Applying for Another APUS Program after Graduation

We are always excited to learn of students who wish to pursue other degree programs at American Public University System. To enroll in another APUS program, we recommend that you contact your Academic Advisor for assistance during or after the completion of your final course in your current academic program or whenever you are ready to return.

The Process

If you are currently in an APUS program, you may apply for a new program as soon as you have final clearance for graduation for your current program with APUS. In addition, if you reach your program deadline, a program add can move you to the new program and the program deadline starts over again. For students in violation of the Progress Towards Program Completion policy, a program add is not allowed into the same level unless you are within 12 months of your program deadline. If you are 90% complete in your program, a program deadline extension would be considered instead. 

It is very important that you do NOT register for any courses for your new program until your Degree Change form has been processed and your new program is displayed for you as your online academic plan.

Certificate to Degree

If you complete a certificate from the University and then decide to pursue a related degree, you may transfer any applicable courses that apply to the subsequent degree program. The courses transferred directly from a certificate completed will NOT count towards your maximum transfer credit cap.

Degree to Certificate

If you completed a degree and would like to enroll in a related certificate, all previously-completed APUS courses for which you earned a passing grade, as well as any outside course credit, where applicable, will be applied as residential or transfer credit.

Degree to Degree

If you completed a degree and would like to enroll in a subsequent program, the Transfer Credit department will automatically review your completed residential credit to determine what courses can be applied to your new program within 21 days from when you enroll in the new program. All applicable APUS credit for which you earned a passing grade will be considered residential credit and will not count towards the transfer credit maximums.

If you have previous transfer credit applied to your initial degree, it will also be reviewed when you enroll into the new degree program and completed within 21 days. Undergraduate credit with a grade of ‘C’ or higher is only applicable to undergraduate degree programs and graduate credit with a grade of ‘B’ or higher is only applicable to graduate degree programs.

In order to be eligible for a subsequent degree at the same level, you must meet these residential requirements:

• Associate students can pursue a subsequent associate program as long as they have five (5) unique courses to complete (based on a 60 semester hours degree) making 25% of the program unique.
• Bachelors’ students can pursue a subsequent bachelors’ program as long as they have ten (10) unique courses to complete (based on 120 semester hour degree) making 25% of the program unique.
• Master’s student can pursue a subsequent master’s program as long as they have five (5) unique courses left to complete (based on a 36 semester hour degree) making 40%+ unique.

This policy holds true for any degree program complete at the same level even after the second degree.

Residential Credit Policy

All courses completed at APUS, either through a conferred degree or expired program, will be considered Residential Credit for the student’s current program as well as future programs where the courses are applicable.  Residential Credit will not be counted towards transfer credit maximums and will not carry previously earned course grades, thus not impacting the grade point average in the subsequent program.  The Initial Enrollment Date and Program Deadline for subsequent programs will be reset based on the first course completed in the new program.

Students wishing to earn an Associate’s degree where all completed courses overlap with the requested Bachelors' requirements may not enroll in the requested program unless they enroll in a program where credentials may be earned along the way. If a student requests a change to an Associate’s program, where all courses from a conferred Bachelor's degree or from an expired program overlap with the Associates degree, then they may not be eligible. Additionally, students may not earn duplicative degrees (example – Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice to Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice or vice versa or Masters in Business Administration-General concentration to Masters in Business Administration- Accounting concentration or vice versa).

In order to enroll in a subsequent degree program at the same level, you must meet the residential requirements mentioned in the Degree to Degree section.