Athabasca University

Jeanne April 24, 2007 at 6 p.m.

This is a real buyer-beware situation. There are a lot of incredibly good things about Athabasca University. The tutors are pretty nice, the material is challenging, there are accomodations for disabled persons and you can get a degree from home!

The bad part is that AU is very, very inflexible in terms of policies, the learning centers are a bit disorganized in terms of exams and have limited knowledge about the school's graduate programs, the policies are not explicitly clear and change from program to program without much notice, there is little to no communication with students about changes in advisors, etc... and they are extremely defensive. They are also understaffed. I would strongly advise those who need student loans to NOT enroll at this school but if you are paying for the courses yourself, it's a good option. Also, regardless of how you pay for school get someone, anyone, to write down the policies and print them out. In fact, print out every email you get from and send to someone at AU and keep it safe.

If anything changes - your program, for example - have someone give you the policies in writing again because they are different and no one is going to tell you that or help you.

Frank August 22, 2007 at 9:04 p.m.

Jeanne.

My experience was that the school was pretty flexible when I required it. I will agree that the school is understaffed (as it is a public, non-profit) and that the graduate schools operate also separately from the undergraduate units.

I never had a concern about policies during my stay there. The program policies were spelled out on the school's web site and any changes to them were posted well ahead of time. My letter of admission into my program also specifically stated what courses I required to complete my degree. A full review of my time at AU will hopefully be posted by the web master soon.

I just wanted to let others know that others have had a good experience at the school (despite some its shortcomings).

Jenna November 14, 2007 at 11:51 p.m.

Athabasca is a great option for those pursuing a flexible education. I would highly recommend AU if you are motivated enough to set your own timtable. I only had concerns with getting information on graduate programs when I was an undergraduate and I wasn't quite sure of the admission requirements from an AU undergraduate course. The communication between some of the staff also posed some difficulties because everyone worked in a different department. Otherwise, this was an excellent program for me.

MAHE March 15, 2008 at 6:56 a.m.

Does a undergrad degree from Athabasca full fills the requirements of applying to Masters Program of ANY other university? i.e do Other universities in canada consider Athabasca's undergrad degree same as other brick and mortar university? Is there any one here who has Undergrad from Athabasca and pursued Master degree from other university?

Al April 17, 2008 at 3:10 a.m.

Great university for business if you live and plan to work in Canada. Really flexible if you work full time. If you take the correct courses, you can easily transfer them into different designations, CMA, CGA, CA etc.
You just have to be patient and disciplined. Its a marathon.. not a race.

Will May 5, 2008 at 1:54 p.m.

Are degrees gained through the university seen as equally prestigious as every other university? I'm thinking of taking the Masters of Science in Information Systems. Does anyone know if this will fully prepare me for the IT world?

Dante May 14, 2008 at 5:57 p.m.

For those wondering if this degree is useful for pursuing further studies, be aware that it not only has full accreditation in Canada, but it also has been accredited by one of the 5 major (and legitimate) accrediting bodies in the USA, making in the only Canadian university to have attained this. I graduated last spring from the program, and have been accepted to a number of US Law Schools to pursue my studies in this direction. Never once did any question arise, nor will it ever, as this program, like the school, is the real deal with the proper accreditation backing it up. Study with confidence!

Great program too, BTW.

Eric May 20, 2008 at 2:14 p.m.

I am considering to take the online accounting bachler degree from AU, but I wonder if this degree will be accepted if someday I want to be an American CPA, bec I just relocated to USA. Hope someone can answer my question, thx!

frank May 21, 2008 at 7:07 p.m.

Eric:

I can't comment on the accounting degree's utility in the US. What I will say is that the school is accredited by the highest level possible in the USA. I believe it is the Middle States one. (one of five or six regional accreditation bodies there). Unlike Canada, the US has competing accreditation bodies. For the US you want a degree from a regionally accredited school (which AU is). Depending on the profession, you may desire a program that is accredited by a specific professional body. I don't know enough about accounting to know if that is relevant or what body that may be.

frank June 11, 2008 at 6:06 a.m.

