Diploma in Digital Media and IT - Game Design Concentration (Co-op Optional)

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Canada

The Personal Fitness Trainer program combines the hands-on practice of physical training and safe exercise with the knowledge of nutrition and lifestyle counselling to create one of the most in-demand fitness programs in Alberta.

NAIT’s Personal Fitness Trainer faculty have an average of 20 years of industry experience and the program incorporates business management and marketing practices for entrepreneurial graduates that want to start their own fitness empire.

The Personal Fitness Trainer program is offered online and in-class.

In the Millwork and Carpentry program, you will gain hands-on skills in the design and construction of wood structures, cabinets, shelving units and furniture. This certificate program will explore the two traditional woodworking trades of Cabinetmaker and Carpenter, with an emphasis on tools and safety.

Students specialize in either the cabinetmaking or carpentry stream. Each stream emphasizes materials and techniques relevant to that trade specialization.

The Cabinetmaking stream (Millwork), introduces students to construction of both upper and lower casework, complete with doors, drawer, mouldings, hardware and exposure to a variety of different materials used in the trade.

The Carpentry stream provides an introduction to residential home construction in foundations, framing and finishing carpentry.experience related to their stream.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Successful Millwork and Carpentry certificate graduates display the following attributes.

• Safety conscious
• Work well with tools
• Work well within a team environment
• The ability to stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time
• Manual dexterity
• The ability to lift heavy loads
• The ability to solve arithmetic problems accurately
• A positive and professional learning attitude, with an interest in woodworking

Businesses and organizations are finding ways to become smarter, more efficient and make better decisions. Data has become a key aspect in finding a competitive advantage and predicting the future.

Data analytics is a field that combines data, technology, processes and analysis to enhance business decisions and drive success. The Data Analytics post-diploma certificate program provides you with the skills needed to inform real-world business decision-making and planning through data insights, analysis, visualizations and predictions.

Play a key role in an organization by mastering the art of converting data into information and turning information into action

What You Will 
Data-driven, industry-relevant skills
This post-diploma certificate builds on foundational knowledge and skills acquired in related diploma programs and prepares graduates for employment in the field of data analytics.

This 10-course program, which may be completed full- or part-time, will prepare you for Data Analyst roles in a wide variety of industries. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be able to:

• Design and assemble data sets for further manipulation and analysis
• Interpret data sets and communicate findings to make data-driven decisions and support organizational goals
• Use data analytics to provide business insights and organizational opportunities.
• Apply security, privacy, ethics, regulations and information and data management principles throughout the data lifecycle
• Use industry leading artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics tools to analyze, interpret and present data

The new Automotive Service Technology diploma is a unique opportunity to get the technical and career essential skills you need to succeed in the automotive industry. It can also serve as a pathway to apprenticeship.

This two-year diploma provides exposure to new trends and technologies. Once you complete the program, you will have the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience in dynamic shop environments to diagnose vehicle systems, and repair and maintain vehicles.

The diploma program offers a direct pathway into trades training at NAIT without having to first be a registered apprentice. After graduating, you will be eligible to enter the job market having all apprenticeship technical training completed.

What You Will Learn
Industry-approved training
A career in the automotive industry calls for an understanding of both technical knowledge and career essential skills.  Learning outcomes for this program include being able to:

• Identify safety hazards and comply with legislation
• Diagnose vehicle systems
• Repair and maintain vehicles
• Select and use tools and equipment for diagnosis and repair of vehicles
• Describe and discuss automotive systems and component operation
• Demonstrate written and verbal communication skills

All students in the Biological Sciences Technology program take a common first semester before entering into their specialization - Lab and Research, Renewable Resources or Environmental Sciences. The common first semester provides students with strong fundamentals in Biological Sciences while semesters two, three, and four build on these fundamentals with additional specialization-specific education and training. 

