It has required two or three times as much writing as a conventional brick and mortar classroom. This is due to all of the class participation being done via a virtual classroom environment. That said, once you get into a rhythm it becomes pretty easy. Keep in mind you are in a graduate level program so there will be a lot of reading and research and a lot of self-learning. I believe that is true of most graduate level work though. This university was recommended to me by one of my undergrad advisors and I have not been disappointed! oh, and I can't speak to how the financial aid works as I was able to pay my tuition as I went.

I decided to go back to school for my Masters and reached many schools and programs. I chose APUS as they had great reviews and a very reasonable program cost. The educational program, course delivery, and faculty were excellent. From the moment I started, the advisors, staff, and faculty proved how valuable I was as a person and student. It was obvious the instructors were there and working to help you succeed. The courses were challenging and the material was relevant and current. It was certainly... Read More a lot of work and the thesis was excitingly difficult. It was great! I highly recommend this school for their consistent and honest approach to the students.