Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts

at Durham College - Oshawa Campus Canada

As one of the top ten in demand professions in Canada, public relations professionals, including communications and media relations specialists, share vital messages through attention-grabbing writing, video, social media, special events and fundraising campaigns. Regardless of the field – sports, fashion, music, television or health-care – a creative PR professional is an essential part of any successful business or non-profit organization. In this growing industry our graduates are highly sought after and enjoy a wide range of career opportunities. The hands-on curriculum includes two unique field placements. Durham College is the only compressed program in Ontario, which allows graduates to enter the workforce in just two calendar years.

Human resources (HR) professionals work in partnership with business managers to take care of the company’s largest asset – its employees. To help a business run, HR staff provide advice to department supervisors on a range of employee relations issues; design and deliver a range of programs and services focused on individual and team needs; and create company policies that support and promote a workplace culture based on fairness, equity and personal growth. You will acquire skills in the effective use of industry-standard software and learn from professors who are connected to industry. As a student, you will have the opportunity to interact directly with industry professionals and to participate in hands-on learning opportunities.

This two-year diploma program includes courses that qualify towards the academic component of either the Certified Human Resources Professional Designation (CHRP) designation granted by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA). Additional courses are required to meet the full academic component of these professional certifications.

Human resources (HR) professionals serve as strategic partners in today’s business environment. They work closely with management colleagues at all levels of a company on a variety of project-based and proactive initiatives. Many roles are performed by HR professionals including the following:

• Advocating on a variety of staff issues
• Developing and implementing company policies, procedures, programs and services
• Giving advice and counsel to corporate executives, line managers and employees

This program will develop your skills, knowledge and abilities in the following areas:

• Compensation management
• Computer applications for HR professionals
• Intro to HR management
• Organizational behaviour for HR professionals
• Recruitment and selection
• Training and development

This two-year diploma program includes courses that qualify towards the academic component of the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.  Additional courses are required to meet the full academic component of this professional certification.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Participate in the recruitment, selection, and retention of employees.
2. Participate in performance management processes.
3. Participate in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of employee orientation, training, and development programs.
4. Contribute to an organisation's success through effective employee relations.
5. Assist with the administration and communication of the organisation's total compensation plan.
6. Participate in organisational health and safety policies and practices.
7. Apply current and emerging information technologies to support the human resources function.
8. Implement organisational development strategies aimed at promoting organisational effectiveness.
9. Communicate human resources information accurately and credibly in oral, written, and graphic form.
10. Plan and act on personal professional development plans to achieve ongoing competence in human resources professional practice.
11. Identify the human resources component of a business plan.
12. Assist in the collection and analysis of human resources data.

As more organizations rely on data to drive corporate planning and decision-making, increasingly sophisticated business intelligence and data tools are being used to meet the need for extensive data collection and manipulation. This allows industry to quickly respond to organizational and market opportunities. The Data Analytics for Business Decision Making graduate certificate will prepare you for a career in this high-demand area by teaching you the knowledge and skills that you need to support real-world business decision-making and planning through data insights, data management and data science.

The Esthetician – Spa Management program uses a holistic approach to teach students the skills required to build a career in the growing spa industry. If you love working with people and have a desire to help individuals boost their self-esteem, this program will provide you the skills, confidence and experience to hit the ground running. By focusing on techniques in the areas of manicure and pedicure technologies, waxing, facials, body treatments, as well as makeup corrective techniques, you will benefit from a hands-on learning approach, and have the opportunity to hone your skills in the fully operational DC Spa. Open to the public, the DC Spa features state-of-the-art learning facilities and equipment to provide you with real-life work experience.

Our Esthetician - Spa Management program provides vocational hands-on skills plus business management training so you can be job-ready upon graduation. Hands-on courses focus on manicure and pedicure technologies, waxing, body treatments and facial techniques, which include medical esthetic technologies.  Business training includes: retail operations and spa management, communications, spa marketing and client-care protocols.  You will gain real-world experience during your onsite Durham College Spa work placement, where you will deliver spa services to the public while planning, organizing, controlling and leading day-to-day retail operations, spa marketing strategies and managerial duties.

In order to participate in the lab component of the program uniforms must be worn at all times.  Students must meet the pre-lab requirements in order to receive their uniform.

Whether you’re interested in a career in health care, rehabilitation or social services, the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTPA) program will prepare you to work with clients of all ages with a variety of physical, cognitive, emotional and developmental conditions. Working under the guidance of a registered occupational therapist and/or physiotherapist, you will maximize physical function and occupational performance to promote increased daily functioning and overall well-being for your clients. Hands-on labs begin in semester one where you learn and practice therapy skills in small groups to prepare you for success in the field. This program offers close to 600 clinical hours in a range of unique and diverse placement settings. Our new onsite living lab provides realistic simulations that transform classroom knowledge into the practical skills required for the field.

In this two-year program you will learn to assist with the implementation of rehabilitation treatment plans and programs across the lifespan, from children to older adults, and throughout the continuum of care. Our faculty team brings a wide variety of clinical experiences and expertise to ensure you are well-prepared for your future career in rehabilitation.

