Athabasca University

Excellent program. Some of the instructors that teach at the ULeth program are on some type of vendetta, but otherwise excellent. If you are a weak writer, count on having an extremely difficult time at the end of the program....all of the masters of psychology etc. Are like this. Get help with you writing early on if you struggle in any way with writing. Reach out to other students, meet for coffee etc....and it will make the experience soooooo much better. I unfortunately only figured this out at the end. Having heard about other programs, this faculty at this university is great. AND the grad ceremony is also a hoot!

I recently completed my M.C. through Athabasca. I can only speak to the Graduate level program I completed. First, it has been stated both in these reviews and on the Athabasca website that Psychological registration is determined on the provincial level- thus students should ensure that they will be able to achieve registration at a satisfactory level in their own jurisdiction upon completion of the degree. On a national level, all graduates can register as C.C.C. As a busy professional and parent, attending a brick and mortar facility wasn't a viable option for me. Athabasca runs a program that met my need to further my education while maintaining my job. That said, be prepared for an intense workload with very concrete participation expectations that must be met to achieve good grades. I graduated with a 3.6 while maintaining my career and life, so it can be done. Further, there is a significant (500 hour) practicum commitment and the degree completion requires development of a 25 page professional manuscript to be submitted to an academic journal. This program is no walk in the park. It requires commitment, a lot of time, travel to seminars for the face to face component, and the ability to learn independently. This was a much more challenging program than any I have completed in my education history- which it should be at a Graduate level. My sole complaint is that some of the course materials require revision and many of the assignment criteria were not as specific as I would have liked. They don't spoon-feed the content to you, to be certain.

I am a year into this program and am very happy with my decision to attend Athabasca. I had a 3.8 GPA, so did not just "settle" for this school. I appreciate how the program is designed for working professionals, which allowed me to continue full time work while competing graduate studies. I find the classes challenging but thorough, and so far have not been disappointed by my education. However, some previous reviews are providing false information and I would like to add my experiences. -Upon completing this program, you are able to register as a Canadian Certified Counsellor. This certification is Canada wide and recognized. You can also register with the BC Association of Counsellors, the Alberta Psychological Association, and the Alberta Counselling Association. As a student, I was able to register as a student member of the CCPA and CCA with no issues. -Certain provinces (such as Ontario) do not let you register as a psychologist or use that title with only a Masters degree. You are permitted to practice as a psychological fellow, and can use the title psychologist after obtaining a PhD. This discretion varies province to province; it has little to do with what program you graduate from, being actually based on the LEVEL of degree (Masters vs PhD) -This is a Masters of COUNSELLING. some provinces or associations may not let you register as a psychologist, but rather as a counsellor. This reflects the type of degree attained; usually you require a degree in clinical psychology to register strictly as a psychologist (again, depending on province) -It is your responsibility as a student to research the school and the program and decide if it will meet your needs BEFORE applying. It's a little bit ridiculous to not do your homework on a program and then blame the school when you find out you're not going to be making six figures. -What you pay for tuition covers ALL learning fees; you do not have to pay extra for books, software, etc. -Exam prices vary from place to place. I personally pay $10 an exam to write in a small town library. Again, do your research. AU provides an extensive list of proctors, and if you don't see one near you, you can apply to have someone certified. Basically, this is a program for dedicated, hard working graduate students who understand how the profession of counselling works. Do your research, make sure you have realistic expectations, and be prepared to work hard. In turn, you will be prepared to begin a rewarding career. I have yet to feel any regret for choosing to study at Athabasca,

The previous reviewer mentioned that you cannot be accredited or recognized with the Masters of Counselling degree from Athabasca University which is completely untrue. While you may not be able to register with a provincial psychological association (as they mentioned), you can however register with a provincial counselling association (there is a BIG difference between the two) as you are completing a Counselling degree not a Psychology degree. An individual with a Psychology degree has completely different requirements for using the title "Psychologist" or any variation of it, as well as outcomes for employment, and to confuse the two is baffling. You most certainly qualify to register with the only federal governing body for Counsellors- the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA), and once you receive their qualification you are certified to be a counsellor anywhere in Canada.

Worst experience ever! I'm a year in and would love nothing more than to go back in time and take this masters program through any other institution. Little to no support and feedback from instructors and absolutely NO support from admin staff. Over the past 10 months I've exchanged over 100 emails with administration regarding registration and payment confusion. I spend half my time dealing with admin instead of actually working on the courses. Of all those emails about half have been ignored, when I asked two seperate individuals to direct me to someone I can speak with in person regarding my frustrations I was once again ignored. If I didn't already give them a year of my life and A LOT of my money I would drop out and apply to another institution. I would never EVER recommend this program to anyone!

Studying at the Graduate Center for Applied Psychology (GCAP) associated with Athabasca University..!? Think twice… The program is Alberta-based and Alberta funded. Any candidate coming from ANY other Canadian provinces should be ready to face a long-standing and non-ending battle to have their expensive on-line acquired diploma recognizes For instance, the Ontario Psychological Association works on a credential-based evaluation and they said that they DO NOT recognize distance programs. I means lower pay jobs and to accept diminished responsibilities in the field of psychology (ref. psychological associate who assist the “professionals”)? In addition, consider also the challenge of having a Counselling degree but applying for positions requiring a Psychology academic background. In fact, many of their students are accepted in the program without the completion of a Psychology degree, but only based on their work-related experience. With a cost of $1,500 per course, the diploma will cost you close to $20, 000!!! On top of this amount, be ready to pay a mandatory $700 program fee for EVERY semester for the minimum period of two and a half year necessary to complete their program. Overall, their program lacks substance for so much effort and money $$$ to be invested in a graduate program.

This was a terrible experience! Support from the instructor was very low. In marking assignments she would give a mediocre mark and offer almost no feedback explaining why she took marks off - leaving me to feel she put no effort into papers I worked very hard on. It feels like a money-grab: mid term and final exams are an extra $40 each, and you have to call the invigilator yourself to set it up. Need an exam extension? $100. Rewrite? $100. Course extension? $165. The admin. department is also very unhelpful. I canceled future classes with Athabasca and, naturally, had to pay a withdrawal fee....but I did so gladly. There was much more that was wrong, so I was very disappointed with this 'school'.

Alot of learning required - and varied - I feel as though I am well-prepared, but the quality of the websites, resources and communication with school administration is poor: slow, lack-lustre, and iffy outcomes.