About AU Programs: What Are My Options?
AU offers programs leading to three-year and four-year undergraduate degrees, post-diploma degrees, master’s degrees, university certificates, and university diplomas. See our full list of Undergraduate Programs.
Transferring credits to and from AU
AU participates in many articulation and collaboration agreements wherein students from other institutions and programs may transfer directly into some AU programs where transfer credit has been established.
If you have attended another post-secondary institution, we suggest you review, for example, the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfers (ACAT) Web site to determine if there are any transfer credit agreements that relate specifically to courses you have taken.
Challenging AU Courses for Credit
If you believe that you have already obtained the competencies presented in a particular course, you may wish to challenge that course for credit. Refer to the current online Athabasca University Calendar for details. The Office of the Registrar has a list of courses that are NOT available to challenge.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) evaluates learning that may count as credit toward a university degree, certificate, or diploma. To do PLAR, you assemble a dossier or portfolio of evidence that indicates how your nonformal learning may contribute to a credential. The portfolio should describe all of your noncredit, job-based, or other learning that has not received formal credit from an academic institution, but which you believe can contribute to your AU program.
Academic experts and individuals knowledgeable in the field described will assess your portfolio to award credit for equivalent university-level learning.
Credits awarded for PLAR will be applied to your undergraduate AU credential to the extent that your credential will allow. PLAR is different from transfer credit, and transcripts from other post-secondary institutions must be assessed for transfer credit before the PLAR process begins.
The Centre for Learning Accreditation's mentors will assist and guide you through the portfolio development process.
A nonrefundable fee of $500 is charged for the PLAR assessment. Payment must be submitted with your portfolio.
Auditing AU Courses for Interest, not Credit
Rather than taking courses for credit, you may wish to audit AU courses. As an audit student, you will receive the same course materials package and academic support services as credit-seeking students, but you will not write exams. If you wish to move from audit to credit status, you must apply to do so to the Office of the Registrar before the mid-point of the course contract period. The course fees remain the same.
About AU's Nonprogram Students
Unclassified students are those who register in one or more AU courses for credit but are not enrolled in a program at AU.
Unclassified students include those taking courses for general interest and/or "visiting students"; students taking courses for admission into another institution. The same course registration regulations apply to both program and unclassified students.
Visiting students who are registered in a program at another institution and are taking one or more program courses through AU, register as unclassified. Visiting students should obtain a Letter of Permission from their home institutions before they register in an AU course. Ensure that the Letter of Permission indicates that the institution will accept the AU course in your program.
FAQs
As a visiting student, when I finish my course(s), will AU automatically send my home institution a copy of my transcript?
No, you must request that a transcript be sent. A Transcript Request Form is included in the forms package with your course materials. Send the appropriate fee and the completed form to the Office of the Registrar.
As a visiting student, can I take a course without the approval of my home institution?
Yes, but to ensure that the course will be credited toward your program, you should first obtain a Letter of Permission from your home institution.
I registered for a course, but I have not yet received any further information from AU. What should I do?
You must be admitted to the University before you can be registered in a course or enrolled in a program of study. If you're a first-time student, ensure that you have submitted a General Application Form (GAP) and the correct fee with your Undergraduate Course Registration Form. If you neglected to submit your GAP you will receive a phone call from AU.
How many transfer credits can I expect to receive for courses taken at other institutions?
The number of transfer credits you will receive depends on the program you are applying to, the institution you are transferring the credits from, and the length of time since the courses were taken.
Can I apply to a master's program with an undergraduate degree from AU?
Yes, many AU students have gone on to pursue graduate studies, either at AU or elsewhere. However, we recommend that you contact the institution where you plan to do your graduate work and confirm that your degree meets their admission requirements.
Can I receive credit for my work experience?
You may be able to receive credit for your work experience through a process called Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition.
Contacts and Online Resources
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