viewbook

Contents
2 Welcome to the Future of Learning 22 Health Care
An Introduction to AU Nursing, Counselling & Health Studies
Alumni Story: Kathleen Soltys
4 Arts (BN: Post-RN; Master of Health Studies)
Humanities, Social Sciences & Professional Arts
Alumni Story: Megan Fertig 28 Science
(BPA, Human Services) Technology, Computing & Architecture
Alumni Story: Will Chang
10 Business (MSc, Information Systems)
Commerce, Management & Administration
Alumni Story: Blaine Zuk 34 Getting Started
(MBA, Project Management) Admission, Fees & Contact Information

16 Education
Distance Education, Instructional Design
& Inclusive Education
Alumni Story: Marguerite Koole
(MEd, Distance Education)
Welcome to the
Future of Learning
Your Quick Guide to AU
This viewbook is your quick guide to Athabasca
University — what makes us different than most
universities and how we can help you get wherever
you want to go in life.
In these pages you’ll get an overview of the huge
array of programs we offer in five areas of study:
arts, business, education, health care and science.
You’ll meet some of our professors and some of our
alumni, and you’ll discover how AU degrees helped
these alumni get where they wanted to go. As you’ll
see from their stories, AU can help you advance
your career no matter what stage it’s at, and you
won’t have to put your life on hold to do it.
AU’s History
AU was founded in 1970 and is one of four publicly
funded comprehensive universities in Alberta.
We were the first university in Canada to focus
on opening up learning opportunities for students
through distance education.
With the rise of the Internet, we moved online,
and now we’re a leading online distance education
university focused on the future of learning.
We’re taking advantage of new techniques and
technology to offer a wide variety of courses
and programs to over 40,000 students everywhere,
all over the world.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 2
I was able to earn my degree at home,
with my family, on vacation… It was amazing.
Kathleen Soltys
Bachelor of Nursing: Post-RN (1995)
Master of Health Studies (2001)
What Makes AU Different
At AU, we believe everyone should have equal,
open access to education, because education has
the power to transform people’s lives. We’ve made
it our mission to remove barriers to education
so that students can pursue university studies
regardless of their location, age, income, culture,
work and family responsibilities, educational
background and other personal circumstances.
The result is a remarkably flexible yet rigorous,
excellent university experience.
We’re Ready When You Are
Whether you want to take a single 3-credit
undergraduate course, turn your college diploma
into a bachelor’s degree or complete a graduate
degree, we can help. We’re open for these
educational routes and many others including
university certificates, diplomas and courses that
allow you to learn at your own pace.
And with hundreds of courses beginning on the
first day of every month of the year, you can get
started with AU whenever you like.
Mike Gismondi (PhD)
Professor, Social Sciences everywhere.athabascau.ca 4
Arts

Humanities,
Social Sciences &
Professional Arts

My role is to engage students just like a classroom
professor, but I’m not live in the room with you…
although I do try to be lively.
Mike Gismondi (PhD)
Professor, Social Sciences
(Previous page) Mike’s research on sustainability
delves into local grassroots social economy projects,
exploring how to scale out and scale up their
successes. To find out how the tomato ties in, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/gismondi
Arts
In the humanities and social sciences, you’ll
broaden your horizons with subjects that run
from art history to Indigenous studies to political
science. There’s no better way to discover where
your true passions lie while at the same time
honing analytical, learning and research skills
that you can use in a myriad of professions.
If you already hold a diploma in communications,
criminal justice, governance, human resources,
human services or another related field, you might
be able to transfer this past education into an
AU post-diploma degree. These degrees expand
your professional knowledge and develop your
potential to move into more senior positions.
At the undergraduate level, how fast you study is up
to you. Most courses are self-paced, which means
you complete the course as quickly or as slowly as
you like as long as it’s within a six-month period.
At the graduate level, AU offers a highly
customizable master’s degree in arts that gives you
the freedom to create a program of study specific
to your academic interests. There’s also a diploma
in heritage resources management and a diploma
in legislative drafting that AU offers in partnership
with the Legal Education Society of Alberta.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 6
Arts UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE
Career Development
English Language Studies
French Language Proficiency
Undergraduate Programs Heritage Resources Management
Human Resources & Labour Relations
BACHELOR OF ARTS Labour Studies
Anthropology Public Administration
Canadian Studies
English UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA
French Arts
Global Studies
History Graduate Programs
Humanities
Information Systems MASTER OF ARTS - INTEGRATED STUDIES
Labour Studies Community Studies
Political Economy Cultural Studies
Political Science Equity Studies
Psychology Global Change
Public Administration Independent Track
Sociology Literary Studies
Women’s & Gender Studies Work, Organization & Leadership

