Graduate Diploma in Management
Regulations effective Sep. 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
The Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) program is for managers who do not wish to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or those who do not meet the educational requirements for direct admission to the MBA. The GDM builds on the knowledge and expertise that students have already developed, and complements that experience with a proven and rigorous program of management education. The program instills effective critical thinking and analytical skills across all key management areas: strategy, human resources, operations, marketing, finance, and economics.
The GDM program is identical to Phase 1 of the MBA program, including the 1-week online orientation. Students who successfully complete the GDM and decide that they would like to continue can apply for admission to Phase 2 of the MBA program.
Applicants to the GDM must have:
- an undergraduate degree from an accredited post-secondary institution and at least 3 years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory or professional experience with management-level responsibilities OR
- an acceptable professional designation as approved by the Graduate Management Program Council and at least 5 years of acceptable managerial experience that may include supervisory and professional experience with management-level responsibilities OR
- a minimum of 8 years of substantial managerial experience and relevant education and/or training
Non-program admission requirements
Individuals who are not enrolled in one of the graduate programs with the Faculty of Business, may be permitted to register in an MBA course for which they have the appropriate prerequisites on a first-come, first-served basis, space permitting and upon meeting minimum program entrance standards. The non-program applicant must:
- meet the qualifications for admission for either the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) program of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program OR
- have an MBA degree from Athabasca University or an MBA or equivalent master's degree from another accredited post-secondary institution OR
- be an active student in good standing in another AU graduate program OR
- be an active student in good standing in an MBA or equivalent master's degree program from another accredited post-secondary institution and receive approval from the AU MBA program director OR
- receive special exemption from the AU MBA program director.
The non-program application must demonstrate:
- appropriate level of management experience required (minimum 3 years) to contribute positively to both online and in-residence group discussion/projects;
- have the system requirements to take the course online (hardware and software);
- meet any course prerequisite requirements (with the exception of STMT 500: Strategic Management as a prerequisite will normally be waived for non-program students);
- access to organizational information required for MBA course activities and assignments.
Other
Applicants must be proficient in the English language and confirm access to a computer system that meets the program's requirements. A Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score is not normally required, but the admissions committee may request one should they deem it necessary. Detailed instructions for assembling an application package can be found on the Faculty of Business website.
Transfer credit
Transfer credit means that students may apply to transfer graduate course credits earned elsewhere at recognized academic institutions into the GDM program.
In order to apply for a transfer credit evaluation, applicants must first apply and be accepted into the GDM program.
Only graduate level course credits that have never been applied toward any degree program are eligible for consideration.
Courses being considered for transfer credit must be from a fully accredited institution (i.e. members of Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, Canadian Association for Distance Education, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, etc.).
Applicants are required to complete a transfer credit form, pay the Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee, and provide official transcripts and detailed course outlines for each course (outline requirements will be provided by the MBA program director).
The MBA program director will determine whether transfer credits will be permitted into the GDM program. If transfer credit is awarded, a study plan will be provided outlining how students will integrate previous coursework with the program.
English language proficiency
There are minimum English language proficiency requirements allowed for admission to a graduate program at Athabasca University. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the minimum requirements.
Admission to the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) occurs 3 times each year. Application deadlines are June 15 for fall, Oct. 15 for winter, and March 15 for spring.
Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) applicants must provide:
- a completed application form;
- a detailed resumé demonstrating appropriate management experience;
- 3 letters of reference, preferably 2 business and 1 academic. References from personal friends or relatives will not be accepted. It is the applicant's responsibility to notify his or her references that, in accordance with the Province of Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the information contained in the letter of reference is not considered to be confidential. The applicant, upon request, may view the information. The letters shall normally contain full contact information for the reference, be signed on company letterhead, and be sent directly to the Faculty of Business, Athabasca University;
- a 1000-word personal essay;
- official transcripts of post-secondary education and/or professional designation(s) sent directly to the Faculty of Business, Athabasca University, from the respective institution(s). Applicants with degrees obtained outside of North America may be required to have educational qualifications assessed independently (see International transcripts)*;
- a non-refundable application fee.
