Diploma in General Insurance and Risk Management

at British Columbia Institute of Technology - Burnaby Campus Canada

Are you thinking of an accounting career but are also interested in finance and investments?
BCIT's Finance Diploma Program offers you unique, practical training for a solid foundation in accounting, economics, finance, and investing principles. All the courses in this program are designed to teach you to the necessary skills and confidence to help you pursue a career in finance while preparing you for accelerated study to become an accountant.

See more about how the Finance Diploma gives you the necessary skills for a successful career at the Program Details.

Who should apply for the Finance Diploma?
This program is designed to give you strong technical skills in accounting plus a broad understanding of finance and economics, providing a wider range of employment opportunities.
This program might be right for you if you:

• Want accounting training that is supplemented by investment skills and knowledge
• Aren’t an accountant, but need some accounting knowledge for your current job
• Want to know more about financial services, capital markets and securities
• Have an interest in investments and financial markets
• Work well with numbers and big-picture planning

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been called the new electricity. AI and machine learning (ML) systems are currently being utilized to organize supply chains, manage customer relationships, transfer organizational knowledge, and optimize enterprise resources. According to estimates, up to 47% of current jobs could be automated by AI, robotics, and machine learning systems in the next two decades. Firms have identified that a lack of skilled people make deployment of machine learning capabilities an ongoing challenge. Due to these factors, numerous jobs will become available for managing these systems.

The Business Information Technology Management (BITMAN) – Artificial Intelligence Management (AIM) option will train artificial intelligence/machine learning management knowledge workers for entry-level positions managing AI/ML/business intelligence solutions. This option will focus on AI business models, AI ethics, machine learning for business (supervised learning, neural networks, and deep learning), computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP).

The program spans over nine months and is designed for individuals who have already completed a diploma or a degree and are interested in making a career in human resource management. The students learn how to create employee retention programs, deal with workplace conflicts, employee compensation packages, and plan staffing levels, hiring selection criteria and performance management policies.

The students enrolled under this program take a ten-week Business Consulting Project in their final term, where students spend two days a week in developing a solution to real human resource issues companies’ face. They collect and analyze the data, create recommendations and then showcase their results to the senior management. 

International students should be aware that this program has a mandatory integrated work experience and you are responsible for ensuring that you hold a valid co-op work permit, which is required to complete this practicum. The co-op work permit is separate from the study permit for having authorization to work up to 20 hours per week during your studies.

The demand for qualified financial planners is high, so if you’re interested in investments and working with people, this diploma program can help you move into a successful, rewarding career.
By focusing your training at BCIT in this two-year diploma program, you’ll be 100% prepared to start work in investment and financial planning upon graduation. And with our strong mentorships, networking opportunities, and focus on practical, useable skills, many students have job offers even before graduation.

Program Highlights

• Focused on practical training for financial and investment planning and advising
• Strong industry connections and networking opportunities
• After graduation, transition to the workforce or apply to complete your Bachelor of Business Administration degree at BCIT with full-time or part-time evening courses

Find more details of how you’ll be prepared for success upon graduation in the Program Details.

Who should apply for the Financial Planning Diploma?
This program might be right for you if you:

• Are service-focused
• Enjoy interacting with people
• Have high emotional intelligence
• Have an interest in investments
• Enjoy forecasting and problem solving

Industrial Instrumentation and Process Control Technicians apply, install, repair, calibrate and tune those measurement and control instruments that are used in industrial manufacturing processes. Students will learn to program computerized control, programmable logic controllers, and microprocessor instrumentation and install and maintain all of the field instruments that these computerized controllers rely on. These job skills are essential for employment in instrumentation.

The Program
The Industrial Instrumentation and Process Control Technician program stresses practical, hands-on experience to complement theory. This program will appeal to learners who are interested in working with mechanical and electronic equipment.

Half of the students' time is spent performing hands-on activities using the same equipment that is found in industry. The result is a very job-ready graduate, who can step into a position in one of many related fields, or transition into an apprenticeship at an advanced level with an industry sponsor.

Are you passionate about working outdoors and interested in the management of trees, vegetation & forest ecosystems? The Forest and Natural Areas Management (FNAM) program is a two-year diploma program with a focus on forestry, vegetation management, arboriculture for supporting sustainable community development in both rural and urban environments.

