Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design

at Humber College North Campus Canada

In Humber's Media Foundation certificate program, you will develop foundational knowledge and skills in digital media, communications, writing, and design, as preparation for further study in advanced media programs in Humber's Faculty of Media & Creative Arts. Your media training and in-studio work on media arts will thoroughly ground you in foundational theory, and you will use up-to-date, industry-standard software to create various media content. 

This program is designed with input from industry partners, and is taught by faculty with strong industry connections and experience who can give you valuable insights into the trends and realities of the media industry. In the first semester, you will develop strong skills for successful postsecondary learning while you are introduced to film studies, photography, communications and digital design. In your second and final semester, you will consolidate your general theoretical knowledge and practical skills in Visual Literacy and will build an area of focus by choosing four electives from Video Production, Script Writing, Audio and Video Editing, Television Studio Production, Media Communications, Image Capture, and Design for Media.

Designed for students who are new to postsecondary education and media, this two semester program will give you a broad understanding of what it is like to work in different sectors of the media industry, and will help you to develop a career focus in preparation for future learning and success in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Develop concepts and ideas through ideation processes to form the foundation of creative projects
• Employ appropriate media hardware and software applications and techniques to create and edit media content for a wide range of platforms
• Create original and accessible photographs, designs, videos and audio files using various tools, techniques and processes
• Write creative media content using various styles for an identified audience and purpose that meets industry standard
• Present ideas, information and projects verbally to an audience
• Research using current and relevant strategies to find information inspiration for projects
• Incorporate researched information and opinions into presentations, reports and projects using consistent and complete citations
• Analyze visual and written media content in context to determine meaning, effectiveness, audience and purpose
• Reflect on one’s own knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to develop a personal educational and career plan that aligns with the practices of media industries in Canada
• Collaborate within a media team to meet project goals, deadlines, industry standards and professional expectations

Humber’s Computer Programming and Analysis advanced diploma program is designed to prepare you for a wide variety of employment opportunities within the dynamic and ever-growing field of computer programming, software and web development and analysis.  

In addition to learning programming skills in a variety of languages, from Java and ASP.NET to PHP, Python and mobile programming (Android and iOS), the courses are designed to give students a solid foundation in theory and practice in web development and design, Oracle database management and administration, project management, technical writing, and all facets of information systems. This program also gives students the opportunity to study specialized topics such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing, IT security and big data. 

Students also learn about the standards of planning, developing, testing and deploying integrated software solutions. In addition to building collaborative and teamwork soft skills, this program prepares students for today's competitive job market. 

Graduates of this program are prepared to analyze business requirements and justify solutions for the improvement or automation of organizational and individual workflow. From developing and testing computer programs to ensuring secure implementation of integrated solutions, graduates of this program will be equipped with the up-to-date skills and knowledge to succeed in a broad range of employment settings, in a variety of sectors, and in both large and small organizations. 

Optional Co-op
This program offers a co-op option. Co-op work terms enable you to apply your skills and knowledge in a work environment and gain valuable, practical experience related to your program of study. You will learn new skills, learn about the world of work and meet people in your profession. 

For students who are accepted into the program, three co-op work terms will take place. The first four-month work term is between Semesters 3 and 4, and then two consecutive four-month work terms between Semesters 4 and 5.? There are limited spaces in the co-op option. Therefore, you will apply for the co-op option during Semester 1 and be informed of the process by which to apply.??While co-op work opportunities are not guaranteed, as students are in a competitive job placement market, participating students will receive a wide range of services to help them find a co-op opportunity. 

In Humber’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology advanced diploma program, you’ll learn how to support the engineering activities of manufacturers that rely increasingly on automation technology to maintain a competitive edge in the global economy. You will develop skills in industrial automation, robotics, control systems, machining, hydraulics, pneumatics, safety, mechatronics, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), automation welding, machine elements and computer-control methods. You will also learn to decipher mechanical and electrical schematic drawings, and use electrical and mechanical diagnostic tools.

Our program builds upon the solid technical foundation of the Technician program. The Technology graduate is prepared to enter a wider range of careers. The skills first learned in the Technician program are enhanced through project-based learning and increased hands-on practice in the labs.