Program highlights:

• Hands-on labs begin in semester one where you learn and practice therapy skills in small groups to prepare you for success in the field
• Close to 600 hours of fieldwork experience, offering diverse placement settings
• Theory and labs specializing in teaching the knowledge and skills necessary to treat clients with a wide variety of musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, respiratory and complex conditions
• Our new on-site living lab provides the opportunity to practice clinical skills and scenarios in a realistic environment
• Focus on development of professional skills throughout the program, including effective verbal and written communication strategies
• Collaborations with community partners and other disciplines allow students the opportunity to experience  interprofessional  rehabilitation and further develop team-work and communication skills

Are you looking to start your own business? Entrepreneurship and small business development are vital components of economic growth in Canada with 75 per cent of all new jobs being created in the small business sector. You will learn and work with industry-experienced professors and business professionals as your mentors who have started and run successful businesses. This program will help prepare you to launch your business with business industry connections and a complete business plan the day you finish.

Most consumer products are created in a laboratory or industrial setting where the quality of the raw materials is monitored. Chemical laboratory technicians work in a supporting role using testing methodologies to assure quality with chemical manufacturers, pharmaceutical and food ingredient companies, energy producers and the emerging green product sector. One of the few two-year science-based diploma programs at Ontario colleges, the Chemical Laboratory Technician program will provide you with foundational knowledge in many different disciplines to open the door to the career of your dreams.

Students spend almost half of their course time in the laboratories, learning to operate state-of-the-art analytical instruments such as gas chromatographs, atomic absorption spectrometers and fluorometers, while building core wet chemistry skills. Once you have successfully completed the first year, or the entire two-year diploma, there is also the opportunity to specialize towards a specific industry by completing the remaining coursework for some of our three-year advanced diplomas.

An education in journalism provides excellent training in critical thinking, writing and presenting ideas while preparing students for one of the most interesting careers imaginable. Armed with very transferable knowledge, skills and experience, journalism graduates go on to write and deliver stories on all written and broadcast platforms. Students also develop an array of social media skills and undergo experiential learning through the program’s ‘working newsroom’, before moving on to a seven-week field placement, applying their skills in a professional environment. Students taking the Journalism advanced diploma program will have an additional four-week field placement at the end of the sixth semester.

This program embraces the broad changes occurring in the media landscape and offers a progressive curriculum that will allow you to focus on development of journalism, social media skills and content creation on all platforms – online, print and broadcast. Students in the Journalism – Mass Media program will develop the essential skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to work in this progressive, critical profession. In their first year, students are introduced to the core journalism skills and learn how society functions both locally and globally. In their second year, students focus on creating content for all media platforms and undergoing experiential learning through our ‘working newsroom’'.

Due to the constant evolution of technology and the increasing development of new platforms of communication, traditional media professions such as journalism are facing new opportunities, as well as new challenges. Changes in the delivery methods of traditional news have forced journalists and others within the journalism industry to change how they do their jobs. For instance, journalists can now collect information with their phones and deliver stories directly to multiple platforms.

Graduates will have developed skills in: broadcasting, reporting, interviewing, editing, writing, content creation and media production, teamwork and critical thinking. You will have knowledge of applicable legislation, standards and professional ethics, and recognize the importance of continuous learning. More specifically, you will gain a clear understanding of the impact of digital technology on journalism and will be able to respond and adapt effectively and efficiently to technological changes.

Upon successful completion of this program you will have opportunities at an entry-level in a wide variety of news organizations and as content creators for a variety of private companies and public organizations, such as school boards, hospitals and governments. Graduates will have the skills to perform a range of tasks, including:
Writing local, national and international news through interviews and research

• Writing news stories for publication and/or broadcast
• Editing, analyzing and verifying information for accuracy
• Researching and conducting interviews for broadcast, online and print
• Applying production skills and using equipment to create content for a range of platforms
• Using social media platforms to engage audiences
• Planning and designing editorial content to meet a mass communications strategy for a client

Durham’s Journalism – Mass Media program has successfully covered the campus and community since 1974. It has an ongoing history of excellence, winning Ontario Community Newspaper Association honours on a regular basis. Our graduates have a track record of producing quality work across Canada – for news organizations such as CBC, CTV and TSN and in communities from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Grads have also earned careers as content creators and social media coordinators for companies, agencies and institutions.

It is estimated that about one per cent of Canada’s population has a developmental disability, requiring support from people who are interested in making a difference in the lives of others through advocacy and education. Developmental service workers are fully committed to ensuring that people with developmental disabilities receive the support they need to lead fulfilling lives as active members of their communities.
A developmental service worker (DSW) supports people in all stages of life who have a developmental disability. They focus on helping people experience satisfying and rich quality of lives as active and valued members of their communities. DSWs have core values which focus on social justice, empowerment, dignity, self-worth, human relationships and integrity.As a student in this program, you will learn how to develop and implement support plans that encourage the development of meaningful and relevant skills, self determination, full community participation and healthy lifestyles. You will also learn how to support families in which a member has a development disability. Finally you will learn the skills necessary to advocate with and for people with developmental disabilities.

As the only one of its kind in Ontario, the Law Clerk Advanced program will help you gain experience in both foundational areas of law such as corporate, litigation, family and real estate, as well as specialized areas such as securities, intellectual property, employment and immigration law to prepare you for a rewarding and successful career. Whether you want to be a law clerk in a law office, a corporate legal department or a government agency, you’ll have the skills needed for a successful career.  The demand for graduates has never been greater with over 50% of students routinely securing full-time employment before classes even finish!

Co-operative education (co-op)
The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

Students in the Law Clerk – Advanced Diploma program will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first academic semester. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive. Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete two four-month, paid work terms totalling 840 hours. Work terms are scheduled between semesters two and three and four and five of the program.

Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions.