Master of Business Administration

Applicants to an AU MBA program must have:

• an undergraduate degree from an accredited post-secondary institution, and at least 3 years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory or professional experience with management-level responsibilities;
  
  OR
  
  
• an acceptable professional designation as approved by the Graduate Management Program Council and at least 5 years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory and professional experience with management-level responsibilities;
  
  OR
  
  
• a minimum of 8 years of substantial managerial experience and relevant education and/or training. Applicants without a degree or designation must first apply to the AU Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) and upon successful completion, transfer into Phase 2 of the MBA program. The GDM is identical to Phase 1 of the MBA.

Non-program admission requirements

Individuals who are not enrolled in one of the graduate programs with the Faculty of Business, may be permitted to register in an MBA course for which they have the appropriate prerequisites on a first-come first-served basis, space permitting and upon meeting minimum program entrance standards. The non-program applicant must:

• meet the qualifications for admission for either the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) program or the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, or
• have an MBA degree from Athabasca University or an MBA or equivalent master degree from another accredited post-secondary institution, or
• be an active student in good standing in another AU graduate program, or
• be an active student in good standing in an MBA or equivalent master degree program from another accredited post-secondary institution and receive approval from the AU MBA program director, or
• receive special exemption from the AU MBA program director.

The non-program applicant must demonstrate:

• appropriate level of management experience required (minimum 3 years) to contribute positively to both online and in-residence group discussions/projects;
• have the system requirements to take the course online (hardware and software);
• meet any course prerequisite requirements (with the exception that STMT 500: Strategic Management as a prerequisite will normally be waived for non-program students);
• access to organizational information required for MBA course activities and assignments.

Other

Applicants must be proficient in the English language and confirm access to a computer system that meets the program's requirements. A Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score is not normally required, but the MBA Admissions Committee may request one should they deem it necessary. Detailed instructions for assembling an application package can be found on the faculty's website.

Accelerated Admission Route admission requirements

Applicants holding a bachelor degree in business (e.g. bachelor of commerce, bachelor of management, or bachelor of business administration) from an accredited post-secondary institution may be admitted into the Accelerated Admission Route in the MBA program, at the discretion of the MBA Admissions Committee. An applicant admitted through this route will be considered to have completed Phase 1 of the MBA program but will not be eligible for the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM).

To be eligible for the Accelerated Admission Route, the applicant must have obtained an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the final 60 credits of the presenting bachelor of business degree and the degree must have been obtained in the previous 10 years. At the discretion of the MBA Admissions Committee, applicants with a bachelor degree in business that is more than 10 years old may be admitted through the Accelerated Admission Route but may be required to take 1 or more Phase 1 and/or Phase 2 core courses in addition to the regular Accelerated Admission Route courses.

Applicants applying under the Accelerated Admission Route will pay the Transfer Credit Fee to have their transcripts reviewed for acceptability to the admission route. A full transfer review is conducted upon applying to the program. Applicants who lack content coverage may be required to complete additional courses extra to the program.

Transfer credit

Transfer credit means that students may apply to transfer graduate course credits earned elsewhere at recognized academic institutions into the MBA programs.

In order to apply for transfer credit, applicants must first apply and be accepted to the MBA program.

Only graduate level course credits that have never been applied toward any degree program, are eligible for consideration. Up to a maximum of 15 credits can be transferred upon approval of the MBA program director.

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, etc.).

Applicants are 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 MBA program director).

The MBA program director will determine whether transfer credits will be permitted into the MBA program. If transfer credit is awarded, a study plan will be provided outlining how students will integrate previous coursework with the program. 

Transfer of elective courses

Subject to the approval of the MBA program director and payment of the appropriate fee, students may take one of their required MBA program online elective courses from another post-secondary institution if such a course is relevant and equivalent to courses in the MBA program at Athabasca University. Transfer credit will not be permitted for the in-residence elective requirement.

A written request, including a detailed outline of the course, must be sent to the MBA program director at least 1 month before the course registration deadline. Upon successful completion of the course (with the appropriate passing grade), students must submit an official transcript in order to obtain credit for the course.

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.

Admission to the MBA program occurs three times each year. Application deadlines are June 15 for a fall start, Oct. 15 for a winter start, and March 15 for a spring start.