Complementing your technical education are the effective communications, problem-solving and interpersonal skills that add value to any team. Coursework reflects real-world demands through independent and co-operative study in practical environments including experience with industrial standard equipment. The industry relevant curriculum is taught by faculty at the top of their fields to provide you with the skills and knowledge employers are looking for.

Our advisory committee provides regular review and input of our curriculum ensuring our program is always on the cutting edge of industry developments. The program offers an optional co-op placement.

Optional Co-op
This program offers a co-op option. Co-op work terms enable you to apply your skills and knowledge in a work environment and gain valuable, practical experience related to your program of study. You will learn new skills, learn about the world of work and meet people in your profession.

For students who are accepted into the program, three co-op work terms will take place. The first four-month work term is between Semesters 2 and 3, and then two consecutive four-month work terms between Semesters 4 and 5. There are limited spaces in the co-op option. Therefore, you will apply for the co-op option during Semester 1 and be informed of the process by which to apply. While co-op work opportunities are not guaranteed, as students are in a competitive job placement market, participating students will receive a wide range of services to help them find a co-op opportunity.

Humber’s Recreation and Leisure Services diploma program provides you with skills needed to start your career in government, not-for-profit and commercial recreation organizations. You will learn about recreation programming, special event management, staff management, facility operations, marketing and other services within the industry.

The curriculum is designed with industry collaboration, ensuring it is current and relevant. Within the program, students use ActiveNet software and PerfectMind, the most widely used registration management software in the recreation industry.

Students apply their skills by planning and implementing events for local community and charity organizations. A three-day leadership camp at the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre helps build communication and leadership skills while guest speakers, practical training and field trips provide added benefits in preparing you for the workplace.

Learning from professors, as well as managers and directors of recreation programs, centres and agencies will give you valuable exposure to the industry and training in current issues.

Work Placement

• Qualified students will complete a work placement in Semester 4 – three days per week for 15 weeks (total of 250 hours). The school works with the student to find a placement with an industry partner. The placement occurs across industry sectors including professional sport associations, community and amateur sport governing bodies, and private sector sport organizations. These placements provide valuable experience and industry contacts.

Industrial designers design products for consumers.  Examples include sports footwear, headphones, wearables and automobiles. Graduates of the program are in high demand for the practical skills gained through the program’s hands-on learning environment. These skills include sketching, digital graphic rendering, model-making and computer-aided design (CAD).  The program is project driven, and many of the design projects will involve industry collaboration to ensure real-world relevance.

Students elect a design specialization in Year 3 in one of:

