Nursing and Health Studies application information

Program application deadlines

The Faculty of Health Disciplines recommends that students begin the application process at least 12 to 16 weeks before the application deadline, as noted in the chart below. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Depending on the program, it may take 8-12 weeks after the deadline to receive an admission decision.

These deadlines are final, and no exceptions will be granted. There are no appeals to admissions decisions. Incomplete or late applications are not assessed nor retained for consideration for admission the following year.

The application process has several parts. You must first apply to become a graduate learner at Athabasca University and then apply to your program.

Admission requirements

Complete admission requirements are available through the Graduate Calendar at:

Master of Health Studies

Master of Nursing – Generalist

Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master's Diploma – Nurse Practitioner

Transferring outside credits

Students may apply for transfer of credits for appropriate graduate-level coursework completed at other post-secondary institutions. For more detailed information on transferring outside credits, refer to Transfer Credit under your program’s Admission requirements in the Calendar.

Application procedures

How to apply

• Create an account as a new user or sign in if you are a returning user and select the program intake for your desired program.
• Complete all components of the application by the deadline and pay the application fee.

The application will include the following information:

• Academic background
• Work and volunteer experience
• Professional development activities
• Rationale (short essay) for applying to the program
• References

You can log into your application and update your information at any time during the application process. However, once you finalize and submit your application for review, it cannot be modified.

1. Transcripts

Official transcripts must be received directly from the accredited institution(s) by mail, email, or MyCreds. They must include the graduation date, degrees granted, and any completed courses. They must be issued within 1 year of the application deadline. Unofficial transcripts can be submitted to finalize the application, but official transcripts will be required before admission is considered.

a. Mailing address:

b. Email address: fhdgradadmissions@athabascau.ca

Applicants submitting any official documents (e.g., transcripts) in a language other than English must provide an official translation of such documents (including those from Canadian French Language Institutions).

To prevent loss or delay of transcripts sent by mail, we recommend that applicants utilize mail tracking to ensure timely delivery. Late transcripts will not be accepted.

If the credential being submitted was earned outside Canada or the United States, documentation measuring its equivalence based on Canadian qualifications can be obtained through an evaluation service. Please submit a course-by-course evaluation for all FHD graduate programs. This evaluation must include course weights and grades. World Education Services (WES) is the preferred option. 

• The assessment must be dated within 5 years of the application deadline. If your assessment was issued more than 5 years before the deadline, it must be reissued by the credentialing agency.  
• The official evaluation/assessment report must be mailed directly to our program office from the credentialing agency to our program office. Unsealed or emailed evaluations received directly from applicants will not be accepted.

2. Letters of reference

You'll need 2 letters of reference, submitted online. We do not accept paper copies. Your reference form will be emailed to the referee's email address, which you provide.

1. Your first letter of reference should come from someone familiar with your academic skills.
2. The second reference should be a professional reference from someone familiar with your work, preferably someone who has supervised you in some capacity.

If an academic reference is not provided, you will be asked to explain within the application why you could not meet this requirement.

All referees must be able to objectively assess your background and capabilities with respect to the prospective graduate program. Letters from friends, family members, clients, colleagues, pastors, or people currently registered in an AU graduate program, or general reference letters (not written to support your application to the graduate program) are not accepted.

You must submit current letters of reference with your application, even if you have previously applied to an AU graduate program.

Note: The application system does not allow changes to the References section after the application deadline (e.g., modifying a referee's email address, adding or removing a referee).

3. Additional requirements

Programs with in-person requirements: Applicants without Canadian citizenship must provide a photocopy of permanent resident documentation.

Students must meet the minimum English language proficiency requirements to be admitted to graduate programs at AU. It is their responsibility to ensure they meet these requirements.

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