Apply or register for professional development

A professional development (PD) student is someone who attends an institution to improve themselves though learning and training to advance their career. Here at AU, we offer both non-credit and credentialed professional development opportunities. Some courses and certificates can also be described as micro-credentials.

Professional development is important because it increases your value as an employee to current and future employers. Staying up to date on current trends, new practices and what’s coming in your profession are attractive skills to employers.

With professional development, career advancement opportunities can present themselves, such as promotions or even lateral transfers. You become a much more desirable candidate because of the knowledge and expertise you have in your chosen career field.

Not only that, professional development improves your skill set and knowledge, thereby making you a valuable employee to your company. They benefit from your acquired knowledge and often companies assist with your professional development costs, understanding the net benefits back to them when they assist in covering partial or even full payment of your professional development courses or programs.

When you succeed, they succeed.

At AU, our professional development courses are convenient with online delivery format, and often have several start dates throughout the year to accommodate your career and life!

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Taking professional development courses as a PD student

There are several pathways here at AU to register in professional development courses.

Non-credit and micro-credential professional development options

For non-credit programs and courses, Athabasca University’s PowerED™ is where to start. Because it offers non-credit offerings, the registration process is different from professional development courses taken through the faculty. First, you don’t need to apply to AU, you simply register for your course through the PowerED™ website.

Credit professional development options

Most of our faculties offer short professional development courses, often as 1 or 2 credit offerings. These courses are often connected to professional designations, and these courses are offered to ensure professionals are keeping their skills up-to-date and are required in their profession.

Registration for these courses vary depending on the faculty. You may require applying with Athabasca University as a non-program student prior to registering in the course.

Professional development pathways