Mike:

Yes I did apply to more than one school. The Ontario school that accepted me is one of the g13 that you refer to. (Interesting that you mention the g13 because I didn't know anything about it until I tried to find some way to compare the programs). I also applied to another smaller school but have not received an answer yet.

For those that are curious, the g13 is a group of Canadian universities which look to collaborate for research purposes. There is no official requirement for membership, but in general its members are known to be the most research intensive schools in the country.

Your concerns are understandable. I didn't know how the degree would be accepted either. From my impressions of the doctoral admissions process though, your grad degree is only one of many factors which determine your acceptance. I have industry experience and an undergrad degree from another g13 institution which probably helped my cause. Either getting a prof's attention with your application or meeting with them directly seems to be key. In my opinion, any concerns about the degree can diffused with a good statement of intent, a solid GRE score and a good final publication.

My supervisor-to-be didn't question the authenticity/value of the AU degree during my meeting with him. In fairness though, I cannot speak of how profs in general view it though.

frank June 14, 2008 at 5:08 a.m.

John.

Most of my peers at AU were looking for professional (as opposed to academic) advancement while pursuing this degree. They are already entrenched in the IT field and are "looking to get ahead" or are trying to find a means of getting into a different area of IT.

I still work in industry and my intent when entering the program was marching up the career ladder as well. For the most part, the degree served its purpose as the courses I took were instrumental in getting me to where I am. (as oppose to the degree letters)

I'm sure that my peers had similar aspirations. It is too early to determine gage how successful they were. I know a couple of people who moved into consulting type roles from purely technical ones during their study. One has gone to do MBA work to complement the degree. In general though, the grad class is still "green," happy to graduate and is taking a bit of time to reflect.

The program itself is very new and thus has very few graduates. The concept of a practical master's degree for IT professionals is new to the Canadian marketplace. It remains to be seen how it will be received relative to more research-oriented, theoretical graduate degrees and advanced industry credentials.

bill June 17, 2008 at 7:39 p.m.

Ashley:

A: AU is a provincially accredited school just like any other one in Canada so I would expect that it would be treated no differently than the Laurentian one. The schools are both part of the Association of Univerisities of Colleges of Canada.

Check this site.

www.aucc.ca/can_uni/our_universities/ind...

In general, most schools have wording something like "a bachelor degree from a Canadian univerisity" or equivalent. I would contact the admissions folks at Dalhousie to get a definite confirmation to make sure.

Laura July 29, 2008 at 3:46 a.m.

Hi Tammy,

I have been doing courses in the MAIS program without officially being registered in the program (you can take up to 5). It has been a great way to test out the program and get a feel for online learning without fully committing to it. I am now in the process of officially applying. I have absolutely LOVED my experience so far. It has been exceptionally rewarding and challenging. And I've been pleasantly surprised with the number of 'friends' that I have developed online. I have also been amazed at how supportive the profs have been and how well we are able to get to know them - certainly nothing like my undergrad in lecture halls of 300! As I have children and a full time job, I can't imagine a better way to get a graduate degree.

Frank August 13, 2008 at 2:45 p.m.

Hi Kira.

It appears like the BPA program is limited to people with prior college experiance. Also there are a fixed number of majors that you can select from.

There are so many specialized degrees out there now that I doubt it matters whether a BA or BPA is selected. BPA maybe a slight advantage in that it appears like you have specialized in a certain area.

If I were you, I would select the program that includes the most courses you are interested in. Look at the program's content as oppose to the name and your decision should be easier.

Good luck.

KB September 29, 2008 at 9:27 p.m.

Terrible! Exams were not sent on time! Tutor responded to questions incompetently! Course instructor does not respond at all! Grading takes months! Tutor grades are not done fairly! I have a 4 year degree from a real college and needed 1 last class before grad school.. I definitely picked the wrong online school to take it through!

GG October 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.

I am thinking about enrrolling in AU's Executive MBA program but i am apprehensive about the perception that employers and the academia community may have about the program. Has anyone had a positive or negative experience while on a job interview or applying for admission into a university for doctoral pursuits.

Ray October 30, 2008 at 10:03 p.m.

I have similar thoughts to what Pat said. But my views reflect their BPA in Communications Program.

