Graduate Certificate in Paralegal

at Durham College - Oshawa Campus Canada

For those who are passionate about the environment and want to dedicate their work to preserving and protecting our earth, air and water, this program provides a diverse and rewarding career path. As an environmental technologist, you will spend your days outdoors conducting critical monitoring, sampling and surveying before returning to the lab to perform your analyses and the office to record and tabulate data. Whether advising organizations on best practices or holding them accountable for poor ones, your work will be vital to ensuring the health of our communities and planet.

If you are a domestic or internationally educated student with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, you may be eligible for a compressed, fast-track opportunity to complete your advanced diploma requirements in two semesters.

The Environmental Technology program focuses on the chemical and biological sciences as they relate to environmental pollution. An emphasis is placed on ground and surface water quality, soil and waste management and recycling in urban and industrial settings. You will also examine environmental regulations and review their social and economic impacts on communities.

Training and experience in the handling, analysis and monitoring of a wide variety of biological and chemical parameters linked to pollution are at the heart of the program. First-hand field and laboratory experience is emphasized in areas such as:

• Analytical chemistry
• Data collection
• Environmental stewardship management
• Instrumental analysis
• Microbiology

Environmental problems and concerns are constantly changing and at Durham College we aim to adapt in order to stay at the leading edge of these changes. Statistics Canada has identified environmental technology as one of the top emerging employment sectors.

This fast-track option is designed for students with existing academic credentials and will provide you with the advanced skills necessary for employment in the environmental field. The program provides technical practice with many opportunities for hands-on experience and project-based learning.

Helping people of all ages to engage in recreation and leisure programs and events is at the heart of a career in recreation and leisure. This program provides you with the skills and experience to start your career in government, non-profit and commercial recreation organizations. You will learn how to use industry-standard records management software. With an interesting blend of management training, program and event planning, implementation, and evaluation, and customer service, recreation and leisure professionals provide healthy, well-rounded lifestyle opportunities for community members to connect, play, and grow.

This popular program provides students with the leadership skills and training required to strategically plan, implement, evaluate and manage programs for community members of all ages and abilities, prepare budgets, raise funds, manage staff, and market activities with teams of volunteers and other recreation and leisure service providers.
As a graduate, you can pursue an exciting and rewarding career offering recreation programs to community members of all ages and abilities. As such, you will study:

• Community development
• Facility management
• Fundraising for sport
• Outdoor recreation
• Program and event management
• Recreation for diverse populations

You will have the opportunity to obtain HIGH FIVE certifications in Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD) and Quality Experience Scanning Tool 2 (QUEST 2) from Parks and Recreation Ontario, as well as other workshops and certifications embedded within the program. In addition, you will learn about Active Network and Intelligenz recreation management software, which is used extensively in the Canadian recreation industry.

The ability to resolve conflict is a 21st-century skill required for success in today’s workforce. Trained dispute resolution professionals are in demand across many careers. Students in this program develop a range of alternative dispute resolution, conflict analysis and conflict communication skills. Our graduates are prepared to negotiate and resolve conflict, in both formal and informal situations, within businesses, communities and families. This program has the unique advantage of providing a highly relevant experiential learning opportunity to students as they run their own conflict resolution service on campus. This hands-on practice can enhance on-the-job effectiveness and ensure our students are ready to handle diverse dispute scenarios, giving our graduates a competitive edge. This program is approved by ADRIO and OAFM, and 92 per cent of our students said the program gave them knowledge and skills that will be useful in their future career.

This program is approved by the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO) and students in the program receive a 16-month student membership with ADRIO. This program is also approved by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM).

This program is designed for students with previous education. Please see the entrance requirements section of this page for more detail.

If you are a university or college graduate or a  professional wishing to gain additional conflict resolution skills, as well as an Ontario college graduate certificate, this program will provide you with the tools, knowledge, and practice to effectively negotiate, analyse and resolve conflict in various settings such as:

• Workplace
• Family
• Community
• Education
• Health care
• Human resources
• Justice
• Advocacy

This program also offers an experiential learning component that enables you to participate in the operation of Campus Conflict Resolution Services.

Dental office administrators play a vital role that enhances operations in the dental setting such as processing information, utilizing paper and electronic management systems, scheduling, financial records and proficient interpersonal skills. They create a connection between clients and dentists by coordinating requests from both parties. This program combines academic study and practical applications to provide a graduate with the skills, knowledge and professionalism to manage dental office business applications, software and communications for a client-centered practice. Graduates are eligible to write a certification examination through the Ontario Dental Assistants Association. Durham College’s Dental programs are highly regarded within dental communities.

This joint Durham College (DC) and Ontario Tech University (Ontario Tech) diploma-to-degree program will enable you to earn two credentials in only four years. Experience the best of both learning environments while on the journey to a rewarding career in finance. Build a solid foundation in business as well as training in various areas of financial planning, investments, and life and health insurance, using the latest technology in combination with the most current business and IT trends.

