Doctor of Education in Distance Education
Course Regulations and Procedures

Course Extensions

In exceptional circumstances, and where the course instructor concurs, students may be granted a short course extension. Students taking courses in a Distance Education program (i.e. courses beginning with the prefix MDDE or EDDE) may submit assignments up to 30 days after the last day of the course upon approval of the instructor. A Course Extension is required to submit assignments after that date. Course Extensions for a period of up to 50 days may be granted upon approval of the instructor or Program Director and payment of a Course Extension Fee. Courses not completed within 90 days of the final day of the course may receive a grade of "F".

Re-Registration

Students may re-register in a course only if they have received a final grade of "B-" or lower. Only one B- is allowed in the EDDE program. In re-registering, students must complete all course requirements and pay the full course fee. Students are permitted only one re-registration in each course. Both the initial registration and the re-registration will appear on the student’s academic record.

Course Withdrawals

Early Withdrawal
(Within 30 days of Course Start Date)

Students may withdraw within 30 days from their course contract start date for a refund of the full course fee less the withdrawal processing fee. The registration will not appear on the transcript and will be deleted from the official record. Please refer to Course Refunds below for further details. Learning resources should not be returned to Athabasca University.

Withdrawal
(After 30 days of Course Start Date)

Students may withdraw from a course before the course contract end date without academic penalty. A "W" (Withdrawal) will appear on the transcript, which means the student has withdrawn without credit and without penalty. There is no refund, and learning resources should not be returned to Athabasca University.

Late Course Withdrawal

If a student does not formally withdraw by the course contact end date, and does not complete the course, the official record will reflect an "F" (Failure). There is no refund, and learning resources should not be returned to Athabasca University.

Course Refunds

Students will receive a refund of the full course tuition fee minus the course withdrawal processing fee if they withdraw from the course within the first month. Students should not return their course materials. Students wishing to withdraw from a course(s) before the first day of class will receive a partial refund (full tuition fee minus the withdrawal processing fee).

Grading System

With the exception of EDDE 806, which will be graded on a pass/fail basis, all courses will be graded using the Alpha/4.0 grading scale. Please review the Graduate Grading Policy and Academic Records FAQ for more information on grading scales.