I am almost done three of my classes. However two of my classes, one is the ENGL255 and the other PHIL252 seem to be very confusing. From my experience, both classes ask students to summarize and write critical essays - which is fine. The PHIL252 class asks students to summarize and criticize arguments by analyzing their form and provide additions reasons or counterexamples. This is reasonable. However, in the ENGL255 class (I am not sure whether the department's tutors mark similar for all ENGL classes), it seems summarizing can easily be misinterpreted as a critical analysis. Therefore, as soon as you start to sound like you are criticizing a piece of writing, you get penalized heavily for it. This becomes very irritating. According to the ENGL marking standards, if you're content for example, does not suit the proper style, it affects all the categories (i.e. structure, organization, mechanics, grammar.) It is not a few marks either, it results in severe chunks of you're mark which will either result in a C, D or F. I personally believe this is BS.

One thing I found interesting is that the ways I summarized articles in my Philosophy classes seemed commendable according to my tutors. However, for the ENGL class, it was garbage to them. Thus, I feel sorry for anyone enrolled in this class or who have to take this class. I warn you, be wary of how tutors mark in the ENGL department. If you're planning on taking their BPA Communications degree, ENGL255 or some other ENGL class is mandatory. It is funny too, because a student who has either a diploma or certificate from another college with credentials such as public relations or journalism is asked to do an ENGL class. However, students in those field of study should already have a proper grasp of writing; therefore, they should not be obliged to take an ENGL class because their skills in writing should be acceptable. Moreover, this is the only way to enter the BPA degree - with a previous diploma or certificate in the fields of communications, journalism, PR or other practices of technical writing.

Ray October 30, 2008 at 10:04 p.m.

Continued...

Moreover, you have to take a bunch of option courses which seem completely irrelevant to communications. Although this can be said about other universities, AU's idea of mandatory classes is a joke especially if you're majoring in the Communications degree.

If you really want to specialize in Communications, it might be wiser attending an actual on-campus university or another accredited university such as Royal Roads. I for one am really considering withdrawing and going to another school. From my experience, I really felt like I have not learned anything from their coursework. It is cool learning on you're own while working. However, that seems to be the only acceptable reason to attend AU. If you're in you're early 20s, consider attending an actual on-campus class. At least you'll make friends and develop contacts. In addition, you can meet interesting profs who you can actually communicate in person with regarding assignments or other concerns. You don't have to wait a week just for one question to be answered.

So really consider you're option before attending AU's BPA in Communications Program. This is based on my experience as a student who has almost completed three courses for this program. My reflections in this comment may not necessarily reflect other students' view who are enrolled in the BPA of Communications program.

Hope this helps. I know its rather long, but it is a good analysis of my experience in AU's BPA of Communications program.

Ray October 31, 2008 at 2:50 a.m.

Wow I was just reading my posts and realized I named myself Pat. Sorry real Pat I was thinking about your comments while I was filling out the name box and must've placed your name in it. Very stupid of me.

Anyways, for anyone considering the BPA of Communication at AU , please consider other options.

Frank November 7, 2008 at 4:33 a.m.

GG:

AU's MBA program is the one program there that you may not have to worry about perception as much.

The EMBA program is cited in the Canadian business magazine and other major papers. Many people in that program are already managers at their corporations.

Having said that, the business world is all about perception. If you are in a major centre and can go to a "prestigous" school, I would do it.

In the greater toronto, S/W Ontario area where I am, if you can get into Schlich, Rotman, Ivey or Queen's...they are seen as superior to Odette or Guelph.....mid of the road would be deGoote, Laurier or Rogers. Other areas in Canada have there own biases.

if you don't live close to a major centre, or your schedule doesn't allow you to attend a campus, AU is a good option though.

You asked about AU reputation in academic/industry...I think I mentioned that in my earlier posts on this page.

Ashton November 15, 2008 at 7:29 p.m.

