American Public University MBA

Has anyone had experience with this program? I am interested in it for the following reasons:

1. Price ($300 per credit) is very good
2. Accredited regionally and nationally
3. 8-week rotating schedules
4. Prerequisites (I'm not a business major so I need to take 3 classes before entering the program, but those can then be applied towards electives.)
5. Transfer policy accepts DETC courses also (usually cheaper)

What do you think about the reputation of this school? I understand that it's obviously not Harvard, but do you think it's a fairly well respected? My one drawback is that it is an "exclusively" online school, which I've tried to stay away from.

Also, if you know anything about another option, Amberton, which school would you rather have a degree from, if money/timeline were no object?

 

Take at look at the end of this thread:

http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=33197&page=2

The short of it is that there are many other MBA choices out there that have better name recognition. AMU is a great school and I'd recommend them to anyone for Emergency Management, History or Intelligence but I'd pick one of the many other programs for an MBA.

 

Name recognition.... Heck, it's all those darn "Harvard MBA's" that got the USA in the economic situation it is in today!

If AMU works for you, then go for it! Best of Luck!

 

These schools will cost on average about $10,000 more to complete... I will have to figure out if they are worth the extra investment... because with the exception of Cal State, I hadn't heard much about any of them.

 

I wouldn’t say it is just a Harvard MBA issue, but most certainly Harvard has more than its share of contributors along with the too willingly confidence in and the seemingly preconception toward pedigree degree holders.

 

I'm a graduate of AMU's MBA program, and also completed courses from Amberton University at the graduate level. I learned a lot in my time at AMU, the staff and instructors are outstanding. The customer service is top-notch with great course delivery. Are you getting this degree for personal satisfaction? Or just to have the initials? If so, then go for it.

If you want an MBA for career progression (other than within your own company) or to change careers. You need to go to the best school you can afford name wise.

My first advice to you would be to research your local schools to see if they have an evening program or weekend MBA program. The network and contacts that you form are as important, yes just as important, as the curriculum you would learn. Keep in mind my advice is for you if you are looking to gain a better job, or to earn more money with your MBA.

Next, if the in residence does not work, I would look to the best state school you can afford with an AACSB accredited degree. Even though that accredidation is not necessary, why not have the best most recognized degree that you can?

Your number one focus should be to analyze why you want/need this degree. The MBA is not what it used to be and is certainly not the golden ticket it used to be (if it was that at all...ever). Why do you want this degree? Are there other degrees you would be better served with? Maybe a Management degree, Project Management, HR or something else?

Good luck with your decision.

 

Cory,

Thank you so much for this informative response. I thought it would be a long shot to find someone who attended from this program, or Amberton, but not both. You've given me a lot to think about, and a fresh perspective. I am looking into an MBA program because. My reasons are a little varied. I am about to finish my BS at Excelsior in Liberal Studies. I thought I would be in a mountain of debt, but the online option allowed me to complete 80 credits in four months, with almost no debt. So now I am looking at a small window of opportunity; my wife and I are planning to have our first child in a year, and I thought I could get a Master's degree. Maybe it's not the best idea to get a Master's without a specific goal, but an MBA, according to my research, pays the best ROI on average (on payscale.com, a median MBA pays 90k in California, WAY higher than any other master's degree), and it is broader than almost any professional degree; so, I thought it would be a good investment that could potentially pay off down the road/ get me into business at the entry level.

My money is very limited right now- I could afford APU, but if you're saying name brand is very important, I might be better off doing an MBA in the future when I can invest 50K and get a gold standard accreditation. We are looking at getting a house and don't want to rack up any loans. If I just wanted it for personal satisfaction or the master's degree achievement, I would probably just look at a Humanities subject. I think my predicament right now is the timing is right, and I am riding the momentum of online certification, but I'm not 100% sure that any degree is exactly suited to what I want to do professionally. I need more work experience to sort that out for myself.

So that's why I was asking about APU; I don't want to invest in a worthless degree, but I would like something that can open a lot of doors. I don't have delusions of recruiters blowing up my phone. At the same time, I am hoping that an MBA combined with a little retail sales experience might land me a job around 65K for an entry level position.

 

I personally like what I've seen from the school. They are RA, inexpensive, excellent customer service and seem to be very good at what they do. From a student perspective they are fairly low risk due to low tuition rates and a reputation for being high quality. As stated before the MBA is not a golden ticket, but I happen to feel that's true regardless of where you get it.

 

Daniellevine,

I have been attending for a year now and really like the school for all the reasons you mentioned. I also like it because they are RA, are a candidate for the ACBSP accreditation (2nd tier to AACSB). I like that they are flexible with extensions as well. With a full time teaching job, Wife, Kids, and wanting to maintain a social and family life, I did use an extension twice which was helpful.

I did attend Amberton as well. I took one class and transferred to AMU. You can't receive Financial Aid at Amberton which made me transfer. With AMU my debt not including the low interest rate, would be under $11,000. That beats the $27,000 that my good friend is paying at UoPhoenix. Amberton's MBA has less concentrations as well.

I agree with Cory. We have been down the same road as far as online schools. Go local if you can if that doesn't work, the most affordable and recognized AACSB College. The only reason why I don't do this is because I am already halfway done with AMU. If I need a grad Cert from I Big Brand Name school, then I will go for it and may cost me an extra 3-5 thousand dollars. You can also look at specific degrees if you know what you really want to do. You can look at a Master's in Accounting, Finance, Marketing for example.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about AMU or Amberton.

Good luck on your decision.

 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I think I will investigate the AACSB option more. So far, from what I've seen, the AACSB will make schooling more difficult because it requires more prerequisites, the GMAT, and a less flexible scheduling option (in semesters.) It looks like, although I might be able to complete APU in one year, I should probably put aside two years for AACSB, and even that is challenging. On a high note, if I can find an employer to assist me, it would be better to spread out the schooling over two years, since most employers give you a maximum education allowance per year.