STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Welcome to MILS698: Comprehensive Exam
Congratulations on getting ready to wrap up your degree!
Please note: There is no syllabus for this class.
Welcome to the Comprehensive Exam course and congratulations on reaching the end of your
degree requirements. The comprehensive exam will test you capabilities regarding the program
objectives (noted below and in the course catalog).
The program objectives
The courses in the program core are designed to address these objectives. You may have entered
the university several years ago or just last year, and the core courses may have changed. No
matter what combination of classes you took, all core courses address these program objectives
and all students are required to address the specific program objectives in the comprehensive
exam. Even if you received transfer credit for some classes in your degree program, you are still
responsible for addressing the program objectives.
The course schedule
During this class, you will be responsible for preparing for the exam and you will be required to
submit three practice questions for feedback from your instructor. These practice questions will
be similar to assignments in that they will have a Sunday at 11:55pm ET due date each week.
Once you have completed three questions successfully, you will be prepared to take the
comprehensive exam. You will not be able to take the exam until Week Eight. The exam will
open at 12:01am ET on Monday of Week Eight.
Recap of comprehensive exam course
 The exam is not based on any particular course. Rather, it is based on the program
objectives.
 The comprehensive exam has never been geared toward courses but towards the
objectives that have not changed since you began your degree program.
 If you transfer in credits, you are still responsible for the program objectives.
 You must submit three practice questions for feedback from your instructor.
 You cannot take the exam until Week Eight.
Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning outcomes objectives, the Master of Arts
in Military Studies also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates. With
reference to each of the respective areas of military studies, graduates in this degree program will
be able to:
SCHOOL OF SECURITY AND GLOBAL STUDIES
Preparing the next generation of security professionals through curriculum and teaching excellence.
©American Public University System
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
 Analyze the origins, development, capabilities, and vulnerabilities of both friendly and
hostile military forces.
 Assess the major trends, theories, laws of war, events, and people that have shaped
military studies in both an historical and modern context.
 Evaluate the variables and influences affecting military forces to include the following:
leadership, doctrine; strategy, tactics, operations, joint operations and integrated systems,
technology, cultures, and the multidimensional battle space.
 Judge examples of successful and unsuccessful military and strategic leadership
philosophies and decisions based on historical and current events.
 Analyze critical issues and trends in national and international security that affect the
strategic employment and sustainment of military forces and the relationship between
military power and other elements of national power.
 Develop effective research, analysis, methodological, and presentation skills relevant to
Military Studies.

Synthesize information in a publication-quality paper that presents new knowledge or a
new approach to a topic pertinent to the field of Military Studies.
Forums
Introductory Forum and Academic Integrity Policies
Please take a moment to introduce yourself in the Week One forum and review the academic
integrity policies of the university. Additionally, please review the Turnitin procedures for the
class.
Program Objective Forums
Even though you’ll be hitting the books on your own, be sure to communicate with your
classmates and share notes and thoughts on each program objective. It is extremely important
that you use the Forums. There is great benefit to interacting with your classmates. They are a
great source of information.
The Forums should also be a place to communicate with your instructor. Your instructor is
engaged in the Forums in order to help you through the examination process.
Practice Questions
You are required to submit answers to three practice questions in order to be eligible to take the
exam. These practice questions are due during Week Two, Week Four, and Week Six and should
be submitted through the Assignments tool in the classroom as Word documents. Make sure that
you address each practice question as you would a five-paragraph essay. It may be of help to
prepare for the question and then try to compose the question in 1.5 hours. In that way you are
preparing for the time constraints of the actual exam. You will find and choose from several
practice questions posted in the Forums under Practice Questions.
SCHOOL OF SECURITY AND GLOBAL STUDIES
Preparing the next generation of security professionals through curriculum and teaching excellence.
©American Public University System
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Exam Day
The comprehensive examination is an open-book exam with no proctor required. On exam day,
you will answer four questions based upon the program objectives.
You will have six (6) hours and fifteen (15) minutes to complete the exam. You may take the
exam anytime during Week Eight of the course. ALL responses should use the Turabian citation
method. You will be guided during the exam to set up a Word document (a template will be
provided within the exam) so make sure your computer is Word compatible. You will be able to
submit the document directly through the Tests and Quizzes feature of Sakai once you have
completed the exam. In addition, you will need to upload a copy of the Word file into the
Assignments folder in order to generate a Turnitin report.
You will receive in-text comments and your Word file once your exam has been graded.
A rubric, found in the Lessons section of the class, will be used to grade your exam. Please take
time to review the grading rubric provided in the folder in Resources. This will provide you with
a detailed look at the grading criteria. Once graded, your exam with feedback will be uploaded in
the Assignments section for you to review. Exams will be graded five days from their final due
date, the last day of class.
Grades on Exams
(Please review the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies as found in the
Week One Lesson. The relevant sections are reproduced here.)
The course instructor will grade the exam (which cannot be taken before the course ends) using
the exam grading rubric, which can be found in the Resources tab. Students should review the
rubric prior to taking the exam. Students will answer four essay questions that will be graded as
follows:
1. “Pass with Distinction” – This is rare and is only given to a student who passes three questions
“with distinction,” and the fourth with at least a “pass.” “With distinction” means the answers
clearly demonstrate an understanding of the issue beyond what is typically expected of graduate
students and is written using accepted academic writing conventions.
2. “Pass” – This grade is assigned for essays that meet the requirements for a graduate-level
essay. The answer must demonstrate a clear understanding of the issue and must be written using
accepted academic writing conventions. Students who pass three questions with at least a “pass”
will pass the examination, which allows for one “fail” on the four examination questions.
3. “Fail” – This grade is assigned for essays that do not meet the requirements for a graduatelevel essay. Students who fail two or more questions will fail the examination. Note: A student
who fails the examination the first time cannot receive a grade of “Pass with Distinction” on the
second examination. The highest grade possible is a “Pass.” The second examination is to be
graded by a faculty member different from the first round of testing and will include different
exam questions.
SCHOOL OF SECURITY AND GLOBAL STUDIES
Preparing the next generation of security professionals through curriculum and teaching excellence.
©American Public University System
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
a. If a student has twice failed the comprehensive exam, he/she MAY be permitted, under special
circumstances, to enroll in the capstone project course for his/her discipline. Students who have
failed the comp exam twice may apply for this option by submitting an application (included in
the application is the student’s plan for completing the project that addresses all of the comments
from the previous 2 instructors) to the Dean of Graduate Studies. In order for the application to
be considered, the student must be prepared to enroll in the capstone course within one month of
the last failure. If the student fails because s/he has not adhered to the conventions of standard
English grammar and/or formal academic writing, s/he may be required to complete ENGL600
prior to enrolling in the capstone course. The request will be reviewed by a committee of two
that includes the Dean of the student’s school and the Dean of Graduate Studies. For applications
contact graduatestudies@apus.edu.
b. The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line
with the standard APUS appeals process.
Please contact the Registrar for your comprehensive exam results. The instructor cannot notify
you of your grade.
SCHOOL OF SECURITY AND GLOBAL STUDIES
Preparing the next generation of security professionals through curriculum and teaching excellence.
©American Public University System