This comment is to emphasize the previous post. I agree with what he says because I too had the same experience when I was enrolled in some of the anthropology courses at AU. Some tutors were just plain awful. I think AU takes any professor they can get. It is more about quantity rather than quality. A couple of my tutors were never available during "tutor support hours." When I filed a complaint with the course coordinator, she did nothing to help me. I barely passed the course and wasted a lot of money at the time. I also like how final exams are a pass or fail the course style. It is complete BS. You have to pay to redo the exam. It is funny too because one of my final exams was only worth 20 per cent. If you failed that, you don't pass the course. The funny part is that one term paper was worth 40 per cent. So I do not really see the logic in a 20 per cent final that decides if you pass or fail the course. Regardless, I withdrawed from AU and went to an actual on-campus university. The students and professors ARE MUCH MORE HELPFUL than AU. Like Johnny said, think twice before going to this "university." It is a complete ripoff for the quality of learning you actually get from it.

Ashton December 1, 2008 at 6:55 p.m.

Hi Val,

I hope you read my comments above your post. Regarding the time frame to complete this program - no it does take 4 years to complete the program. Since it is done on your own time, you can do finish courses faster if you want. It is up to you. In terms of quality, I think AU lacks it. At least from my experience, I felt like I was just gambling money and hoping for a good tutor. I had some good ones, but a lot of them were just plain condescending, useless, or rude. If you can afford to go an on-campus school in Russia, I would advise you to do so. The international tuition costs I believe is about $935 for U.S. citizens. For overseas students, it could be more. So be prepared to pay a lot more. It might be cheaper for you to just attend a university in Russia though in my opinion. Please do not, however, be persuaded by my comments though. They're based from my personal experience as a former student from AU and do not represent everyones views of this institution. I am only making suggestions.

Nevertheless, best of luck in your decision.

frank December 13, 2008 at 5:26 a.m.

Hi Val....

As you can see there are people that have great experiences while others have poor ones. Ashton and Johnny are a testament to that. I have taken courses at AU and at a few traditional schools and overall I have not seen a significant decrease in quality with AU relative to the others.

There are a few points that I thought maybe useful for you to know.

Ashton's comment about exams: The fact that you must pass the exam to pass the course is not unique to AU. I have been in many courses at on-campus schools that have such a requirement. It is designed to maintain the integrity of the courses. I know someone who is getting an MBA but didn't write a paper in the program as her boyfriend did the work. AU tries to simulate on-campus course structure and in my opinion getting students to write and do well on exams ensures the AU courses can be viewed as equivalent their on-campus equivalents.

Johnny comment about AU not in University reviews: (I'm assuming the MacLean's annual one). There is no way they can be evaluated with the same measures as on-campus schools because their mandate is totally different. Comparing AU's library holdings, operating budgets and % of international student attending the schools is like comparing apples to oranges.

In any event, given your situation, I agree with Ashton in that you should look at an on-campus option if possible. In general, on-line study is good for students who have responsibilities that prevent them from attending an on-campus institution (ie family, job, location of residence etc, tend to be mature students). Most of the people it targets do not really need the on-campus experience because they get those intangible things from the working world

You also mentioned reputation, I would say that AU may have a better reputation than some for-profit because they are accredited in Canada which tends to have a more standardized system than the US. That is an advantage of AU being accredited in Canada. In addition, AU's fees tend to be lower than most American schools.

If reputation is a big concern and you really what/need to do distance education, I would try to find an online program at a school that has an established campus. You mentioned that you lived in the US. Have you tried looking up the online programs in your state? Many state university systems have large online programs. (Check out Maryland, Florida and Texas for starters).

You didn't mention if you were living in Russia permanently or not. You really want to know how your degree will be received where you will be ultimate living.

Hope that helps.

frank December 18, 2008 at 6:35 p.m.

hi Melissa....

The tutors are actually professors. There are also some informal student tutor programs (in the normal sense of the term). I believe that are organized by the student union. I never used them though.

Exams work as follows.... when you are ready to write your final (and in some cases midterm) exams, you notify the school 6 weeks before so they can send the exam to a testing centre near you. Many local colleges/universities and professional testing centres across Canada host exams for AU students. You pay a fee to the centre, typically 20-50 dollars so they can supervise the exam and return it to AU for marking.

