American Military/American Public University questions?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by PanchoVilla, Jul 31, 2010.

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  1. PanchoVilla

    PanchoVilla New Member

    PanchoVilla

    Hi. I have searched the AMU/APU related threads and I have a some narrow questions related to a speedy completions: Are any of you doing an accelerated MBA with American Military/American Public University?

    By "accelerated" I mean that you're taking 2 courses or more per 8-weeks sessions. Will the school allow that? And if yes what is the workload like? I'm trying to figure out what maximum workload I could handle because I have some serious time-constraints in completing that degree.

    Thanks in advance for any info.
     
  2. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    I took 2 courses in one 8 week term while working full-time and it was pretty rough on my free time. I was used to taking one course so I think my approach was a little slow to start, and then I got behind. If you can start and finish strong two courses is doable...even working full-time in my opinion.

    3 classes would be doable as well but only if you are working part-time, again that is just my opinion.
     
  3. Mighty_Tiki

    Mighty_Tiki Member

    I am currently taking two grad classes every 8 weeks for my MBA at APUS. I believe the workload is manageable as long as you ensure you stay curent with it. It is not a good idea to leave everything to the last minute as with two classes it can snowball rather quickly. As far as the ability to take three classes every 8 weeks, twelve credits during a 16 week period is considered a full load and with looking at the student handbook, they will let you take more credits but you have to petition for an overload and it has to be approved by the registrar. In order to qualify for this you have to have taken at least 9 credits already with an overall GPA above 3.5, and you can not have any courses on extension. So it can be done, but I think if you're working full time and / or have a family, you had better have some good time management skills or you probably won't get the grades you want or will end up dropping a course. Good luck, I have enjoyed my time with the school so far, it is a good program.
     
  4. PanchoVilla

    PanchoVilla New Member

    AMU/APU accelerated MBA

    Thanks a lot 03310151 and Mighty_Tiki for the very useful replies and information. I'm a new user and haven't been able to edit my original post's title so I'm glad you found it anyway :)

    I'll inquire further with AMU; it's good to know that there is some flexibility there.

    P.
     
  5. SoldierInGA

    SoldierInGA New Member

    I'm taking 2 courses now with FIU and it's a bit rough. When you're dealing with new concepts, it can be overwhelming. I find myself eschewing the homework in favor of reading the material and at times guessing my way through the test. These are my first MBA courses with the school, and I hope to get better at both studying and managing the work load.
     
  6. bazonkers

    bazonkers New Member

    I've taken 3 16-week classes in one semester and it was a little crazy at times, especially towards the end of the semester when several large papers were due at the same time.
     
  7. PanchoVilla

    PanchoVilla New Member

    I took some undergrad marketing courses, and a few other courses that could be useful in bunching some grad courses on semi-familiar subjects together.

    Thanks for the info,

    P.
     
  8. imalcolm

    imalcolm New Member

    Not an MBA, but I'm currently working on an MS in Space Studies through AMU. I started out doing two eight-week classes at the same time, and was able to finish 18 credits in about 6 months. I was working full time and I spent most of my weekends doing schoolwork, but it didn't kill me.

    I've since cut back to one class per 8 weeks. The main reason was because in the previous 8 week session I had one class that required a 20 page paper and another that required a 15 page paper, both in the last week of the term. I decided that would cause the quality of my work (and my home life) to suffer, so I dropped one of the classes. I made an A in the class I finished, and I'm currently studying in the class I dropped before.
     
  9. Alonwye

    Alonwye New Member

    PanchoVilla,

    When I attended APUS for my MBA, I was generally taking 1 16-week course and 2 8-week courses so that I would finish 3 classes every 16 weeks. Doing 2 classes at a time, even while working full time, is not all that difficult as long as you're good with your time management skills. Make sure to set aside time every day for schoolwork so you don't get behind. As long as you can do that, and stick with it, the workload is definitely manageable, even with 2 classes running at the same time. I started the MBA program in January of 2008, finished my last classes in April of 2009, and graduated in May of 2009. Your own personal time management and study habits will likely be your main deciding factor on whether or not to take more than one class at a time. I found it easy to manage, even though I was working full time as well as attending APUS full time.
     
  10. RAOWENS8

    RAOWENS8 New Member

    My experience with the MBA program at AMU

    From my personal experience, I found that as long as you kept up with the readings and stayed involved in the discussion board throughout the week you can succeed in an accelerated MBA program at AMU. I took two classes at a time, and at times I would stagger 3 at a time and I was able to finish my MBA in one and a half years. I did all this while still working full time, staying involved in extracurricular activities and courting my future wife. I was able to do homework at night, during breaks at work and on weekends while still keeping some free time for my friends and family. Something that was really nice for me was getting to know some of the other students in my classes who were in multiple courses at the same time as me. That was a very nice support system along with just the flexibility that AMU offered me.
     
  11. cravenco

    cravenco New Member

    I concur. You can do it!
     
  12. GeneDavis

    GeneDavis New Member

    A 2009 MBA graduate of AMU

    There are several classes that can been taken at the same time, it just depends on how much time that you're willing to spend on a weekly basis. When I was completing my degree, I would start a 8 week course and get a jump start, and that would determine if I would double up or not, as some classes, especially electives, would take considerably less time. You can definately do a 16 week and 8 week at the same time. Best of luck.
     
  13. PanchoVilla

    PanchoVilla New Member

    Thanks all for the additional feedback. It looks like I should consider mixing the 8 and 16 weeks courses to find the best combinations. Very useful.

    Thanks again!

    P.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2018
  14. PanchoVilla

    PanchoVilla New Member

    Thanks all for the replies. I'll definitely consider the option of combining 16 and 8 weeks courses. That looks like a good plan.

    P.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2018

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