Certificate in Office Assistant - Medical

at MacEwan University Canada

The Public Relations diploma offers a unique opportunity for people with previous post-secondary education to ready themselves for an exciting new career in communications in less than a year.

Public relations is a vibrant, dynamic field in the business environment, simply because organizations are being challenged by their publics – clients, shareholders, communities, employees – to do a better job of communicating.

This program has an excellent, nationwide reputation in the business community. It focuses on training students to be functional, entry-level practitioners the minute they leave the program. While theory receives the necessary attention to develop the students’ understanding of the “big picture” and the potential for growth, the primary goal of the program is to give students the practical tools and skills to make an immediate, positive contribution.

Critical-thinking skills, problem-solving ability, creativity and the ability to rise to a challenge are all valuable assets in this fast-paced program. Group work is extensive and students must work effectively in a team setting. Students should have excellent language skills and be prepared to excel in writing.

The two-year Fine Art diploma program prepares students for degree completion (Bachelor of Fine Art or Bachelor of Arts) and for starting a professional art practice. Students study historical and contemporary art in studio and art history courses, along with English, FFAC options and university electives. Students work in studios in Allard Hall on MacEwan University’s downtown campus, walking distance to campus facilities and services, as well as to museums and galleries in Edmonton’s downtown arts district.

The Fine Art program exposes students to the diversity of contemporary art practice, and emphasizes the development of creative, research and professional skills. In the first year, students learn elements and principles used in visual composition, art themes and media, creative research and histories of art and visual culture. In the second year, they develop a personal direction as they study and explore contemporary art theories and practice, professional practice, and pursue idea and process within studio course objectives. Digital technologies along with traditional approaches are incorporated throughout the curricula in coursework in drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, digital art, video and emerging forms. Studio assignments are designed to foster creative problem-solving skills, fluency with creative language and a strong work ethic. Through critiques, lectures and seminars, and visiting artist lectures, students learn to discuss their own art as it relates to contemporary art and its influences and contexts.

The Bachelor of Music focuses on the study of jazz and contemporary popular music, responds to the current demands of the industry and combines a high degree of professionalism along with the academic rigour required for further education at the graduate level. The opportunity to study with internationally renowned professionals while following a challenging academic curriculum will give you the skills, insights, competency and credentials to pursue a career as a performer, creator and leader in the evolving music industry.

All Bachelor of Music students share a common curriculum in the first year that focuses on individual study (voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, winds, brass or violin), performance ensemble, theory (jazz and traditional), aural skills, and musicology. After successful completion of the first year, students pursue a major route (specialized program of study).

The General major follows a prescribed program of study in addition to the common core courses students take in their first year. Students choose from music options and non-music electives to customize their program. 

Students can remain undeclared or declare a minor:

• Undeclared
• Music Career Management
• Music Education
• Music Technology and Production1

For more than 44 years the Office Assistant program has been providing quality graduates. Today’s office assistants are highly accomplished software experts who use their skills to help other staff get the most from a computerized office. In addition, office assistants are involved in managing the organizational affairs of their areas that include handling public enquiries, managing computer and paper files, organizing schedules, arranging meetings of senior staff, as well as providing strong customer service and problem-solving skills.

The Office Assistant program is ideal as a foundation for other careers or as a complement to prior training and experience. It runs for 10 months from September until June, ending with a field placement. It is a comprehensive program that offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of the following three majors:

• Administrative Major
• Legal Major
• Medical Major

The program is well suited for individuals with strong organizational skills,  an attention for details, familiarity with computers and software, a professional manner, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. Graduates are often required to work independently and in a team environment, so students who are positive and self-motivated do exceptionally well. The program has built a solid reputation with employers, resulting in a job placement rate near 100 per

