The shield at the center of the Great Seal of the University derives from the ancient heraldic custom by which families employed coats of arms to identify themselves and what they stood for to all whom they met. Each element on the coat of arms symbolized a virtue, value, possession or tradition of the family. Words, originally in Latin, were also often included on the coat of arms.
The American Meridian University Shield is divided into four elements which reinforce the mission of AMU as a professional Practice Institution: the open book at the top right signifies the pursuit of knowledge; the Q at the bottom right signifies the application of knowledge through Quality Management.
At the Center of the shield are the two pillars of the University: The word Theory in a vertical position is an explicit commitment to understanding gained through reading. The word Practice caps Theory and is intended to signify that theory can only go so far and must be completed by the practical implementation of theory.
The circle around the shield resembles a “seal” by which the University authenticates its support for the documents on which the seal is placed. The Great Seal of the University cannot be imprinted on documents without permission.
The Motto of the University is “Success You Can Measure” which indicates that success, through the application of quality management through projects, must be quantified.