Upon acceptance to the program, students must pay the required non-refundable admission fee. For detailed information on applying to the program, visit the Faculty of Business website.
The submission of undergraduate degree transcripts is mandatory for applicants applying for the undergraduate degree plus three years of managerial experience pathway and for those applying for the accelerated entry route. For all other applicants, the submission of official transcripts for diplomas, undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, as well as professional designations, is strongly encouraged.
Non-program application
Non-program applicants must make formal application to Student Services, Faculty of Business, and include the following:
- a completed application form;
- a cover letter stating their interest in the course(s) to be taken and why they would like to select the course(s);
- permission letter from their program director to take the course (if registered in another degree program outside Athabasca University);
- a current, chronological resumé detailing their managerial experience;
- reference letter in support of their academic and management abilities as well as their ability to work effectively in teams (if requested);
- official transcripts (if you have completed an MBA or equivalent master degree from another accepted university);
- non-refundable application fee.
| Fall 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 2 | Labour Day | University closed |
| Sep. 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | University closed |
| Oct. 14 | Thanksgiving Day | University closed |
| Oct. 15 | Application deadline for Winter session start in January. See course schedules for course start dates. | |
| Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day | University closed |
| Dec. 25, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025 | The university will close at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. |
| Winter 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 17 | Family Day | University closed |
| March 15 | Application for Spring session start in May. See course schedules for course start dates. | |
| April 18 – 21 (inclusive) | Easter break | University closed |
| April 27 | Deadline to apply for graduation in June. All final grades must be received by the Office of the Registrar, and all program requirements must be completed by this date. Plan ahead. Allow professor at least 10 days for grading, and the Faculty of Business office 5 days for processing final grade report(s), in advance of this deadline. | |
| Spring 2025 | ||
| May 19 | Victoria Day | University closed |
| May 31 | Deadline to register for Convocation 2025 (Note: All requirements to graduate must be done by April 27. See above.) | |
| June 15 | Application deadline for Fall session start in August. See course schedules for course start dates. | |
| June 5 – 7, 2025 | Convocation 2025. Visit the Convocation website for more information. | |
| July 1 | Canada Day | University closed |
| Aug. 4 | Heritage Day | University closed |
Program requirements
The Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) is Phase 1 of the MBA program. It is an 18-credit program consisting of an online orientation course, 6 core courses, and 1 comprehensive examination. It provides a solid grounding in general management fundamentals.
| Program structure | |
| Total credits in the program | 18 credits |
| Required courses | |
| MBAO 599 – MBA Orientation | (0) |
| or | |
| MBAO 598 – MBA Orientation | |
| STMT 500 – Strategic Management | (3) |
| HRMT 502 – Human Resources Management | (3) |
| FMAC 503 – Financial and Managerial Accounting | (3) |
| MKMT 504 – Marketing Management | (3) |
| MEQA 501 – Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | (3) |
| OPMT 505 – Operations Management | (3) |
| CPEX 506 – Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | (0) |
Comprehensive examination
A comprehensive examination must be written upon completion of the 6 core GDM courses. The comprehensive examination is scheduled on at least 2 occasions per year as determined by the admissions committee.
The comprehensive examination is graded on a pass/fail basis, and a grade of 70% is required to pass.
The exam may be written only on the scheduled exam dates. If you are unable to write at that
time, you will have to withdraw from the exam and write it when it is next offered.
Students who fail the comprehensive examination may repeat the examination only once. An appropriate fee will be charged for repetition of the examination and the student must wait until the next scheduled offering of the examination to re-write it. Students who fail the second writing of the comprehensive examination will be withdrawn from their program of study with no opportunity for re-enrolment.
Comprehensive examination withdrawal
A student must withdraw from the exam by 1:00 pm MT on the Tuesday afternoon before the
exam starts.
Students who have not withdrawn from the exam will be failed if no exam answers are
submitted. This will show as one failed Comprehensive Exam attempt on the student's transcript. An exam withdrawal request form must be submitted to your Graduate Enrolment
Advisor. Contact fbgradenrol@athabascau.ca.
Comprehensive exam extensions
Extensions may be granted to students in the case of extenuating circumstances that prevent
completion of the exam within the exam period. Students must provide a valid reason for
requesting an extension. Students who do not receive approval for an extension and who do not submit their exam on or before the deadline will receive a "fail" grade.