Applicants must provide:

• a completed application form;
• a detailed resumé demonstrating appropriate management experience;
• 3 letters of reference, preferably 2 business and 1 academic. References from personal friends or relatives will not be accepted. It is the applicant's responsibility to notify his or her references that, in accordance with the Province of Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the information contained in the letter of reference is not considered to be confidential. The applicant, upon request, may view the information. The letters shall normally contain full contact information for the reference, be signed on company letterhead, and be sent directly to the Faculty of Business, Athabasca University;
• a 1000-word personal essay;
• 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)*;
• a non-refundable application fee.

Upon acceptance to the program, students must pay the required non-refundable Admission Fee.

For detailed information on applying to the program, visit the Faculty of Business website.

Non-program application

Non-program applicants must make formal application to Student Services, Faculty of Business, and include the following:

• a completed application form;
• a cover letter stating their interest in the course(s) to be taken and why they would like to select the course(s);
• permission letter from their program director to take the course (if registered in another degree program outside Athabasca University);
• a current, chronological resumé detailing their managerial experience;
• reference letters in support of their academic and management abilities as well as their ability to work effectively in teams (if requested);
• copy of transcripts (if you have completed an MBA or equivalent master degree from another accepted university);
• non-refundable application fee.

Upon admission to the program, MBA students will receive a course schedule for the cohort group to which they belong. Registration information is provided to students on a regular basis. Courses are paced, with specific start and completion dates. Phase 1 and 2 core courses are offered in sequential order. Subject to the approval of the MBA program director, students may be permitted to take more than 1 course at a time, or to take courses in a different order except for:

• STMT 500 - Strategic Management, which must be successfully completed before students can progress to any other course; and
• FMAC 503 - Financial and Managerial Accounting, which must be successfully completed before taking CFIN 601 - Corporate Finance.

Program requirements

Comprehensive examination

A comprehensive examination must be written at the end of Phase 1 of the MBA program. The comprehensive examination is scheduled on at least two occasions per year as determined by the admissions committee.

The comprehensive examination is graded on a pass/fail basis, and a grade of 70% is required to pass.

Students who fail a comprehensive examination may repeat the examination only once. A fee will be charged for repeating the examination and the student must wait until the next scheduled offering of the examination to re-write it. Students who fail the second writing of the comprehensive examination will be withdrawn from the program with no opportunity for re-enrolment.

Applied project

The applied project is normally associated with the end of Phase 2 of the MBA program but students may receive permission to begin work on their applied projects at any time during Phase 2 of their program.

The applied project is completed in 2 consecutive phases. In the first phase, students register in a course that guides them through the preparation of their applied project proposal. Once the proposal has been approved, each student is assigned to an academic advisor who supervises the project through to completion.

The applied project normally requires 5 months from the time the proposal has been approved and the academic advisor assigned. This time may be extended with the approval of the MBA program director or delegated academic manager, and the payment of the Program Continuation Fee.

The applied project is graded on a pass/fail basis, with a grade of 70% being a pass.

Time commitment

Most students spend about 20 to 25 hours per week on their studies while in the program.

Advanced standing

"Advanced standing" means the student is exempt from some or all of the required assignments in a particular course.

At the time of admission graduate students may, at the discretion of the admissions committee, be awarded advanced standing in specific core courses in light of the students’ combined prior education and experience. Such advanced standing only applies to core courses. Advanced standing will not be awarded for elective courses. Requests for advanced standing must be made to the admissions committee at the time of application to the program. Exemptions to these requirements must be approved by the MBA program director.

Students who are awarded advanced standing in a course:

• are provided with full course materials;
• remain responsible for full program tuition; and
• remain responsible to know and understand all components of the course and to demonstrate this knowledge in the comprehensive examinations.

Active status and continuation

To maintain active status, a student must successfully complete at least 1 course or comprehensive examination in his or her program of study within any given 12-month period. Students who do not maintain active status will be deemed to have withdrawn from the program. Those students will be required to pay the tuition portion for courses completed and in which they are currently registered.

A program continuation fee may be charged for those who have exceeded 12 months and apply to continue in the program.

Time to complete

Average program completion time is 2.5 to 3 years, but students must complete their MBA program studies within 5 years of their initial enrolment in the program. Students admitted through the Accelerated Admission Route must complete their MBA program studies within 4 years of their initial enrolment in the program. In exceptional circumstances, extensions of up to 1 year will be considered by the MBA program director, and will require the payment of a continuation fee.

