Individualized study courses
Individualized study is the most common method of teaching and learning at Athabasca University.
At AU, courses begin the first day of each month provided you register by the 10th day of the previous month. You will have six months to complete zero-, one-, three-, or four-credit courses and 12 months to complete six-credit courses.
Course fees include all course materials needed for the course. See Course materials below for more information.
You may be required to purchase additional items such as stationery, binders, calculators, etc. Most courses have required computer components (refer to Computer Requirements in the Glossary).
Registration process
Once you are admitted to AU and you have received your student ID number, you may register in courses. When you have selected a course, ensure that it is available by viewing the online course syllabus and the Course Availability List. Also ensure that you have the required prerequisites.
Log in to myAU to complete and submit the Undergraduate Course Registration Form along with the appropriate payment. If you are an inactive student, you will still have access to myAU. Follow the instructions to reactive your status. Confirmation of course registration by e-Letter will be available within 48 hours of the course registration in your myAU portal (use your student ID number to log in).
The request for a course materials package will be sent as soon as your course registration is processed. A tutor will also be assigned after you register in a course; however, the tutor’s support will not be in effect until the course contract start date.
Course materials
The payment of course registration fees entitles you to receive most of your individualized study course materials. Course materials include, but are not limited to, textbooks, student manuals, study guides, tutorial assistance where provided, access to online materials and other instructional materials required to complete the course for the period of active registration. Additional lab fees may be required for some Faculty of Science courses. You may be required to pay for additional small items such as binders, calculators, home lab materials, and so on.
Some AU courses introduce students to a more specialized course in the same field. These courses often reference the same textbook. Please retain the textbook from the previous course as a duplicate textbook will not be distributed.
Your course package will include various course materials that are identified in the online course syllabus. In some courses, the course materials are available entirely online. In others, the resources may be a combination of offline materials such as a hard copy textbook(s), CDs, and/or DVDs, and the balance of course materials is accessed online. And in others, the entire course materials package is print-based and is mailed or couriered.
Your course materials will arrive before your official start date. If for some reason the materials don’t arrive on time, contact Materials Management at AU as soon as possible (1-780-675-6366).
Course extensions
If you are unable to complete your individualized study course during the course contract period, you may apply for and purchase up to three, two-month extensions at Athabasca University. While extensions are available for all undergraduate individualized study students, it could be detrimental for full-time funded students receiving government financial aid to request a course extension. See Extensions for full-time funded students below.
Course extensions apply to individualized study courses only. See further information on grouped study courses, pilot courses, practicum courses, and courses taken via challenge for credit below.
The extension begins on the first day of the month following your course contract end date. How you apply depends on what kind of student you are (full-time funded, or part-time funded and non-funded). See below for further information.
Course extensions do not extend full- or part-time status past the original course contract period for any student. (Full-time funded students receiving financial aid, see below.)
If you fail to complete your course and you do not apply for an extension by the required deadline, you will receive a grade of F (Failure) for the course. If you wish to obtain credit for the course, you may re-register and pay a fee. Both the original registration and the re-registration will appear on your transcript.
Extensions for non-funded students and part-time funded students
Course extensions for non-funded and part-time funded students can be requested up to the last day of the course contract period. Course extensions for non-funded students and part-time funded students must be requested and purchased online (via your myAU portal using your student ID number to login). Course Extension Fees are non-refundable.
Because course extensions do not extend full-time status past the original course contract period, if a full-time non-funded student took 4 courses or more starting in the same month and applied for extensions for any or all courses, the full time status would still only be for the original 6-month course contract period.
Extensions for full-time funded students
Course extensions for full-time funded students receiving government financial aid can be requested up to 30 days before the course contract end date.
Full-time funded students are restricted by shorter time limits than part-time funded students or non-funded students. If you are a full-time funded student and want to request an extension, you must contact the Student Awards and Financial Aid Unit of the Office of the Registrar. Extensions to full-time funded students' courses will affect the full-time eligibility for funding for current and future funding terms. If you are granted an extension, your full-time status will not be extended and your current or future funding eligibility will not be guaranteed. For example, if a full-time funded student took 4 courses or more starting in the same month and applied for extensions for any or all courses, their full-time status would still only be for the original 4-month course contract period. It is important to note: this will negatively affect your funding.
Full-time funded students cannot request an extension online and must complete a paper form and pay by e-transfer or by credit card. Send completed forms to sfa@athabascau.ca. Course Extension Fees are non-refundable.
Course withdrawal
You may withdraw from an individualized study course at any time within the course contract period. In order to meet specific academic record and refund criteria, you must adhere to the following timelines. You cannot withdraw from a course:
- after your course contract end date,
- once the final examination has been written (or if all course work has been submitted for marking, for courses that do not have a final exam requirement), or
- during disciplinary proceedings. If at the conclusion of the proceedings, it has been decided not to proceed with a charge of Student Academic Misconduct or Non-Academic Misconduct and the student wishes to withdraw from a course or program, the withdrawal may be backdated to the date the proceedings were initiated, at the request of the student.
Withdrawal procedures do not apply to courses being challenged for credit.
In instances of disciplinary proceedings, withdrawal requests will only be accepted and processed as allowed under the Student Academic Misconduct Policy and the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy.
Refunds and returns
Students are responsible for the cost of returning any course materials to Athabasca University. See Refunds for further information.
Re-registration
At Athabasca University, students are permitted one registration and one re-registration in each course. You may re-register in an undergraduate course provided you are eligible to register in the current revision of the course and that you have not previously re-registered in the course. You cannot re-register in a course that has been temporarily or permanently closed.
In order to carry forward any completed coursework and examination results in an individualized study course, you must first obtain written approval from the course professor/course coordinator prior to the course contract start date. Approval to carry forward completed course work and examination results is at the discretion of the Course Coordinator. Coursework and examination results can only be carried forward if they have been completed in the same revision of the course.
Updated June 15, 2022 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)