• Automotive design
• Product design or
• Interaction design

Automotive designers design the appearance (styling) of motor vehicles including automobiles, motorcycles and off-road vehicles. Humber is the only industrial design program in Canada that offers an automotive design specialization. 
In product design, there is more emphasis on the method of finding a solution to a user’s problem in order to make doing a task easier or make the user experience with the product more satisfying.
Interaction design is a new offering in the program which recognizes that more and more physical products are integrating a digital component, including touch screens or voice activation.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Meet the professional criteria as established by the ACIDO Charter (The Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario), demonstrating core competencies in skills, knowledge and design methodology in industrial design meeting.
  • Design, document and communicate high quality interior design propositions of varying size, scope and complexity employing principles of evidence-based design methodology.
  • Explain how products work; how products can be made to work better for people; what makes a product useful, usable, and desirable; and how products are manufactured and serviced.
  • Select and employ appropriate visual languages to investigate, analyze, interpret, develop and articulate ideas for two and three-dimensional projects.
  • Produce sophisticated design proposals emphasizing three-dimensional quality of space achieved through architectural detailing.
  • Communicate concepts and requirements to other designers and colleagues who work with them, and to clients and employers. This need to communicate draws upon: verbal and written forms, two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, and levels of detailing ranging from sketching to engineering drawings.
  • Employ computer-aided drafting (CAD), computer-aided industrial design (CAID), and appropriate 2D and 3D graphic software to create graphic presentations and marketing materials.
  • Integrate sustainable practices in the design process and demonstrate leadership by educating users in these principles.
  • Analyze the complexity of forces – economic, political, physiological, sociological and technological – which influence the design of the physical environment.
  • Incorporate principles of user-centered design, human factors and ergonomics in design solutions.
  • Select appropriate methods and materials to achieve the technical functionality and aesthetically pleasing built environment.
  • Select the appropriate process(es) and materials for manufacture for a given production volume.
  • Support the marketing function with design strategy supported by graphic/3D materials.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between human behaviour and the built environment and the implications in preparing design solutions.
  • Assess the implications for interior design presented by key developments in current and emerging materials, media and technologies and in interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary design practice.
  • Source information on copyright, mechanical patents, and protection of intellectual property, as applied and practiced in the professional field of industrial design.
  • Develop a business case for and present design solutions to a variety of stakeholder in keeping with professional standards and practices.
  • Employ effective and professional communication skills and techniques to interact, negotiate and undertake collaborative efforts including meaningful discussion of one’s work in an open studio environment, with audiences, clients, markets, end-users and team members.
  • Work collaboratively with clients to develop an understanding of the product requirements, leading to a design brief.
  • Confidently employ appropriate professional accountability, personal and business ethics demonstrating competency of industry practices.
  • Work in a team effectively, utilizing skills of collaboration, negotiation, compromise and conflict resolution.
  • Employ appropriate conventions of measurement, scale, site measuring, drafting and volumetric manipulation through a variety of manual and digital modeling techniques.
  • Design to exceed the minimum standards of applicable laws, codes, regulations, and practices that protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
  • Speak clearly and persuasively for design concepts and resources.
  • Plan and manage projects, demonstrate good time management skills, be a self-starter, and show resourcefulness.
  • Employ both convergent and divergent thinking in the process of observation, investigation, speculative enquiry, ideation, rationalization and implementation of design solutions.
  • Source, navigate, select, retrieve, evaluate, manipulate and manage information from a variety of sources, both primary and secondary.
  • Conduct themselves with honesty and integrity, demonstrating professional accountability.
  • Employ a variety of methods of design to develop design solutions.
  • Analyze information and experiences in order to articulate an academically structured, sustained and well-supported argument supporting a design issue or creative interior design solution.
  • Identify and analyze the customer needs of an identified target market.
  • Find relevant information that informs the design process, employing a number of techniques and skills including: observation, expert interviews, market information, and various digital search techniques.
  • Employ a variety of ideation techniques, including: sketching, brainstorming, rapid sketching, analogy, metaphors, symbols, and form exploration/sketch modeling
  • Develop a design solution which meets users’ needs, derived from concept development, product aesthetics (form, color, texture, haptics) that reflects market trends, human factors (including ergonomics, user interaction, and safety), model making, materials and technology, sustainable design, manufacturing feasibility and design validation, and cost.
  • Demonstrate good problem solving abilities.
  • Develop creative and innovative solutions.
  • Demonstrate a strong aesthetic sensibility and style, resulting in design solutions with visual appeal.
  • Articulate a well-supported argument justifying a design concept or creative design solution.
  • Articulate the difference and relationship between a product’s form and function and the emotional and experiential needs it fulfills.
  • Articulate design strategy in the context of business strategy.

Work Placement

• This program includes a work placement of 420 hours in the summer between Year three and four.

Humber’s Building Construction Technician diploma program is one of three stackable programs within the Carpentry-Construction group. Along with the Carpentry and Renovation Techniques certificate and the Construction Engineering Technology advanced diploma, the program introduces students to the carpentry trade, gives practical experience with trade regulations and with best practices. Students will be able to move from this diploma program into the advanced diploma program. Additionally, Humber’s Carpentry and Renovation Technician diploma and Industrial Woodworking Technician diploma offer additional pathways and laddering opportunities.

You will learn worksite health and safety practices in accordance with legislation and regulations; and how to review building plans and complete work in compliance with contractual obligations, codes, applicable laws, bylaws, standards and ethical practices. Coursework will include sustainability practices.

You will learn to produce project sketches and documents in accordance with project specifications, assist in the preparation of estimations and to safely operate tools. You will be well-prepared for all building stages - from site layout and footings to the application of interior and exterior finishes.

Optional Co-op

This program offers a co-op option. A co-op work term enables you to apply your skills and knowledge in a work environment and gain valuable, practical experience related to your program of study. You will learn new skills, learn about the world of work and meet people in your profession.

For students who are accepted into the program, one co-op work term will take place between Semesters 2 and 3. There are limited spaces in the co-op option. Therefore, you will apply for the co-op option during Semester 1 and be informed of the process by which to apply.  While co-op work opportunities are not guaranteed, as students are in a competitive job placement market, participating students will receive a wide range of services to help them find a co-op opportunity.

