To maintain program status, students must complete six credits during each academic year (September 1 to August 31). Students are required to receive an overall grade of 70 per cent or B- to pass each GCAP course. In addition, students are expected to maintain at least a B or 75 per cent in the program. Students who fail a course, or who receive a grade of B- in two courses, may be removed from the program with no option for re-admission to GCAP graduate programs.
In keeping with Athabasca University’s mandate of open access, residency requirements for the PBDC are satisfied when the student has successfully completed 12 credits within the PBDC program. The remaining credits may be transferred from other institutions, if they are applicable to the university’s PBDC program. Please see the GCAP website for advance credit and transfer credit policies.
Students must participate in a three-week summer institute. These intensive face-to-face experiences are most often held in Calgary, Alberta. All students must complete the Developing a Working Alliance course within the PBDC program.
Students may withdraw from the program by submitting their request in writing to the GCAP program office and formally withdrawing from any courses in which they are currently registered. Students who withdraw may apply to re-enrol in the program by following the regular application procedures outlined above. Students requesting re-admission to the PBDC program will not receive special consideration.
Students may study in the program on a full- or part-time basis. Part-time students must complete a minimum of six credits per calendar year. Normally, the PBDC program is completed in 1.5 years. Program students will be considered full time if they complete a minimum of nine credits in a given calendar year.
Students must complete the PBDC degree requirements within three years of their initial enrolment in the program. Students who do not do so may be required to repeat courses completed at the beginning of their program.
Individuals who are not enrolled in the PBDC program may apply to register in PBDC courses on a first-come, first-served basis, space permitting. Courses taken as a non-program student may be directly applied toward the program in accordance with the degree requirements, if and when a student becomes a program student. However, the GCAP is under no obligation to admit non-program students into the PBDC program. To apply to take a course as a non-program student, please see the detailed information on the GCAP website.
The PBDC program does not have candidacy exams, therefore the use of PBDC (C) or PBDC (Candidate) during your program is not permitted. You may use this credential only after the degree is conferred.
To be eligible for graduation, students must complete 18 credits of graduate coursework required for the PBDC degree.
Information effective September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016.
Updated June 30 2015 by laurab
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