Applying to take Master of Counselling courses as a non-program student

In some cases, the Master of Counselling Program Director may approve enrollment in up to two Master of Counselling courses as a non-program student.

This option may be available via the Western Dean’s agreement for students enrolled in Masters level studies at a participating institution, and/or to those who have already completed a counselling-related Master level degree (or higher) who are in the process of applying for licensure or professional registration and can provide the results of the credential evaluation received identifying the courses required to proceed with the credentialling process.

Non-program student application deadlines

Application procedures

The following are the procedures required to apply as a Master of Counselling (MC) non-program student. It is strongly recommended that you print and read this entire document before proceeding with your application. Failure to complete all steps will result in your application not being reviewed for approval or processed.

Before starting your application, please verify that you meet the admission requirements for your chosen program, as outlined in the Graduate Calendar.

Graduate students

Please review the different offerings below to determine the best fit for your situation:

Post-Master's Certificate in Counselling

For students who have completed a master's degree in counselling, applied or educational psychology elsewhere and would like to take 3-4 courses.

Western Dean's Agreement

For students who are attending a psychology-related Masters degree program at another Western Canadian university.

Non-program students

For psychology-related master's program graduates who are missing 1‑2 courses for licensure purposes.

Applicants are required to complete all components of the application by the deadline and pay the application fee. The application will include the following information:

• Academic history
• General employment history
• Credential evaluation letter

You can update your application anytime before submitting it. Once submitted, it can no longer be changed.

Important: If you have been a student at Athabasca University (AU) or have received an AU student ID number as part of a previous application, please provide the ID number in the application.

Please check your student application for updates regarding your application.

After you have been approved as a non-program student, you will receive a letter from the Faculty of Health Disciplines. This letter will contain instructions regarding registration confirmation and course access, course materials, course withdrawal procedures, fees, etc.

How to apply

Create an account as a new user or sign in if you are a returning user and select the program intake.

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Non-program course registration deadlines

The following deadlines are for non-program course registrations:

• June 15 for Fall session courses (September to December)
• Oct. 15 for Winter session courses (January to April)
• Feb. 15 for Spring session courses (May to August)

Register in courses

Course registration is not possible until our office has completely processed your application. Existing non-program students can proceed to register in the courses they have received Program Director permission to enroll in. 

1. View course offerings to review the syllabus for your course selection. Note: not all courses are available to non-program learners. Access to courses will depend on availability with priority given to program students.
2. Review the applicable fees. Ensure you include the appropriate Course Tuition Fee and the Athabasca University Graduate Student Association (AUGSA) Fee.  
3. For those students taking a course through the Western Dean's Agreement, online registration cannot be completed. Note that the fully completed and approved Western Dean's Authorization Form must be received in the Faculty of Health Disciplines (FHD) program office by the applicable course registration deadline noted above.  
4. It is the learner's responsibility to register by the course registration deadline and ensure that all prerequisite requirements are fulfilled. If a learner registers in a course for which they are not eligible, the registration may be cancelled and the tuition fee, less the withdrawal processing fee, will be refunded.
5. Ensure you are aware of the applicable course withdrawal regulations. Information about course withdrawal is under Course regulations and procedures. Contact the FHD program office at gcapadmin@athabascau.ca at least 1 month before the applicable course registration deadline.
6. Funded students will be required to pay out-of-pocket if funding is not received before the course registration deadline. You must contact the Student Financial Aid office at Athabasca University, 3 months before your anticipated start date to ensure funding is in place for your start date. For more information, contact AU Student Financial Aid.  
7. Late registrations will not be accepted.

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