MBA Admission Requirements

Applicants to an AU MBA program must hold:

• a first degree from an accredited university, and must have completed at least three years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory and professional experience with management-level responsibilities;

  OR

• an acceptable professional designation as approved by the MBA Admissions Committee; and must have completed at least five years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory and professional experience with management-level responsibilities;

  OR

  Applicants to an AU MBA must have:

• successfully completed the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Management awarded by Athabasca University.

  Applicants must complete and submit all application requirements as outlined in the current Faculty of Business application package, confirm access to a computer system that meets the program’s requirements, and pay the non-refundable application fee. Upon acceptance to the program, students must pay the required admission fee.

Exceptions

Applicants who do not meet the above educational requirements but who can demonstrate to the Faculty of Business Admissions Committee that they have substantive managerial experience and relevant education or training will be considered for admission to the MBA programs on an exception basis. These applicants should discuss prior learning assessment in graduate studies programs with a staff member at CIM.

Other Requirements

Applicants to the MBA programs must be proficient in the English language.

Advanced Standing

"Advanced standing" means the student is exempt from some or all of the required assignments in a particular course.

There will be no direct transfer of core course credits into the MBA program from credit courses completed at other accredited degree-granting institutions, unless a formal agreement with another party provides for such transfer credit or advanced standing. At the time of admission, however, graduate students may, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, be awarded advanced standing in specific core courses in light of the students’ combined prior education and experience. Such advanced standing only applies to core courses. Advanced standing will not be awarded for elective courses. Requests for advanced standing must be made to the Admissions Committee at the time of application to the program. Exemptions to these requirements must be approved by the MBA Program Director.

Students who are awarded advanced standing in a course:

• are provided with full course materials;
• remain responsible for full program tuition; and
• remain responsible to know and understand all components of the course and to demonstrate this knowledge in the comprehensive examinations.

Transfer Credit: Elective Courses

Subject to the approval of the MBA Program Director and payment of the appropriate fee, students may take one of their required MBA program online elective courses from another post-secondary institution if such a course is relevant and equivalent to courses in the MBA program at Athabasca University. Transfer credit will not be permitted for the residential elective requirement.

A written request, including a detailed outline of the course, must be sent to the MBA Program Director at least one month before the course registration deadline. Upon successful completion of the course (with the appropriate passing grade), students must submit an official transcript in order to obtain credit for the course.

Residency Requirements

Students in the MBA program must attend one residential elective during the course of the program.

Reference Letters

It is the applicant’s responsibility to notify his or her referees that, in accordance with the Province of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the information contained in the letter of reference is not considered to be confidential. The applicant, upon request, may view the information.