Admission requirements
At the AU Faculty of Business, we offer flexible, dynamic and relevant business education. We have courses for everyone, depending on experience.
Athabasca University (AU)’s undergraduate programs have year-round enrollment with courses starting every month. There is only one formal entrance requirement for online business degree programs: you must be 16 years of age or older.
Transfer credit
You can request a transfer credit evaluation on your application form if you have already done post-secondary coursework. Once our Registrar’s office receives documentation from your school, it takes approximately 4 to 8 weeks to receive the results. You may register for courses before receiving your transfer credit results. However, you may wish to consult a Senior Program Advisor, as any courses taken before your evaluation is complete are at your discretion. There is a fee for transfer credit evaluation.
Submitting transcripts
Login to myAU and choose “Transcript Request” option to request a transcript online.
Undergraduate application processDiscussion, collaboration, and peer learning are at the heart of the AU Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) for executives program. To effectively contribute, students must have a solid base of education and management experience.
The Admissions Committee considers your entire application profile holistically, including academic records, managerial/professional experience, your essay, and letters of reference. You are assessed on your own merit and your application is considered separately from other applications.
Athabasca University follows the “Open University” philosophy. A key part of our mission and mandate is to reduce barriers to entering post-secondary education globally. At the master’s level, this includes admission pathways that go beyond recognition of undergraduate degrees: if you do not have an undergraduate degree but have significant management experience we encourage you to apply.
A strong base of experience and education is necessary for doctoral studies with an emphasis on applied research. To be admitted to the Athabasca University (AU) online Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program, you should have significant prior knowledge and experience in the area of management research you intend to pursue.
All applicants are carefully evaluated to assess ability to handle the requirements of the online DBA program. We ask for a wide range of information in order to assess your suitability for doctoral studies, and to match your expectations, learning, and experience with the capacities and goals of our program. The online DBA demands that you be committed to your studies and able to balance the demands of education, work, and family.
Online DBA applicants are accepted into the program based on admission criteria and the availability of faculty expertise for supervising proposed research areas.
Our LMD courses are graduate level; structured with course objectives and focused learning outcomes specifically designed for managers and professionals with significant work experience who are poised for advancement.
Our courses are also developed and presented by professors, who are typically academic faculty from AU, other academic institutions or expert practitioners in their field. Their role is not to lecture, but rather to guide group discussions and collaborations to achieve more effective peer learning.
Applicants who wish to enroll in LMD courses or certificates of completion can register at any time.
Visit the course schedule page for a list of courses available for registration.
Transfer credit available
Three online LMD courses may transfer for one three-credit elective within Athabasca University’s online MBA for executives should you meet the entry requirements and be accepted into the MBA.
Updated January 10, 2024 by Digital & Web Operations (web_services@athabascau.ca)