Diploma in Digital Media and IT - Computer Software Development Concentration (Co-op Optional)

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Canada

The healthcare industry continues to see a rapid increase in the usage of advanced medical diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to provide the highest level of patient care possible. As our dependence on high-tech equipment and technical expertise required by medical professionals increases, so have the technology-related risks to patients and clinical staff.

Biomedical engineering technologist careers have evolved to help manage technology-related risks in the health-care industry through the entire lifecycle of medical devices, including specification, inspection, calibration, repair and maintenance, and technical troubleshooting.

The Biomedical Engineering Technology program will provide you with fundamental knowledge and hands-on experience with electronics, microcontroller applications, computer network systems and medical imaging systems. You'll also become familiar with medical laboratory practices, anatomy, physiology and health technology management.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
The Biomedical Engineering Technology program will provide you with the skills of an electronic technologist with a specialized focus on biomedical equipment technology.
In your first year of study you will learn about electronics, microcontroller programming, math and computer systems. 

• Biomedical instrumentation
• X-ray and diagnostic imaging equipment
• Medical laboratory instrumentation

Supplementary courses in anatomy and physiology and medical equipment management complete the medical specialization.

Co-op
Students may be eligible to participate in a one semester co-op placement between their first and second year of training. Successful co-op students work in a program related, industry position and gain advanced job-readiness skills. Acceptance into co-op requires successful completion of first term coursework with a GPA of 2.3. 

The focus of this program is the accommodation and food and beverage segments of the hospitality industry. Students gain business and customer service skills in food and beverage service techniques, front desk check-in procedures, financial accounting, economics and written communications. The Hospitality Management program is a two-year course of study which provides students with the skill sets and abilities required to work in the hospitality industry. The program focuses on service skills for food and beverage, catering and front-desk operations with specific courses in hospitality law. The second year examines marketing, financial management, supervisory skills and advanced courses in hotel, restaurant and catering operations. A 400-hour work experience term is also included.

The program is also built around traditional business subjects such as business communications, accounting and organizational behaviour. Courses are delivered through lab and lecture formats beginning with supervisory skill development and progressing toward more complex management functions. The Hospitality Management program provides training and skill development in:

• business communications
• food and beverage service
• banquets and catering service
• operations management
• front-desk principles and procedures
• hospitality law
• supervisory principles and procedures
• organizational behaviour
• computer applications
• introduction to marketing
• introduction to accounting
• general tourism knowledge

Graduates of the Hospitality Management program may find employment in a variety of sectors and positions within the tourism industry, as:

• food and beverage servers
• food and beverage supervisors
• food and beverage managers
• banquet and catering supervisors
• front-desk supervisors
• front-desk managers
• front-desk agents
• night auditors
• reservations agents
• entrepreneurs
• consultants

Computers play role in every segment of modern society. Growing demand and advances in miniature, solid-state microprocessor technology have sparked the development of smaller, less expensive and more powerful computers, and increased the need for well-trained technical personnel.
In the 2-year Computer Engineering Technology diploma program, you'll design, build and program computers, gain skills in the hardware and software aspects of microcomputers and their applications, and receive extensive hands-on training.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In Computer Engineering Technology, you'll be trained in both computer hardware and software, including concepts related to computer architecture fundamentals, industrial electronics and embedded controllers using analog and digital integration. You'll become fluent in the assembly language programming of micro-controllers, advanced programming languages such as C#, Windows application development, database concepts and dynamic web development.
Our hands-on learning environment and industry focus will provide you with the skills and knowledge you'll need to secure a rewarding career as a computer engineering technologist.

In this program, you'll learn about:

• Computer programming, including C#, SQL, HTML5+, CSS3, PHP5, ASP.NET, JavaScript, AJAX, jQuery and ladder logic on PLCs to monitor and control industrial equipment
• System analysis and design
• Electronic circuit design, implementation, debugging, simulation and measurement
• Embedded system implementation
• Interfacing sensors, actuators and other electronic device to computer platforms
• Hardware design and interfacing
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Time management and other professional skills

Co-op option
This program has a co-op option that will be available to you once you've completed at least 2 academic terms. This hands-on work expereince will provide career development training, enabling you to build advanced job readiness skills.

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.

Look around you – virtually every printed, silk screened and digitally-rendered display you see every day has moved through the hands of a graphic communications professional.

