Diploma in Canadian Studies

at Langara College Canada

Now, more than ever industry, governments, and health and safety groups are focusing on a proactive way to prevent workplace injury, ensure workplace compliance, and understand and produce effective processes for creating a safe workplace. Our two-year, full-time Post-Degree Diploma program prepares university and college graduates for careers in this in-demand profession.

The Health Safety and Environmental Compliance Post-Degree Diploma program is designed to provide the necessary skills to focus on workplace compliance, including labour, inspection and auditing, public and worker safety, and environmental protection. The program provides a comprehensive combination of training in all aspects of health and safety as well as environmental compliance to make you job-ready. This program is open to international students, Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Graduates of the program can find work in the following professions:

• Workplace safety experts in numerous industries
• Private contractors in Health and Safety, establishing policy and procedure
• Safety expert in construction or development
• In-house health and safety manager
• Private contractors in Health and Safety, establishing policy and procedure
• Government roles (from municipal to federal) as inspectors, park rangers, work safety policy experts, etc.
• Professional liasion between industry and government agencies

This eight-month full-time or six-semester part-time certificate program prepares students for career opportunities in the education system working alongside teachers supporting students with disabilities as Education Assistants. The program combines a range of courses that provide a balance between a strong theoretical foundation and practical experiences so students graduate well prepared to begin their career.

In the public school system, a movement away from segregated classrooms toward inclusive classrooms has resulted in dramatic changes in the ways students with disabilities are educated. In this framework, there is a need to provide Education Assistants with the theoretical and practical knowledge and experience that meets the individual needs of all children. An important goal of the Education Assistant Program is to provide Langara College students with opportunities to become competent and employable educators.

The Role of the Education Assistant
Successful Education Assistants have an aptitude for working with adults and with children, are patient, interested in education and in learning, consider schools to be interesting and exciting places, and enjoy working in a world of rapidly changing ideas. The Education Assistant performs a variety of paraprofessional duties in the public school system:

• Works under the direction of teachers, administrators, or other professionals;
• Assists in the development and implementation of individualized or group communication skills, behavioural support, learning support, life-skills development, and work experience;
• Assists in the modification and adaptation of curriculum to meet the individual learning needs of students;
• Attends to and provides personal assistance to students who require assistance with toileting, positioning, diapering, mobility, feeding, grooming, and dressing;
• Transfers and assists students moving to/from wheelchairs, desks, and work areas;
• Supervises students in a variety of community-based activities;
• Attends and participates in school-based team meetings (and other meetings) as required by the support teachers or school administrators;
• Participates in parent-teacher meetings where required; and
• Performs other related work as required

In a time of increasing globalization, where human activity is now seen to have far reaching, often adverse, implications for the worlds ecosystems it is essential to have the awareness, knowledge, skill and experience to address these issues.  Environmental understanding, protection and remediation are significant, growing concerns in today’s society.  Environmental Studies at Langara College is an interdisciplinary program within the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. It draws from four critical study areas - biology, chemistry, english, geography – as well as including a number of specific environmental courses.  Elective courses are chosen from a wide range of subjects to suit a particular student’s interests.  A one-week field school is conducted at the end of the second year. 

Accounting and Financial Management professionals are the backbone of any organization and Langara grads are ready to meet that challenge. The BBA Accounting Concentration includes the requirements needed to maximize exemptions for the CPA BC "CPA Professional Education Program (PEP)" . In addition, business and general education courses are incorporated to ensure graduates receive a well-rounded business education, with an emphasis on business decision-making and analysis, strategic management, and teamwork.

The objective of this two-year diploma program is to prepare for careers in Accounting. The curriculum includes a mix of business and academic courses that provide students with both the practical skills required in accounting and proficiency in business decision-making and analysis.

The Nutrition and Food Service Management Program provides educational opportunities for individuals who wish to pursue a career in food service management and attain membership with the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management (CSNM). The focus of this accredited diploma program is on the health care sector. Langara graduates are in demand both in BC and across Canada.

The curriculum incorporates core food service courses in food service management, operations, and nutrition combined with academic studies in related disciplines. Students apply the concepts of food service management through a variety of practicum and fieldwork experiences. The program can be completed entirely online on a full-time or part-time basis. If preferred, the student can complete 50% of the program in the classroom.

The Aboriginal Studies Program is an integrated university-transferable program that addresses historic and contemporary Aboriginal issues in Canada. The Aboriginal Studies Program is unique and comprehensive. The program welcomes all Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.

The program strives to empower its students through education. The program encourages each student to reach their full potential through a unique, diverse and comprehensive approach to post-secondary education.

