Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting
Regulations effective Sep. 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
Athabasca University's Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) program provides the opportunity to learn the practical skills and theoretical understanding required to prepare clear legislative text which achieves policy goals.
The program will be of benefit to legislative counsel and clerks, legislative planners and policy advisors, and those who are involved in drafting laws in a broad range of settings (e.g., First Nations, municipalities, trade and professional associations). Students in the GDLD program can pursue their studies while continuing their employment.
To obtain the GDLD, students must complete four three-credit individualized study courses and one six-credit individualized study course. There is no requirement to attend campus. Students will work with their instructor in the online learning management system and other electronic conferencing tools during their studies. The educational methods used in this program provide learners access to training and education without the added expense of time and travel for in-residence training.
Athabasca University has developed program learning goals that can assist you in making informed decisions about your career options upon graduating.
Applicants to the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) must possess:
- a recognized law degree equivalent to an LL.B. or J.D. that entitles the applicant to practice law in the jurisdiction in which the degree was granted, or
- approval of the Program Coordinator based on an assessment of other approved or recognized university or college degrees, and a minimum of three years of previous, related work experience in drafting laws, policies, bylaws, regulations, collective agreements, or comparable drafting duties.
In order to obtain the GDLD, students must complete four three-credit courses, each six months in length and one six-credit course, twelve months in length. Extensions are available. No other courses are required to obtain the diploma.
The program is designed to be completed in 30 months or less.
Non-program students
The GDLD program will accept a limited number of non-program students. Those wishing to enrol in the GDLD program as a non-program student must hold a baccalaureate degree from a recognized post-secondary education institution and submit a resumé in support of their non-program application. Non-program students will be permitted to register in courses on a first-come, first-served basis, space permitting. Non-programs student can take up to two (2) GDLD courses in total. Those courses taken as a non-program student may be directly applied toward the program diploma requirements, if and when the student chooses to enrol in the program. AU is, however, under no obligation to admit non-program students into the GDLD program.
Please review the GDLD program's online Application Procedures website.
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.
Before an applicant can be considered for the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) program, all components of the program application package must be received, including the required fees. Unfortunately, we cannot start the application review until the Admission Package has been completed and submitted.
Program applications will be received and reviewed on a continuous admission basis. Students may wish to start taking courses as a non-program student before being accepted as a program student.
Please review the GDLD program's online Application Procedures website.
Non-program application
Non-program students must complete and submit the GDLD Non-Program Application Form, and include the non-refundable application fee, if applicable. As part of their Non-Program Application, students will be required to submit confirmation of completion of an undergraduate degree (unofficial transcript will suffice). Students may be asked to submit a resumé in support of their non-program application.
| Fall 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 2 | Labour Day | University closed |
| Sep. 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | University closed |
| Oct. 14 | Thanksgiving Day | University closed |
| Nov. 11 | Remembrance Day | University closed |
| Dec. 25/24 – Jan. 1/25 | The University will close at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 24, 2024 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, January 2, 2025. | University closed |
| Winter 2025 | ||
| Feb. 17 | Family Day | University closed |
| 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 FHSS 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: in order to apply to graduate in June, all requirements must be met by April 27. See above.) | |
| June 5 – 7 | Convocation 2025 | |
| July 1 | Canada Day | University closed |
| Aug. 4 | Heritage Day | University closed |
Students may study in the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) program on a full- or part-time basis. The diploma can be completed in less than 30 months or up to five years. Time extensions per course are available.
Residency requirement
To meet the residency requirement, students must complete all five courses through Athabasca University. There is no need to attend the campus.
Program structure
| PROGRAM STRUCTURE | |
|---|---|
| Total credits in program (all must be completed at AU) | 18* credits |
| Residency Requirement | 18* credits |
| REQUIRED COURSES | |
| LGST 551 – Introduction to Legislative Drafting | (3) |
| LGST 553 – Legislative Structure, Style and Limits | (3) |
| LGST 555 – Drafting Preliminary, Amending, and Final Provisions | (3) |
| LGST 557 – Implementation Provisions and Drafting Processes | (3) |
| Total | 12 credits |
| PROJECT COURSE | |
| LGST 600 – Legislative Drafting Project* | (6) |
| Total | 6 credits |
| *Note: Students enrolled in the program prior to September 1, 2021, take LGST 599: Legislative Drafting Project (3) for their project course for a total of 15 credits, instead of 18 credits. | |
Completion time limits
Students can complete the degree in 18 to 30 months or less. Time extensions per course are available. Students may study in the program on a full- or part-time basis. Effective September 2005, students must complete three credits of course work during a one-year academic period (September to August) in order to maintain program status. Failure to meet the requirement may result in inactivation of a student's program status.
Program withdrawal
Students may withdraw from the GDLD program by submitting their request in writing to the GDLD office. Students who withdraw may be reactivated in the program by requesting approval to the Program Director and paying a reactivation fee.
