All online MBA courses are paced, with scheduled start and end dates, and assignment deadlines within each course. Individual course activities vary, but participation in online discussions and group projects is mandatory and forms part of the grade for every course. The learning environment is asynchronous, meaning students do not have to be online at a prescribed time.
Upon admission to the program, MBA students will receive a timetable outlining course start and completion dates for the cohort group to which they belong.
Courses are offered in sequential order, but subject to the approval of the MBA Program Director, students may be permitted to take more than one course at a time, or to take courses in a different order within a phase, except for STMT 500: Strategic Management, which must be completed successfully until students can progress to any other course.
Athabasca University may modify the list of available courses at any time.
In-residence electives are held in major cities across Canada and in several international locations.
Students are automatically pre-registered for Phase One and Phase Two core courses according to the course schedule provided when they commence the program. Students are considered registered for a Phase One or Phase Two core course 21 days prior to the start date of each course as indicated on the student's schedule.
Students register for online electives, electives in residence, and the applied project on an individual basis. Timelines for registration and withdrawal for elective courses and the applied project vary and are outlined in the MBA Student Handbook.
MBA students will be permitted to register for one 3-credit in-residence course following completion of MBAO 599 and STMT 500, subject to course prerequisites. Only one such Phase 2 course will be permitted before successful completion of the Phase 1 Comprehensive Exam. If the exam is not successfully completed, the student will be permitted to complete the Phase 2 course or elective they are currently enrolled in but then must defer the program of study until successful completion of the exam occurs. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that any course and/or exam participation and any assignments and/or exam participation and any assignments and/or exam requirements are maintained and submitted on time. Exemptions to these requirements may be made only by the MBA Program Director.
A minimum grade of 60 per cent is required for both the assignments and participation components in each course. The comprehensive examination, written at the end of Phase One, is graded on a pass/fail basis with an overall grade of 70 per cent is required to pass.
It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that any course and/or examination participation and any assignments and/or examination requirements are maintained and submitted on time. There will be no leniency or considerations given to students who choose a double course workload. Exemptions to these requirements may be made only by the MBA Program Director.
Students will be permitted to register for one elective or Phase Two core course following the successful completion of the six Phase One core courses. Only one such course registration will be permitted before successful completion of the Phase One comprehensive examination. If the examination is not successfully completed, the student will be permitted to complete the course or elective in which they are currently registered; however, the student will then be required to defer their program of study until successful completion of the examination occurs.
Students are considered registered for Phase One and Phase Two core courses on the 21st day before the start date for each course. After this date, students can withdraw from courses in which they are pre-registered or registered subject to the following:
Under extraordinary circumstances, students may receive permission for an incomplete status for a course but they must submit such a request to the academic coach before the course end date. The academic coach will seek approval from the course manager to grant incomplete status.
If approved, students will have up to a maximum of 30 calendar days to complete the outstanding individual written assignments (as approved). Group assignments and participation components of the course are not included under this policy.
Exceptions to this regulation must be approved by the MBA Program Director.
Students who have received a Fail (F) or Withdrawal (W) grade in any course in the MBA program may repeat that course only once. Full tuition will be required for each course repeated.
Students who fail to successfully complete the same course twice will be removed from their program of study, with no opportunity for re-enrolment.
Students will receive a refund of the full course fees if they withdraw from their course more than 21 days before the course start date. Students will receive a refund of the full course fees minus the course withdrawal processing fee if they withdraw from the course 21 days prior to the course start date and up to 14 days after the course start date. After 14 days, no refund will be given.
Access to a microcomputer is mandatory for the completion of assignments and contact with other students, staff and the Faculty of Business. The Faculty of Business maintains a current list of technical requirements.
With the exception of comprehensive exams and the applied project, which are graded on a pass/fail basis, each assignment and participation component that is to be counted towards the final grade for a course shall be given a percentage grade from the academic coach. The official recorded grade will be the Alpha/4.0 grading scale. Please review the Graduate Grading Policy and Academic Records FAQ for more information on grading scales.
Information effective September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.
Updated April 13 2021 by laurab
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