| 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.amu.apus.edu |
The American Public University System (APUS) is a 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 corporation (NYSE: APEI).
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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 conventional correspondence to an online learning format.[3]
In 2002, AMU expanded to become the American Public University System and established American Public University, intended primarily for civilians and public service programs.[3]
In 2006, APUS was granted regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
American Public University System (APUS) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools,[4] a regional accreditor,and the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council.[5][6] 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)[7].
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:
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, 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, and Sigma Iota Rho.[3]