There are scholarships available if you qualify. Like any other school, some are granted based on need, others are based on academics.

Sarah January 2, 2009 at 6:42 p.m.

STAY AWAY FROM ATHABASKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TAKEN OTHER ON LINE INSTITUTIONS, ASIDE FROM GOING TO UBC, AND HAD THE WORST EXPERIENCE THROUGH THEM!!!!!!

DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR MARK UP TO 6 WEEKS TO POST!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!????????

ANY REPUTABLE UNIVERSITY, TAKES CARE OF YOUR MARKS AND HAS THEM UP AT MOST 2 WEEKS

THEYRE ABSOLUTELY FUNNY, TOTALLY CANT TAKE THEM AS A SERIOUS SCHOOL,

ITS BEEN 3 WEEKS AND IM STILL WAITING FOR MY MARK... I HAVE GONE TO UBC, TAKEN SOME CLASSES FROM SFU, AM ALMOST DONE MY DEGREE AND NEVER HAD I EVER EXPRIENCED SUCH BS!

Preethi January 18, 2009 at 12:13 a.m.

I am planning to enroll for MBA online with Informaion systems. would anyone have taken this program and could give me few thoughts?

frank February 20, 2009 at 8:32 p.m.

You can transfer credit to other Canadian schools...If you want to go to an engineering school, I don't see the need to enroll here. It would be better to use your college diploma to apply to an eng. program directly instead of going to AU.

I know one or two people that graduated from the program.....they seemed to think it was ok.

In my opinion, it depends on what u want....but again in your case (without knowing all the details), it appears you maybe better served looking at a school that has the program you want.

David February 28, 2009 at 9:59 p.m.

Thanks for the input Frank and Joy... At this point I have to work for a bit, so Athabasca seems like a good option. when done I would like the option to go on to a MSc management that is offered at several Uni's it requires an undergrad and experiance. just wanted to be sure I would have the same options as others with a hard earned undergrad...

I doubt that I have the cash to take the time off to go for a Beng or BSc in engineering.

Cheers
Dave

Luciano March 7, 2009 at 6:04 a.m.

I am currently taking the MAIS Program and I am absolutely thrilled! I will be starting my 5th. course in May/09. Of course no institution is perfect. I have attended Lakehead, U of T and York for undergraduate work. All fine institutions, but they too had their problems. I highly recommend Athabasca University and in particular their MAIS Program.

I have met several professionals who did their EMBA at Athabasca and they were very satisfied with the program. The EMBA is ranked one of the top 100 worldwide.

Luciano

anne March 18, 2009 at 10:21 p.m.

I am thinking about taking the MAIS program....From the onset, I have had trouble just trying to reach an advisor in the department....I finally spoke to someone today and she was not very helpful and could not answer several questions that I had. I don't want to discount the program because of this...I really wanted some feedback from graduates of this program and if they found it helped them reach their career goals,
Thanks

Luciano April 2, 2009 at 2:46 a.m.

Melissa:

You do need to take 11 courses (2 core courses - of the 11, the final one is a research paper). You must take at least 2 courses per year (right now I take 3 per year). Some students do take 2 courses per semester, but this is a very heavy load if you also work full time.

There is a summer break. For example, my current course will finish by the end of April. If I do not take a summer course (which starts in May - I am taking one), I will take one starting this September.

The courses do allow time for a 'reading week' in the fall and winter semesters.

There are two streams you can follow - grouped studies (weekly sessions with other students - which is what I am doing) or self-paced learning (which allows the student up to 6 months to complete a course on their own with assistance from a professor).

I hope this helps....cheers!

Luciano

Drebin April 17, 2009 at 6:13 p.m.

AU is pretty good overall. There are times you may get the odd tutor who is unhelpful or very hardcore at marking. However, the majority of your tutors you get are extremely helpful and nice. Thus, AU is not any different compared to other schools in this aspect. I will, however, admit that marking may take a bit more than expected. The average time, however, is usually about 10 business days max. I noticed that tutors usually take awhile to mark assignments during the end of in-campus institutions. Those being December and March.

