Diploma in Speech Language Pathologist Assistant

at Medicine Hat College Canada

The path to recovery for those with compulsive behaviours such as substance abuse, gambling, sex addictions, and eating disorders requires trained professionals with theoretical knowledge and practical skills. This program prepares you for a variety of challenging and rewarding careers dealing with individuals with a variety of compulsive behaviours. If you are compassionate with a high level of self-awareness, Addictions Counselling may be a good fit for you.
This rigorous and unique diploma program is the only one of its kind in Canada, and prepares you with knowledge of a range of dependencies, while teaching multi-level intervention skills. 
Due to the nature and demands of the addictions counselling profession, the program invites both emotional involvement and an ongoing commitment to self-awareness as an integral component of becoming educated as a professional addictions counsellor.
Medicine Hat College Addictions Counselling graduates are eligible for certification with The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF) and The Addiction Professionals Association of Alberta (APAA).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Power engineering is a challenging field of study that supports the supervision, operation and maintenance of machinery and systems.

From boilers and turbines to generators and pressure vessels, power engineers are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the equipment and related controls that provide power, heat, refrigeration and other utility services to industrial and commercial facilities.  

If you enjoy controlling and operating manual and automated systems, analyzing information and solving problems, and having clear rules and organized methods for your work, power engineering may be a good fit for you. People drawn to this field tend to have a mechanical and electrical aptitude, good eye-hand co-ordination and an ability to work well with others in a team environment.

With MHC’s modern, state-of-the-art lab with an actual plant environment and small class sizes, you’ll gain ample operating time and relevant industry experience.  

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.

If you have an affinity towards science and would like to pursue a degree in one of its many areas, you can begin your university studies at Medicine Hat College. We offer a wide variety of courses that you can take here that count as credit at other institutions throughout Canada.
Our program is designed to prepare you to transfer to another institution after you have completed two years with us. Years three and four of your Bachelor of Science may be in a range of disciplines such as physics, cell biology, physiology or zoology. Alternatively, you may pursue a professional program such as medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry or pharmacy. The possibilities are endless when you follow your scientific inspiration.
Our faculty has proven to be our best asset. They are well-educated, approachable, available and supportive. Feedback from our students has indicated that they value the direct and guided contact with our instructors. First and second year science courses at many universities accommodate 250-400 students. Our first year class sizes are typically less than 80 and second year class sizes are less than 25!
Since we strive to make the transition to university as smooth as possible, this is very important. You will receive ample one-on-one time with your instructors, and you will be prepared for your third and fourth years at university. Completing the first two years of your science education at MHC will also help you better develop skills through direct lab and field experiences, including real-world applications. You can also take advantage of lower tuition costs for your first two years by starting at MHC. You may even be able to save money by either delaying a move away from home, or benefitting from the lower cost of living in Medicine Hat versus larger cities.

Environmental reclamation is the returning of lands disturbed from mining, oil and gas activities, transportation, or logging back into either economically productive or natural habitats. As an environmental reclamation technician, you will provide the expertise and support to carry out the reclamation and re-vegetation of these disturbed lands.

Our two-year diploma program was designed by employers to include specific training essential for this career while focusing on the unique environmental conditions of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. You will develop your skills and knowledge in

• Surveying and mapping,
• Water and soil studies,
• Botany and plant taxonomy,
• Agronomy,
• Weed control,
• Environmental assessment and monitoring,
• Environmental law,
• Legislation and
• Reclamation technologies.

Course-related field trips and fieldwork may take place on weekends or may require overnight travel. Participation in all activities related to field trips and fieldwork is mandatory.

On-the-job duties may include coordination of field activities for monitoring and sample collection, data analysis, development of reclamation plans, carrying out environmental assessments, researching the history of well-sites, completion of documents and reports, supervision or implementation of weed management measures, or providing technical support for erosion and sediment control.

At the conclusion of the program, you will undergo a 220-hour work experience practicum where you will put your learning into practice and build essential industry contacts. The environmental field is rapidly expanding and the demand for individuals with the required knowledge, skills and practical experience is increasing. Even during slowdowns in the oil and gas industry, the employment outlook for reclamation professionals remains strong.

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.  

When lives are on the line, the skills and knowledge of a paramedic can make the difference between life and death. The Bachelor of Applied Health Science – Paramedic degree program prepares learners to be an integral part of the health care team, primarily within the pre-hospital environment.

MHC’s (Paramedic) program has been created to meet the emerging needs of patients, practitioners and employers. It enables you to move seamlessly through the various levels of preparation for careers in Emergency Medical Services, ultimately allowing you to attain the Advanced Care Paramedic Diploma or to continue on to the Bachelor of Applied Health Science Paramedic Degree.

Prospective students must be mature and highly motivated to deal with the stress of emergency care, critical care and shift work. Paramedics must think independently, exercise good judgment, communicate effectively with others and work well in multidisciplinary environments. The training provided not only addresses the necessary skills of a paramedic but also the skills required to perform with confidence in a variety of situations, effectively interact with others and maintain professional decorum whether in simple or complex situations.

There is a high demand for paramedics who are employed by public and private ambulance services provincially, nationally and internationally. Paramedics also work in a variety of industrial and community-based emergency health settings.