A request for extension must be submitted as follows:
- Before the start of the exam period, submit an extension request by email or telephone to
your Graduate Enrolment Advisor, who will forward it to the Exam Coordinator. - During the exam period, submit an extension request by email or telephone directly to the
Exam Coordinator.
The Exam Coordinator may grant extensions of up to twenty-four (24) hours. Requests for
extensions beyond twenty-four hours will be sent to the MBA Program Director for approval.
Requests will either be approved or denied.
Comprehensive exam grading
The Comprehensive Exam is graded on a pass/fail basis. You will receive an overall pass for the examination if you pass all the questions required to be answered or fail no more than one of the questions. Not submitting an answer for a required question will be deemed an automatic fail for the respective question.
You are required to obtain a minimum grade of 70% in order to pass. An answer assessed to be deserving of a grade less than 70% is marked as a fail. Students who fail more than one
question will have their answers automatically re-graded before the final result is sent to the
students.
Students will receive an email indicating whether they passed or failed the exam within twelve (12) working days of the exam submission deadline (see Exam Feedback below for more information).
Rewriting the exam
The Comprehensive Exam may only be rewritten once. Students who fail the second writing of the Comprehensive Exam will be expelled from their program of study with no opportunity for re-enrolment.
A retake fee will be charged for repetition of the exam, and the student must wait until the next scheduled offering of the examination to rewrite it.
Exam feedback
Students who pass will receive an indication of an overall pass. Individual feedback may be
provided.
Students who fail will be sent an email by the Exam Coordinator with individual feedback
on the questions that they failed. They may use this feedback to prepare for their exam rewrite.
Time commitment
Most students spend about 20 to 25 hours per week on their studies while in the program.
Advanced standing
"Advanced standing" means the student is exempt from some or all of the required assignments in a particular course.
At the time of admission, a graduate student may be awarded advanced standing in specific courses in light of the student's combined education and experience. Requests for advanced standing must be made to the admissions committee at the time of application to the program. Exemptions to these requirements must be approved by the MBA program director.
Students awarded advanced standing in a course:
- are provided with full course materials,
- remain responsible for full program tuition,
- remain responsible to know and understand all components of the course and to demonstrate this knowledge in the comprehensive exam.
Active status and continuation
To maintain active status, students must successfully complete at least 1 course or comprehensive examination in their program of study within any given 12-month period.
Students who do not maintain active status will be deemed to have withdrawn from the program. Those students will be required to pay the tuition portion for courses completed and in which they are currently registered.
The Program Continuation Fee may be charged for those who have exceeded 12 months and apply to continue in the program.
Time to complete
Average GDM program completion time is 1.5 years, but students may have up to a maximum of 2.5 years to complete all requirements.
Program deferrals
Students who have started the program can defer their studies should they find themselves experiencing changed circumstances in either their business or personal lives, but must request the deferral at least 21 days before the start date of their next course.
For more information about program deferrals, please visit Section 17 of the Graduate Handbook on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.
Withdrawal from the program
Students may withdraw from the GDM program by completing the Program Withdrawal Form. Students who wish to withdraw from the GDM, without record of registration, must do so within 30 calendar days of the commencement of the program. A withdrawal occurring during this time will not be recorded on the student’s transcript. Students who withdraw from a program after the 30 calendar-day period from the start of program will have the withdrawal recorded on their transcript and must pay the tuition portion for courses completed and in which they are currently registered.
Re-enrolment in the program
Re-enrolment in a program can occur, but is subject to re-application, review and approval by the MBA program director, and payment of all applicable fees. Students will be required to pay any fee increases that occur between the time of their last enrolment and re-enrolment. They will be required to contact the Student Services department of the Faculty of Business to confirm their program requirements. Credit for courses previously completed will be re-evaluated and applied to the program requirements, where appropriate.
Non-program students
All non-program students must complete an online orientation prior to beginning their studies.
If a non-program student subsequently applies for MBA program admission, credit for Athabasca University MBA courses previously completed will be evaluated for credit towards the MBA program requirements, where appropriate.