Graduates of Biological Sciences Laboratory and Research program are highly skilled, hands-on technologists with the ability to use and apply current technologies and research methods in animal physiology, molecular biology, cell culture, immunology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology. Graduates are valued for their professionalism, effective communication, lab competency, and work safely and efficiently in a team environment. They are aware of the changing industry, and are committed to lifelong learning.

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Human Resource Management students learn how to attract, retain and develop people within an organization. Human Resource (HR) Management is a strategic part of any organization. Finding the right people at the right time can lead to a successful and profitable organization. Building on best practice and technical workplace skills, you'll be taught situational case studies in change management and leadership. A focus on critical thinking and analysis will help prepare you for key decision-making roles. All human resources-related courses have prerequisites, so it is important to carefully plan the order your studies.

This nationally recognized program provides a wide range of training and will give you the skills necessary to make full or partial dentures, repair crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances. You’ll learn the art and science of creating corrective devices for natural teeth and tissues.

A dental technologist is a master of their craft and an essential member of the dental-health team. To be successful, you’ll need to display meticulous attention to detail and an equal combination of technical skills and artistry.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training 
Throughout the program, you’ll recreate the appearance of natural teeth in fixed restorations such as crowns and implant restorations using porcelain, metal alloys and ceramic materials. For corrective devices like orthodontic appliances, you’ll learn the physical and biological forces of handling waxes, wires and acrylic materials.

You’ll have an individual workstation in the dental lab, complete with the latest industry-standard equipment, like:

• press ceramic furnace
• digital laboratory scanner
• acrylic injection system
• pressure thermal-forming machine

You can expect to spend, on average

• 32 hours per week attending classes over the course of a semester
• 10-15 hours per week studying and completing class assignments

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.

Architectural technologists assist in translating design concepts into graphic images, and then converting those images into technical drawings and specifications that result in creation of the built environment. Students in the Architectural Technology program learn freehand sketching techniques, but the program's main emphasis is on manual and computer-aided drawing skills.

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

Throughout the program, you will study theoretical concepts and learn how to:

• Create and coordinate a full set of working drawings to industry standards
• Participate in all aspects of the design process, including the presentation of design solutions
• Research and apply various codes, standards and systems used in design and construction
• Visualize and communicate design in both 2 and 3 dimensions
• Use current architectural tools and software common
• Contribute individually and as part of a team in a professional architectural environment

Architectural technologists must possess superior presentation and communication skills in order to present drawings and plans to clients, workers and management teams. Throughout the program, you will develop your word processing, visual presentation and business communication skills.

Environmental Monitoring & Assessment students investigate the impact of human activities on air, water, soil and vegetation, and gain a solid foundation in environmental sampling, assessment and laboratory skills. Students learn how to monitor and assess environmental quality, apply principles of quality assurance/quality control, manage waste, and reclaim and remediate land. Graduates may conduct environmental site assessments, collect samples from surface and ground water, air, soil and waste, or analyze samples for pollutants in an environmental lab. They work with industry, consultants or government on land and water remediation and reclamation, and investigate environmental issues for various research groups.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
During the first semester, you'll acquire skills and knowledge in the general sciences of biology and chemistry, communications, ethics, botany, zoology, genetics, and lab techniques and calculations.

You'll then be trained in the following areas
Field Skills:

• Perform field analysis of soil, vegetation and water quality
• Monitor air pollutants
• Collect environmental samples from air, water, soil, plants and waste for further lab analysis
• Conduct environmental site assessments – ESA (Phase I - III)
• Maintain and calibrate field equipment for environmental sampling

Additional Skills:

• Design and manage group-based projects
• Measure effects of pollutants on the environment by studying toxicology
• Use current solid and hazardous waste treatment technologies and monitoring systems
• Use legislation and standards related to environmental issues
• Employ pollution prevention and pollution control technologies
• Use quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) principles to obtain accurate data
• Generate and keep detailed log books
• Compile and manage data using MS Office
• Write reports, perform literature reviews, and prepare and give presentations