Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management
Regulations effective Sep. 1, 2022, unless otherwise noted.
The Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM) program is designed for managers and professionals with significant work experience who are poised for advancement and are looking to further develop and broaden their leadership skill set. The GDLM provides graduate level professional development intended to build upon accumulated business experience and knowledge.
This program will:
- enhance awareness of leadership style and preference;
- improve self-evaluation to identify leadership development opportunities;
- challenge leadership assumptions;
- help gain a greater understanding of why organizations change and the roles of leaders within that process;
- develop essential coaching skills as well as enhance the coaching process, and;
- provide relevant and practical knowledge of business and management disciplines.
The GDLM is made up of 18 credits earned by taking 16 courses: fifteen 1-credit Leadership and Management Development (LMD) courses; and one 3-credit capstone course. If you have already taken LMD courses, you may transfer them into the GDLM.
Applicants to the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM) must have
- an undergraduate degree OR approval of the dean or designate, based on a prior learning assessment, including other credentials or certifications AND
- a minimum of 3 years of professional experience that shows progressive management and/or leadership experience OR has been identified by an employer for succession planning or movement into a leadership and management role.
There will be an ongoing admissions process for this program, meaning students may start the program with any scheduled course with the exception of the capstone.
Corporations and organizations may continue to select to use AU course/program offerings to customize their own internal development programs, which provide their employees with an open study option opportunity at AU.
English language proficiency
There are minimum English language proficiency requirements allowed for admission to a graduate program at Athabasca University. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the minimum requirements.
Students applying for the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM) must submit a completed application package, consisting of:
- a completed application form;
- a current, chronological resumé detailing work experience;
- official transcripts of post-secondary education and/or professional designation(s) sent directly to the Faculty of Business, Athabasca University, from the respective institution(s). Applicants with degrees obtained outside of North America may be required to have educational qualifications assessed independently (see International transcripts). International programs accredited by AACSB are accepted without this assessment;
- the non-refundable application processing fee.
Non-program application
The LMD non-program applicant is a student taking a Leadership and Management Development (LMD) course who is not enrolled in the GDLM program.
The LMD non-program applicant must:
- meet the admission criteria, or receive a special exemption for admission from the dean or designate;
- demonstrate an appropriate level of professional experience required to contribute positively to online group discussions/projects;
- meet all course prerequisite requirements.
If a LMD non-program student subsequently applies for GDLM program admission, credit for AU LMD courses previously completed will be evaluated for credit towards the GDLM program requirements, where appropriate. Transfer credit fees will normally be waived in such cases.
Transfer credit
Transfer credit means that students may apply to transfer graduate course credits earned elsewhere at recognized academic institutions into the GDLM program.
Only graduate level course credits that have never been applied toward any degree program, are eligible for consideration.
Courses being considered for transfer credit must be from a fully accredited institution (i.e. members of Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, Canadian Association for Distance Education, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), etc.). Applicants will be required to complete a transfer credit form, pay a transfer credit evaluation fee, and provide official transcripts and detailed course outlines for each course (outline requirements will be provided by the program director). Executive education course credits may also be accepted at the discretion of the dean or program designate.
The program director and/or Faculty of Business faculty will determine whether transfer credits will be permitted into the GDLM program. If transfer credit is awarded, a study plan will be provided outlining how students will integrate previous coursework with the program.
Other
Students must confirm access to a computer system that meets the program requirements. Upon acceptance to the program, students must pay the required non-refundable admission fee.
Detailed instructions for assembling an application package can be found on the Faculty of Business website.
Fall 2022 | ||
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Sept. 5 | Labour Day | University closed |
Sept. 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | University closed |
Oct. 10 | Thanksgiving Day | University closed |
Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day | University closed |
Dec. 24/22 – Jan. 2/23 | The university will close at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, 2022 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. | University closed |
Winter 2023 | ||
Feb. 20 | Family Day | University closed |
April 7 – 10 (inclusive) | Easter break | University closed |
April 30 | Deadline to apply for graduation in June. All final grades must be received by the Office of the Registrar, and all program requirements must be completed by this date. Plan ahead. Allow professor at least 10 days for grading, and the Faculty of Business office 5 days for processing final grade report(s), in advance of this deadline. | |
Spring 2023 | ||
May 22 | Victoria Day | University closed |
May 31 | Deadline to register in Convocation 2023. (Note: In order to apply to graduate in June, all requirements must be met by April 30. See above.) | |
TBD | Virtual Convocation | |
July 3 | Canada Day (in lieu) | University closed |
Aug. 7 | Heritage Day | University closed |
Fall 2023 | ||
Sept. 4 | Labour Day | University closed |
Sept. 30 | National Day of Truth and Reconciliation | University closed |
Oct. 9 | Thanksgiving Day | University closed |
Nov. 13 | Remembrance Day (in lieu) | University closed |
Dec. 23, 2023 – Jan. 1, 2024 | The university will close at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. |
Program structure
Credits for the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM) program are comprised of fifteen 1-credit courses and a 3-credit capstone course for a total of 18 credits.
Program requirements
To meet the residency requirements, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits through Athabasca University.
To be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM), the graduate student must successfully complete core and elective courses required in the program. A minimum grade of 60% is required for both the assignment and participation components in each course, unless otherwise specified in the course study guide. The capstone course requires an overall grade of 70%.
Upon successful completion of the GDLM, student may be eligible for transfer credit into other AU graduate programs.
Timelines
GDLM students will be expected to complete their program studies within 5 years.
A student may repeat any course only once. Full tuition fees for each failed course will be required when repeated. Permission is required by the dean (or designate) to take a course more than twice.
