Diploma in Architectural Technologies

at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Canada

Developed with input from industry experts, the Hospitality and Tourism Management program will give you practical hands-on education, ensuring you have the real-world knowledge and skills to achieve success in the workforce.

During this program, you will develop a strong understanding of the hospitality and tourism industries. You will gain knowledge in guest experiences delivery, sales and marketing, service and applied leadership, all complemented by a strong financial management foundation. You will expand your knowledge by choosing a specialization in travel and tourism, entrepreneurship and innovation, hotel and accommodation management, restaurant and service operations, event management, beverage management and more.

Develop qualities that are in high demand for all hospitality and tourism jobs such as communication, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. The industry is fast-paced and requires you to be adaptable, enthusiastic and resilient. If you enjoy keeping busy and working within a team to achieve common goals, then this career is perfect for you.

The program allows you to choose an area of specialization in:

• Hotels and Accommodation: Gain strong hotel industry knowledge on the interconnectivity of all departments that bring a guest experience to life through two practicum placements with leading hotel partners. You will also gain practical experience in front office management, hotel event planning, hotel revenue management and facilities design.
• Restaurant and Service Operations: Learn service operations management skills through practical,?hands-on training in the?renowned Highwood restaurant, and?through?executing special events on and off campus with?our?key industry partners. Your training will cover beverage and service operations, facility management and design,?as well as people leadership and inventory management.
• Beverage Management: Obtain in-depth beverage product knowledge in non-alcoholic beverages as well as wine, beer and spirits. Training will cover beverage sales and retail operations, inventory control and basic culinary understanding to build your skills in creating sustainable beverage programs. 
• Event Management:  This specialization exposes you to all aspects of the event and meeting planning industry, from conventions to live events and festivals. You will gain applied knowledge in contract and stakeholder negotiations, event strategy planning and execution as you bring several events to life on campus and with industry partners, from small- scale VIP events to large events.
• Travel and Tourism:  Gain travel product knowledge to prepare for a career in destination and travel planning. Your training will cover product and reservation systems, itinerary planning and design, special interest and sustainable tourism. You will have the opportunity to connect with industry partners in solving industry problems, and selling and marketing products at our Travel Center on Campus.
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Whether your passion is starting your own hospitality business or to create innovative products within a larger company, this specialization introduces you to the entrepreneurial mindset, design thinking and new venture planning. You will have the opportunity to study current industry trends and identify gaps to help provide creative solutions and drive new product development.  This specialization offers elective opportunities from any other specialization.
• Multi-Disciplinary: Choose a multi-disciplinary approach and select electives from various specializations to build a customized hospitality and tourism path. You will apply that learning through practical, hands-on operations in the specialization of choice, and through executing special events on and off campus with leading industry partners.

Create a career as an architectural technologist, construction coordinator or graphic designer for an architectural firm, residential home builder or construction company with this comprehensive program that includes hands-on training in drafting, design and building systems in our one-of-a-kind indoor house-building lab.

The Architectural Technologies program is designed to enable graduates to be able to perform and manage the fundamental duties of a junior architectural technologist. This diploma program is two years in length, consisting of four 15-week semesters. In the fourth semester, you refine your skills in a comprehensive capstone project.

The Architectural Technology program is learner-centred. We believe that students learn best when they construct knowledge and meaning from a collaboration between their learning experiences and their ideas. This type of applied experiential education means the development of the hand and mind through innovation, relevant content, engaged instructors and students who want to create meaningful careers.

The program employs a Project-Based Learning (PBL) model. This means that the “single subject inputs and assignments all relate to, and support the project work.” In this model, the repeated practice of going through a problem enables you to build up a repertoire of significant experiences. A critical feature of the program the focus on blending the science and practice of architectural technology.

You will learn by undertaking projects that simulate and simplify work practices in an educational setting modelled in a real-world environment. It is a setting where you get to practice.

Semesters are typically organized around a manageable core or central project. These projects will involve both individual and group-based work. In both instances, collaborative learning and teaching are practised. In all cases, there is an emphasis on learning by doing.

This program will develop critical thinking skills through the practice of confronting uncertainty. It allows one to see unfamiliar situations as familiar and this, in turn, allows one to have a feel or approach to problems that do not conform to rules.

Open the door to a fast-paced office career with the one-year Office Professional certificate. Learn to communicate in an office setting, understand common office procedures and use technology to organize business information. You practice collaboration and teamwork to complete a variety of business tasks.

You can graduate with several Microsoft Office certifications, demonstrating your essential skills in word processing, spreadsheet, email and presentation software. When you graduate, you can launch your office professional career or apply to the second year of SAIT’s  Administrative Information Management diploma.

The Civil Engineering Technology program uses math, science and technical communication skills to design and manage the construction of buildings, roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects.

The program will prepare you to become a civil engineering design and construction professional. You will receive courses in math, construction management, structural design, geotechnical engineering, material science, urban services, water resources, transportation infrastructure and technical communications.

In the labs, you will build a house, explore the strength of building materials, mix and test concrete and asphalt samples, and discover the importance of soil mechanics to building projects. In class, the program combines theoretical training, applied skills and laptop delivery modules.

This diploma program is two years in length, consisting of four 15-week semesters. The first two semesters are common to all students in the program. In the fourth semester, you will have the ability to specialize in Construction Management or Municipal Engineering. If an option is oversubscribed, selection is based on the first-year cumulative grade point average.

