Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University, is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict access to and success in university-level study and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.

This About AU section of our website will help you to understand that mission, how we go about accomplishing it and how, in the process of doing so, we help thousands of learners every year to accomplish their personal goals and realize their dreams. Please take a few minutes to get to know us better.

Our approach to post-secondary education is based on four key principles: excellence, openness, flexibility and innovation.

Excellence: We are dedicated to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, scholarship and student service.
Openness: We are committed to our mission of guaranteeing access to post-secondary learning to all who have the ability and desire. If you are 16 or older, you are eligible for admission to undergraduate study.
Flexibility: Our flexible learning model adapts to your needs, putting you in the driver’s seat. You can enrol in most programs and register for most courses at any time of the year and work at your own pace, studying at home, at work or wherever you may find yourself.
Innovation: We continue to adopt and develop new, learner-centred learning models and technology-based alternatives to traditional, classroom-based instructional channels and contexts. We apply technology to make learning accessible.