Course-Related Procedures

Students are encouraged but not required to complete COMP 604 and COMP 607 before taking COMP 660. Elective course may be taken on completion of the core courses or concurrently with the core courses offered in any term.

Delivery Modes

PBC InfoSec courses are delivered via online paced study using distance education instructional design principles and enabling web-based technologies:

• Course materials—study guides, assignments, links to online resources, etc.—are made available through the online learning environment.
• Courses have required online components, such as the use of cloud-based analytics tools.
• Students work their way through the learning materials, complete assignments, and communicate with the instructor, the university, and with other students anytime and from anywhere through the Internet.
• Students have online access to an instructor, who gives subject matter assistance and discusses scholarly issues, marks assignments, and provides feedback.
• Concluding examinations (where applicable) can be taken at many pre-approved invigilation centres across Canada and overseas.
• Students are expected to use web-based communications for the following purposes:
• Instructor and student-to-student interactions,
• File transfer or file attachment of assignments and feedback between instructor and students and between students on joint projects, and
• Accessing web-based resources such as electronic databases (the Athabasca University library maintains subscriptions to ACM and IEEE digital libraries).

Online Paced Study

PBC InfoSec program will be conducted in an online paced study mode involving online study as part of a group, with specific start and end dates. The courses in the PBC InfoSec program will be offered during three terms each year. Please refer to the Academic Schedule for each term start date. All course work should be completed during the term periods. Online paced study delivery has the following characteristics:

• Students engage with fellow students and instructors and complete various course activities on a 13-week timetable.
• Terms start three times each year: September, January, or May.
• Exams, where applicable, are written in the last scheduled week of classes.

Course Withdrawals and Refunds

For details on policy and procedure related to course withdrawals and refunds, please refer to the Graduate Course Refund Policy.

Minimum Course Load

To maintain program status, students who are completing the course requirement of the PBC InfoSec program must complete a minimum of six credits of course work during each academic year.

Minimum Academic Performance

Students who do not maintain academic standards will be withdrawn from the program. Minimal acceptable academic performance is defined as:

• No more than one B- (70 to 74 per cent) in a core course.
• No more than one C+ (66 to 69 per cent) in an elective course.

Please note that elective courses in PBC InfoSec may be core courses in MSc IS program. Those students wishing to apply for admission in MSc IS program should note that they would need to achieve at least B- to count in the MSc IS program.

Grading System (thesis or project are not included in the PBC ITM)

All courses in the PBC InfoSec will be graded using the Graduate Grading Policy.

Program Registration Procedures

Registration in courses is subject to prerequisite requirements or professor permission. Elective courses may be taken on completion of the core courses or concurrently with the core courses offered in any term.

Course Extensions

Course extensions are not available for any of the core and elective courses in the PBC InfoSec program.

Re-Registration

Students are allowed only one re-registration in each course. Both the initial registration and the re-registration will appear on the student’s academic record.

Students may re-register in a course only if they have received more than one final grade of B- or lower in a core course or more than one final grade of C+ or lower in an elective course, or have withdrawn from the course in good standing. In re-registering, students must complete all course requirements and pay the full course fee.