Program deferral
Students may interrupt their studies by submitting a Request for Program Deferral form (PDF) to the GDLD office and receiving approval from the Program Director. There are no fees associated with this request. The maximum length of one deferral is one (1) year. In special circumstances, students may reapply for a second year of deferral during their time in the program.
Non-program students
The GDLD program will accept a limited number of non-program students. Non-program students will be permitted to register in courses on a first-come, first-served basis, space permitting. Those courses taken as a non-program student may be directly applied toward the program diploma requirements, if and when the student chooses to enrol in the program. AU is, however, under no obligation to admit non-program students in the GDLD program.
Course delivery
All Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) courses are delivered by individualized study; a self-directed learning environment. Students will communicate with their course instructor via internal mail (AU's learning management system) and send assignments over the Internet. Computer conferencing may be used as part of the learning environment. Learners will require access to a computer with configurations and software as outlined in the computer requirements. As instructional support is provided through an online environment, it is important that students have regular and reliable Internet access.
Courses may be taken year-round, and will begin on the first day of every month. Students will have six months to complete a three-credit course. Course extensions are available.
Registration requests must be received by the GDLD office at least one month before the requested start date.
Course extensions
Students opting for the individualized-study course have the flexibility to determine their own timelines for completing it within their six-month contract period. Should students experience time problems, they may extend the course contract by submitting a completed Course Extension Request Form, along with the appropriate fees, to the GDLD Office. Individualized-study courses may be extended three times for a period of two months each. Contact the GDLD office for more information on extensions.
Incomplete
In exceptional circumstances, and where the course instructor concurs, students may be assigned a grade of Incomplete (INC). This allows students to take an additional two months to complete and submit the course work. Two months after the original course completion date, a grade will be assigned to the course.
If the required course work has not been submitted, a failing grade of Failure (F) will be assigned.
Re-registration
Students may re-register in a course only if they have received a final grade of 59 per cent or lower, or have withdrawn from the course in good standing. In re-registering, students must complete all course requirements and pay the full course fee. Both the initial registration and the re-registration will appear on the student's transcript.
Course withdrawals
Students may withdraw from a course up until the contract end date by completing and submitting a Withdrawal Request Form. The date of withdrawal will be the postmark on the request, or if the notice is hand-delivered or faxed, the University date stamp.
If a student withdraws from a course within the first 30 days of the course start date, the record of registration will be deleted from their official transcript (see Course Refunds below). If a student withdraws from a course after the first 30 days of the course start date but before the contract end date of the course, the official record and transcript will show that the student withdrew without credit and without prejudice or academic penalty and no refund will be issued.
Course refunds
Students will receive a refund of the full course tuition fee minus the course withdrawal processing fee (refer to Fees) if they withdraw from the course within the first month of the course starts date or before the first day of class.
Grading system
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.
A non-refundable convenience charge will be charged when using Visa or Mastercard to pay student fees. American Express is no longer an accepted method of payment. For more information on the convenience charge, please visit the Financial Services website.
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 (G.S.T.). G.S.T. is added to all other goods and services, for example, workshops, some publications, self-help seminars, and Athabasca University promotional sales items.
| Application fees | |
|---|---|
| Program application fee (non-refundable) required each time a person applies: | $197 |
| Program admission fee (payable upon acceptance into the program and non-refundable) | $255 |
| Non-program application fee (non-refundable) required only once and waived if previously an AU student: | $124 |
| Course tuition fees (includes all required materials) | |
|---|---|
| Students living in Canada | $1,9751 |
| Students living outside Canada | $2,0911 |
| LGST 600 (in Canada) | $2,581 |
| LGST 600 (outside Canada) | $2,697 |
1Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting (GDLD) Course Tuition fees now include a Course Administration and Technology fee of $167 and Course Materials fee of $37 per course, plus the Athabasca University Graduate Students Association (AUGSA) fees of $14 per credit.
Estimated program tuition cost (2024-2025):
The total tuition cost for a student living in Canada who takes all courses from Athabasca University, would be $10,481 ($1,975 x 4, three-credit course equivalents, plus $2,581 for LGST 600 (6-credits). AUGSA, Course Administration and Technology fee, and Course Materials fees are included in the above calculations. Application and admission fees are not included.
| Other fees | |
|---|---|
| Course extension fee: | $334 |
| Continuation Fee | $136 |
| Western Deans' Agreement administration fee (non-AU visiting students) | $250/course |
| AU Graduate Student Association Fee (per credit included in tuition) | $14 |
| Course withdrawal processing fee2: | $453 |
2The course withdrawal processing fee is a mandatory administrative fee charged when a student withdraws from a course. For early withdrawal only, the student will be refunded the full course tuition fees (see above) less the course withdrawal processing fee. Refer to Course Withdrawal.
Fee information effective Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025.
Information effective Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025.
Helpful links and resources:
Updated December 11, 2024 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)