A student re-enrolling into the program following a Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) completion, or program withdrawal, will be expected to complete his or her program studies within 5 years less the duration of time the student was in the GDM or MBA program previously. Exceptions may be made only by the MBA program director.

Program deferrals

Students who have started the program can defer their studies should they find themselves experiencing changed circumstances in either their business or personal lives. A deferral must be requested at least 21 days prior to the start date of the student's next pre-registered or registered course.

Withdrawal from the program

Students may withdraw from any phase of the program by completing the Program Withdrawal Form. Students who wish to withdraw from the MBA without record of registration, must do so within 30 calendar days of the commencement of the program. A withdrawal occurring in this time will not be recorded on the student’s transcript.

Students who withdraw from a program after the 30 calendar-day period from the start of program will have this withdrawal recorded on their transcript and pay the tuition portion for courses completed and in which they are currently registered.

Re-enrolment in the program

Re-enrolment in the program can occur, but is subject to re-application, review, and approval by the MBA program director, and payment of all applicable fees. Students will be required to pay any fee increases that have occurred between the time of their last enrolment and re-enrolment. They will be required to contact the Student Services department of the Faculty of Business to confirm their program requirements. Credit for courses previously completed will be re-evaluated and applied to the program requirements where appropriate.

Non-program students

All non-program students must complete an online orientation prior to beginning their studies.

If a non-program student subsequently applies for MBA program admission, credit for Athabasca University MBA courses previously completed will be evaluated for credit towards the MBA program requirements, where appropriate.

Non-program students are governed by all other applicable graduate business program regulations and policies, and University appeal process.

Graduation requirements

To be awarded the Master of Business Administration, a graduate student must:

• successfully complete the program course structure set out at the time of admission into the program,
• successfully complete the comprehensive examination and all required elective credits in Phase 2: either three 3-credit elective courses and an applied project, or six 3-credit elective courses,
• complete and submit an Application for Graduation form, and
• meet 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 the Board of Governors of Athabasca University.

Course delivery

All online MBA courses are paced, with scheduled start and end dates, and assignment deadlines within each course. Individual course activities vary, but participation in online discussions and group projects is mandatory and forms part of the grade for every course. The learning environment is asynchronous, meaning students do not have to be online at a prescribed time.

Upon admission to the program, MBA students will receive a timetable outlining course start and completion dates for the cohort group to which they belong.

Courses are offered in sequential order, but subject to the approval of the MBA program director, students may be permitted to take more than 1 course at a time, or to take courses in a different order within a phase, except for STMT 500 - Strategic Management, which must be completed successfully until students can progress to any other course.

Athabasca University may modify the list of available courses at any time.

In-residence electives are held in major cities across Canada and in several international locations.

Course registration

Students are automatically pre-registered for Phase 1 and Phase 2 core courses according to the course schedule provided when they commence the program. Students are considered registered for a Phase 1 or Phase 2 core course 21 days prior to the start date of each course as indicated on the student's schedule.

Students register for online electives, electives in residence, and the applied project on an individual basis. Timelines for registration and withdrawal for elective courses and the applied project vary and are outlined in the MBA Student Handbook.

MBA students will be permitted to register for one 3-credit in-residence course following completion of MBAO 599 and STMT 500, subject to course prerequisites. Only one such Phase 2 course will be permitted before successful completion of the Phase 1 Comprehensive Exam. If the exam is not successfully completed, the student will be permitted to complete the Phase 2 course or elective they are currently enrolled in but then must defer the program of study until successful completion of the exam occurs. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that any course and/or exam participation and any assignments and/or exam participation and any assignments and/or exam requirements are maintained and submitted on time. Exemptions to these requirements may be made only by the MBA program director.

Successful course completion

A minimum grade of 60% is required for both the assignments and participation components in each course. The comprehensive examination, written at the end of Phase 1, is graded on a pass/fail basis with an overall grade of 70% is required to pass.

It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that any course and/or examination participation and any assignments and/or examination requirements are maintained and submitted on time. There will be no leniency or considerations given to students who choose a double course workload. Exemptions to these requirements may be made only by the MBA program director.

Students will be permitted to register for 1 elective or Phase 2 core course following the successful completion of the 6 Phase 1 core courses. Only 1 such course registration will be permitted before successful completion of the Phase 1 Comprehensive Examination. If the examination is not successfully completed, the student will be permitted to complete the course or elective in which they are currently registered; however, the student will then be required to defer their program of study until successful completion of the examination occurs.