NAIT's intensive 1-year Graphic Communications certificate program will prepare you for entry into the creative and rapidly evolving digital, print and publishing industry. You'll take projects from the creative planning stage through graphic design, digital file creation, customer proofing and final output. You can also expect to gain practical, hands-on experience with industry-standard software and equipment, and get the opportunity to complete a wide range of projects you're likely to encounter in industry.

Before all this, you'll develop a firm understanding of theoretical concepts and methods that are critical in the various press, bindery and large-format processes that follow digital file creation. This technical knowledge is what sets NAIT's Graphic Communications program apart from other technical institutions.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The program has an excellent reputation among the Capital Region’s business community; classroom projects often involve design assignments relevant to their current ventures. Direct industry experience is gained through the program’s two-week professional experience component, allowing eligible students the opportunity to apply their technical and interpersonal skills effectively within a workplace environment.

The graphics industry is constantly undergoing change, whether it is new software developments, updates in output equipment and technologies, or trends in design elements. The program is in constant contact with industry and supply representatives to be sure the training demands are being met and grads have the skills necessary for employment. Skills acquired in this program have allowed our graduates to seek employment opportunities all across North America.

NAIT’s 1-year Dental Assisting certificate program will give you the knowledge and skills necessary for direct entry to dental practice. From infection prevention and control to all chairside restorative and specialty procedures, as well as direct patient care and dental practice administration, our program will prepare you to be an integral member of the dental health care team.

Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Our training approach emphasizes practical experience backed by strong theoretical knowledge in the skills and technology necessary to be a successful Dental Assistant. Our program features the following:

•  38-week full-time program: two 15-week semesters and an 8-week intersession.
•  Small group learning, which allows for the optimum student-to-instructor ratio
•  Practical, hands-on approach to learning in labs, as well as through clinical placements within the dental community
•  Providing treatment to both peers and the general public in our fully equipped onsite dental clinic

The Court Transcription certificate provides students with the knowledge and skills to produce accurate transcripts by applying rules of grammar and punctuation to the spoken word of pre-recorded proceedings using machine shorthand and computer-aided transcription software. In addition to court transcript production, graduates may be hired as scopists and proofreaders to aid in court transcript production. Graduates will also have opportunities to produce transcripts and verbatim captions in support of disciplinary proceedings, arbitration hearings, 9-1-1 calls, interviews, investigations, shareholders’ and other meetings, and prerecorded television and Internet videos.

Because Court Transcriptionists work with recordings, their hours and location are often very flexible. Court Transcriptionists are often able to work from a home office and can accept work from across the province and country.

Interior Design Technologists translate designs concepts into technical drawings that ultimately result in the creation of the built environment.

In this program, you will learn the relationships between functional, technical and aesthetic elements in interior environments. You will be trained in products and materials, construction methods, building services and more. Most drawings will be completed on the computer but you will also learn free-hand sketching techniques to create construction drawings, floor plans and more.

If you have an interest in drawing, an aptitude for three dimensional thinking or a strong desire to learn how things are constructed this is the program for you.

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.

In the Game Programming area of emphasis, you will learn how to give life to video games. You will create and implement game code and scripts that support environments, characters, vehicles, cameras and special effects and allow them to interact with each other.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The courses in this area of emphasis offer a multi-language approach to object-oriented programming (OOP), which is an approach to designing modular, reusable software systems. You'll also learn how multi-language programming functions on various game engines and platforms.

You will become familiar with programming languages such as C++, C# and JavaScript, languages that are at the core of game programming. You will then learn how to plan and create small games – on your own as well as with your classmates.

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.

Have you already earned an IT-related diploma? You’ve configured, overcome challenges and provided solutions, you know how to make IT work, and are now ready to learn why IT works. You want to design and integrate complex network solutions. The BAIST program will provide the skills and knowledge to take you to the next level. BAIST – Designing IT!”

What You Will Learn
Network Management Major
This major involves highly specialized preparation geared toward managing the planning, installation and operations of computer networks in very large enterprises.  After graduation, you will be prepared for career opportunities as a network manager, network engineer or network administrator.

In this major you  will learn to:

• Use network operating systems, management tools and protocol analysis tools
• Design, analyze and manage networks, LANs and WANs
• Manage advanced server configuration, network LAN and advanced WAN protocols, and network hardware resources
• Provide network client support, and monitor and optimize network performance