Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician

at Conestoga College - Waterloo Campus Canada

This two-year graduate certificate is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge to effectively initiate, plan, control and commission construction projects. Students will study the investment appraisal of development projects; planning, scheduling, budgeting and control of construction project; and soft skills related to effective leadership, communication and negotiation. Students will learn to integrate construction methods, building code, and lean construction techniques into their projects. Learning will be enhanced through the use of case studies, group work and field trips. The capstone project will enable students to apply, integrate and synthesize knowledge learned into a real-world project. The co-op or guided career management term will provide students with an opportunity to apply and practice knowledge and skills in preparation for the work environment. This program will prepare students to take various professional certification exams with main focus on CAPM (Certified Associate Project Manager), PMP (Project Management Professional), PQS (Professional Quantity Surveyor designation) and Gold Seal certification. The optional co-op stream includes one co-op work term instead of the Guided Career Management course. A laptop is required for in-class assignments and project work.

Note: This program is designed for international students wishing to pursue studies in the field of construction management.

This program will teach the practical and scientific knowledge needed to understand small-scale artisanal cheese production as well as larger scale manufacturing. It offers a whole system perspective on cheese making, from animal husbandry and welfare, forage and feed, dairy production, and milk quality. The program covers both the science and art of cheese making by exploring raw and pasteurized milk theory, cheese microbiology, coagulants, curdling mechanisms, and starters. In-classroom theory sessions as well as hands-on and observational cheese making, will focus on the production of lactic, hard, soft, and traditional cheeses. After learning to make cheeses, focus shifts to affinage, with attention to ripening cultures, climate control, rind treatment, and handling throughout the aging process.

Computer Programming and Analysis is a three-year advanced diploma program in which students learn the latest skills needed by developers in industry. The program emphasizes problem-solving skills using the latest versions of Microsoft, Oracle, Java and open-source software to develop enterprise, internet and mobile applications. Object-oriented analysis, design, agile methodologies and programming techniques are mastered and applied throughout the program.Students learn through a combination of theory and practice, applying their knowledge to hands-on assignments and challenging projects. Complementary courses in areas such as mathematics, accounting and communications support the core IT courses. All of these skills are then applied to a capstone group project in the last term in which students can build a major business application for a local business, providing them with a realistic, practical experience. The optional co-op stream includes four consecutive four-month work terms. 

Reporting Systems and Database Development
Learn how to manage and interpret data into meaningful, actionable reporting. Reporting Systems Development requires both breadth of technology awareness, as well as organizational and operational skills. This two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program delivers hands-on experiential practices and techniques commonly employed in the dynamic field of data management. Become qualified for the following career opportunities: Data Systems Manager, IT Manager, Senior Data Officer, Reporting Team Lead, and many more. You will gain valuable skills and knowledge in systems (desktop and server), databases, reporting solutions, visualization, cloud technologies, and web analytics while acquiring foundational knowledge in data ethics, formal report requirements, and IT security.

Computer Applications Development
This one-year, full-time, graduate certificate program provides students with a broad business and technical background in computer applications, database applications, data communications, programming, data design and systems analysis and design. This program provides the student with programming experience and the skills necessary to analyze and design Information Technology (IT) based solutions.In the Computer Applications Development program, students benefit from specialized courses taught by highly qualified industry experts.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing
Information Technology is an ever-changing field with two of these new areas of expertise being Virtualization and Cloud Computing. Organizations have started to replace physical computers (servers and desktops) in their organizations with ‘virtual machines’. The virtualization strategy allows companies to replace existing hardware driving cost savings and reduction of infrastructure support. Furthering this, companies are also starting to purchase or lease cloud services as a means of provisioning services without any onsite installations of hardware. In order to help organizations succeed, specialist skills in these fields are required. This two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program concentrates on hands-on experiential practices and techniques commonly employed in Virtualization and Cloud Computing. You will gain valuable skills and knowledge in systems, infrastructure services, cloud technologies, as well as systems architecture methodologies. Graduates will have the skills required to move into more senior IT and Data Centre positions.

Information Technology Network Security
Information technology and network infrastructure are targets for malicious activity on a regular basis. News reports about data breaches, security violations, privacy failures and other infrastructure failures highlight a growing threat to business and personal information. This one-year, full-time, graduate certificate program is designed to address this growing threat to our network infrastructure. It will provide students with the security background in network technologies, computing hardware, operating and protocols, to harden and further secure such systems from attack. Students will learn to identify threats through audits and supporting technical methods, as well as evaluate and develop appropriate policies to support a strong organizational security posture. This program offers skills that allow graduates to evaluate risk and design infrastructure solutions that keep a business’s code, data and network systems safe.

The Health Care Administration and Service Management program will provide those with health-care credentials with leadership theories and practical applications specific to the health-care environment. The curriculum is geared toward providing a wide base of professional skills in a health-care context such as finance, communication, human resources, leadership, operations, and critical thinking.