Students will be prepared to write the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) Global Education Inc. exam, the professional designation of Chartered Financial Analysts, the Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC)® exam to be eligible for mutual fund licensing, as well as the Canadian Securities Course (CSC)® exams to be eligible for a securities license. The external industry licencing exams, fees and the requirements for each designation/certification are set by the granting body, not DC or Ontario Tech. In order to qualify for any of these designations/certifications, students need to follow and meet the required processes.

The skills of Behavioural Science Technicians are increasingly in demand as Canada’s population continues to age, more people seek support for mental health and addictions, and diagnosed cases of Autism Spectrum disorder continue to rise. If you have an interest in human behaviour and a desire to help others improve their quality of life, then this interdisciplinary program is for you.

Through a comprehensive mix of theoretical, research and applied courses, you will develop in-demand professional competencies that link the science, clinical, communication and ethical aspects of behavioural science.

You will gain knowledge and skills of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to support clients from various age groups.  You will  learn how to assist with behavioural assessments and contribute to the design and application of behaviour change plans for clients with developmental disabilities, autism, acquired brain injuries, dementia and other conditions associated with aging.   

Graduates will enter the field with the ability to engage in ethical decision-making and collaborate with other professionals when providing behavioural treatment. Behavioural Science Technicians are employed in a variety of settings related to education, family support services, mental health treatment and gerontology.

Quality early childhood education (ECE) is critical in preparing children for future learning. As an early childhood educator, you will have an integral role in promoting children’s development from birth to age 12 within the following five domains: cognitive, social, emotional, language and physical. In the ECE program, you will engage in theoretical studies along with practical applications. Moreover, professional practice and ethics will guide you in working with families, understanding pedagogy and fostering belonging and well-being in children. Upon completion of your program, you will apply to the College of Early Childhood Educators, the provincial regulatory body, to become a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) in Ontario.

Accredited by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), this program qualifies graduates to apply to write the LSO’s licensing examination, successful completion of which qualifies the graduate to become an LSO member as a professional, licensed paralegal. Unique to Ontario, the paralegal profession was established to provide affordable legal representation and access to the justice system for people who find themselves facing charges under provincial law or some Criminal Code provisions; those who require legal assistance in dealing with government agencies and tribunals in areas such as human rights, social assistance, immigration and workers compensation; and those who are embroiled in disputes involving residential tenancies or small claims court.

Whether you provide paralegal services in your own professional capacity, as a member of a law or paralegal firm, or as an employee of a government agency, your passion and integrity combined with extensive skills and knowledge, will make you the ideal legal representative for those challenged by the law.

Our well-equipped microbiology, chemical analysis, product development, and food processing facilities provide our students with hands-on experience in the methods and instrumentation used in the food science, cosmetics, natural health product, and cannabis industries.  Our students learn the theory of and perform experiments mirroring industry procedures and protocols to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to work in these high-demand industries.

During placement, students have the opportunity to gain experience at partner organizations, including food manufacturers, microbiology laboratories, analytical testing facilities and ingredient suppliers.

Graduates are employed in both the public and private sectors including:

• Bakeries, confectioners, pasta and snack food manufacturers
• Brewers, winemakers and beverage manufacturers
• Dairy, meat, seafood and canning processors
• Food additives and flavour manufacturers
• Government agencies
• Packaging, ingredient, and equipment suppliers
• Consumer health products manufacturers
• Research establishments and universities
• Third party testing labs

This program has broad career prospects and a graduate may become a(n)

• Food safety technologist
• Quality assurance technologist
• Quality control technologist
• Microbiology technologist
• Food or cosmetic manufacturing technologist
• Food product development technologist
• Instrumentation technologist
• Analytical Chemist

From magazine ads and interactive graphics to book covers and digital signage, graphic designers have the power to express emotions, influence decisions and bring ideas to life. Students learn to design and produce logos, brochures, magazine layouts and annual reports. Graduates of this program create advertising and branding campaigns, corporate identity systems, and packaging prototypes. They develop two and three-dimensional illustrations and produce integrated media content for the web.

NOTE: Students enrolling in this program are required to purchase their own laptop.

This program prepares graduates for work as entry-level designers. Students learn skills required to solve specific visual problems through practical work that covers a broad spectrum of visual communication in corporate, editorial, advertising and package design. The program of studies in first year includes:

• Design concepts
• Digital technology
• Drawing
• Fundamentals of design
• Typography

Your second and third year will give you an opportunity to apply these principles to a variety of design problems.

Other areas of study include:

• Advertising
• Branding
• Editorial and corporate design
• History of art
• History of graphic design
• Packaging
• Photography

You will spend your sixth semester off campus as an intern at a design or in-house studio. As a graduating student, you will have the opportunity to display design projects from your Portfolio Studies course at an annual student spring exhibit in Toronto.

Career options:

• Art director
• Creative director
• Digital art director
• Digital production designer
• Freelance graphic designer
• Graphic designer
• Marketing co-ordinator
• Production artist
• Prepress technician
• Web designer