Non-program students are governed by all other applicable graduate business program regulations and policies, and university appeal process.
Note: Non-program students may apply for a maximum of 9 credits in Faculty of Business
graduate courses, based on approval of each course. Applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the course start date.
Graduation requirements
To be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM), a graduate student must:
- successfully complete the program course structure set out at the time of admission into the program,
- successfully complete the comprehensive examination,
- complete and submit an Application for Graduation Form, and
- meet all other regulations.
In addition, students must have paid any fees owed to the university and have returned all library resources.
All applications for graduation must be approved by the Board of Governors of Athabasca University.
Course delivery
All online MBA/GDM 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, Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) 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 1 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 before students can progress to any other course.
Athabasca University may modify the list of available courses at any time.
Course registration
Students are automatically pre-registered in courses according to the course schedule provided when they commence the program. Students are considered registered for courses on the 21st day before the start date of each course as indicated on the schedule.
Successful course completion
A minimum grade of 60% is required for both the assignments and participation components in each course. The comprehensive examination, written upon completion of the 6 core GDM courses, is graded on a pass/fail basis with an overall grade of 70% 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.
Course withdrawal
A student is considered registered for a core course on the 21st day before the start date for that course. After this date, students can withdraw from courses in which they are registered subject to the following:
- To avoid academic penalty, a course withdrawal request must be received within 14 calendar days of the course start date. Withdrawals will not occur by default, and a withdrawal fee will apply.
- Students withdrawing after 14 days from the start date of the course will receive a W (Withdrawal) grade on their transcript. Full course tuition will be required to re-register in the course.
- Click the PAY NOW link below to access the withdrawal form below and to go to the
secure banking online payment site. As this is a secure site, you will be prompted to log in
with your myAU password. If you have not set up your login information, click the "myAU
Help Page for Students" link to set this up.
- Payment of the applicable course withdrawal fee must be made before the course
withdrawal can be processed. - Students who do not withdraw or do not complete the course will fail the course and an F (Fail) grade will be awarded. Full course tuition will be required to re-register in the course.
withdraws from a course to help recover costs already associated with your course setup.
Incomplete status
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 end date for the course. The academic coach will seek approval from the academic area manager (AAM) 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.
Re-registrations and repeats
Students who have received a Fail (F) or Withdrawal (W) grade in any course in the GDM 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.
Course refunds
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.
Computer system requirements
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.
Grading system
With the exception of the comprehensive examination 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 Policyfor more information on grading scales.
The following fees are effective for courses starting Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025. All fees are quoted in Canadian dollars and are subject to change. Academic-related fees are exempt from the Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is added to all other goods and services; for example, workshops, some publications, self-help seminars, and Athabasca University promotional sales items.
| Program Application Fee (non-refundable), required each time a person applies | $233 |
| Program Admission Fee (payable upon acceptance into the program and non-refundable) | $913 |
| Non-program fee | $124 |
Program tuition fees
| Program Application Fee (non-refundable) | $233 |
| Program Admission Fee (non-refundable) | $913 |
| Phase 1 (6 courses at $3,341 each) | $20,046 |
| Total | $21,192 |
Estimated program tuition cost (2024-2025)
The total tuition cost for a student who takes all courses from Athabasca University, would be $21,192.
Fees are subject to change. The Athabasca University Graduate Student Association (AUGSA) Fee (18 credits x $14/credit = $252) is not included in the above calculation.
Other fees
| Course Withdrawal Processing Fee1 | $453 |
| AU Graduate Student Association Fee (per credit) | $14 |
| Comprehensive Examination Fee (repeats) | $310 |
| Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee (1 time)(non-refundable) | $348 |
| Program Transfer Fee | $134 |
| Letter of Permission Fee | $100 |
| Program Continuation Fee | $698 |
1 The Course Withdrawal Processing Fee is a mandatory administrative fee charged when a student withdraws from a course. Refer to the information on course withdrawal under Course regulations and procedures.
The university reserves the right to suspend students if their program fees are overdue.
Fee information effective Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025.
Information effective Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025.
Helpful links and resources:
Updated November 20, 2024 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)