Humber’s Electrical Engineering Technology – Control Systems advanced diploma program blends in-class, academic learning with hands-on laboratory work to prepare you for a career in electrical power and control systems engineering. In the third year of this program, you’ll learn advanced skills for a thorough academic and practical approach to the control of electrical equipment and industrial process instrumentation in automated manufacturing, processing, power systems and utilities industries.

Our curriculum, designed in collaboration with industry, focuses on programming software, feed-back control system and motor control, instrumentation and programmable logic controllers (PLCs), power electronics, power generation, transmission and distribution, power system design, human machine interface (HMI) design, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). Superior mathematics, physics and critical thinking skills will be es

Humber’s Electrical Engineering Technology – Control Systems advanced diploma program is designed in collaboration with an industry advisory panel ensuring you learn fundamental concepts and experience the latest technologies in this field. The program blends classroom theory with laboratory work on subjects such as electric devices, circuits, digital fundamentals, power generation and distribution, electrical computer-aided design (CAD), electrical codes, programming PLCs and industrial communications.

During the third year of this program, you’ll learn advanced skills to design, operate and maintain electrical equipment and instruments in automated manufacturing, environmental and power systems.

Our curriculum focuses on programming software, feed-back control systems, motor control, instrumentation, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), power electronics, power generation, transmission, distribution, power system design, human machine interface (HMI), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). 

The program builds upon the solid technical foundation of our diploma program, providing broader career options. The skills learned in this program are enhanced through project-based learning in a hands-on teaching and learning environment.

Optional Co-op
This program offers an optional co-op opportunity. Co-op work terms enable you to apply your skills and knowledge in a work environment and gain valuable and practical experience related to your program of study. You will improve personal and technical skills while expanding your professional network.

For students who are accepted into the program, three co-op work terms will take place. The first four-month work term is between Semesters 2 and 3, and then two consecutive four-month work terms occur between Semesters 4 and 5. While co-op work opportunities are not guaranteed, participating students will receive a wide range of services to help them find a co-op placement.

sential to your success. The program builds upon the solid technical foundation of our technician program, ensuring wider career options. The skills learned in the technical program are enhanced through project-based learning and increased hands-on practice in the labs.

Insurance has become an integral part of virtually everything we do in life and business. Roles within the insurance industry are many and varied. Whether you enjoy working with numbers, doing research, solving problems or working with people, you can find your specialty in insurance.

Humber’s Insurance Management – Property and Casualty graduate certificate program prepares you for a variety of entry level management career paths in the large and growing property and casualty insurance industry. Learn the fundamentals of the industry and its three main functional areas – underwriting, loss adjusting and agency/brokerage – and gain transferable skills in business communications, computer applications, insurance accounting and metrics, marketing, sales and customer service, project management and leadership. Employment-focused experiential learning helps you consider a variety of options, as you launch your career. 

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Differentiate the functions of and the relationships between various elements within the structure of the insurance industry in Canadian and global contexts in order to identify business opportunities, challenges and solutions.
• Use current and relevant insurance industry-specific terminology when communicating with stakeholders.
• Assess and manage the four major categories of risk (hazard, operational, financial and strategic) to determine insurance needs associated with specific cases.
• Apply best practices for risk management to finance the negative consequences of risk events in multifaceted situations.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations for management of hazards and risks faced by an organization.
• Evaluate the clauses, terms and conditions of various insurance policy wordings in order to determine the appropriate coverage according to defined risk tolerance levels.
• Adjust, negotiate and settle insurance claims to satisfy needs of claimants and providers.
• Provide rationale for the acceptance or rejection of an application for insurance to uphold efficacy of decision-making.
• Evaluate the needs of a commercial and/or personal client in order to plan and recommend an insurance program that provides protection from identified exposures.
• Select leadership and communication strategies necessary to manage others and accomplish organizational goals.
• Prepare and deliver effective integrated marketing, customer service and sales plans to further organizational objectives.
• Develop, interpret and present common property and casualty insurance industry metrics and financial statistics and data to support organizational decision-making.
• Apply project management methodologies to identify, plan, and execute various property and casualty insurance managerial projects.
• Develop strategic business plans in order to respond o changing opportunities and challenges within the property and casualty insurance business.