BACHELOR OF GENERAL STUDIES POST-BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA
Applied Studies Heritage Resources Management
Arts & Science Legislative Drafting

BACHELOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES Other Programs

& LABOUR RELATIONS
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
BACHELOR OF PROFESSIONAL ARTS English Language Proficiency
Communication Studies For people who need to improve their
Criminal Justice English skills for university studies.
Governance, Law & Management
Human Services
Megan Fertig
Bachelor of Professional Arts in Human Services (2012) everywhere.athabascau.ca 8
I decided to take one course at a time and
power through it in a month, and I was able
to finish my degree in under three years.

Megan Fertig
Bachelor of Professional Arts in Human Services (2012)

Before AU
Megan had gone to college and was working
as an educational assistant at a public school.
“Although I loved my job, I knew there was no
room for advancement,” she says. “I wanted
something more for myself.”
So Megan enrolled in AU’s human services
degree, which prepares people for more senior
roles in child and youth care, social services and
other related fields. Because it’s a post-diploma
degree, and she’d completed a college diploma
that AU accepted for transfer, she was halfway
through her degree when she started taking
AU courses.
During AU
AU’s undergraduate courses are self-paced,
meaning students can complete them more
quickly than the traditional four months
if they’re up to the challenge. Megan was —
she took a break from full-time work and
charged through one course a month.
After AU
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have
my degree,” she says. “And now I feel like I can
accomplish anything.” To find out how Megan’s
career has changed, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/fertig

(Previous page) Megan can often be found

on the trails with her little buddy Callie.
Anshuman Khare (PhD)
Professor, Operations Management everywhere.athabascau.ca 10
Business

Commerce,
Management &
Administration

I enjoy the online interaction with students
around the world. I think you’re better able
to appreciate the challenges for businesses,
especially in a global context.
Anshuman Khare (PhD)
Professor, Operations Management
(Previous page) Sustainable mobility is a theme
of Anshuman’s career. He’s researched urban
transportation and managed projects involving
some of the biggest vehicles in the world.
To find out what those vehicles are, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/khare
Business
Whether you’re looking for a business degree,
a certificate or a few courses to move your career
to the next level, AU can help you get wherever
you want to go in the world of business. And if you
have a relevant diploma from another institution,
you may be able to transfer your courses and turn
your diploma into an AU degree.
Unlike undergraduate business programs at more
traditional universities where students have to
compete for limited space, AU’s undergraduate
programs are wide open — simply apply and get
started whenever you like.
Both the undergraduate and graduate business
degrees at AU are recognized around the world
for their excellence and innovation.
The Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting is
accredited by CMA Canada, which gives students in
this program a head start on earning a professional
designation in accounting. The MBA was the world’s
first fully interactive online MBA and offers students
the chance to learn not just from AU faculty but
also from classmates working in all kinds of sectors
all over the globe. And the recently launched
Doctorate of Business Administration is the first
online doctoral business degree in Canada, filling an
important niche role for management professionals.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 12
Business
Undergraduate Programs Management Foundations
Marketing
BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
Accounting Graduate Programs
e-Commerce
Finance MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

BACHELOR OF MANAGEMENT DOCTORATE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Human Resources Management
Indigenous Nations & Organizations POST-BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA
Marketing Management

UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE
Accounting Other Programs
Advanced Accounting
Computers & Management Leadership & Management Development
Information Systems Four-week online professional development courses.
e-Commerce
Finance
Management Applications
Blaine Zuk
MBA in Project Management (2011) everywhere.athabascau.ca 14
My degree’s opened a lot of doors for me —
and more possibilities than I could imagine.
Blaine Zuk
MBA in Project Management (2011)
Before AU
Blaine had parlayed his expertise in biomedical
electronics into a successful career managing IT
projects. But he felt his career was stalling. When
his manager suggested he earn an MBA, he was
game, but nervous about doing a degree online
while working full-time.
During AU
The MBA meant many late nights of homework,
but Blaine quickly realized he could do it. And
even though he was often studying from his
hobby ranch in the country, he was far from
alone. He and his classmates formed close ties
as they chatted online.
(Previous page) Thanks to the Internet tower in his pasture,
Blaine had full access to AU from his hobby ranch.
After AU
“We grads walk around with a bit of chest-beating
at times,” Blaine says with a smile. “Anybody going
through convocation, they have a big grin on their
face — they’re proud of what they’ve done.”
“As far as how the MBA advanced my career,
I moved out of my old role in IT management and
into the consulting role,” he says. “I have a wider
selection of knowledge to pull from, and I’m at a
salary where I really wanted to be.” He also received
a few benefits from the MBA that he didn’t expect.
To find out what those were, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/zuk
Marti Cleveland-Innes (PhD)
Chair, AU Centre for Distance Education everywhere.athabascau.ca 16
Education

Distance Education,
Instructional Design
& Inclusive Education

Our most valuable contribution in the Centre
for Distance Education is creating education
interventions that solve social problems.
Marti Cleveland-Innes (PhD)
Chair, AU Centre for Distance Education
(Previous page) Marti’s work in higher education spans
three decades and includes program development,
curriculum design and extensive research. To find out
why her research takes her to Sweden, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/cleveland-innes
Education
In AU’s graduate programs in distance education,
we teach other educators how to do what we do
best: develop, design and deliver excellent, rigorous
and pedagogically sound courses online and at a
distance to students everywhere.
As a university that specializes in online distance
learning, our programs in this area are some of
our flagships. Created and taught by faculty who
are renowned around the world for their expertise
and research records in distance education, these
programs include graduate-level certificates and
diplomas in instructional design and technology-
based learning and a master’s degree in distance
education that was one of the first online degrees in
education in the 1990s. More recently, AU launched
the Doctor of Education in Distance Education,
the first degree of its kind in North America and
one that provides further evidence of AU’s global
leadership in distance learning innovation.
AU also offers courses in inclusive education for
teachers who wish to enhance their credentials for
working with students with special needs. These
courses can add up to a university diploma or a
minor in an AU Bachelor of Arts degree.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 18
Education
Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs

BACHELOR OF ARTS MASTER OF ARTS – INTEGRATED STUDIES

Inclusive Education Adult Education
Educational Studies
UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA
Inclusive Education MASTER OF EDUCATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE
Instructional Design
Technology-Based Learning

POST-BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA
Distance Education Technology
Instructional Design
Marguerite Koole (PhD)
Master of Education in Distance Education (2006) everywhere.athabascau.ca 20
When I started my PhD, I felt completely prepared.
That’s quite important — that tells me my AU
master’s degree was a strong academic experience.
Marguerite Koole (PhD)
Master of Education in Distance Education (2006)
Before AU
Marguerite was drawn to AU when she was
looking for courses in educational technology,
or edtech as it’s now often called. She says she
was won over by AU because she could study
online and wouldn’t have to quit her job.
During AU
She enjoyed her first edtech course, so she
enrolled in AU’s post-baccalaureate diploma in
the field. “After I finished the diploma, I thought,
‘Okay, I’m halfway to the master’s — so I went on
to the master’s degree,” she says.
(Previous page) Marguerite likes to do yoga in her
spare time, and she wakes up with dark roasted coffee.
… And Still With AU
Marguerite has made the transition from student
to instructor in AU’s Centre for Distance Education.
She’s also an instructional media analyst, working
on the technical side of course development,
and has earned a PhD from Lancaster University.
When it comes to her work at AU, “I feel like
what I do matters,” she says. “I’m blessed with
being able to work with students, and they feed
my intellectual curiosity.” To learn more about
Marguerite and her framework for developing
mobile education, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/koole
Jeff Vallance (PhD)
Associate Professor, Nursing & Health Studies everywhere.athabascau.ca 22
Health Care

