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Laddering into a Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies

An important benefit of the Graduate Diploma – Legislative Drafting (GDLD) is the opportunity to apply completed courses toward Athabasca University’s Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies (MA-IS) degree.

How the laddering pathway works

If you’re planning to complete both credentials, you should finish the GDLD first, then apply to the MA-IS program. Note: You cannot easily reverse this path (you can’t ladder from MA-IS into GDLD without additional coursework).

You can only be enrolled in one ÐÇ¿ÕÓ°ÊÓprogram at a time.

Credit transfer

Students who complete the GDLD can apply 15 or 18 graduate credits (depending on when the diploma was obtained) toward the MA-IS. Transfer evaluation fees are not required to apply these credits.

To complete the MA-IS, you will need your transferred GDLD credits along with additional coursework. This includes:

• MAIS 601 and MAIS 602
• MAIS 700 or MAIS 701
• 2 or 3 elective MA-IS courses appropriate to your study plan

Applying to the MA-IS

After completing the GDLD, you must apply through the MA-IS application process.

You will be required to submit a study plan upon admission. Most students declare the independent track, though you may choose to enroll in a focus area. Some focus areas may require additional coursework.

At this time, LGST 551 is the only course approved toward the Equity Studies focus area.