Work Placement
Get hands-on experience in the industry with a 160-hour (minimum) work placement that will give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in the classroom. Students initiate the placement with the aid of faculty, targeting companies in the Greater Toronto Area. Placements can be completed on a part-time basis throughout the academic year, or full time during the term immediately at the end of the program.

Humber’s Cosmetic Management diploma program gives you the business base and cosmetic skills that you need for a career in the growing cosmetic and personal care industries.

The curriculum, designed in collaboration with the cosmetics industry, focuses on current market trends and touches on all disciplines that students require to enter the personal care products sector. Courses encompass training in cosmetic and skin care product ingredients, retailing, merchandising, marketing and social media, make-up and skin care application, as well as the skills necessary for running an independent business. Topics such as environmental implications and multicultural sensitivity are embedded in each course.

Our program delivers a range of business-focused cosmetic courses. You will be introduced to the history of cosmetics and fashion; retail buying; cosmetic and fragrance product knowledge; and application including colour theory and skin care fundamentals. You will study business ethics and sustainability, cosmetic selling, and counter management. You will learn how to use relevant computer software and build on your vocational skills with advanced cosmetic application and facial techniques.

Rounding out your education, you will develop your entrepreneurial skills and learn how to plan events and product launches as you plan and execute a skin or cosmetic workshop. You will also learn more advanced application techniques for TV, film and special effects.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Assess the chemical composition of cosmetic products and recommend appropriate cosmetic treatments.
• Differentiate ingredients found in cosmetic products and identify their functions and effects.
• Identify and apply various make-up equipment and techniques used for professional application.
• Create a variety of make-up special effects to portray a theme, cater to the requirements of an event, and/or fulfil the demands for TV and Film sets.
• Apply relevant knowledge of anatomy, physiology, wellness, aging issues and skin disorders to the provision of specialized cosmetic application, in addition to health related issues.
• Demonstrate successful characteristics of a professional salesperson applying customer relation principles, diversity practices, sales strategies and promotion techniques.
• Identify, analyze and apply colour relationships and theories in the application of cosmetics and products for diverse skin types.
• Demonstrate effective professional communication skills in verbal and written formats.
• Apply business, legal and accounting principles effectively addressing the business needs of an organization.
• Analyze market needs and apply strategic growth principles.
• Identify the principles of organizational behaviour and human resource management.
• Identify the ecological, ethical and environmental issues of the cosmetic industry.

Humber’s Visual and Digital Arts diploma program offers you the opportunity to develop a well-rounded skillset applicable to a broad range of visual arts disciplines. At the Art Commons, Humber’s dedicated art facility, you will learn to effectively plan and produce visual material, and facilitate modes of interactive expression and communication.

Using state-of-the-art software and tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, you will develop skills in painting, drawing, illustration, digital art, photography and installation art. While developing your artistic abilities, you will gain knowledge about anatomy, colour, composition, figurative expressions and art history. You will apply your abilities and learn to create traditional and experimental fine art projects. Throughout the program, you will participate in collaborative projects with your peers, gain the opportunity to exhibit your work in campus galleries, take part in installations and join in critiques. With its focus on experiential learning and critical thinking, this program is an excellent launching point for more advanced creative pursuits.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Produce creative life and representational drawings and paintings, illustrating volume, proportion, perspective, mass and texture with descriptive lighting.
• Create representational digital drawing, paintings and illustrations, using application software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Painter.
• Assess the artistic merit of artwork using an analysis of the creative application of established principles of design and composition.
• Construct pictorial compositions using visual perspective to achieve accurate proportional relationships.
• Light compositions to reveal three-dimensional form.
• Create figurative pictorial compositions, using principles of human and comparative anatomy.
• Critique technical principles of composition in representational drawing, painting and illustration, through analysis of rendering.
• Prepare and present a traditional and creative art portfolio containing both original work and computer generated reproductions.
• Research and create reference materials to support successful completion of a work of art.
• Reproduce, with fidelity, colour as encountered in nature, mixing traditional and digital media.
• Develop a career plan and self-promotion skills suitable to the digital media industry, using materials such as a résumé, cover letter, contact list, e-portfolio.
• Develop and present a digital art project proposal and manage the project, using effective oral and written communications skills.