American Public University System

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American Public University System
Motto	Educating those who serve
Established	1991
Type	Private, For profit
President	Wallace E. Boston, Jr.
Academic staff	1,600+ [1]
Students	100,000 [1]
Undergraduates	64%[1]
Postgraduates	20%[1]
Location	Charles Town, West Virginia, United States of America
Campus	Online
Mascot	AMU Golden Eagles; APU Volunteers
Website	www.apus.edu www.apu.apus.edu www.amu.apus.edu

The American Public University System (APUS) is a private for-profit, online learning institution of higher education that is composed of the American Military University and the American Public University. APUS maintains corporate and academic offices in Charles Town, West Virginia, administrative offices in Manassas, Virginia, and offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees through its two constituent universities. APUS is wholly owned by American Public Education, Inc., a publicly traded private-sector corporation (NASDAQ: APEI).

History

The university was founded in 1991 by Major James P. Etter (USMC, retired) as the American Military University (AMU).^[2] Operations began in January 1993 with the enrollment of 18 graduate-level students. Initially, the main goal of the university was to meet the unique educational needs of military personnel needing courses in specialized areas, such as counter-terrorism and military intelligence, that were not included in typical university offerings. In the early years, instruction was done through conventional correspondence.^[3]

In June 1995, AMU became nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). In January of the following year, the school introduced its first undergraduate programs. In 1998, AMU made the transition from a correspondence-based university to a 100-percent online learning format. ^[4]

In 2002, AMU expanded to become the American Public University System and established American Public University, intended primarily for civilians and public service programs.^[4]

In 2006, APUS was granted regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation

American Public University System (APUS) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools^[5]. In 2011, APUS's accreditation was reaffirmed by HLC and the next comprehensive evaluation was scheduled in 10 years for the 2020-2021 academic year. The University's School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)^[6].

Academic schools

American Public University System offer 87 degree programs and 68 certificates across seven academic schools through American Military University and American Public University.^[1] They include:

• School of Arts and Humanities
• School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Management
• School of Public Safety and Health
• School of Security and Global Studies
• School of Science and Technology

Notable faculty

• Dani Babb, author and regular contributor to Fox News as a business analyst.^[7]
• Alan Hale, co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp.^[8]
• James F. Reilly, geologist and former NASA astronaut.^[9]
• Wendy B. Lawrence, former NASA astronaut.^[10]

Notable alumni

• Brent M. Boyles, Brigadier General assigned as Assistant Adjutant General, Maine Army National Guard. (Master of Science, Military Studies [Defense Management], 1998)^[11]
• Stanley E. Clarke III, Air Force Lieutenant General and Commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region - 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. (Master of Arts, Military Studies, 2007)^[12]
• Joel D. Cusker, Brigadier General and acting Adjutant General for the Montana National Guard. (Master of Arts, Military Studies, 1997)^[13]
• Nicole Malachowski, United States Air Force officer and the first female pilot selected to fly as part of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. (Master of Arts (with honors), National Security Policy, 2009)^[14]
• Joe M. Wells, Major General assigned as Director of Intelligence and Communication at the National Guard Bureau. (Master of Arts, Strategic Intelligence, 2000)^[15]
• William H. Wade II, Major General who was assigned as Adjutant General of the California National Guard and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy. (Master of Arts, Military Studies [Defense Management], 1999)^[16]

Student organizations

Students at APUS are involved in a variety of different student organizations and honor societies. This includes chapters for the National Association for Environmental Professionals (NEPA), International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), Student Veteran’s of America (SVA), and the Society of Human Resources Management.

Academic Honor Societies include: Alpha Phi Sigma, Delta Epsilon Tau, Epsilon Pi Phi, Golden Key, Pi Gamma Mu, Delta Mu Delta, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Sigma Iota Rho.^[4]

References

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External links

• American Public University System
• American Military University
• American Public University