Admission Requirements & Procedures

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the doctoral program include both academic and experiential elements, as outlined below:

  • A completed admission package—application forms and more details about applying to the program are available here;

  • Completion of a master's degree, preferably with a thesis or research project, in a relevant field or area of study (e.g., education or distance education, psychology or educational psychology, instructional technology, adult education, curriculum and instruction, and the like) from a recognized university, normally with a GPA of at least 3.7 or 85% (Graduate Grading Policy);

  • Significant experience in open or distance learning, which demonstrates that the student is capable of study at a distance, and of completing high quality original research with distance supervision only;

 

Admission Procedures

Admission forms and further details about applying to the program are available on the "How to Apply" page. Individuals wishing to apply to the program should contact the Centre for Distance Education:

Program Administrator (Ed. D.)
Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
Canada

Tel: 1 (800) 788-9041 [ext. 5058] (toll free for Canada/US)
Tel: (780) 421-5058 (outside Canada/US)
Fax: (780) 675-6170
E-mail: Ed. D. program: edd@athabascau.ca


Potential Students

The doctoral program is intended for individuals currently involved in distance education, who have already completed a graduate degree.  Potential students include:

  • individuals in mid-career in distance education-related occupations, or in adult education and continuing education fields, as well as those responsible for policy development and implementation of distance, virtual, or alternative educational programs;

  • those who wish to augment readiness for promotion or further growth in their careers, or to prepare for career change;

  • individuals who are unable or unwilling to interrupt their careers to undertake a full-time, campus-based doctoral program, or who prefer the distance learning conditions of the online doctoral;

  • professionals with advanced degrees in various disciplines (e.g., university and college academics, teachers, instructors) who wish to specialize in aspects of distance education research and scholarship;

  • senior-level staff in corporate, military, and industry training environments;

  • instructional design specialists, senior-level managers and program planners, and others in areas related to the development of complex instructional systems. (This is an area where the proliferation of advanced educational technologies has resulted in needs for new learning systems design, development, management, evaluation, and research.)

  • those employed in other areas related to the development of alternative or “virtual” learning systems, with mediated interaction among participants.

The distance nature of the online doctoral program will also facilitate access by non-urban students, those who are employed, individuals with disabilities, and others for whom pursuit of a doctoral-level degree through a traditional institution would be difficult or impossible.

 
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