Bachelor of Education – MRU

at Medicine Hat College Canada

MHC's new agroecology program provides you with the competencies required for producing food, forage, fiber, and fuel using sustainable methods. Courses within the program will prepare you with a range of knowledge in the three E’s:

• Environment,
• Economics, and
• Energy using systems theory.

Cultivating food for future generations, this program provides you the scientific knowledge to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment to grow food with minimal impact to our world.

Whether you are a small-scale farmer, urban grower or entrepreneur, the agroecology diploma gives you exposure to a variety of topics preparing you to diversify your current operations or start a venture. Expand your knowledge in areas, such as:

• Holistic (Grazing) Management: A value-based decision-making framework that integrates all aspects of planning for social, economic, and environmental considerations.
• Mycoculture: Mushroom cultivation for food production, medicine, or other ecological applications.
• Permaculture: Principals which allow us to create a culture that can sustain and prosper for generations to come. It considers care for the planet, care for people and fair share.
• Rangelands: Ecosystems comprised of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are typically grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals.
• Vermiculture: The process of using worms to decompose organic food waste, turning the waste into a nutrient-rich material.
• Eco-system: A geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life.
• Systems thinking: A process of understanding how elements like air, water, energy, plants and animals influence one another to thrive.

This program meets the knowledge, technical skills, and performance competencies required for certification with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists as a registered Technologist in Agrology (RTAg). This program also maximizes transfer opportunities to universities offering sustainable agriculture programs.

The Child and Youth Care Counsellor program provides you with the skills and competencies to improve the physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of vulnerable children, youth, and families who may have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, neglect, failure, family breakdown, and may have behavioural and/or learning difficulties.

Preparation for a career in Child and Youth Care Counselling demands a commitment to learning the essential components of developing healthy, caring relationships, as well as a look inward to learn to understand yourself and your ability to help others. The dynamics of abuse and neglect and the treatment of those issues are explored through courses in professionalism, children and the law, psychology, treatment methods, counselling skills and caring for at-risk youth. Education in group process, family dynamics, and ethics is also offered to enhance personal development and growth.

As a student, you’ll be trained in professional practice, communication, self-awareness, theory, and assessment and intervention. You will also be out in the community applying your skills and knowledge in three of the four semesters of course work. Throughout, you will be involved in numerous group projects, role plays and counselling sessions. After graduation, you have the option to use your diploma as credit towards a degree at a number of partner institutions.

Managing information has never been more important and information technology professionals are in demand,

• Installing applications,
• Designing complex computer networks,
• Developing information databases, and
• Managing systems.

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills are a must, as troubleshooting and helping others are vital aspects of the job. Additionally, since there is constant interaction with other computer personnel, customers, and employees on the job, IT specialists must be able to communicate effectively on paper, through email, and in person.

Complete the certificate in one year, or pursue the diploma, which has two majors:

• Software and Internet Development (two years)
• Technology Support (two years)

Our program is designed to be flexible. Students will select a major when they apply; however the first semester of the program is common to all so students have the opportunity to change their major at a later date.

A Co-op Program option enables highly motivated students to integrate their academic program with paid, relevant work experience in their chosen field. MHC’s IT programs incorporate all or part of the curriculum requirements for a number of industry certifications including

• A+,
• i-Net+,
• Network+, and
• various Microsoft Certifications.

The examinations for the respective certifications must still be written independently.

It has been widely recognized that the early years of a child’s life are essential for healthy development. Child care providers play an important role in this time of a child’s life and they need to have an understanding of working with children, families and communities. Child care providers are now being recognized and valued by both families and government more than ever, making this an ideal time to enter the field.  

In the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) program, you will learn the importance of play in the lives of children, and our classes give you lots of hands-on learning opportunities. We play with art materials, story props, and science and math materials to better understand how children learn and how we can help teach them. Our program also gives you the opportunity to apply theory to practice every semester through a five-week practicum setting. You’ll be able to practice your communication skills, better understand child development, and provide developmentally appropriate programming for children.  

Our ELCC program will help you work with children in a variety of settings or move on to other educational programs. Many students have said our program helped them grow on a personal level and was very useful when they became parents themselves. Others have entered specialized areas of child care, or assumed leadership responsibilities in a variety of settings.  

The Bachelor of Nursing degree is a competitive entry program. Meeting minimum published admission averages does not guarantee admission to the program.

The Bachelor of Nursing program is offered at Medicine Hat College in partnership with the University of Calgary, meaning you can study the entire program at the MHC campus and graduate with a University of Calgary degree.

