History American Public University System (APUS) is an independent University System that was established in June 2002 in the state of West Virginia. Its predecessor organization, the American Military University (AMU), was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia on June 11, 1991. At its launch, AMU enrolled 18 students in 22 courses and offered only graduate degrees. Today, over 12,000 students are studying online at APUS Universities and the curriculum has expanded, offering students a choice among over 50 degree programs at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels.
APUS’ origins reach back to Jim Etter, a Marine Corps officer who taught at Marine Corps Base Quantico. He retired from active service and launched one of the first 100% online universities, American Military University. AMU was designed to meet the unique educational needs of the military – transient, working adults needing a range of program offerings from traditional courses such as criminal justice to unique courses such as counterterrorism and military intelligence, which are not readily available at most institutions.
In 2002, after ten years of growth and service to thousands of students and hundreds of graduates, AMU expanded into the American Public University System, adding the American Public University. APU is designed to extend the System’s outreach to better meet the needs of those interested in public service related programs, such as criminal justice, public safety, national security and other adult learners seeking to advance their education through a robust, online curriculum.
Today, APUS is one of the nation’s largest providers of higher education to the U.S. Armed Forces and offers one of the most comprehensive military studies and national security curricula outside the Department of Defense.
Since its founding, APUS has tailored its curriculum and course delivery to meet the unique needs of adult learners who have limited time and resources but a true desire to continue their studies. APUS offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide variety of disciplines that are relevant to today’s career opportunities.
The University System does not want costs to get in the way of education. We have streamlined our tuition and fees to make it easy to estimate and cover expenses. For our many military students who use tuition assistance benefits, this often means minimal or no out-of-pocket costs. APUS also strives to keep related fees affordable for learners by offering a University System grant for undergraduates which covers all costs for textbooks and related shipping throughout a students’ enrollment in the undergraduate program.
Course delivery also meets the needs of the adult learner. Courses are delivered 100 percent online in an asynchronous format, which permits a student to log on at any time during the week for assignments. Classrooms are accessible 24/7 for the learner’s convenience. This flexibility allows learners to fulfill their classroom requirements despite job and personal responsibilities or frequent geographic relocation; and because students have varying commitments that don’t always align with a traditional semester schedule, APUS courses start monthly and many are available in 8 & 16 week sessions.
American Public University System‘s corporate office is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, with administrative support offices located in Manassas, Virginia. | 