The Arts and Cultural Management major prepares students for a management career in the creative sector and encompasses all things arts and culture: working in music, theatre, dance, galleries and museums, archives and heritage conservation, and the literary arts. Students will learn the practical skills and specialized knowledge they need to enhance an organization’s creative capacity—or to take their own career as an artist to the next level. The core of this major is leadership and project management, supported by community-engaged learning, including eight weeks of practical, hands-on work in the field.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this major, students will:
• Critically reflect on the role that artists and cultural organizations play socially, culturally, and politically.
• Advocate strategically for the importance of arts and culture in society.
• Identify and secure a diversity of revenues and resources to support strategic initiatives.
• Exhibit the financial literacy necessary to manage the long-term sustainability of cultural organizations.
• Plan and implement strategies that increase community engagement, public interest, and patron participation.
• Analyze the production and consumption of culture nationally and internationally.
• Plan and promote programs, spaces, projects, and social events related to the arts and cultural sector.
• Anticipate, identify, and respond to trends that impact the cultural sector.
• Prepare, present, and implement strategic operational plans of the arts and culture organization.
• Manage and support human resources in the cultural sector within a variety of governance structures.
• Lead and support others in an accountable, sustainable, and ethical manner.

The Medical major provides you with a solid foundation in office and unit clerk procedures as well as in medical terminology, transcription, medical office procedures and patient chart management. In addition, students use current computer and software skills necessary for today’s health care fields.

One of the benefits of the Office Assistant program is its practicum component, which gives you hands-on experience in a real world setting. The practicum placement often helps you get your foot in the door and may even lead right to full-time work.

Students who have successfully completed their first and second terms and who are registered for Term III courses are eligible for a practicum placement.

To complete the Medical major you are required to take a practicum with a duration of four weeks. Due to hospital and collective agreement regulations, instructors must assist you with your placement in hospital sites. You need to have complete vaccinations and security checks before you begin your practicum.

Learn how to creatively transform a message, to craft a visual statement that persuades, informs, motivates or entertains. A balance of practice-based, hands-on research and theory-driven coursework prepares you to design effectively and solve communication problems to improve people’s lives.

In our four-year degree, you will be introduced to new ways of seeing and thinking about design. You will learn how to creatively transform a message, to craft a visual statement that persuades, informs, motivates or entertains. Select a focus in visual communication design or user experience design or a combination of courses that suits your interests.

Become a musical theatre professional in our innovative, interdisciplinary Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

Train in world-class facilities alongside fellow students who share your passion for performance. Take specialized classes in acting, singing, dancing, music theory, ear training, auditioning, stage combat, career management and more. You graduate from the program with the skills, experience and professional connections you need to succeed in a career in musical theatre.

Guided by experienced theatre mentors, you explore your authentic artistic voice in a learning environment that encourages creative risk taking. Then, you showcase your talents in smash-hit Broadway musicals and cutting-edge contemporary plays for public audiences.

What to expect
The Music Theatre Performance major prepares you for a career in music theatre through an intense, conservatory-style program of training in acting, singing and dancing.

Early in the program, you are immersed in the fundamentals of these performance skills. As you progress through the four years, you refine, experiment and acquire the skills to create and perform in a variety of theatrical styles and venues.

From your first year, you are introduced to the theory and practice of musical theatre, guided by educators who are also working professional theatre directors, actors, musical directors and choreographers. Learning is intense, and the pace is demanding but also highly satisfying in this hands-on program. You graduate as a strong advocate of theatre and all arts, prepared for a long-term career in the local, national and international communities of theatre artists.

In the increasingly complex field of emergency telecommunications, there is a need for personnel who have the ability to assess situations quickly and respond in an appropriate manner. Emergency communicators are the critical link between the public and those who provide police, fire and emergency medical assistance. As the field evolves, the need for highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals is critical. The field demands professionals who are able to multi-task, use high-tech equipment, think critically and quickly in a stressful setting, and respond to the challenges of the field.

The Emergency Communications and Response program develops the broad knowledge and skills required of call evaluators or dispatchers and the unique knowledge and skills in police, fire and emergency medical environments. The program is a full-time, eight-month certificate. Full-time program entry occurs each fall. The full-time program may be offered as a combination of day and evening courses. The students participate in a short field placement with a communication centre in the final month of the program.

International business and cross-cultural skills are fast becoming a requirement in today’s global economy. The Asia Pacific region is Canada’s second largest trade partner. Success in this region requires employees with international business skills and knowledge of the cultural and business environment in Asia.

The Asia Pacific Management diploma is a two-year, international business program designed to prepare Canadian and international students to launch a career in international business and management. The program of study cultivates the skills and insights required to be successful in domestic and international economies. Students can expect a range of academic business courses, specialized practical coursework in Asian culture, language, intercultural communications and international business principles.