American Public University or Amberton?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Diesel13, Feb 11, 2009.

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  1. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    I need input on which school is more reputable, American Public University or Amberton University. I just started Amberton's MBA program and taking only one class, so I am not far into the program. I was thinking about switching to APU's MBA because of the Flexibility of taking 8 week courses or 16 week courses, and also being able to start classes at any given month. I also like the fact APU is a candidate for the ACBSP accreditation, and like that APU provides federal loan assistance through Sallie Mae. I like Amberton for being both a brick and mortar and online campus with regional accreditation. The flexibility is also good at Amberton with three 10 week terms and one 8 week term per year. The only thing is they don't offer federal aid. I am using my credit card (ouch) to pay for it. I could get a Private Student Loan but don't want to burden someone with the responsibility of cosigning for me even though my credit is good (750-800). Also the Private loans have a higher interest rate than the federal loans. Trying to make this decision has been a real distraction for me. I can't seem to stop thinking about what I am going to do. I would appreciate any information you can give me. Which school would give me the most bang for my buck.

    Thank You,
     
  2. raristud

    raristud Member

    You can transfer 5 courses to APUS. Also APUS allows you to pay in monthly installments. Amberton University may look better on your resume, but what matters ultimately is your experience and presentation as an interviewee. The ACBSP credential looks nice to have, but do employers care about ACBSP accrediation.

    If your priority is course acceleration, financing and payment flexibility, then APUS may be the school for you. If you want a school that has an on-campus presence and perhaps a little better name recognition, then Amberton is for you. If you are two or three or even four courses away from your masters, then I recommend that you seek private student loans ( that have deferment provisions ) and steer clear of credit cards.

    Since you took only one class, then APUS may be the school for you based your focus on available financing and course enrollment flexibility. Transfer now and avoid using your credit card. :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 11, 2009
  3. -kevin-

    -kevin- Resident Redneck

    Well, I think both school's will work, but I would like to recommend you take a look at Chadron State College:

    http://www.csc.edu/graduate/degree/business.csc

    You might want to do a search on the forum for the schools. If I had to pick one of the two you mentioned it would be Amberton due to longevity, B&M campus, costs, and content.

    Free advice (consider the cost), if I were taking out a loan for school it would be for a school widely recognized and not for either of the two you are considering.
     
  4. Vinipink

    Vinipink Accounting Monster

    That is a sad thing and a shame because I like them very much at one time and I was able to transfer 12 credits to their MBA but the lack of student loans or financial aid, I had to decline the idea. Perhaps the same as Northcentral they do not like the government scrutinizing their operations. APU and or AMU seems to be very responsive to students needs, especially to the military.
     
  5. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

    I would agree. AMU is an amazing school. ( My opinion)
     
  6. geoffs

    geoffs Member

    I was considering a masters at Amberton...they wouldn't recognize a Canadian AACSB undegraduate degree in business!

    APU does seem more flexible.
     
  7. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    They are inflexible with non U.S. degrees. That's a shame. AACSB is supposed to be the highest Business Accreditation. I don't understand it.
     
  8. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    It's a tough choice. I really don't like credit card debt. At the same time like the hybrid brick and mortar/online combination of Amberton. I like APUS for more concentrations in the MBA and better flexibility, and loan options. My guess from everyone's response is that it doesn't matter which school is more reputable, but which one suits my needs the most. They are both not Big Name Schools so it probably doesn't matter. I'll make a decision by Friday.
     
  9. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    I think both APUS and Amberton are quite reputable. APUS obviously offers more flexibility in that it has a ton of degree options, accelerates courses, etc. That said, I think I would still go with Amberton only because of its brick and mortar presence. B&M schools still have a distinct edge over online-only schools in the minds of employers. There is another post on the board now that offers a link to a recent study that illustrates the point.

    Pug
     
  10. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    Thanks Raristud. I just applied for a private graduate loan. I hope my credit is good enough not to require a co-signer and to get a good interest rate. I will play it safe and stay with Amberton. I just got really excited for some reason when I saw APU on Mad Money a few days ago. I agreed with everything Jim Cramer said. Being a noncomformist I liked the sound of going to an all online school with good accreditations. Using logic (I don't use very much, I go by feeling too much) and listening to the great feedback on this forum I have to stick with Amberton. It's just that their Brick and Mortar presence helps me feel secure about my decision. Hopefully I don't keep changing my mind. I tend to do that a lot.
     
  11. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    Thanks Pugbelly. That slight edge is making me stay. If I were to go back to grad school 10 years from now I would probably choose APUS, since online schools would probably be more mainstream by then.
     
  12. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    No Financial Aid whatsoever!

    Hey There,

    Just got declined for a Private Loan for Amberton. I went through Wells Fargo. Then I called Sallie Mae, and was told that Amberton isn't even in their database. I couldn't get a private loan even with good credit. Oh well, I have no control over that. I am going to apply to APU and fill out the FAFSA. We'll see how that goes.
     
  13. geoffs

    geoffs Member

    That's a real shame...personally I'd love to do a 3rd masters (I know, no ROI) with them for their HR/Training program but with US RA you can't go...even if you have an Undergrad from an AACSB!
     
  14. NGC6205

    NGC6205 New Member

    If a B&M presence is important to you, I recommend Upper Iowa University. It was established in 1857. It is more expensive than APU, but it accepts and will help with Federal financial aid.

    There are six eight-week terms per year. Some of the MBA courses can be very writing intensive. For example, the professor for Theories of Leadership required approximately a page for each required post to the online newsgroup (2 posts per night, five nights a week) in addition to a weekly paper that would be between 1500 and 3000 words. The final paper for the course was 2500 to 4000 words.

    I have completed four courses at UIU so far. I have enjoyed every one and learned something from each course. I present it as simply another option for you.
     
  15. Vinipink

    Vinipink Accounting Monster

    Hello,

    I graduated from UIU 2003 MBA accounting, I also enjoyed my experience, the classes were intensive and challenging, it was a growing pain, because when I started in 2001, the school adapted the APA format and changed from MA to MBA, I was resistant to it for a while, but learned the hard way. Anyway, I am glad that there are others from this Alma Mater.
     
  16. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    You could also look at Frostburg State. You'll be able to get a student loan, the school is AACSB accredited, and total cost (assuming you have your prereqs) would be about $13,500.

    Pug
     
  17. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    UIU looks good!! Just checked out their website. I would have to take the GMAT and take some prerequisites. That would delay the process for me. I just got APU MBA approved by the Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at my work for salary advancement on the pay scale. That was a big plus for me. I need to have 75 units above my bachelor's degree by July 31st of this year to get my raise and am 8 units short. I plan on working my tail off for the next 4 months to get it. Thanks for the information on UIU. I wish I had the GMAT/GRE scores and prerequisites so I could have more and better options.
     
  18. Diesel13

    Diesel13 Member

    Thanks Pug. Frostburg looked great too! Wish I had the prerequisites and GMAT score.
     
  19. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Well, Amberton is not necassarily an "open" university in concept or practice, though they aren't necassarily hard to get into. Just one of those things...
     
  20. Vinipink

    Vinipink Accounting Monster

    Talking about Amberton, they re-designed their website, much better now than before.
     

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