Graduate Diploma – Architecture at Athabasca University in Athabasca, Canada is a postgraduate diploma in Architecture programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered fully online. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,316 per credit (CAD 2,066 per credit for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Postgraduate Diploma
Field:Architecture
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: Online
Local tuition: CAD 2,066 / credit
International tuition: CAD 2,316 / credit
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Graduate Diploma – Architecture at Athabasca University is a 36-credit online program, with a minimum of 21 credits completed through Athabasca University, organized into three areas: technical studies, professional practice, and design studios. It concludes with a final research or design project. Admission requires a baccalaureate degree in architecture or a related discipline with a minimum GPA of 2.3, and the program forms part of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Syllabus academic training, which can be taken as a standalone credential or as part of the broader RAIC pathway. The university offers continuous admission with monthly start dates; most courses are individualized study, while the design studios follow defined schedules. Full-time students can complete the program in as little as two years. It is designed for those pursuing careers in areas such as urban and construction planning, project management, sustainability, design, and the study of the built environment. The program states explicitly that it is not part of the pathway to becoming a licensed architect in Canada, so it suits those seeking architecture-related academic training and RAIC Syllabus credit rather than professional licensure itself.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a baccalaureate degree in architecture, or a related discipline, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.3; alternatively, applicants who have completed RAIC Syllabus Parts 1 and 2, together with the Part 2 work experience, may qualify. The program has continuous admission, so applicants can apply at any time. Most courses are individualized study and begin on the first day of every month, year-round; virtual design studios instead follow defined start and end dates.
Application Details
Start Date:Continuous — courses begin the first day of every month
Application Deadline:Athabasca University's undergraduate degrees, majors and university certificates admit on a continuous, rolling basis for both domestic and international applicants: there is no fixed application deadline, and most individualized-study courses start on the first of every month provided registration is received by the 10th of the prior month. The university's published admissions information does not distinguish international timing from domestic. The one fixed-cohort exception among this institution's programmes is the Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing, whose September 2027 intake takes applications from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15, 2026, with all supporting documents due by Nov. 30, 2026, for both domestic and international applicants; the Post-RN Bachelor of Nursing, by contrast, remains open/rolling with monthly starts. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