The program gives you a strong foundation in ecology, earth sciences, mapping, surveying & measurements. You will learn skills and training in silviculture, forest inventory, forest engineering, fire & forest health management, and urban forestry. Our programs unique focus natural areas in urban & interface environments provide you with skills in the management of trees, invasive species & soil resources. The breadth of technical and field-based skills you acquire also relevant to many other natural resource sectors.

Why is forest management important?
Management of forest resources in today’s world means managing forest ecosystems. Forestry practices must integrate field skills, scientific knowledge and technology in an ecological framework, to produce various goods and services. It involves assessing the health of forests with respect to insects and disease, planning revegetation strategies, and using technology to map and track forest inventories. But it is also about considering the interests of other resource users, while ensuring future generations can equally benefit from our forests. Forest ecosystems provide major economic, social & ecological benefits to communities, businesses & First Nations throughout British Columbia. Almost 60% of the land in British Columbia is forested – stewardship of these lands is no small feat. Are you up for the challenge?

What is natural areas management?
With increasing urbanization, forests and natural areas in and around our communities are growing in importance. People value natural areas for recreation, aesthetics and psychological well-being. But natural areas also provide important ecological services, like habitat for wildlife, promotion of biodiversity, storm-water flood mitigation & heat wave moderation. Whether you’re assessing urban trees, reducing wildfire risk around communities, or managing invasive plants, the role of a natural areas manager is diverse. It also requires an integration of skills, from community planning, to vegetation management & urban forestry.

What are some key skills FNAM students learn?

• Identify, describe, measure and interpret ecosystems and associated components including landforms, vegetation, soils, geomorphology, aquatic ecosystems, forest stand attributes and wildlife habitat
• Collect field data in both urban and rural environments and create technical reports, spreadsheets and digital maps using industry standard software (such as GIS & GPS) including the use of leading technology
• Apply vegetation management techniques for application in wildland and urban silviculture areas
• Analyze vegetation symptoms that relate to insects and diseases
• Design and implement sampling plans and techniques for resource inventories
• Assist in wildland and urban interface forest fire activities including suppression and hazard assessment
• Apply forest engineering principles to meet the objectives of operational plans and forest management objectives
• Communicate effectively in all aspects of natural resource management activities
• Apply principles of ethics and professionalism to day-to-day activities

Become a part of Canada’s premier environmental and restoration related programs. BCIT invites you to join one of the most unique educational models in Canada. In the time it takes to do a typical university degree, you can get two academic credentials; a Diploma in Fish, Wildlife and Recreation (FWR) or Forest and Natural Areas Management (FNAM) and a Bachelor's Degree in Ecological Restoration.

Completion of either of these two-year diploma programs (or similar programs elsewhere) will provide you with the strong foundation needed to apply for entry into BCIT’s Degree in Ecological Restoration. This degree, the first of its kind in Canada, provides world-class applied training on restoring the numerous damaged aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that exist across British Columbia, Canada, and around the world.

Ecological Restoration (ER) is a scientific discipline that has recently emerged due to the increasing need to restore damaged ecosystems. Restoration scientists and practitioners are ‘ecosystem physicians’ …. Doctors apply knowledge of physiology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and parasitology to address human health issues. ER practitioners apply knowledge of: ecology, hydrology, geochemistry, geomorphology, and engineering to address ecological health issues1. Natural habitats across the province have been severely impacted due to habitat destruction, urban sprawl, invasive species expansions, and direct damage due to industrial contamination of soils and aquatic resources. These factors combined with the resulting increase in number of threatened and endangered species have resulted in the strong need for ecosystem restoration work across the province and around the world.

The Bachelor Degree in Ecological Restoration provides graduates with a strong foundation in the methods available to restore a broad range of ecosystems that have been impacted by human influences in British Columbia, across Canada and in other parts of the world. Ecological Restoration graduates will not only bring skills and expertise to current employers but will also be leaders and innovators in this rapidly-developing industry.

These programs, in partnership with the newly established BCIT Rivers Institute, are widely renowned locally and internationally for their “?eld oriented” learning and applied research. The Rivers Institute plays a leadership role in the protection and restoration of rivers and provides support and mentoring to the next generation of river stewards. Working with our many diverse partners on a wide range of applied restoration projects, students gain extensive experience tackling some of the many environmental challenges facing local, regional, provincial and international communities.