This program accepts students into the first semester in September as well as January. Students starting in the fall will study for two semesters per year with a summer break in between. Students starting in the winter semester will study for four consecutive semesters with a one or two-week break between semesters.

Create a career in the area of digital graphics — working for commercial printers or publishing companies, advertising agencies or graphic arts firms — with courses that include web and print production, layout and visual design.

If you’ve ever picked up a print publication, visited a website, admired a logo or looked at an advertisement, then you are already familiar with some of the end products of the digital graphics industry.
The Graphic Communications and Print Technology program is designed to prepare you for a career in these exciting fields. You acquire industry-specific skills in electronic file management, print management and production, print administration, estimating, printing service coordination that ensure your success in the industry. 
 

Build a career in software development with training in object-oriented programming, web-based application development and relational databases, while using up-to-date development tools and standards.

The Object-Oriented Software Developer (OOSD) program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and practice you need to develop solid software development skills in minimal time. This program takes you from introductory concepts to advanced techniques in only 32 weeks.

You will gain experience in several object-oriented programming languages, web-based and Internet application development and relational databases while using a vast array of development tools. Mobile application development has recently been added to the program. After 24 weeks of formal instruction, you will put your knowledge and skills to work in a mandatory eight-week work practicum.

Train for a career repairing, maintaining and overhauling transport vehicles and heavy equipment. A combination of action-based learning in a shop environment and theory courses will prepare you for a career in a number of industries and let you continue your path as a heavy equipment technician apprentice.

This 30-week program has been designed by industry representatives to meet the specific needs of today’s large and diverse heavy equipment industry. After completing the program, you will be a highly trained entry-level tradesperson ready to enter the workforce as a Heavy Equipment Technician apprentice.

As a graduate of the program, you may be credited with up to 600 hours' worth of work experience towards your apprenticeship, as well as the opportunity to write your first and second-period apprenticeship exams.

Train for a career as a restaurant or hotel manager, special events coordinator or entrepreneur through courses in business management, food and beverage, human resources and marketing. Hospitality Management provides a unique educational experience with students learning and working in SAIT’s popular on-campus restaurant.

The Hospitality Management program at SAIT is known worldwide for its innovative curriculum and real-world education. At SAIT, we prepare our students for rewarding and in-demand careers in the global hospitality industry through expert instruction, hands-on learning anda state-of-the-art facilities. Our alumni are working in top hospitality organizations in Calgary, Canada and around the globe.

During this full-time two-year diploma program, you will obtain skills in lodging, food and beverage and a host of other hospitality sectors. Your training will cover hotel and restaurant operations, wine and beverage appreciation, special events, marketing, human resources, accounting and much more.

Our blended learning environment includes classroom instruction, laptop delivery and a live working environment - all delivered through a personalized approach. You will learn what it’s like to work as a member of a hospitality team by participating in group projects, serving in the renowned Highwood restaurant and executing special events on campus.

You will also be trained on the latest industry software including:

• Opera Property Management System
• MICROS point of sale system
• OpenTable restaurant management software.

As part of our close relationship with the hospitality sector, we are privileged to have some of the best and brightest leaders from the community serve on our advisory board. They help by providing insight into industry trends and informing the development of an up-to-date and practical curriculum.

Special events

• As a student, you will also have the opportunity to put your knowledge into action as part of a team planning and hosting special events such as:
  • HOSPO: the largest one-day tourism conference in Western Canada featuring 50 guest speakers and a career fair with over 50 industry booths
  • Scholarship lunch and industry gala in The Highwood
  • SAIT President’s gala dinner for 400 VIP delegates.

Professional paid internship and study tours

• Between your first and second year of study, you will be able to apply your skills in a professional paid internship. In addition to gaining experience in a real-world environment, internships provide valuable connections and opportunities to network with future employers.
• As a student, you can also take advantage of exciting international study tours. Previous tour locations have included Scotland, Italy, Australia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Get world-class, hands-on training in petroleum engineering technology. Study all areas of the industry — from exploration and drilling to field operations and economic analysis — and start a successful career in oil and gas production.

In the Petroleum Engineering Technology program, you’ll be trained in all areas of the upstream petroleum industry, including exploration, field operations, drilling, economic analysis and reserves determination.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur at heart or you want to increase your business acumen, the Culinary Entrepreneurship post-diploma will provide you with the skills and knowledge required to turn an idea into reality. An intensive year-long certificate program, you’ll learn first-hand all about the world of entrepreneurialism as you manage an actual, real-life hospitality enterprise.

The experiential learning from a live classroom environment will provide you with the skillset required to operate a business, provide creative solutions and drive product development - skillsets that are increasingly sought after in a globalized, competitive environment.

While managing a business, your learning will be complimented with online courses and professional mentorship from industry experts. Your studies will cover everything from business operations, facilities, and business regulations to finance, human resource management, sales and marketing.

Upon completion of this post-diploma certificate, you will be able to make informed decisions about your tolerance to risk, your ability to manage and your ability to lead. Further, you will be able to determine if you are suited to entrepreneurship, whether or not you are ready to become an entrepreneur, or if you should use your entrepreneurial mindset to enhance your position within an organization.

World-Class Experiential Learning Environment
An integral part of your learning experience will be SAIT’s new state-of-the-art facility designed to foster culinary excellence, creative exchange and innovation. An incubator for entrepreneurs, this space will provide you with a flexible platform to develop and market your products, engage with paying customers in real time and fully immerse yourself in the day-to-day operations of entrepreneurialism.