The curriculum content provides students with a thorough understanding of the historic and current circumstances of Aboriginal life in Canada and internationally and looks to the future at such issues as Aboriginal self-government and economic self-sufficiency. Equal emphasis is placed on developing analytical skills, critical thinking and communication skills, as well as laying a solid foundation for additional educational pursuits.

A unique and integral aspect of the Aboriginal Studies Program is the seminar component. Program students and faculty participate in the seminars equally. The purpose of these seminars is to expose the students to and stimulate discussion on topics that may or may not be covered in the classroom. The seminars also promote and foster a sense of community among students and faculty. This sense of community provides support for the student on many levels and provides an atmosphere for frank and open discussion.

Langara College's Aboriginal Education Policy
To increase the success rates of Aboriginal students and to increase the representation and retention of Aboriginal students, Langara College implemented the first formal Aboriginal Education Policy in British Columbia. The policy sets in motion an education and employment equity program which:

• Is committed to increasing the participation and success rate of Aboriginal Learners to the National Average (a provincial advisory committee reported (1989) that 3% of the Aboriginal Population pursues post-secondary education, compared with 15% of the general population);
• will ensure the involvement of Aboriginal representatives in any decisions affecting Aboriginal Education;
• will provide full opportunity and support for Aboriginal students to achieve their academic potential;
• recognize the need to recruit and employ Aboriginal personnel in faculty, staff and administrative positions.

The Library & Information Technology Program has maintained its currency and competitiveness amid rapid technological advancement. Our graduates are highly skilled in today’s essential computer applications as well as specialized library management systems. We teach students important skills for developing search strategies for library databases and open resources on the internet. Students also learn how to catalogue, maintain, and retrieve print, digital and non-print resources as well as specialized media including film, maps and photographs.

Our students have the opportunities to practice what they have learned by completing two practicum placements in the community during their studies. Our graduates are successfully employed in public, academic, or special libraries such as medical, law, corporate and governmental institutions. Library technicians hold supervisory positions or work cooperatively with librarians and other professionals to manage information resources, from helping people retrieve information and materials, to records management for technology-based businesses.

Students come to the program from various socio-cultural and age groups. They carry with them various forms of educational achievements and professional backgrounds, which gather together as they meet many challenges put forth by their instructors and fellow students.

Library & Information Technology students learn about:

• Library history and new directions
• Reference and reader’s services
• Customer services
• Library programs
• Supervisory skills
• Electronic and digital information storage and retrieval
• Acquisitions and technical services
• Subject analysis and classification
• Machine Readable Cataloguing (MARC)/Resource Description Access (RDA) for print and non-print media
• Business computer applications
• Automated library systems
• Web applications and social medias

This two-year post-baccalaureate diploma program will focus on web and mobile app design and development, from concept to deployment. The program will encompass visual aesthetics (including typography, colour theory, and graphics), client and server programming, user experience design, and project management. Students will choose to enter the designer or developer stream of the program when they apply, although they can change their focus up until the third term.

Students will collaborate on several major projects, as well as creating real-world applications, developing digital portfolios, and building industry connections. At the end of the program students will possess the specialized design and development skills the industry is looking for. Students will complete four academic terms, then have the opportunity to participate in an optional experiential work term.

Data Analytics focuses on the entire lifecycle of the data analytics process. The Mathematics and Statistics Department offers two data analytics programs. Both programs cover the entire life-cycle of data from extraction, transformation, analysis of data to the presentation of results. Students in the program will work with industry-standard software applications to analyze data and gain skills to effectively communicate their findings.

Post-Degree Diploma in Data Analytics
This two-year full-time diploma program is designed for anyone who like working with data and interpreting results to support technical and strategic business decisions. The cohort-based program ends with a capstone project to apply their knowledge before starting a new career. Students will have the opportunity to develop strong project management and team building skills.

Data Analytics equips graduates with the skills and tools to divide and conquer massive data sets. Through collaboration with industry partners, students will gain experience handling real-life data from fields such as telecommunications, finance, and health care industries.

The Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion Leadership (PDC DIIL) is a one-year post-degree program. Students gain effective leadership communication skills, an increased understanding of workplace diversity and inclusion, and an appreciation for the significance of socially constructed identities.

The PDC DIIL certificate includes further studies in English, business, Canadian studies, sociology, and a seminar series exploring the nursing profession in Canada. This certificate is designed to complement the Langara Post-Degree Certificate in Nursing Leadership and Management (PDC NRLM), creating a two-year Post-Degree Certificate in Nursing program.