Diploma in Criminology

at Langara College Canada

Family Studies is a two-year program for students interested in the nature of long-term relationships to further career and/or personal objectives. Students can achieve either a Diploma in Family Studies or an Associate of Arts Degree with a concentration in Family Studies. The program's interdisciplinary approach provides students with a variety of interpretations of the concept of family from the Social Sciences and Humanities. The core courses set the stage for this exploration by offering sociological, psychological, philosophical, literary and historical perspectives on families in Canada and elsewhere. Guest speakers from academia and related professions enhance the core courses by providing innovative analyses and experiential accounts. Each of the required and elective courses adds to an understanding of the complex issues surrounding the social construction of family. The Family Studies program at Langara College is unique in the B.C. College system.

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

The General Education Diploma is appropriate for students who prefer a diverse selection of courses and do not necessarily plan to undertake university study. Students will gain knowledge in multiple areas of study. Holistically, the program aims to develop critical thinking abilities, strengthen research skills, and introduce a variety of theories. In many job opportunities, post-secondary experience is essential. The two-year Diploma provides students with a foundation of knowledge that will help in broad range of fields.

Philosophy is the discipline which develops the ability to think clearly about fundamental questions, including those that frequently lie at the root of other disciplines. Philosophy asks questions about the nature of knowledge, reality, truth, consciousness, freedom, moral obligation, aesthetic value, happiness, justice, and virtue--questions asked by those who seek to understand themselves, their society, and their world. We welcome students who are interested in questions of this order.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a degree program for students interested in careers in the fields of Accounting, Business, International Business or Marketing. It is student-centred, and its primary aim is to give graduates real business skills - the skills that employers are looking for.

The BBA Accounting concentration includes the requirements necessary to maximize exemptions for the professional accounting associations (CGA, CMA, CA).

The Social Service Worker (Gerontology) Certificate program prepares graduates for employment in the community-based seniors’ services sector. This entry-level certificate program does not require applicants to have previous post-secondary experience. The program also ladders directly into the existing Diploma in Gerontology program at Langara College for those who would like advanced certification.

The 8-month program is the only certificate program in British Columbia that equips graduates with the necessary skills and competencies needed to support older adults and their families using a ?strengths-based and social justice approach.

The applied social service aspect of the program is unique from other programs which focus on research or health care.  In this interdisciplinary program, students gain a broad and critical understanding of aging processes and social policy issues that affect older persons and their families.

The program is ideal for individuals without experience in the field who want to enhance their knowledge and engage in direct service with older adults, as well as individuals with current or prior experience wishing to complete a specialized credential. Working from a holistic perspective, and drawing on the disciplines of social work, gerontology, psychology and recreation, students develop advocacy skills and strategies to support and respond to individual and systemic issues to improve the lives of older adults. Students also gain direct experience working with older adults through completing over 200 practicum hours in a field practicum setting.

The program curricula and practica prepares students ?with no prior experience for employment in various settings, such as residential senior living settings (independent, supported, assisted, long term care residences), neighbourhood houses, At Home Programs, senior centres, adult day programs, recreation centres, and other community-based senior settings. It  also enhances the knowledge and skills of students with current or prior experience in the field with or without previous related credentials who wish to obtain an advanced or initial credential in gerontology.

Latin American Studies at Langara College provides an interdisciplinary approach to learning about the geography, culture, history, and political economy of this diverse region. Our curriculum features core courses taught by a team of instructors whose diverse backgrounds enable them to bring unique perspectives to the classroom. Elective courses from a range of departments across the College feed into and enhance our program.
All our courses are university-transferable. Our courses can be taken for general interest, or applied toward the Associate of Arts Degree or the Arts and Science Diploma in Latin American Studies.

A general business management education provides the versatility to work in a variety of management careers. Langara College’s Business Management graduates are the chameleons of the work world and are able to draw on their solid business education to tackle business opportunities and problems. As well, those with an entrepreneurial spirit will gain the expertise to operate their own enterprise. In addition to courses from a variety of business areas including marketing, financial management and international business, students who choose this concentration complete general education support courses.

International Business Management
As the world becomes increasingly inter-connected the need for professionals with strong backgrounds in international business grows. Our programs provide a solid grounding in the business activities related to international trade, exporting and importing. In addition, students are encouraged to choose electives that expose them to the economies, histories, cultures, languages and business practices of the world’s major nations. The result is a winning combination of skills that will prepare grads for employment opportunities both in Canada and abroad. Students can choose to focus on International Business either at the diploma level or by completing the International Business Specialization in the third and fourth year of the BBA Business Management Concentration.

Graduates of the International Business Program receive a well-rounded business education, preparing them for a wide variety of employment opportunities in the global market. Graduates are knowledgeable and competent in areas of international business as diverse as finance, marketing and distribution.

Students interested in International Business Management should apply to the BBA program through the School of Management and then select International Business Specialization as their concentration.

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

This certificate program is designed for those with post-secondary education to take specialized journalism and communications training at an accelerated pace. This intensive, skills-oriented experience is designed to build on a student’s academic background, providing the student with the tools to work as a well-informed journalist or professional communicator. The first semester focuses on introductory and basic skills courses; the second semester on advanced practices.