Diploma in Digital Media and IT - Visual Communications Concentration (Co-op Optional)

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Canada

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

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.

Cybersecurity is essential to protecting organizations, networks, applications and users from a world of online threats. You will gain advanced operational skills and security strategies to defend against attacks and manage risk. You will also learn about the technical, legal and political issues regarding cybersecurity.

What You Will Learn
Advanced cybersecurity skills
The Cybersecurity post-diploma certificate will establish you as a leader with essential skills in a high-demand field.

Through the course of this 10-course program, you can expect to learn how to:

• Operate cybersecurity services and defend against existing and emerging threats targeting organizations and their assets
• Adapt and align information security strategies to an organization’s goals
• Manage cybersecurity governance programs that meet organizational, regulatory and industry standards
• Demonstrate leadership through critical thinking, communication, ethics and ongoing professional development that supports an organization’s cybersecurity
• Interpret and apply cyber risk management at operational and strategic levels
• Apply forensic principles to investigate security incidents
• Use penetration testing techniques to simulate a cyber threat and identify vulnerabilities

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

Captioners and court reporters are highly skilled professionals who can capture speech at speeds of 225 words per minute (wpm) and higher. Using an electronic shorthand machine and sophisticated computer technology, reporters translate a conversation virtually simultaneously to the printed word.

Being a captioner or court reporter is a profession like no other. It is exciting to meet the challenges when no 2 days are alike and when you learn new and fascinating information every day.

NAIT offers the only captioning and court reporting program in western Canada to be approved by the National Court Reporters Association - a 35,000 member organization based in the United States. Consequently, the program is well-regarded and graduates obtain employment not only across Canada and the United States, but around the world.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In the Captioning and Court Reporting program, you will learn how to write machine shorthand at 225 words per minute (or faster). This will allow you to work as a court reporter, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) provider or broadcast captioner.

You can expect to learn and develop:

• The ability to write machine shorthand verbatim at 225 words per minute with 95% accuracy
• Proficiency with computer-aided transcription software
• Comprehensive English skills
• An extensive understanding of criminal and civil law
• Interpersonal and leadership skills

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 Animation area of emphasis prepares you for jobs in films, games, architectural visualization, industrial simulations, concept design and illustration.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The DMIT - Animation area of emphasis will set you up with skills in all areas of the animation process, including story development, character design, drawing fundamentals, modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, special effects, lighting, rendering and editing.

First-year courses establish a solid foundation in classical drawing and 3D modelling. More advanced courses offer you experience with:

• Digital sculpting
• Rigging
• Character animation
• Video editing
• Motion graphics and compositing, including integrating 2D and 3D elements into live action footage

In this area of emphasis, you will learn using the most current techniques and tools from the industry today, and be well-prepared for a career in animation.

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.

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.

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.

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

Accounting is the foundation for business, ensuring profitability and a source for strategic decisions. If you’re someone that enjoys detail-oriented, analytical work, this field will provide a challenging career.

In this program you’ll learn financial theory and develop technical expertise in accounting. In our hands-on classroom environment, we will teach manual accounting techniques as well as current software applications so you can stay competitive in an ever-in-demand industry. You’ll also benefit from managerial courses that will expand your knowledge and prepare you to work in supervisory positions.

Are you up for the challenge? Pursue a career that’s driven by data and critical to the success of business.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In the first year of the program, all business students take the same 10 foundational courses in order to gain core business knowledge. In the second year of studies, you will take the required courses to get a specialized accounting diploma upon graduation. 

We foster skill development in personal and corporate taxation, external auditing and accounting information systems with an understanding of quantitative analysis techniques and creating connections to financial data.

Our accounting diploma program focuses on: 

• financial accounting
• internal and external auditing 
• data analysis 
• taxation 
• managerial accounting 
• budgeting