Nursing,
Counselling &
Health Studies

I love exploring research questions and
getting the findings out to the public.
Jeff Vallance (PhD)
Associate Professor, Nursing & Health Studies
Canada Research Chair in Health Promotion
& Chronic Disease Management
(Previous page) Before Jeff focused his research on
the benefits of physical activity, he did a master’s
thesis involving the mental aspects of one of his
favourite sports, hockey. To find out more about
this research and his current research, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/vallance
Health Care
Highly skilled health care professionals are in
high demand. AU can help you meet that
demand by advancing your skills in whatever
field of health care you work in, and you can
stay on the job while you do it.
Whether you’re a licensed practical nurse (LPN)
or a registered nurse (RN), an administrator in
health care or a health care technician, AU has
an undergraduate program that will build off
your credentials, enhance your knowledge
and improve your qualifications.
At the graduate level, AU offers pathways for
health care professionals from various fields
to advance their careers even further. Graduate
studies in nursing enable nurses to become
nurse practitioners (NPs), while graduate studies
in counselling prepare students to become
professional counsellors with specializations
in art therapy or counselling psychology.
And for those who come from other health care
fields such as physiotherapy and dietetics, the
master’s degree in health studies will help you
sharpen competencies necessary for serving
in leadership roles, managing organizational
change and contributing to research and policy.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 24
Health Care
Undergraduate Programs
BACHELOR OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
BACHELOR OF NURSING
Post-LPN
Post-RN
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Human Science
UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE
Counselling Women
UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA
Health Administration
Graduate Programs
MASTER OF COUNSELLING
Art Therapy
Counselling Psychology
MASTER OF HEALTH STUDIES
MASTER OF NURSING
Generalist
Nurse Practitioner
POST-BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA
Counselling
POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATE
Counselling
POST-MASTER’S DIPLOMA
Nurse Practitioner
Kathleen Soltys
Bachelor of Nursing: Post-RN (1995)
Master of Health Studies (2001) everywhere.athabascau.ca 26
I could see the difference between a nurse
who had a diploma and one who had a degree,
and I knew I wanted to have that difference.

Kathleen Soltys
Bachelor of Nursing: Post-RN (1995)
Master of Health Studies (2001)

Before AU
When Kathleen’s first son was born, she was living
in a quiet rural town, working half-time and aspiring
to a degree in nursing. “I couldn’t have gotten more
education any other way than AU,” she says.
During AU
After earning AU’s post-RN degree, she embarked
on the university’s new-at-the-time graduate
nursing courses. In 2001, she was in the first grad
class for AU’s Master of Health Studies and also
became the manager for Edmonton’s Sexual
Assault Response Team.
After AU
In 2013, Kathleen received a major award from
CARNA for her work with this team. Meanwhile,
her full-time job is actually managing immunization.
When the H1N1 flu was at its peak in 2009,
she oversaw the work of more than 1,200 people.
She attributes AU with helping her to develop
solid managerial skills. For example, the groupwork
she did helped her to excel at working in teams
who can’t always meet up in person. For more on
her journey and how AU even helped her learn
how to ignore bears, go to:

everywhere.athabascau.ca/soltys

(Previous page) In the summer Kathleen is often at the

family cabin, where the lake is just a few steps away.
Frédérique Pivot (PhD)
Assistant Professor, Physical Geography everywhere.athabascau.ca 28
Science

Technology,
Computing &
Architecture

I aspire to share my passion for my discipline
with students. And I enjoy very much my
own journey as a scientist at AU.
Frédérique Pivot (PhD)
Assistant Professor, Physical Geography
(Previous page) Frédérique is one of the first
researchers in her field to collect data with
radio-controlled planes such as this one. To find
out what data she’s collecting and why, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/pivot
Science
With courses in everything from astrophysics
to game development to human physiology to
all manner of areas within computing, countless
facets of science intersect in AU’s science and
technology curriculum.
Whatever you choose to study, the skills and
knowledge you acquire will be invaluable for
careers in areas such as health care technology,
research and development, programming,
system administration, IT management and
much more. And if you’ve already completed
a relevant diploma, you might receive up to 60
credits towards our Bachelor of Science, which
would put you halfway through the degree.
At the undergraduate level, AU has recently
introduced a university certificate that gets
students started in game development, design
and programming. The certificate includes
bridging courses for students with no computing
background.
At the graduate level, new credentials include
a diploma in architecture and a certificate in IT
management. The architecture diploma, offered
in partnership with Architecture Canada | Royal
Architectural Institute of Canada, is the first online
university-level architectural program in Canada,
while the IT certificate provides professional
development for managers and other professionals
already working in IT. The 12-credit IT certificate
can be a stand-alone credential, or it can ladder into
AU’s Master of Science in Information Systems.
everywhere.athabascau.ca 30
Science
Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs

BACHELOR OF GENERAL STUDIES MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Arts & Science
POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Data Analytics
Computing & Information Systems Information Technology Management
Human Science
POST-BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA
UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE Architecture
Computing & Information Systems
Game Development & Programming
Will Chang
Master of Science in Information Systems (2013) everywhere.athabascau.ca 32
My favourite thing about AU was the flexibility.
I could log into the school portal anytime,
and I was never stuck in a classroom.
Will Chang
Master of Science in Information Systems (2013)
Before AU
Will came to AU by way of a joint program
between AU and a university in his native
country of Taiwan. He’d always wanted to move
to Canada and start a life here, so that’s what
he did, completing his master’s online and
full-time in Alberta.
During AU
For his thesis, he built an app that teaches users
about the Alberta Legislature with location-
based learning. “Depending on what legislature
location or object you point your phone camera
at, your phone shows you different information
tailored to your learning background,” he says.
(Previous page) Will says 29-cent chicken wings at
Brewsters fuelled many late-night Tuesdays of studying.
After AU
Looking back, Will counts himself lucky that
he received two major scholarships. One was
a travel scholarship from AU that paid his way
to Tunisia to present research at his first ever
international conference.
AU staff also helped him obtain a work permit so
he could get a part-time job with Apple. Once he
graduated, he went full-time at Apple and was
promoted. “I’m living my career dream right now!”
he says. For more on Will, including how both
AU and the TV show Friends helped him learn
English, go to:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/chang
Getting Started
Admission Requirements
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
Because our mission is to reduce barriers to
university education, we have very open admission
requirements. In fact, for undergraduate studies,
we have only one requirement: you must be at
least 16 years old.
However, many courses have prerequisites to
ensure you have the background you need to be
successful. Prerequisites are listed on our course
syllabi, which you can find at:
athabascau.ca/course
Our undergraduate post-diploma degrees require
you to complete an AU-approved diploma from
a college or technical institute before you enrol.
The good news is your diploma may count for as
much as two-thirds of your degree, leaving you
with just a few courses to complete.
GRADUATE STUDIES
Graduate programs have additional admission
requirements. To learn more about the
requirements for a specific graduate program,
visit the program’s website. You can find all
graduate program websites at:
athabascau.ca/programs/graduate
everywhere.athabascau.ca 34
Getting Started
Fees & Tuition
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
After paying your initial application fee, there
are no program-specific costs for undergraduate
programs. Simply pay for courses as you register
for them. Working through a program one course
at a time is a way to keep the cost manageable,
and that’s what many of our students do.
The cost of a typical 3-credit undergraduate
course varies depending on where you live, but it
always covers your tuition, textbooks, any other
required learning resources and access to student
support services. To get an estimate of how much
an undergraduate course will cost for you, try our
course fee calculator at:
everywhere.athabascau.ca/start
To estimate the total cost for an undergraduate
program, use the course fee calculator to find
out what a typical 3-credit course will cost you.
Then, multiply that dollar figure by the number of
courses you’ll need to complete for your program.
GRADUATE STUDIES
Costs for graduate courses vary depending on
the program. It’s best to check with the graduate
program you’re interested in to confirm fees.
You can find all graduate program websites at:
athabascau.ca/programs/graduate
When & How to Apply
When Courses Start
Most undergraduate courses start year-round,
every month of the year. Graduate courses typically
run on a more traditional semester schedule.
How to Apply
To become an AU student, simply visit
everywhere.athabascau.ca/start and fill out either
the undergraduate or graduate application form
depending on which level of study you wish
to pursue. You’ll be required to pay a one-time
application fee.
You can choose to enrol in a program or take
courses as an unclassified student.
Questions? Contact Us
1.800.788.9041 (Toll-free Canada/U.S.)
1.780.675.6100 (International)
everywhere.athabascau.ca/start
athabascau.ca/contact
Academic Calendars
calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad
calendar.athabascau.ca/grad
Undergraduate Course Fee Calculator
& Transfer Credit Assessment Tool
everywhere.athabascau.ca/start
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition
prior-learning.athabascau.ca
everywhere.athabascau.ca 36
 everywhere.

Athabasca University. Open. Everywhere.

everywhere.athabascau.ca