Graduate Certificate in Building Automation System Operations

at Algonquin College - Ottawa Campus Canada

Learn engineering design, and offer solutions as a mechanical engineering technologist

The three-year Mechanical Engineering Technology Ontario College Advanced Diploma program teaches you to apply scientific and engineering principles to solve mechanical engineering problems in a variety of industries.

Through a series of classroom-based courses and extensive practical labs, you acquire skills specific to mechanical engineering technologists, including:

• Modifying and improving engineering designs using conventional and computer-based methods
• Performing engineering tests
• Supporting product development
• Using engineering software and systems to conduct engineering design and analysis
• Designing specialized jogs and fixtures
• Analyzing problems involving machine design, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and heat transfer
• Understandingand applying design standards (i.e. ASHRAE and ASM International)
• Using design software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD and MasterCAM

During your third year in the program, you complete a capstone project under the guidance of your faculty members. You work with external stakeholders in the industry during the project to analyze, plan and execute your project.

Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op version of the program are subject to availability. Students who elect to apply to the non co-op version of the program may not have the opportunity to transfer to the co-op version at a later date.

Graduates may find work in the research, design and testing of mechanical systems, or with:

• Manufacturing processes
• Electro-mechanical control systems
• Automation
• Green-energy and building systems

The three-year Applied Museum Studies Ontario College Advanced Diploma prepares you with the knowledge and skills to support curatorial and conservation activities in the museum, heritage and cultural sectors.

• Gain skills and knowledge in:
  • Collections management
  • Educational programming
  • Exhibit preparation
  • Museum management
  • Conservation and preservation

Develop capabilities related to cultural resource management, focusing on collections care, research and interpretation. Areas of study include:

• Classifying, cataloguing and interpreting collections of artifacts and works of art
• Constructing and installing exhibits and displays
• Assessing, preserving and treating material culture

Put theory into practice in our well-appointed conservation and exhibition preparation labs. Working with our teaching collection and in collaboration with local cultural institutions, you complete a variety of hands-on projects and group assignments that will enhance your knowledge and skills and make valuable contributions in museums, galleries and the cultural sector.

This program includes a full-semester field placement. The field experience combines your theory and lab skills with professional practice in the cultural industry. At the end of your placement, highlight your work in a showcase event. The showcase event also gives you the chance to network with industry professionals for future employment.

Develop your awareness of sustainable building operation expertise for a career in the rapidly advancing field.

The Building Automation System Operations Ontario College Graduate Certificate program builds on your industry and educational experience and deepens your understanding of technologies that support the sustainable operation of buildings and ongoing building optimization.

By working with data analysis, you gain the ability to monitor and adjust energy usage and gauge system parameters, alarms and activities within a building. The program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to advance in the building technology field.

With increased awareness of sustainable measures and growing energy costs, professionals in this field are moving towards high-performance automated buildings. These Smart buildings are reducing consumption and ensuring comfort, health and safety.

In this program, you use case studies, hands-on learning, and field work to give you the knowledge to understand and apply skills in relation to building automation systems.

Graduates who are looking to work in the building technology field may find employment in many different positions, including:

• Building automation system operator
• Building automation technician
• HVAC automation and controls technician
• Building automation process leader

The two-year Journalism Ontario College Diploma program prepares you to report on all news delivery platforms, and helps you develop the online skills that have become vital in the industry.
Acquire leading-edge, relevant knowledge and skills in multi-platform and traditional journalism. Gain hands-on experience and expand your portfolio almost immediately upon starting the program, working for the award-winning Algonquin Times - named Canada`s top campus newspaper in 2015 and 2017 - as well as Glue, Ottawa`s student magazine.

Learn the core journalism skills to succeed in the industry. Study how to write factually, conduct interviews and filter information. Examine aspects of photo journalism, page layout, web and e-publishing, and online reporting/editing.
Your learning is expanded with workshops, guest speakers and field trips, offering exposure to a diversity of information and skills necessary for the modern journalist. To ensure you are comfortable with all journalistic platforms, you create photo and video journalism and produce newscasts for CKDJ 107.9 FM, Algonquin College`s radio station.

Expand your real-world experience with a six-week internship at a media outlet and learn to operate as a freelance journalist. You have the choice to work at a local company or agency, or complete the placement out of the region or country.

After you graduate, if you wish to further your education, you can apply to the University of Ottawa`s Honours Bachelor Degree in Digital Journalism program, in which you may be eligible for advanced standing.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Report on stories in an accurate, detailed, balanced, professional and timely manner.
• Apply computer and technical skills to designated production and research functions in journalism.
• Function both independently and as a member of editorial and/or production teams.
• Analyze knowledge from communities, current events and public affairs, and history to interpret and express the context for designated journalism publications and/or productions.
• Develop strategies for personal and professional development.
• Comply with relevant Canadian legislation, standards and the principles and practices of journalism.
• Write and edit content for the designated media platforms.
• Publish and/or broadcast content for the designated media platforms.
• Apply production skills and use production equipment in the preparation and distribution of content for the designated media platforms.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

The Technical Writer Ontario College Graduate Certificate program provides you with the skills and training needed for a career in technical communication. Throughout this one-year program, you create different types of workplace documents to help users enjoy all features of a product, service or information. In particular, you learn to:

• Research and analyze technical material
• Connect with an intended audience
• Use specialized tools to author documents
• Manage multiple projects to meet the goals of a group
• Create structured documents that cater to different user tasks

These skills are so highly prized in the workplace that you can choose to work in either the public or the private sector, and in a freelance, part-time or full-time capacity.

