Graduate Certificate in Information Technology Management
Course Regulations and Procedures

Courses

Graduate Certificate in Information Technology Management (GC ITM) students take their courses alongside MSc IS students, and are required to complete the same activities and achieve the same standard. Courses are designed to encourage self-study either at home or in the workplace. Students will be supplied with a basic course package of print and other media, if required, and access to a course website for each course. In addition, students are expected to use computer mediated communications for the following purposes:

• instructor and student-to-student interactions in computer conferences;
• email, both with in and outside of the course structure;
• file transfer or file attachment of assignments and feedback between instructor and students and between students on joint projects; and
• accessing electronic databases (for example, Athabasca University's library).

Delivery Modes

GC ITM courses are delivered via online grouped study and online individualized study using distance education instructional design principles and enabling web-based technologies:

• Some course materials (textbook(s), CD-ROM, etc.) are sent through the mail.
• Other course materials (study guides, assignments, links to online resources, etc.) are made available through SCIS server.
• Courses may have required online components.
• Students work their way through the learning materials and complete assignments at their own pace, and communicate with the instructor, the university, or with other students through the Internet.
• Students have access to an instructor, who may be contacted by email. The instructor gives subject matter assistance and discusses scholarly issues, marks assignments, provides feedback, and helps prepare for examinations.
• Concluding examinations (where applicable) can be taken at many post-secondary institutions across Canada and overseas.
• Students are expected to use computer-mediated communication for the following purposes:
  • Instructor and student-to-student interactions in computer conferences,
  • Electronic mail, both within and outside of the course structure,
  • 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 ad IEEE digital libraries).

Online Grouped Study

A mode of learning involving online study as part of a group, with specific start and end dates. Synchronous communication requirements are generally more central to the learning process than in individualized study courses. In the GC ITM program, this delivery mode will be used primarily for courses which have elements of professional practice requiring that students work in various group configurations to complete assignments.

Online grouped study courses in the GC ITM program will be offered during these sessions each year. Refer to the Academic Schedule for each session start date. All course work should be completed during the semester periods. Online grouped study delivery has the following characteristics:

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

Online Individualized Study

Online individualized study courses begin on the first day of every month. Course registration form and fees must be received at least one month in advance of your intended start date.

Online individualized study courses comprise a self-directed learning environment. Typically learners are required to:

• follow an outline provided in a Study Guide
• schedule study time to achieve course objectives and complete assignments
• prepare for and complete assignments on time.

Online individualized study delivery has to the following characteristics:

• Students communicate with their instructor via email, and assignments are submitted via the course website.
• Sessions start at the beginning of every month.
• Exams, where applicable, are written on or before the contract end date.
• The course contract period for individualized study courses is six months.

Course 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 GC ITM 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.

Course Withdrawals and Refunds

Early Withdrawal

(Within 30 days of the Course Start Date)

Students may withdraw within 30 days from their course start date for a refund of the full courses 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 the refund policy for further details. Learning resources should not be returned to Athabasca University.

Withdrawal

(Before the course contract end date)

Students may withdraw from a course before the course 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.

Students will not be able to withdraw from a course without academic penalty in any of the following cases:

• The course has a final exam and the student has written the final exam, or
• If the course does not have a final exam, but all of the assignments have been submitted for marking.

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

The course end date is the scheduled end of an independent paced session for grouped study courses, and the expiry date of the course contract period for individualized study courses. We also do not automatically withdraw students and we handle re-enrolment on a case-by case basis.

Refunds

Students will receive a refund of their full course fees minus the course withdrawal processing fee (refer to GC ITM fees) if they withdraw from the course within the first month. Students should not return their learning resources. Students wishing to withdraw from a course(s) before the first day of class will receive a full refund providing all materials are returned completely unmarked and are able to be reissued to another student.

Grading System

All courses will be graded using the Alpha/4.0 grading scale (effective September 1, 2004).

Please review the Graduate Grading Policy and Academic Records FAQ for more information on grading scales.