To maintain active status, a student must successfully complete at least 3 courses in their program of study within a 12-month period.
Student progress reports and transcripts
Upon completion of all of the requirements for the GDLM program, the graduate student will receive his or her diploma from Athabasca University.
Graduation requirements
To be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management, a graduate student must:
- successfully complete the courses set out above;
- complete an application for graduation form;
- satisfy all other regulations.
In addition, students must have paid any fees owed to the university and have returned all library resources. All applications for graduation must be approved by General Faculties Council.
Course delivery
Courses in the Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management (GDLM) are offered on a paced basis with specified start and completion dates. The university reserves the right to change the list of available courses at any time.
Course registration
Students register and pay for each course at the time of registration and prior to the registration cutoff date.
Successful course completion
A minimum grade of 60% is required for both the assignments and participation components in each course. The capstone course requires an overall grade of 70%.
It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that any course participation and any assignment requirements are maintained and submitted on time. There will be no leniency or considerations given to students who choose a double course workload.
Course withdrawal
Students may withdraw from the course in which they are registered, without academic penalty, subject to the following:
- Withdrawal must take place on or before the 7th day of the course.
- The course withdrawal fee must be paid in full.
- A refund of tuition fees (minus the withdrawal fee) is only payable if withdrawal occurs within 7 days from the course start date.
- Students must maintain "active status" in the program as defined in the information about timelines under Program regulations.
A withdrawal:
- prior to and up to 7 days after the course contract start date will not appear on the student's transcript,
- after 7 days and on or before the course contract end date will be recorded as a "W" (Withdrawal) on the student's transcript and credit will not be awarded for the course.
A student may not withdraw after the course contract date. If no course work has been completed, a grade of "F" (Failure) will be assigned and recorded on the transcript.
Students who do not maintain "active status" will be deemed withdrawn from their program of study.
Re-admission to a program can occur with payment of all applicable fees in current regulations. Credit for courses previously completed will be re-evaluated and applied to the program requirements, where appropriate.
Appeals to the university concerning these re-admission procedures will be governed by the university's appeal process.
Re-registrations and repeats
Students who fail a course in the GDLM program may repeat that course only once. Full tuition will be required for each course repeated.
Students who fail the same course twice will be withdrawn from the program with no chance for appeal or re-enrolment.
Course refunds
Students will receive a refund of the full course fees if they withdraw from their course more than 7 days before the course start date. Students will receive a refund of the full course fees minus the course withdrawal processing fee if they withdraw from the course 7 days prior to the course start date and up to 7 days after the course start date. After then, no refund will be given.
Grading system
Each assignment and participation component that is to be counted towards the final grade for a course shall be given a percentage grade from the academic coach. The official recorded grade will be the Alpha/4.0 grading scale. Please review the Graduate Grading Policy and information about academic records on the Office of the Registrar site for more information on grading scales.
The following fees are effective for courses starting Sep. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023. All fees are quoted in Canadian dollars and are subject to change. Academic-related fees are exempt from the Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is added to all other goods and services; for example, workshops, some publications, self-help seminars, and Athabasca University promotional sales items.
Program Application Fee (non-refundable), required each time a person applies | $207 |
Program tuition fees
Application Fee | $207 |
Fifteen 1-credit courses at $1,183 | $17,745 |
One 3-credit course | $3,549 |
Total | $21,501 |
All AU degree holders are eligible to receive a 20% discount.
Estimated program tuition cost (2022-2023)
The total tuition cost for a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University, would be $21,501. (Application fees are included in this calculation.)
Note: Fees are subject to change. The Athabasca University Graduate Student Association (AUGSA) Fee (18 credits x $13/credit = $234) is not included in the above calculation.
Other fees
Course Withdrawal Processing Fee1 | $402 |
AU Graduate Student Association Fee (per credit) | $13 |
Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee (1 time) | $309 |
Program Continuation Fee | $620 |
1 The Course Withdrawal Processing Fee is a mandatory administrative fee charged when a student withdraws from a course. Refer to the information about course withdrawal under Course regulations and procedures.
The university reserves the right to suspend students if their program fees are overdue.
Fee information effective Sep. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023.
The following fees are effective for courses starting Sep. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024. All fees are quoted in Canadian dollars and are subject to change. Academic-related fees are exempt from the Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is added to all other goods and services; for example, workshops, some publications, self-help seminars, and Athabasca University promotional sales items.
Program Application Fee (non-refundable), required each time a person applies | $218 |
Program tuition fees
Application Fee | $218 |
Fifteen 1-credit courses at $1,248 | $18,720 |
One 3-credit course | $3,744 |
Total | $22,682 |
All AU degree holders are eligible to receive a 20% discount.
Estimated program tuition cost (2023-2024)
The total tuition cost for a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University, would be $22,682. (Application fees are included in this calculation.)
Note: Fees are subject to change. The Athabasca University Graduate Student Association (AUGSA) Fee (18 credits x $13/credit = $234) is not included in the above calculation.
Other fees
Course Withdrawal Processing Fee1 | $423 |
AU Graduate Student Association Fee (per credit) | $13 |
Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee (1 time) | $325 |
Program Continuation Fee | $652 |
1 The Course Withdrawal Processing Fee is a mandatory administrative fee charged when a student withdraws from a course. Refer to the information about course withdrawal under Course regulations and procedures.
The university reserves the right to suspend students if their program fees are overdue.
Fee information effective Sep. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024.
Information effective Sep. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023.
Helpful links and resources:
Updated April 03, 2023 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)