If American Public/Millitary University offered a doctorate...

Randell;

I am adjunct at APU/AMU and I can tell you that Doctorates are/were being discussed. How recently I cannot say. All I know is that there is a section in the Faculty fora for these discussions, and they are not open to the General Public.

AMU/APU is a good school. They do not abuse students with frequent policy, program and tuition changes. The climate is more like a private university at a small town versus an educational corporation that operates as a monopoly.

 

I think it will be sooner than later. I know I have said that in the past, but February 2011 could be a turning point.

 

Personally, I much rather see more B.A. and M.S./M.A. degree added than having a PhD in their portfolio. They need to add programs like Economics, Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Linguistics, Foreign Languages for them to be acceptable and appreciated by the higher educational world.

 

You'd prefer those degrees added because you are interested in them; interested pursuing degrees in those areas? Or you'd rather see them offer those programs so you can put your already earned doctoral degree to use (more adjunct positions will be created)?

 

What are you doing? Have you found anything yet????? Don't be a :baby: and just blindly jump into a program and back out like the rest of us.

 

Me too!

 

I don't have a doctorate degree, I'm still an undergrad. at AMU. If I ever pursue a PhD, my goal and dream is pursue it at a brick-n-mortar university.

I want to see AMU/APU add those programs at the undergraduate level. It's more important for the school to add new programs and new concentrations into their undergraduate and masters degrees program than having a doctorate program. The more undergraduate programs you add, the more attention and business the school will have. They can distance themselves by offering degrees that neither Strayer, Ashford, or Phoenix offer.

The school is fine offering Masters degrees as the highest degree, there are too many PhD online programs now. Why have another school offering it? As it is there aren't enough jobs for faculty teaching, it will just be more burden for the student who wants to seek the doctorate degree.

If anything the school needs to get professional accredited by AACSB, CEPH, NASPAA, etc. for its individual program to be more recognized and known. The Public Health program is valid for certain jobs, but is invalid for AMU/APU alumni and students to take the certified public health exam that each state requires because of the the school is NOT accredited by CEPH.

 

I mean no offense (I do apologize if I offended anyone) to any who have hopes of the school offering a doctorate program. I just want to see them add more programs in their undergraduate and Masters degree programs that phoenix, strayer and ashford don't even offer. At least I hope my goal is to use my undergraduate degree from AMU as a goal to attend Law School and graduate school at a brick-n-mortar university.

I know some don't have the privilege to attend a brick-n-mortar for a PhD. If they do offer one, it should be in International Relations, History and Environmental Studies.

 

I don't know that anyone is offended. At least I hope not because I don't think anything offensive was said. As for the degree programs, I am assuming that before any new degree program is offered by any school they do some sort of market analysis in order to determine if there is sufficient sustainable interest. There's always some amount of investment required by the school and they need some reassurance that they will have enough students to support the program so that they at least break even during the early phases and continue to have good applicant five and ten years in the future. My guess is that certain subject areas (history, philosophy, sociology, etc.) seem underrepresented in the DL world simply because there isn't enough interest to warrant the creation of the programs.

 

Actually, I think if APUS offers online PhDs in the exact areas that Capella, Walden, TUI, NCU, etc. offer their programs, but at a substantially reduced cost, they would be guaranteed enrollment. Instead of venturing into areas that enrollment may become flat in a year or two, competing based on cost and improved customer/student service would make them become a major player instantaneously. For example, there are lots of disgruntled NCU students right now, and many are withdrawing from NCU in huge numbers.

The problem is there are not many other viable and/or cheaper alternatives (many have admitted it was a big mistake enrolling at these schools in the first place because of the financial loss). APUS would quickly fill that need by basically having students who are spending a fortune at these institutions to withdraw, and then continue on with their studies at APUS because of the better value (lower tuition plus superb customer/student service) that they would provide.

Business 101 suggests such strategy would work more than expected for APUS. Right now, they are missing out on those online PhD tuition dollars, while students attending schools like Capella, Walden, etc. continue to hold their breadth with budget-bursting tuition payments. There is a DI member that is currently paying over $4k for one 3 credit hour class at Capella right now. I think APUS can immediately remedy that by offering exactly what Capella offers for a reduced cost, and then snatching that students alongside many others from the likes of Capella. It really would work. It really is that simple.

 

There are people seeking doctorates who are not interested in academic jobs. I know two large companies that pay tuition for their employees to pursue DL doctorates at on-line schools including Capella. It is a win-win situation; the employer gets a problem analyzed (one students research in proposal costing was implemented and the company saved millions) and employees get both a doctorate, pay raises, and possibly a better position.

You are assuming correctly in the case of AMU - I have responded a couple of times to AMU questionnaires on potential new degrees including an BS in engineering.


Re a doctorate it would be nice if AMU/APU offered a professional doctorate in professional studies.

 

Its May 2011, and in less than 8 days it will be June 2011...

 

That is what I was told back in 2010 ( December)...do not shoot the messenger....Still from my source, they plan to announce soon. I have no dates.

 

I asked because I'd rather do APUS than the alternatives... It would be nice to know the area/s that would be offered. I would do Unisa Information Systems PhD in a heartbeat; especially at their super low tuition, my only issue is that my IT Management MS had no statistics or research methods course. Unisa stresses a research master's degree as a prerequisite. Really, APUS won't be bad if what you say will hold. Anyway, thanks for responding...

 

I was just at a conference with some of the APUS/AMU faculty--they never mentioned anything about offering a doctorate.

 

You're the competition, why would they? lol. j/k.

 

I'm about 2/3 done with a D.Min. at Temple Baptist Seminary. When done, I'll have a little military benefits remaining and I've considered doing an M.A. in Ancient History with APU. If they offered an online Doctor of Humanities or Doctor of Arts or something with an emphasis in history, I'd do it.

 

They've added a new MSc in Accounting, and MS in Sports and Health Sciences. Meanwhile, their MPA program has disappeared from their website. Are these the changes?