Graduate studies - Program student application

Step 1: Apply to be an AU graduate learner

Complete the Graduate Program Application Form through the AU Office of the Registrar online services to receive your student ID number, which is needed to apply for your specific program.

Current/returning students

1. Click here and login with your existing AU student ID number. Once logged in, click on "Change of Program".
2. Click on the "Graduate Application" and complete the required steps.
3. Be sure to select the appropriate graduate program.

New to AU

1. Click here, and click on "Apply Now" under the Graduate Application heading in the middle of the screen.
2. You will be assigned an AU student ID number, which will be used to access all AU services and resources.
3. Be sure to select the appropriate graduate program.

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Step 2: Pay the application fee

As part of the AU graduate program application process, pay your non-refundable application fee.

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Step 3: Apply to your program

Once you have received your student ID number and paid your fee, log into your myAU account to begin the program application process. You will complete your program application using the Faculty of Health Disciplines' Graduate Student Admission System (GSAS).

In your GSAS application, please select the same program as you did in Step 1.

As part of the application process, you will provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV) that includes information related to:

• Academic background
• Work and volunteer experience
• Professional development activities

For applicants to the Master of Counselling program ONLY, please provide a short essay that includes your rationale for applying to the Master of Counselling program.

You can log into your GSAS application and change your information at any time during the application process. However, once you finalize and submit your GSAS application for review, it can no longer be modified. You will be able to track completion of various components of the online application through the GSAS Application Checklist after submission (receipt of reference forms and hardcopy documents). You do not need to wait for your Hardcopy Materials Package to be confirmed as received before submitting your online application for review, however, the Hardcopy Materials Package must be received no later than your chosen application deadline.

To check your application status, return to the GSAS application, not myAU.

Letter of reference

Letters of reference are submitted electronically within the online application process; paper copies will not be accepted. Each applicant is required to provide 2 official letters of reference, including providing the email address of each referee.

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 an individual who is familiar with your work, preferably if they have supervised you in some way.

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

All referees must be able to provide an objective assessment of 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 (letters that are not written in support of your application to the particular graduate program) are not acceptable.

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 in the References section after the application deadline (e.g., to modify a referee email address, changes a referee, etc.).

• Reference Assistance, contact: fhdgradadmissions@athabascau.ca

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Step 4: Submit transcripts

We require official transcripts from ALL institutions you have attended (including Athabasca University, if applicable) regardless of the number of courses taken or the amount of time spent there. Please note the following:

• To be considered official, transcripts in your package must be:
  • mailed directly from the institution, received in envelopes that have been sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution,
  • emailed directly from the institution, or
  • submitted through MyCreds™, Parchment, My eQuals, or another approved electronic document-sharing platform.
• Please request that your transcripts be shared to: fhdgradadmissions@athabascau.ca 
• For Athabasca University transcripts shared through MyCreds: please review the information in the  MyCreds Sharing Documents web page, and watch the video ‘ How to share a document to a recipient’s email ’ prior to requesting transcripts for our programs.  Do not share to ‘Organization’. Transcripts shared to Athabasca University (Organization) will be delayed. Late transcripts will not be accepted.
• Only send your transcripts one of the ways listed above, not more than one.
• Do not include transcripts from high school.
• Transcripts must state the degree awarded and must be dated within 1 year of the application deadline.
• To prevent loss or delay of transcripts sent by mail, we recommend that applicants utilize mail tracking to ensure that their package arrives on time.
• Official translated transcripts must be submitted for applicants with transcripts issued in a language other than English (Canadian French language post-secondary institutions included).

If transcripts are sent by mail, they should be assembled in 1 mail package (along with other required documentation listed below).  Photocopies, unsealed/opened transcripts, and transcripts sent as attachments via personal email are considered unofficial and will not be accepted.

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Step 5: Assemble Nursing Documentation (only for applicants to the Nurse Practitioner program):

Please print and mail (instructions below) or email:

• Photocopy of current nursing registration license (the registration and licensure must be in good standing and in the provincial jurisdiction where the student will be completing their NP clinical practicum hours)
• Letter of verification (from employer ) confirming 5,000 hours of recent (within the past 5 years) clinical practice as a Registered Nurse in Canada. Of these hours, at least 3,500 must be in direct client care. Direct care includes performing clinical/physical assessments and providing hands-on care to a diverse population.
• Clinical Attestation Form – completed and signed (by a referee) attesting to your direct clinical care competency.

These documents can be sent by email. Please scan the documents and email them to fhdgradadmissions@athabascau.ca with your full name and student ID number in the email body.

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Step 6: Additional materials for Internationally-Educated Applicants (if applicable)

Applicants with international credit (completed outside Canada and the US) must request a course-by-course educational assessment from a member of the  Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (members include: World Education Services ( WES) or International Credential Evaluation Service ( ICES)). The assessment must be dated within 5 years of the application deadline. If your assessment was issued more than 5 years prior to the deadline, it must be reassessed or reissued by the credentialing agency prior to your package submission. We require that the official evaluation/assessment report be mailed to our program office directly from the credentialing agency to the program office. Unsealed evaluations received from applicants will not be accepted.

• Official translated transcripts must be submitted for applicants with transcripts issued in a language other than English (Canadian French language post-secondary institutions included).
• Applicants without Canadian citizenship must provide a photocopy of permanent resident documentation.
• Proof of English language proficiency. See the English language proficiency requirements.

Mailing instructions:

Please assemble any hard-copy application materials in 1 package. Include this checklist with your package: Application Material Checklist. Mail your package stamped with a date that is prior to the application deadline to:

Graduate Programs
Faculty of Health Disciplines
Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
Canada

Note: All transcripts, references, test scores, and other documents become the property of Athabasca University and will not be returned to the applicants or forwarded to another program or institute.