American University Top Questions

The academics are challenging, but also fair to the students. All the professors I have had really want their students to succeed, and if a student cares and puts in enough effort, they should be able to get the grades they want and deserve.

The academics are challenging, but also fair to the students. All the professors I have had really want their students to succeed, and if a student cares and puts in enough effort, they should be able to get the grades they want and deserve.

Unless you're interested in International Relations or Business, I highly suggest applying elsewhere.

Class participation is common in all classes I have taken at my school. Students are competitive but while they compete with each other they also encourage one another to learn more. I am an International Studies major. For my career path, I am really happy I chose American University. I have so many options and opportunities to take advantage of in terms of post graduate plans that I cannot wait to get started after graduation.

As a journalism student, the majority of my professors have been adjuncts who either rock or suck. It's mostly been the former. I do like the professional experience that they bring to the classroom. Professors at AU are super helpful if you reach out to them, and they really do like it for the most part when you go to their office hours. I believe our School of Communication is sorely underrated. Again, AU = internship central. There are a lot of folks who aspire to join the Foreign Service, start a nonprofit, or become a Hill staffer. Not all of them are like this, though. AU students are very ambitious, which kicks me into high gear when applying for internships or study abroad programs. Most classes are small(ish) and participation-based. This is good if you are an overly opinionated Olivia like me. Ironically though, the participation-based format of most classes has also taught me when to keep my mouth shut. The best academic experience I've had was through my study abroad program. AU gets this right, for sure. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who has the means to do it. Even if you think you don't, AU still covers your financial aid/most scholarships while you are abroad.

The academics at AU are the perfect mix of challenging and fun. Once you get past those few lecture hall intro classes (macroeconomics, biology, psychology, etc) the professors truly take the time to get to know you and usually have names down within the first couple of classes. AU has a great mix of fun classes and classes that are needed to survive in the real world. My favorite class at AU was "Personal Finance", and I believe that everyone should be required to take it before graduating. I would say that a students work really hard to achieve their grades, and their amount of studying reflects the grades they get. Personally, I work hard to get good grades; they do not come easy. Similarly, class participation is very common and makes the class more fun and go by faster. However, sometimes you get those people that just love to talk about their "unique" experiences, and therefore annoy the entire class. But there are usually only a few bad apples in each class. I truly feel that education at AU is geared toward both getting a job and learning to learn.

All my professors know my name and overall I've had a really positive experience with all my professors. Students study a fair amount; it's like high school, the kids who care study and the kids who don't care don't study much. The library is open 24 hours on weekdays and it's fun to go in and see all the kids who have fallen asleep trying to pull all nighters. Professors have office hours and encourage you to visit them. The university is always improving its academic program; next year gen eds have been updated and adapted, which is really exciting. Well, it is for me anyway because I'm a nerd about choosing classes.

Most classes at American are not too big. Most of my professors know me by first name, with the exception of my 80 student psychology class, which is also the only class where the teacher does not take attendance. Accordingly, the biggest classes in that class are on exam day because that is the only day that matters. I have found so far in freshman year I can get by with minimal studying, and the general education classes are easy. My major/department is audio technology. The class sizes are really small so the professors know us all and the equipment is really quality. Overall, the education at American is geared more towards learning for its own sake.

Academics are a major focus of American University students and professors. The class sizes are usually small, except for general education lectures. Class participation is a BIG deal. Most professors count class participation as more than just attendance. You must be willing to speak up. Students are not too competitive with others for getting the highest grade, but they are competitive within themselves. Students will push themselves to create work much more impressive than what their syllabus required. I am a Political Science major and Business Administration minor. The SPA department is one of the most popular on campus. The SPA advisors are average, but most of my professors have been excellent. The education at AU is definitely geared towards getting a job. Networking with other students, professors, and professionals is highly valued and our Career Center is one of the best in the country.

Academics are great. I love that class sizes at AU are incredibly small so you really get to know your professors. I don't think I've had any classes over 75 people and that was only one class. Most of my classes are around 20 or less. I feel like I've learned a lot in my classes and from my professors and I would recommend AU as an academic institution. It was also easy to double major across schools. I have a double major and a double minor, each in a different school at AU, but it was easier to do than it would be at most schools.