The Early Childhood Education Fast Track (International) program is designed for international students whose first language is not English. Students with international credentials in education or related fields will build on their existing knowledge and experience in order to develop skills and knowledge necessary to work as early childhood educators. Graduates of the Early Childhood Education Fast Track program will be eligible for registration with the provincial College of Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) which will provide employment opportunities in child development centres, kindergarten classrooms, licensed early years programs, and community agencies. This program is enhanced with specific language courses that focus on professional and practice skills for the Canadian workplace. Through interactive classroom learning and integrative field placement experiences, students will develop skills that will enable them to work in collaboration with families, colleagues and communities for the purpose of designing, implementing and evaluating inclusive play-based early learning programs. Building on a thorough understanding of child development and principles of responsive practice, students will work in partnership with college-operated child development centres, kindergarten classrooms, licensed early learning and care programs and community agencies in order to integrate classroom theory and practice in meaningful and engaging ways.

Information Technology Infrastructure

Information technology workers need a broad range of practical skills to enhance concepts and principles that are often the focus of post-secondary study. This two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program concentrates on hands-on application of network and systems administration practices and techniques commonly employed in modern IT enterprise infrastructure management.
Students will gain valuable skills and knowledge in the deployment and configuration of network operating systems (desktop and server), infrastructure services and network technologies. Students will also acquire foundational knowledge to work towards challenging professional certification exams from various organizations. Graduates of this program will have the skills required to move into IT administration positions or transition into more advanced graduate studies in areas such as security, networking and operations.

Wireless Network Infrastructure

This program prepares graduates with degrees or diplomas in telecommunications, electronics, or computer engineering/technology for work in emerging fields in the wireless telecommunications industry. Students will enhance their undergraduate knowledge with practical skills that include the use of industry standard tools (drivetest tools, propagation tools, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, etc.), and the techniques required for success in the wireless industry. Students will broaden their familiarity with troubleshooting and the configuration of local area and wide area networks (LANs and WANs) and networking topics relevant to telecom carriers including virtual private networks, quality of service, and others. Cutting-edge topics which include long term evolution (LTE) and 5th generation wireless networks, high bandwidth wireless (WiGig+) and concurrent MIMO systems, will ensure that graduates will be in high demand. Additional topics will be chosen according to relevance including spectrum utilization and associated network design, IP-based wireless systems, enterprise WiFi, Bluetooth, intra-vehicular communication systems used in emerging auto designs (such as used for self-driving cars) and IoT (Internet of Things).

Computer Applications Development
This one-year, full-time, graduate certificate program provides students with a broad business and technical background in computer applications, database applications, data communications, programming, data design and systems analysis and design. This program provides the student with programming experience and the skills necessary to analyze and design Information Technology (IT) based solutions.In the Computer Applications Development program, students benefit from specialized courses taught by highly qualified industry experts. The optional co-op stream includes one co-op work term.

Big Data Solution Architecture
Companies that embrace modern information technology must deal with very large amounts of data. This “Big Data” often shows patterns and trends on which to make good business decisions. To support Business Analysts, students in this program focus on the collection, processing and presentation of these large data sets. Developing skills in solution development, database design (both SQL and NoSQL), data processing, data warehousing and data visualization help build a solid foundation in this important support role. Through applied learning techniques such as problem-based learning, students will be able to apply their learning to real world problems. The optional co-op stream includes one co-op work term.

Information Technology Infrastructure

Information technology workers need a broad range of practical skills to enhance concepts and principles that are often the focus of post-secondary study. This two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program concentrates on hands-on application of network and systems administration practices and techniques commonly employed in modern IT enterprise infrastructure management.
Students will gain valuable skills and knowledge in the deployment and configuration of network operating systems (desktop and server), infrastructure services and network technologies. Students will also acquire foundational knowledge to work towards challenging professional certification exams from various organizations. Graduates of this program will have the skills required to move into IT administration positions or transition into more advanced graduate studies in areas such as security, networking and operations.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Information Technology is an ever-changing field with two of these new areas of expertise being Virtualization and Cloud Computing. Organizations have started to replace physical computers (servers and desktops) in their organizations with ‘virtual machines’. The virtualization strategy allows companies to replace existing hardware driving cost savings and reduction of infrastructure support. Furthering this, companies are also starting to purchase or lease cloud services as a means of provisioning services without any onsite installations of hardware. In order to help organizations succeed, specialist skills in these fields are required. This two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate program concentrates on hands-on experiential practices and techniques commonly employed in Virtualization and Cloud Computing. You will gain valuable skills and knowledge in systems, infrastructure services, cloud technologies, as well as systems architecture methodologies. Graduates will have the skills required to move into more senior IT and Data Centre positions.