In terms of whether or not you will get a job fast after you graduate from your program all depends on the job field you want to enter. If your trying to enter a competitive job field, it may take awhile. However, this applies to all schools. There are thousands of graduates from different universities each year. But job placements are relative few unless your going into the high demand ones such as engineering or medical-related jobs.

I'm currently 21-years-old. I graduated from my previous college in Spring 08 and transferred to AU for credits towards a degree. I've done almost half of my program's courses already - only need about till next Spring hopefully to complete it. So far, my experience has been great with AU.

To those who want to attend this school, I definitely encourage them into looking into it. AU is probably the top long-distance university that is most credible across the world.

patrick April 23, 2009 at 2:43 a.m.

hi all, if I have the choice between let's say the hec MBA program in montreal, the dalhousie MBA online program or the emba at athabasca, which should be my first choice?

Luciano May 4, 2009 at 5:32 a.m.

LIZ:

I work full-time and take 1 course per semester (3 per year). I just started my 5th. course. Some do take 2 courses per semester, but I feel this is a very heavy load particularly if you have a demanding job (which I do).

I devote as a minimum about 2-4 hours per night during worknights. I devote Saturday morning's (3-4 hours)and late Saturday evenings (2-3). I also devote Sunday mornings (2-3) and late Sunday evenings (3-4). These include readings and responding to postings and on-line discussions.

Term papers require much extra time for research and analysis. In these cases I would probalbly devote at a minimum 4+ hours during the weekdays and probably 8+ hours per day on weekends).I hope this helps....cheers!

Luciano

Drew May 15, 2009 at 7:21 p.m.

Hey guys,
I recently completed a degree at Athabsca and I found the programme both challenging and rewarding at the same time. I was able to do this while I worked a full time job and the professors...well lets face it...every now and then you are going to have a personality clash. Also, many employers acknowledge this training in Ontario and training institutions as well acknowledge the education...watch out though for entry requirements and the need for a four year degree is starting to show up for programmes.

I thought I would throw my inquiry out there as I have received a letter of acceptance to Athabasca's MAIS programme. There is an English test and my question is that I was recommended to take ENG255 course. After reviewing the feedback and reviewing the site, I was wondering if anyone took ENGL255 after the recommenation from the school and found this course worthwile. My first reaction was if this was a quick "cash grab" from the University as the course credit would not be used towards the MAIS programme and it is an undergraduate course NOT a graduate course.

Does anyone have any insight.
I would appreciate any feedback!

Have a great long weekend

Peter May 19, 2009 at 6:02 a.m.

I want to be a teacher in Ontario. I am thinking of taking the 4 year Bachelor of Arts, Major in French. I have a few questions:

- How is the perception of this online degree in the Ontario Teachers College community?

- Can I work at my own pace? (Like 4 years in 2 years?) - Is this possible?

Thanks!!!

Frank May 24, 2009 at 4:11 p.m.

Peter ...

Can't comment on the perception in the teaching community. You can however accelerate your graduation if you are dedicated enough. You are given 6 months to complete 4 months worth of work but you still have the same number of credits to complete as any other 4 year degree program so 2 years seems ambitous. You also have to keep in mind that if you want to get into teacher's college you will have to get decent marks so rushing through may work to your disadvantage.

Maya:

The degree doesn't say anything about it being online. I don't know how employers evaluate degrees in your country of choice, but in Canada I don't think accreditation bodies differentiate between online and campus based schools. I believe they do in the US though. AU is accredited in both countries. If you are that worried about it, you should speak with organzations that do the degree evaluations in the countries you are looking at moving to.

Shane June 9, 2009 at 9:28 p.m.

Hi.

I'm considering doing some French distance ed courses through Athabasca. Depending on how that goes I'd probably continue on with more courses.

Has anyone enrolled in language courses through Athabasca? Was it difficult to learn a language using the distance ed method?

Thanks.

Sujun June 25, 2009 at 3 a.m.

can I finish 4 month course in 2 months if I work hard?

j. July 9, 2009 at 4:22 p.m.

Sujun: Yes, I completed one of AU's courses in 4 weeks :) I never had a 4-month course, all are 6-month courses. By the way, I just finished my master's degree and I loved it !!!

