Diploma in Biological Sciences Technology Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Canada

NAIT's Radio and Television programs are 2 distinct, yet interrelated full-time diploma programs. Each of these dynamic 2-year programs takes a non-traditional approach to teaching that will provide you with learning opportunities through hands-on experiences.

Undertake the typical job functions found in radio and television stations by acting as the staff for NAIT's campus radio station (NR92) and television newsroom (NAIT NewsWatch). Using industry standard digital equipment and labs, and while working in modern studios, you'll hone written, technical, communicative and production competencies.

Our instructors are highly-qualified professionals with years of industry experience and our program is well-recognized across the country. If you flip on your TV or radio at any given time, you're likely to see or hear NAIT alumni working across North America.

Petroleum Engineering Technology is a two-year diploma program that prepares the graduate for employment in the upstream petroleum industry. The expanding oil sands development sector also provides tremendous opportunities for Petroleum Engineering Technology graduates.

The Petroleum Engineering Technology program was profiled in Project President, where NAIT President Dr. Glenn Feltham was shown how to start up and operate the pilot plant, which resembles a real-life natural gas sweetening plan, typical activities that students will do.

The NAIT Advanced Care Paramedic program prepares graduates for a rewarding and challenging career in providing emergency medical services to the sick and injured. Advanced Care Paramedics are members of the inter-professional health care team, working collaboratively with other emergency medical personnel, physicians, nurses, and other health professionals. They primarily provide care of patients at emergency scenes in the pre hospital care setting, but can also have roles in emergency departments and other settings within an acute care hospital setting. They are responsible for assessing a patient’s condition to determine the extent of his or her injury or illness and immediate care needs, and providing treatment that includes advanced life support procedures, airway management, medication administration, tending to traumatic injuries, intravenous catheterization, bandaging, splinting, suturing child birth, mental health crisis interventions, and more. Patient care often includes initial stabilization of the patient and transport via ambulance to health care facilities for further treatment.

Demands of the job and practicum training as a student include standing, reaching, walking, crouching, bending, and lifting of heavy equipment, as well as exposure to stressful emergency situations where patients are critically ill or injured, and quick decisions must be made in managing the patient and delegating roles to first responders. There are also risks for exposure to chemicals, bodily fluids, needle sticks, moving traffic, weather conditions.

The NAIT Advanced Care Paramedic program utilizes facilities at NAIT, active treatment hospitals, and ambulance services to train and prepare students for graduation and employment.

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

In this 2 year diploma program you will build on your prior learning as a primary care paramedic and learn about providing advanced emergency care, including assessment and treatment of patients with a variety of medical disorders and injuries. Your learning environment will consist of lectures, labs, clinical simulations and practicum. Areas of learning will be focused on but are not excluded to:

• Human anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology
• Advanced life support skills including medical and trauma management
• Pharmacology
• Child birth and neonatal care
• Pediatric patient care
• Diverse patient populations
• Professionalism, inter professionalism, and medical legal aspects

You will also be trained in physical and mental health self-care, to ensure you are prepared for a demanding patient care environment.

Practicum will consist of placement with ambulance services and a variety of acute care hospitals. You will be expected to work shifts including evenings, nights and weekends, and you may be required to travel outside of Edmonton for your practicum placement.

The first year of the program consists of lectures, labs and clinical simulations. The second year of the program consists of some lectures, labs and clinical simulation in advanced courses, as well as approximately 1200 hours of practicum.

You can expect to spend, on average:

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

An animal health technologist (Veterinary technologist) is a valuable member of the animal health-care team who performs a large range of tasks, such as nursing care, diagnostic procedures and client interactions, to assist veterinarians in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in animals. The program focuses on practical skills used in both small and large animal practices, including lab work, radiographs and medical and surgical nursing.

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

You can expect to spend, on average:

•     30 hours per week attending classes over the course of a semester
•     8 to 10 hours per week studying and completing class assignments

You’ll train in NAIT’s Animal Health Clinic, which provides basic veterinary services for dogs and cats owned by NAIT staff and students. It’s here where you’ll receive hands-on experience in procedures that include spays and neuters, vaccinations and teeth cleaning.

As an Animal Health Technology student, you must handle ill or injured animals of all shapes and sizes. You’ll travel to farms and animal hospitals and treat more than just dogs and cats. To be successful in this program – and career – having a genuine interest in the treatment of all animals is a must!

The Geomatics Engineering Technology program provides training in the collection, analysis, storage, distribution and application of spatial and three-dimensional data used in land development. The economic growth of any country involves the development of natural resources, construction of large public works projects and the expansion of urban centres. This growth requires trained personnel to:

• Locate and map physical features on the land
• Determine property boundaries for property titles
• Perform surveys to locate and build transportation systems

Lay out large industrial complexes such as refineries, dam sites, power, pipelines, and surface and underground mining operations
The Geomatics Engineering Technology program emphasizes the use of new technologies for data collection, including electronic equipment for measuring, earth circling satellites for positioning and computers for processing data and generating plans for use in a wide variety of professional disciplines.

NAIT's Construction Engineering Technology program will provide you with a broad knowledge of the management, estimating and technical aspects of construction, with a primary focus on commercial and residential buildings and related support industries.