The Bachelor of Technology in Computer Systems (CST BTech) is an applied career-enhancement degree, designed to increase the breadth and depth of knowledge and practical skills of computer professionals; assisting them in widening their career opportunities and advancing along their career paths. Graduates are awarded a credential that is highly valued by the industry.

The CST BTech full-time program is a two-year degree completion program for students who have graduated from a two-year diploma in computing, such as the BCIT Computer Systems Technology (CST) program. Students who have completed other computing diploma or degree programs at an accredited college or university, whether locally or internationally, may be admitted into the program by completing pre-entry assessment and a few bridging courses.

The Games Development Option is a multi-disciplinary program that combines creativity with advanced knowledge in a range of computer programming areas. It is designed to equip students with critical skills required to succeed in a fast-paced and rapidly growing industry. Students will learn advanced programming techniques, game design (including visuals and audio), higher level mathematics (3D graphics, calculus, analytical geometry, linear algebra), physics and artificial intelligence concepts. The program includes a variety of tools and frameworks used in industry such as Unity3D, and OpenGL. These tools and frameworks are put to practical use in the development, testing and management of game applications, ultimately culminating in a major project showcasing students’ skills.

Upon graduation, students will have developed skills that are highly marketable and transferable, giving them the flexibility to pursue careers in game development, as well as in other areas of software development such as a computer programmer or software engineer.

The Chemical and Environmental Technology diploma program offers the student a broad background in technology and skills that can be applied to many industries. Near the end of their first year in the program, students will choose one of two options: Analytical Science or Process Engineering. These options are not exclusive — all students will have enough exposure to both topic areas to qualify for a full spectrum of varied employment opportunities. Choosing an option allows students to pick an area of interest for increased emphasis while still keeping their future options open. 

Core courses
The first-year curriculum is common to both options and emphasizes environmental science, bioprocesses, materials technology, laboratory techniques and safety along with math and science basics. The student is also introduced to environmental science, materials technology, and a wide range of industrial chemical processes. The core second-year subjects for both options include several courses in environmental sampling and analysis, chemical engineering technology, instrumental analysis, physical chemistry, and statistics that will prepare students for employment in a broad range of industries and technical occupations. Students will participate in an industry-sponsored project (practicum or directed studies) in the second year of the program. This may involve work experience activities at the industry sponsor's regular place of business.

Analytical Science option
The Analytical Science option will be of interest to those students who would enjoy an increased emphasis on instrumental laboratory analysis, organic chemistry, environmental regulations, and science. The strong core courses will ensure that graduates have sufficient knowledge to compete for jobs in process areas too, if that later becomes their choice. It is anticipated that graduates who choose to continue into degree studies would be most likely to choose from BTech or BSc degrees.

The Electrical Power and Industrial Control option of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) program offers students a foundation in the technology used in utility, industrial, commercial and residential applications. Graduates will have strong theoretical and practical, hands-on knowledge in many areas, including:

• Power generation including renewable and conventional energy resources
• Electric machines (motors and generators) and their controls
• Power distribution design for utilities
• Industrial electrical systems and lighting design according to the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC)
• Measurement of power quality issues and how to solve them
• Troubleshooting and operation of electrical power equipment including transformers and switchgear
• Power systems protection including both legacy and modern protection system
• Field measurement and design for grounding and bonding systems
• Industrial data communications including traditional SCADA systems and new smart grid technologies
• Industrial power electronics including variable frequency drives, inverters and rectifiers
• Power conversion systems for renewable energy resources such as wind and solar
• Programmable logic controller (PLC) system design and programming
• Managing and completing student-initiated or industry-sponsored projects in small groups

Co-operative education:
Co-operative education is an optional part of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology programs. Students who successfully complete a minimum of two co-op terms receive a co-operative education designation on their diploma.
During a co-op term, you will have a full-time paid position with an employer in the electronics industry for a period of 15 to 20 weeks. You must complete Level 2 of the program before taking a co-op term, and co-op terms may be taken consecutively.
The industrial experience you will gain in the co-op component of the program will give you an added advantage in securing a position after graduation. You are encouraged, but not required, to participate in co-operative education.