The Technical Writer program will teach you how to create different kinds of online and print documents such as instruction sets, training materials, user manuals, white papers, proposals, online help, instructional videos and podcasts.

Through a combination of real-world learning, group projects, and collaborative learning activities, you can confidently apply these skills in all areas of industry including manufacturing, health and medicine, government, high-tech and private training institutions.

The two-year Illustration and Concept Art Ontario College Diploma program, delivered in a compressed format over 42 weeks, prepares you for the field of illustration and the emerging discipline of concept art.
As a student, you develop skills in digital and traditional media. While developing your drawing skills, you learn about:

• Print periodical illustration
• Children`s books
• Graphic novel illustration
• Concept art for animation
• Interactive media
• Film

In this program, you work individually as an artist, but learn as a team member when contributing to concept art projects. You develop problem-solving methods, drawing techniques and production methods for the magazine, graphic novel or entertainment industry.

The faculty, many of whom are award-winning published artists widely respected in the industry, share their abundance of knowledge and experience. Learning opportunities with industry partners allow you to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed and also offer networking opportunities. With in-class discussions and hands-on learning activities, you develop your style and expand your portfolio.

Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Review genres of entertainment art, documents, and project requirements and propose visual solutions.
  • Prepare artwork that meets the needs of identified target audiences, clients, and formats.
  • Contribute to the solution of pre-production design problems to produce industry-accepted quality art work within project constraints.
  • Identify and address technical components to produce portfolio-quality conceptual artwork.
  • Use a variety of traditional and digital tools to create industry-accepted solutions and concept art work.
  • Develop concept art work in different styles and in different applications.
  • Prepare industry-accepted art work for the printing process and for various digital media.
  • Apply business practices and time management skills to the profession of independent and/or company illustrator and concept artist.
  • Contribute to multi-disciplinary project teams in order to complete concept art work flow.
  • Analyze their professional skill-set and plan and prepare effective marketing and self-promotional material.
  • Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

In the two-year Horticultural Industries Ontario College Diploma program you learn how to create landscapes from design to implementation. By offering a condensed format over 16 months, the Horticultural Industries program allows you to fast track your career.

Learn the key aspects of this dynamic industry, including:

• Urban and rural landscape design, installation and maintenance
• Nursery production and management
• Sustainable urban agriculture
• Green roof and living wall technology

The program offers a hands-on learning experience during the industry`s prime production period in the spring/summer/fall. Practice skills in Algonquin College`s extensive campus gardens surrounding the Horticulture Centre and within the attached greenhouse complex.

The various plant collections and the vegetable garden provide you with the perfect opportunity to study plant identification, plant selection and ideal growing conditions. You take active part in further developing and maintaining the grounds in smaller work-groups, simulating the industry.

To further your skills and make connections in the industry, you complete a 12-week co-op placement as part of the program. The landscape industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving, with a high-demand for skilled horticultural specialists and landscape designers.

Graduates may find work, either as employees or self-employed, in:

• Construction and maintenance firms
• Landscape design
• Nurseries and garden centres
• Urban food production
• Tree care industry
• Park systems
• Consulting or teaching        

The two-year Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program prepares you to become an educator of children in a variety of early learning settings. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work with families and other professionals to support children`s learning and development.

This program provides you with the ability to create, implement and assess play-based curricula while building stimulating child-centred environments. Benefit from both theoretical and hands-on learning opportunities. You have three field placements during the program that focus on children from birth to age 12. These real-world experiences allow you to integrate theory with professional practice in early learning programs.

You assist in providing guidance to children while planning, implementing and evaluating programs. Through your placements, you gain valuable hands-on skills and experience to help you understand the diverse roles, settings, and responsibilities of an Early Childhood Educator.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity.
• Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children’s learning, holistic development and well-being following children’s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
• Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
• Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
• Use observation strategies to identify children’s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
• Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children’s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
• Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care settings.
• Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
• Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
• Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment an environmental stewardship.

Explore a challenging and rewarding career in business.

• Earn a flexible diploma that shows you are skilled in all of the key business disciplines. The Business Administration - General Business Ontario College Advanced Diploma program gives you the opportunity to customize your education in business. General Business is one of the seven majors that Business Administration students can select in the second half of the three-year program. Develop a skillset with learning from areas of business that include accounting, finance, human resources, international business, marketing and supply chain and operations management.
• By selecting the General Business major going into the fourth semester, you choose courses from at least two majors, and no more than four courses from any one major. Your coursework is based on which courses you select (not all courses are available).
• Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op version of the program are subject to availability.
• Upon graduation, you earn a comprehensive diploma that shows employers you are skilled in all key areas of business. Based on the course selections you made, pursue a variety of careers in diverse fields and industries.
• Upon completion of six semesters and with a minimum GPA of 2.9, you can apply to Nipissing University and with as little as 12 months of additional study at the Woodroffe campus, complete a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Medical Device Reprocessing is a unique Ontario College Certificate program that combines theory, lab practice, simulation and hands-on experience. This one-year program prepares you to apply principles of infection prevention and proper handling of reusable patient care equipment in healthcare settings.

As a student, you explore various areas including:

• Human anatomy
• Medical terminology
• Patient interventions
• Employee and patient safety

Gain manual dexterity by practising with equipment and surgical instrumentation in simulation labs as well as operating equipment in clinical healthcare settings. Collectively, these practices will prepare you for work in the healthcare field. Benefit from more than 130 hours of clinical practice, which provides the opportunity for integrating theory and principles into hands-on practice.

Upon graduating, you may find work in healthcare facilities, which may include:

• Hospital medical device reprocessing departments
• Public and private clinics
• Dental clinics
• Surgical centres