Marie M July 11, 2009 at 7:40 a.m.

I have taken a couple of upper-level undergrad Sociology courses at Athabasca, and I thoroughly enjoyed my online learning experience with AU. I have found my tutors to be very responsive; they always returned my email within 24 hours. For one tutor, I had to talk to them on the phone to discuss course concepts and my essay. While phone is not as context-rich as the traditional face-to-face meeting, it was helpful to me as a student to have that option to access my tutors by phone. I should also mention that my tutors were actual professors, with PhDs and a long list of published work in their CVs (i.e., they're legit, working scholars).

I like how my course package arrives in one neat bundle, complete with all textbooks, study guide, extra readings, etc. At US-based Excelsior (which is excellent too, by the way!), you'd have to order your books separately, and they're not included in the tuition. With AU, you pay one-time when you register for the course, and that one-time fee covers all learning materials.

I am now working full-time and enjoying my job, but am missing the intellectual rigor of being in school. I am seriously considering the MAIS program, as it would be excellent for me. It would allow me to enjoy the best of both worlds - master's school and my career, that is!

Overall, I would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND Athabasca U. I love it.

junior July 17, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.

Can someone tell me how long it takes to complete a Bachelor of Science Post Diploma and a Masters of Science at AU?

Thanks!

MD August 26, 2009 at 4:05 p.m.

I am thinking of enrolling in the Bachelor of Commerce(financial services major).

My main concern is the perception of the employers across Canada for the BCOM degree from Athabasca.

The only reason I am considering taking this program is for career development and to increase my earnings. Due to my work hours and job demands I can't attend on-campus classes so online studies would be my only option.

I was wondering if anyone has done their BCOM at Athabasca and what their experience has been?

Adrian September 1, 2009 at 6:44 a.m.

Just started on a B.A with a Major in History nad Sociology, starting with Eng255 next month. Has anyone completed this entire B.A with AU?
Would be extremely grateful for any advice or feedback. Thanks!

old timer September 6, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.

Reading the threads, there has been a lot of good and bad experiences with AU. For myself, going through the MBA program, I found the experience was great! The profs were good (leading discussions periodically) and the students helped each other through it all. Your own drive will be the key to your learning experience; the classmates are a big second factor, nothing really to do with the profs. Online learning is not for everyone, there is no hand-holding at all. With group sizes around 5-9, weekly participation/discussions/workloads are manageable with full-time work and family priorities.

Q. Was it worth it?
A. Comparing to other MBA programs, I think it was a good investment.
Q. Is AU understaffed?
A. I could see it being understaffed, but the staff always provided excellent customer service, so it wasn’t noticeable.
Q. Is AU out to make money through tuition and service fees?
A. Somewhat, it’s comparable to any other school.
Q. Would I recommend AU?
A. Yes, but only if it fits your personal drive and learning goals.

Nat September 22, 2009 at 4:03 a.m.

Hey Everyone, glad I stumbled on this site (love Google). Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here as completed or is in the process of completing their degree in Information Systems (BA or BS don't matter). Basically I REALLY want to enroll with AU but I'm confused...I have a college diploma - George Brown College - as a Computer Systems Technician Program and I've worked 6 years in IT (and going). Does anyone know what the difference is between these programs? Could you guys suggest what is best suited for me? Appreciate all the feedback thanks and have a great day. Here is the list:

Bachelor of Science in Computing and Information Systems Degree
(4 years—120 credits) Link: athabascau.ca/calendar/page03_20.html

And

Bachelor of Science in Computing and Information Systems
(Post Diploma) (4 years—120 credits) Link: athabascau.ca/calendar/page03_21.html

And

BA Information Systems Concentration (3 years)
Link: athabascau.ca/calendar/page03_04_06.html

And

Information Systems Major (4 years)
Link: athabascau.ca/calendar/page03_05_07.html

***Don't forget to add the www to view the links above".***

Marty November 2, 2009 at 1:15 a.m.

AU is a great school and while it has all the usual personalities and problems of all big schools, it works and works well. Good luck and make sure you research completely before you commit to any program or school. I've read about people who has spent thousands and years for a degree that is a sham.