As a student in this program, you will have?a variety of?learning experiences through:

• Practice settings,
• Home visits,
• Faculty-guided seminars and practice,
• Low and high fidelity simulation, and
• Student directed practice.?

The curriculum emphasizes the full scope of Registered Nurse practice, critical practice, evidence-based practice and inter-professional practice.

This collaborative program?will prepare you to write the required licensure exam to work as a registered nurse. The program has been accredited by the nationally based Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (2007-2012) and has been approved by the provincially based Nursing Education Program Approval Board (2007-2012).

You apply to Medicine Hat College and are a MHC student for years one and two of the nursing program. Upon successful completion of your first two years, you then apply to the U of C as a third year student and are guaranteed acceptance if you have met all the requirements. You take the remainder of the program as a U of C student, but remain on the MHC campus.

Few people in our society are entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing laws and maintaining order. Professionals in this field must be equipped with technical knowledge and skills, and offer the strong character and personal discipline required to succeed in a demanding environment. The Criminal Justice program will help you prepare to take on this challenge.

Throughout the program, you will gain an understanding of the criminal justice system through studies in:

• Human relations,
• Psychology,
• Sociology,
• Investigations,
• Policing,
• Security,
• Criminology, and
• Law.

Exposure to an array of investigative techniques and practices including forensics, crime scene investigations, and threat and risk assessments will further prepare you for employment in the field of your choice.

Police services, industry trainers and educators have identified the key competencies required in the criminal justice community including leadership skills, ethics, analytical thinking, self-confidence, communication skills, flexibility, diligence, patience, self-control, problem solving, and physical skills. During the program, you are encouraged to attain the necessary skills and fitness level to pass the testing requirements demanded by law enforcement organizations, as well as volunteer for various groups and agencies to demonstrate community involvement.

Your future success in business rests on the foundation of knowledge and skills you’ll build in the Business Administration Diploma program. This program offers you the opportunity to focus on your strength and career goals, with majors in Accounting, Financial Services, Hospitality & Tourism, Marketing, Management, and Administrative Office Professional. All students are admitted into a common first year before concentrating on a specific area through declaring a major in your second year.

Many of the courses completed in the Business Administration program may be used for credit towards a variety of professional designations and university programs. Students interested in these possibilities, please consult with the Business Administration Academic Advisor.

Hospitality and Tourism Management Program prepares students for entry-level designation management positions with opportunities to work in areas related to: Food and Beverage Management; Marketing; Front Office Procedures: Transportation; Tours and Ticketing.

Your future success in business rests on the foundation of knowledge and skills you’ll build in the Business Administration Diploma program. This program offers you the opportunity to focus on your strength and career goals, with majors in Accounting, Financial Services, Hospitality & Tourism (pending government approval), Marketing, Management, and Administrative Office Professional. All students are admitted into a common first year before concentrating on a specific area through declaring a major in your second year.

Marketing prepares you for careers in the field by focusing on the skills needed to create successful relationships with consumers and organizational customers. Possible areas of employment include sales promotion, sales, customer relations/service, marketing research, advertising, public relations, and retailing.

Becoming a teacher offers you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people and to shape the future through interaction with youth. Most of us, at some point in our lives, felt the influence of a teacher who affected how we see the world and our place in it. If you love working with children and young adults, have a passion for learning and teaching, and imagine yourself influencing future generations, a career in education is a great fit for you.

There are two options for pursuing a degree in education at Medicine Hat College (MHC).

• In partnership with Mount Royal University, you can complete all four years of your Bachelor of Education at MHC. This pathway includes two years of study for degree completion and teacher certification with a focus on elementary education after you have completed the first two years of the B.Ed. Elementary program (60 credits).
• If you’re interested in starting your studies at MHC and completing your degree at another institution, our University Studies Education program offers the opportunity to study at MHC for up to two years and transfer to a variety of post-secondary institutions in Lethbridge, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Regina.

Improving client health, movement and quality of life is the reward for a career as an Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physical Therapist Assistant (OTA/PTA). As an OTA/PTA, you will work under the direction of occupational therapists (OT) to help clients of all ages and health conditions successfully perform daily activities related to self-care, leisure, and work, school or play. You will also work under the direction of physiotherapists (PT) to provide treatment that helps patients recover from illness or injury to increase mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or lessen physical limitations.

This two-year diploma program offers extensive classroom training and valuable practicum experiences with potential employers in hospitals, private clinics, home care settings, schools, and community programs. Through the use of games or crafts, group activities, exercises, assistive devices, and various electrotherapy and physical modalities, you’ll have opportunities to bring your compassion and creativity to a health care and rehabilitation team.