Diploma in Biological Sciences Technology Conservation Biology

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Canada

NAIT's Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning Refrigeration (HVACR) Technician certificate offers training for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industries. Students will learn how to commission, design, install, maintain, service and trouble shoot HVACR systems.

The goals of the certificate are to provide familiarity with the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry and understanding of the operating principles of industry-specific equipment, systems and procedures. Students will work with hand tools and power tools, as well as computer programs and computer simulators. Instructional class time consists of 50% theory classes and 50% practical classes (computer lab/shop).

Graduates with this certificate will receive recognition for periods 1 and 2 of technical training towards the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (RACM) apprenticeship program. Graduates will receive full credit towards the 1st and 2nd periods of RACM once they successfully challenge 1st and 2nd period technical exams and obtain their on the job training hours.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
The Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning Refrigeration Technician certificate provides an intensive technical introduction to the applied sector of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industries. The concentrated one-year training package prepares students for entry-level employment in this very diverse job market.

Classroom & Study Hours
Students can expect to spend, on average

• 33 hours per week attending classes over the course of a semester
• 15 to 30 hours per week studying and completing class assignments

Is This Program For You?
This program will appeal to those with a general mechanical background looking for focused, job-ready training, or to individuals with a related trades certification, such as sheet metal, electrical, plumbing or instrumentation, who desire fast re-training

As a registered medical laboratory technologist, you will assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. In this program the focus will be on the analysis of human blood and body fluids for microorganisms and cellular and chemical components. Compatibility testing of blood and blood products, plus preparation of tissue samples for microscopic examination.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Medical Laboratory Technology focuses on the analysis of human blood, body fluids and tissues, with students learning a variety of skills to become entry level professionals. This program includes general laboratory related courses with progression to discipline specific courses in Microbiology, Transfusion Science, Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, and Histotechnology.  Goals of the program include the following:

• Teaching students how to provide quality patient care by being introduced to:
  • How to work safely in a level II containment laboratory
  • How to collect and process specimens for analysis
  • How to analyze, interpret & report quality laboratory results
  • How to think critically and how to communicate and collaborate inter-professionally
• Teaching students the professional responsibility of a registered MLT, including scope of practice, ethics, accountability, and professional development.
• Preparing students for clinical training by providing theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiences
• Preparing students for the CSMLS national certification exam

The MLT program is divided into two phases where students will learn and practice the skills required to be a registered MLT 

Phase I of the Medical Laboratory Technology program begins every September and consists of 49 weeks of classroom instruction with related practical laboratory sessions on NAIT Main Campus. This includes (two) 15-week semesters, (one) 4-week intersession, followed by one additional 15-week semester.

Phase II consists of 38 weeks of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at one of three affiliated training sites in Edmonton, Grande Prairie or Red Deer. WIL provides practical experience in a variety of clinical settings. Emphasis is placed on practical application of concepts studied at NAIT and on development of organizational, critical thinking, and professionalism skills.

Are you interested in outdoor spaces? Do you have an eye for detail, a flair for design or an interest in emerging technologies? If so, we have a program for you!

In this program, you will explore the practice of landscape architecture and technologies used to produce designs and construction drawings for a variety of outdoor environments including:

• Streetscapes
• Plazas
• Parks, and recreation areas
• Trails
• Entry features
• Wayfinding signage

You will have the opportunity to visit many of the places we design, and to also participate in a construction experience, an industry work week placement, and many other program field trips.

Denturists are dental health professionals who specialize in the field of removable oral prostheses (dentures). Denturists work in partnership with other health professionals to deliver comprehensive treatment.

The Denturist Technology program offers a challenging career for those individuals interested in providing direct patient care in oral health services. The program is designed to provide students with the theoretical, technical and clinical experiences required to assess, diagnose, design, fabricate and insert both complete and partial removable dentures.
This three-year program prepares students to assess, diagnose, design, fabricate, insert complete and partial dentures and provide effective communication with patients regarding treatment options and care. An extensive clinical practicum makes up Year 3.

You want to learn the skills and knowledge of conventional machining operations to utilize drill presses, lathes, milling machines and various grinding machines, including using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programming, set up and operation. You will also receive introductory CAD/CAM training, as well as inspection and quality control training.
Successful completion of this 1-year certificate can allow you to challenge the first year apprenticeship exam for the Machinist program.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training

• Graduates of the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machinist certificate are responsible for manufacturing components for the oil and gas, mining, forestry, construction and transportation industries. A CNC machinist will demonstrate trade specific skills in programming, setup and operation of computer controlled tools. Graduates will also perform competently when working with manual machine tools.
• Machinists are able to work efficiently on their own and/or in team environments where problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and current knowledge of technological trends and quality practices are essential to daily work. A graduate with a CNC Machinist certificate may be given the opportunity to apprentice in the machinist trade. This program has both fall and winter intakes.