Course withdrawal

Students are considered registered for Phase 1 and Phase 2 core courses on the 21st day before the start date for each course. After this date, students can withdraw from courses in which they are pre-registered or registered subject to the following:

• To avoid academic penalty, a course withdrawal request must be received within 14 calendar days of the course start date. Withdrawals will not occur by default, and a course withdrawal fee will apply.
• Students withdrawing after 14 days from the start date of the course will receive a W (Withdrawal) grade on their transcript. Full course tuition will be required to re-register in the course.
• Students who do not withdraw within 14 days of the course start date and/or do not complete the course will fail the course and an F (Fail) grade will be awarded. Full course tuition will be required to re-register in the course.

Incomplete status

Under extraordinary circumstances, students may receive permission for an incomplete status for a course but they must submit such a request to the academic coach before the course end date. The academic coach will seek approval from the course manager to grant incomplete status.

If approved, students will have up to a maximum of 30 calendar days to complete the outstanding individual written assignments (as approved). Group assignments and participation components of the course are not included under this policy.

Exceptions to this regulation must be approved by the MBA program director.

Re-registrations and repeats

Students who have received a Fail (F) or Withdrawal (W) grade in any course in the MBA program may repeat that course only once. Full tuition will be required for each course repeated.

Students who fail to successfully complete the same course twice will be removed from their program of study, with no opportunity for re-enrolment.

Course refunds

Students will receive a refund of the full course fees if they withdraw from their course more than 21 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 21 days prior to the course start date and up to 14 days after the course start date. After 14 days, no refund will be given.

Computer system requirements

Access to a microcomputer is mandatory for the completion of assignments and contact with other students, staff and the Faculty of Business. The Faculty of Business maintains a current list of technical requirements.

Grading system

With the exception of comprehensive exams and the applied project, which are graded on a pass/fail basis, 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 the "Academic records" page of 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 tuition fees*

MBA Standard Route

Course fees due upon registration.

MBA for Accountants – Standard Route

MBA for Supply Chain Managers – Standard Route

MBA Accelerated Route

MBA for Accountants – Accelerated Route

MBA for Supply Chain Managers – Accelerated Route

Estimated program tuition cost (2022-2023)

Total tuition costs for the MBA will vary based on how a student chooses to complete Phase 2. For a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University and chooses to complete 2 online electives, 1 in-residence elective and an applied project, tuition would be $48,180. If the student instead chose to complete 5 online electives and 1 in-residence elective, tuition would be $52,799. Application and admission fees are included in the above calculation. AU Graduate Student Association fees are not included.

Tuition fees for students in the Accelerated Admission Route will vary based on how a student chooses to complete Phase 2. For a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University and chooses to complete 4 online electives, 1 in-residence elective and an applied project, tuition would be $29,487. If the student instead chooses to complete 7 online electives and 1 in-residence elective, tuition would be $34,106. Application, admission, and applicable transfer credit fees are included in the above calculation. AU Graduate Student Association fees are not included.

Other fees

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.

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 tuition fees*

MBA Standard Route

Course fees due upon registration.

MBA for Accountants – Standard Route

MBA for Supply Chain Managers – Standard Route

MBA Accelerated Route

MBA for Accountants – Accelerated Route

MBA for Supply Chain Managers – Accelerated Route

Estimated program tuition cost (2023-2024)

Total tuition costs for the MBA will vary based on how a student chooses to complete Phase 2. For a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University and chooses to complete 2 online electives, 1 in-residence elective and an applied project, tuition would be $50,828. If the student instead chose to complete 5 online electives and 1 in-residence elective, tuition would be $55,700. Application and admission fees are included in the above calculation. AU Graduate Student Association fees are not included.

Tuition fees for students in the Accelerated Admission Route will vary based on how a student chooses to complete Phase 2. For a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University and chooses to complete 4 online electives, 1 in-residence elective and an applied project, tuition would be $31,107. If the student instead chooses to complete 7 online electives and 1 in-residence elective, tuition would be $35,979. Application, admission, and applicable transfer credit fees are included in the above calculation. AU Graduate Student Association fees are not included.

Other fees

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.

Fee information effective Sep. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024.