Welcome to AU: Master of Nursing – Generalist

Congratulations and welcome to the Master of Nursing – Generalist program at Athabasca University. As a graduate student, you are part of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Faculty of Health Disciplines.

Your official admission date is based on your application cycle:

Although your program is delivered online, you are well supported. Academic, administrative, and clinical supports are available throughout your studies. We look forward to supporting your success.

Before you begin: please read carefully

The steps below outline what you need to do to get started in the program and explain how key systems and requirements fit together. Completing these steps will help ensure a smooth start and prevent delays in your progression.

Step 1: Getting started with myAU

The myAU portal is your starting point for all AU systems. You will use myAU to view your courses, check grades, update contact information, and access student services, and other supports.

How to access myAU:

1. Go to athabascau.ca and select myAU in the top navigation bar.
2. Log in using your username (which is your student ID) and enter your password.

• Your initial password is your date of birth in YYYYMMDD format (for example, if your birthday is July 23, 1986, your password will be 19860723).
• You will be prompted to reset your password.

Returning AU students: use your existing password rather than creating a new one.

Your AU student ID: Your student ID, assigned at the time of program admission, is required for all system access and official communication with Athabasca University. Keep this number confidential and include it in emails and forms so staff can assist you efficiently.

You will be able to access your online course on the first day of the course:

• The course will appear in Brightspace, AU’s online learning management system.
• Brightspace access occurs after registration, not before
• Course links are accessed through myAU

You may log in directly to Brightspace once the term begins. Student Brightspace Training resources are available. You will need to ensure that your AU Microsoft Office365 account is activated and that you are using your “@learn.athabascau.ca” email address to log in.

Step 2: Activate and use your AU email

After you register in your first course, you will receive your AU email address approximately 2–3 weeks before your course's start date (the first day of classes). Please review the academic schedule to confirm your program’s start date and other important deadlines.

You can expect to receive your AU email by:

• August 15 for a September course start
• December 15 for a January course start
• April 15 for a May course start

All program communication for Faculty of Health Discipline students is sent to the AU email account. You are responsible for activating and monitoring your AU email and using this as their primary email. Staff will only provide account-specific information for inquiries that include a student ID number.

You will also receive instructions on how to set up Office 365 using your new AU email address. If you do not receive these instructions by the date outlined above, consult the Welcome to Office 365 for students and the Office 365 Support Services pages. This also applies to former non-program students who have not yet created an Office 365 account.

Program expectations and responsibilities

Graduate Calendar: Carefully review the Master of Nursing – Generalist section of the Graduate Calendar now and revisit it each term. If discrepancies exist among webpages, the Graduate Calendar is the official and governing source.

Graduate course regulations: Refer to these regulations for details on registrations, withdrawals, re-registrations, Letters of Permission (LOPs), Transfer Credit, course extensions, the grading system, and grade appeal guidelines.

Course load, registration, and program status

Recommended course load: We recommend registering for one 3-credit course per term if you are working full time and/or have other significant commitments. At the graduate level, full-time status is defined as 9 credits per academic year.

Before registering, review course registration options, the Athabasca University Calendar, and individual course syllabi to support effective planning.

Course sequencing and workload: Your first course is NURS 608, and your second course is NURS 603. They are prerequisites to all other courses in the program. If you wish to take two courses in a term, you can take NURS 608 and NURS 603 together; however, this is not recommended if you are working full time and/or have other commitments.

NURS 611 is the final course in the program. It is recommended that NURS 611 be completed on its own. Please do not register for it until you are eligible (have completed the prior 10 courses in the program).

Students have 7 years to complete the 11 courses in the program. There are 3 terms in each academic year. If you take one course each session you will complete the program in about 3.5 years.

Course registration dates: Students are responsible for monitoring all deadlines through the Academic Schedule. Registration windows close months prior to the term start date:

Before you register for a course: Before registering, review course registration options, the Athabasca University Calendar, course syllabi to understand all prerequisites, fees, and regulations. Ensure you review:

• Prerequisites: mandatory course requirements completed before course enrollment

Please note: If you are currently enrolled in a prerequisite course for your next course, the registration system may ask whether you have completed the prerequisite. Select "Yes", as the prerequisite course (e.g. NURS 603) will be completed before the next course begins.

• Co-requisites: courses that can be taken concurrently

If needed, contact the Faculty of Health Discipline Graduate Advisors for program planning advice before registering.

Financial aid:

Planning to apply for Government Student Financial Assistance? Your first stop should be Financial Aid. Faculty of Health Discipline students are required to pay out of pocket for their registration and be reimbursed when loan funds become available

Payments and receipts:

• Course registration and on-line payment must be completed by the University deadline. Late registrations or changes to existing registrations are not permitted.
• After the online transaction is completed, you will receive an electronic receipt. Save or print this receipt for your records.
• The Faculty of Health Discipline office is automatically notified of registrations; you do not need to contact us.
• For questions about receipts or replacement copies, contact Financial Services, and include: your name, student ID number, course name and number, and the term (Fall, Winter, Spring).

Course materials / learning resources waitlist: When completing your online registration, you may be asked whether you wish to be placed on a waitlist for learning resources or course materials. If prompted, be sure to select “Yes.” This ensures that you will receive access to the required online e-texts. If you do not select this option, you may not have access to course materials when the term begins.

Important: Access to online course materials is provided from within the course on the first day of the term.

Technical difficulties with registration: If you experience technical issues during registration, take a screenshot of the issue and contact a Graduate Administrative Assistant before the registration deadlines if you want to be considered for registration. Please note that we cannot help with troubleshooting once the registration system has closed.

Program status requirement: To maintain program status, you must successfully complete 6 credits per academic year (September 1 to August 31). Students who do not meet this requirement will be withdrawn from the program.

Students admitted to the program with a January 1 or May 1 admission date do not need to complete two courses until the first full academic year they are in the program.

Program focus

Students are admitted to the Master of Nursing – Generalist program without a declared focus. While adding a focus is optional, you may choose one or two areas of focus—Health Promotion, Health Research, Leadership, or Teaching. Learn more about the different focus areas, including information on how to structure your program with one or two areas of focus.

To add focus areas to your program, please complete and submit the Change of Program Application form found here to our Graduate Administrative Services Team (fhdgradadmin@athabascau.ca).

Academic and professional expectations

APA format: All written assignments must follow APA style. Students are responsible for ensuring proper formatting and citation using the most up to date APA Manual.

Plagiarism: Incorrect citation, use of others’ work without proper credit, or improper paraphrasing may result in plagiarism. Penalties range from failure of an assignment to removal from the program. Refer to the AU Student Code of Conduct and Right to Appeal Regulations for full details.

Use of credentials: The Master of Nursing program does not have candidacy exams, therefore the use of Master of Nursing (C) during your program is not permitted. Students may only use Master of Nursing after the degree is officially conferred.

Who to contact

Faculty of Health Discipline Graduate Advisors: Contact for help with program planning, course selection, progression questions, prior learning assessment recognition (PLAR), transfer credits, or general guidance. Faculty of Health Discipline Graduate Advisors. For questions about a course you are currently enrolled in, contact the course instructor.

Faculty of Health Discipline Graduate Administrative Assistants: Contact for program-related inquiries, information on policies and procedures, and required forms. They handle questions related to course registration, withdrawals, extensions, and grades and grade processes.

Technology requirements and support

Ensure your computer meets the minimum requirements for computer hardware and software as outlined on the Faculty of Health Discipline website and keep anti-virus software up to date.

If you need technical support, contact:

• Support Services
• Technical Services Call Centre