You'll develop your drawing interpretation, detail sketching and site surveying skills. You'll also be shown the ins and outs of project planning, contract administration and sub-trade coordination so you can advance your career into site leadership and project management.

The Construction Engineering Technology program works with a program advisory committee made up of industry experts who ensure the program provides students with the knowledge and skills currently required by employers. The program is also accredited by the Canadian Construction Association Gold Seal Certification program and by the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET).

The Electrical Installations Technology diploma is your pathway to apprenticeship, and a unique opportunity to get the technical and career essential skills you need to succeed in the electrical industry.

The program focuses on theory and hands-on training required for the installation, repair and maintenance of electrical systems in residential, commercial and industrial environments. This program also teaches career essential skills such as communication, professionalism and collaboration, which will help you pursue a career in the Electrical Installations Technology field.

The Electrical Installations Technology diploma offers a direct pathway into trades training at NAIT without having to first be a registered apprentice.

Industry-approved training
A career in the electrical industry calls for an understanding of both technical knowledge and career essential skills. Learning outcomes for this program include:

• Understanding of industry standards, legislation, policies and practices
• Ability to:
  • Identify safety hazards
  • Explain, discuss and apply electrical theory and mathematics
  • Install, analyze and maintain rotating, static and solid-state electrical equipment and controls
  • Design, interpret and convert drawings and schematic diagrams for electrical installations
  • Communicate effectively using written, verbal and graphical means
  • Navigate, interpret and apply applicable sections of the Canadian Electrical Code Part 1 for electrical installations

The program content and structure aligns with Alberta Credential Framework expectations. This 2-year diploma program provides you with immediate opportunities for employment in the field of electrical installation. After completing the program, you will be eligible to enter into an apprenticeship and complete apprenticeship hours to receive a journeyperson’s certificate.

The Digital Media and IT (DMIT) program is multi-disciplinary in its approach. Spanning a range of career opportunities from business analyst to visual designer, this innovative program allows you the ability to meet industry demand while developing skills aligned with your individual talents and inclinations.

The IT Business Analyst area of emphasis will show you how to translate business requirements into a language that IT developers can use to create software and hardware solutions.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In the IT Business Analysis area of emphasis, you will learn how to help organizations determine their needs, identify problems and plan and implement IT solutions to those problems. You will learn how to design effective and efficient business processes, and how to clearly communicate business strategy and IT development plans.

You will also learn how to:

• Elicit business and software requirements directly from stakeholders
• Document requirements using industry-standard tools and templates
• Map and evaluate business processes
• Manage business analysis activities

Co-op Opportunities
As a result of DMIT's close connection with industry, various co-op opportunities exist for students in the DMIT program. Many companies offer our students paid co-op positions that provide direct experience in specific areas of study. Co-op is also seen as a staffing strategy for many organizations.

The Baking and Pastry Arts diploma program focuses on the art and science of bread, cake and pastry making, including

• Cake design and decorating
• Confectionery training (chocolate and sugar)
• Artisan-style baking
• Frozen desserts

There is also a focus on culinary fundamentals, international and specialty baking, baking for alternative diets, business, customer service and showpiece making.

Using NAIT’s fully equipped bakery and pastry arts training lab, you will learn to safely operate and maintain the kinds of equipment used in a variety of bakery, pastry arts and confectionery operations.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The 2-year Baking and Pastry Arts diploma will train you in traditional, contemporary and modern baking methods. The program provides hands-on experience in the art and science of bread, cake and pastry production, including cake design and decorating, confectionary training (chocolate and sugar), artisan-style baking and frozen desserts.

This practical knowledge is complemented by training in:

• Baking theory
• Nutrition
• Baking for alternative diets
• Showpiece making
• Trade calculations
• Sanitation
• Safety
• Business concepts
• Customer service

Instrumentation Engineering Technology (IET) is a nationally accredited program that provides a comprehensive course of studies in industrial measurement and control.
With a provincial economy that is largely industrial-based, instrumentation has become an extremely important field. Industries are also becoming increasingly automated to improve productivity, conserve energy, and reduce pollution. This has created a strong demand for trained professionals in the instrumentation technology field across industries ranging from industrial automation and electronics to oil and gas.

In the Instrumentation Engineering Technology program, you can expect to gain the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in instrumentation technology. The program involves detailed studies of the principles and application of pneumatic, electronic, and microcomputer measurement and control systems.
Access to state-of-the-art laboratories and a hands-on approach to learning provide students with job-ready experience.

Skills you will acquire
Over the course of the program, you will learn how to:

• Apply principles of process control to analyze and optimize the performance of industrial processes.
• Install and maintain process instruments.
• Install and maintain analytical instruments and sampling systems.
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial  controllers.
• Install, program and troubleshoot industrial controllers.
• Design and specify measurement, safety and control systems for industrial applications.
• Use computer hardware and software relevant to instrumentation.
• Work in a safe and professional manner following regulatory and industry specific work practices.
• Communicate effectively through written and verbal means.
• Use tools appropriate to the instrumentation field in a safe and effective matter.
• Participate as a member of an effective team

Practicum/Co-op/Work Experience
Students may be eligible to participate in a 4 or 8 month co-op placement once they complete all level 1 courses, and before they complete all the level 2 courses. Successful co-op students work in a program-related industry position and gain advanced job-readiness skills. Acceptance into our co-op program is based on successful completion of first term coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.7.