Is this program for you?
To be successful as a machinist, you must have:

• Good hand-working skills
• Good problem-solving capabilities
• Mechanical inclination
• An ability to work well with others
• Competence in math
• Mature attitudes towards learning and work
• During the first semester of the CNC Machinist certificate, you will receive training on manual machines such as engine lathes, milling machines, drill presses and grinders.
• In the second semester, you will receive training on the operation, set up and programming of CNC (computer numerical control) turning and milling centres.
• The final component is an 8-week  work placement, which gives you an opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge in an industrial setting by working in a machine shop.

Learn how to recruit new employees, manage benefits and enhance work environments – Human Resource Management is essential to every organization.

Our dynamic 2-year program combines classroom theory with hands-on case studies and mock interview scenarios. We cover a wide range of topics including organizational change, diversity in the workplace, employment law, contract negotiations and professional culture.

Join a fascinating field powered by people. HR practitioners makes significant contributions to the success of every organization.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In your first year of the program, you will take 10 common courses in order to gain foundational core business knowledge. In the second year of studies, you’ll take the required courses in Human Resource Management to get a specialized diploma upon graduation.

By the end of the program, you’ll be able to estimate, forecast and plan an organization’s human resource needs by recruiting talent, assessing risks and benefits of HR plans and setting strategic, achievable goals.

Chemical Engineering Technology is a two-year diploma program that prepares the graduate for employment in the hydrocarbon and chemical processing industry (downstream petroleum industry). The program deals with the processing of oil, natural gas and bitumen into final products such as motor gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, propane, butane, utility gas and others. The program includes the study of the production of secondary petrochemicals such as ethylene, vinyl chloride, methanol and others.

NAIT’s Materials Engineering Technology Program prepares students for a diverse and rewarding career in their profession. Our graduates have employment opportunities in a wide variety of industrial settings including oil and gas, chemical processing, mining, construction, pulp and paper and research and development.

A Materials Engineering Technologist is an important member of the engineering team. Our curriculum has been developed in close co-operation with industry leaders ensuring our students have relevant hands on experience and theoretical instruction. They will have a working knowledge of the properties and behavior of engineering materials in a range of environments.

A Materials Engineering Technologist’s expertise is sought after by industry for their understanding of metals, polymers, ceramics and composites. Technologists give advice in material selection, asset and integrity inspections, weld inspections and fabrication. In laboratory settings they are involved in research and development, failure analysis and material testing. Many of our Alumni have gone on to start their own successful businesses and employ our graduates.

NAIT’s Geoscience Technology program provides students with a diverse education and hands on training in the field of earth sciences. From resource exploration to environmental remediation, graduates use their knowledge of geology, hydrogeology, geophysics, geochemistry and other geosciences to inform major decisions across broad spectrum of industries.

As a graduate of the Geoscience Technology program, you will be trained to make professional contributions to the environmental, energy and mining sectors.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In addition to lectures and labs, the program has a two one-week Field Schools. One is located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies mapping geological outcrops and the other is on campus using a suite of groundwater monitoring wells, where students are trained in groundwater monitoring and sample collection. These activities allow students to better understand the how and why of classroom theory, as well as collect field data for classroom analysis.

You’ll participate in a wide range of activities, including:

• Researching, interpreting and mapping geology of a given area
• Identifying common rocks, minerals, glacial deposits
• Using software applications used in the field
• Performing basic topographic, geophysical, geochemical, and geological surveys
• Conducting environmental site assessments
• Creating conceptual site models for remediating contaminated sites
• Evaluating natural resources for production and extraction

On average you can expect to spend:

• 28 hours per week attending classes and labs over the course of a semester
• 10 to 20 hours per week studying and completing class assignments

Veterinary medical assistants provide support to clients, animal health technologists and veterinarians. Duties may include administration, animal handling and support with nutritional and pharmaceutical products. They also assist with record keeping and other clinical procedures and tasks.

This 1-year certificate program will provide you the skills and confidence you’ll need to work in a front-line position as a veterinary medical assistant in private veterinary clinics, livestock centres and animal shelters. In addition to classroom instruction, you’ll get in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in animal clinics across Alberta.

Good attention to detail? Thrive on a fast pace and heavy workload? These are important traits of people interested in this program. If you are a people person and enjoy helping them with their animals, this program is a good fit for you.

What You Will LearnCareer 
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
To work as a veterinary medical assistant, you will need to have a genuine interest in animals and their welfare. It’s important to understand that you will need to be comfortable working with a variety of animals, both large and small.

After a year of classroom instruction, your clinical placement will give you hands-on experience at an animal clinic where you’ll get a taste of what your future career could look like. Travel may be necessary as some placements are outside of Edmonton.

You will also regularly support the animal health technologists at the NAIT Animal Clinic. 

As a student in the program, you can expect to spend on average:

• 26 hours per week attending classes over the course of a semester 
• 15 to 20 hours per week studying and completing class assignments