Athabasca University

Programme overview

Athabasca University's Graduate Diploma in Management is an 18-credit, fully online graduate-level programme offered by the Faculty of Business. It delivers a concentrated foundation in general management and is structured as a stepping stone to the MBA: the diploma comprises Phase 1 core courses (15 credits) plus one Phase 2 MBA core course (3 credits). All courses are delivered as grouped study with defined start and end dates, and students may be eligible for transfer credits for previous graduate coursework.

What you'll study

The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and analytical skills across essential management domains. Core study areas named by the programme include:

• Strategy
• Human resources
• Operations
• Marketing
• Finance
• Economics

The programme includes an orientation course and a set of six core courses covering these topics. Students typically invest about 20–25 hours per week in their studies.

Entry requirements

There are three possible admission routes into the Graduate Diploma in Management. Notably, an undergraduate degree is not mandatory if an applicant has at least eight years of managerial experience. Applicants with prior graduate courses may be eligible for transfer credit. Consult the programme regulations or an academic advisor for course planning.

Career prospects

The diploma is designed to strengthen management capabilities for advancement or sector changes. The programme notes a range of roles that graduates often target, including senior and director-level positions in corporate, healthcare and nonprofit settings—examples listed by the university include CEO, COO, director roles (human resources, operations, marketing, strategy and planning), general manager, project management director, supply chain director and CFO.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Students should plan financial assistance well in advance; the university advises applying for funding at least three months before course registration deadlines and notes that financial aid eligibility for the business Masters and graduate diploma programs aligns with August or January term starts. The Faculty of Business can provide assistance with the graduate business financial aid process. For eligible Canadian Indigenous graduate students a 10% tuition discount on the tuition portion of AU graduate course costs applies starting Sep. 1, 2026. Contact the faculty's graduate enrolment email for guidance on funding and eligibility.