Bachelor of Science in Ecological Restoration

at British Columbia Institute of Technology - Burnaby Campus Canada

The world is quickly moving towards a future where many mechanical products contain computers and electronics for monitoring or control. This integration of mechanical and electronic components, or mechatronics, makes it possible to design intelligent, reliable, versatile electromechanical systems such as industrial robots, medical devices, aircraft simulators, automated assembly lines, building control systems, and autonomous vehicles. Skills in Mechatronics will be in high demand for many years to come.

Why BCIT?
The Mechatronics and Robotics program is a unique, multidisciplinary combination of courses that blends knowledge in electronics, mechanics, and computer programming to provide you with both the theory and practical skills you need to design and maintain mechatronic systems. We are proud of the Mechatronics program, and believe that its strengths are built on:

• Great Faculty - Our faculty are dedicated to teaching. Many have extensive engineering, science, and industrial experience.
• Excellent Labs - Hands-on experience with up-to-date industrial equipment helps you to understand the concepts that you learn in lectures and gives you job-ready, practical skills. Check out our labs on the Lab Tour page.
• Fantastic Career Choices - We are proud of our graduates and the many interesting jobs that they do. The multidisciplinary training and education that you'll receive prepares you for a leadership role in the design and creation of innovative mechatronics products for a variety of applications. After graduation, you might be designing and building automated equipment for the movie industry, medical devices, production equipment, or submarines.
• Degree Completion - After two years of study, you can have a great career as a technologist. If you want to earn an engineering degree, you can get advanced placement into engineering programs at BCIT, University of Victoria (through an engineering bridge program, offered by Camosun College), or other local universities. It's your choice - you'll make a fantastic technologist or engineer because of your practical training from BCIT!

Are you ready for an adventure in tourism? With tourism becoming one of the world’s most profitable industries, exciting job opportunities for qualified candidates are growing … and with the right training, you could make your dream career in one of the most fun industries.

The Tourism Management diploma program is designed by working industry professionals to give you the most relevant, current skills and knowledge to be successful in the challenging, varied world of tourism. In BC’s only business-focused tourism marketing program, you’ll receive rigorous, comprehensive training in all aspects of tourism like social media promotions, event planning, and more.

By getting the hands-on experience and training BCIT is known for, you’ll be prepared with the most up-to-date training, leadership skills, and confidence to begin your career in tourism.

Program Highlights

• Only business-focused tourism marketing program in BC
• Practicum in the industry for practical experience
• Option to apply course credits later toward your bachelor’s degree
• Find out more about how earning your diploma from BCIT can help get your career on the move in the Program Details.

Who should apply for the Tourism Management Diploma?
Whether you’re recently graduated from high school, have some post-secondary education and work experience, or already have a bachelor’s degree, this diploma program can give you the specific skills for an exciting industry to help you land that first job or grow your current career.
You’re hard working

• You’re focused on getting what you want
• You’re personable and service-oriented
• You’re looking to start an exciting career in tourism

The Telecommunications Systems Technician program emphasizes hands-on, practical training with equipment typically encountered in industry.
Telecommunications Systems Technician, Telecommunication Networks Option graduates install, maintain and repair telecommunications equipment. Through theoretical and practical study, this program will prepare you for a career in this exciting and dynamic industry. Skills in the telecommunications industry are in high demand. If you like working with computers and data transfer equipment, if you enjoy the challenge of always learning something new, and if you want to be part of a growing industry, the Telecommunications Systems Technician, Telecommunication Networks Option program can open the door to a variety of exciting careers.

Why BCIT?

• Great Faculty - Our instructors are committed to keeping their skills current, and are continuously upgrading their skills through advanced industry training, so that you will be ready to work on the latest equipment.
• Excellent Labs - You will work on the latest equipment, studying the theory and practical aspects of telephone, data, radio frequency (RF) and fibre optics communications systems gives you job-ready, practical skills.
• Fantastic Career Choices - Your BCIT diploma opens the door to an exciting career as a technician - a technical expert who works in a team to solve problems and is relied upon to install, maintain and repair telecommunications equipment.
• Degree Completion - With your BCIT diploma and two years of related work experience, you can enter the Bachelor of Technology Management degree program at BCIT. The Bachelor of Technology Management degree is a part-time program, so you can continue working while you further your education.

The program spans over nine months and is designed for individuals who have already completed a diploma or a degree and are interested in making a career in human resource management. The students learn how to create employee retention programs, deal with workplace conflicts, employee compensation packages, and plan staffing levels, hiring selection criteria and performance management policies.

The students enrolled under this program take a ten-week Business Consulting Project in their final term, where students spend two days a week in developing a solution to real human resource issues companies’ face. They collect and analyze the data, create recommendations and then showcase their results to the senior management. 

International students should be aware that this program has a mandatory integrated work experience and you are responsible for ensuring that you hold a valid co-op work permit, which is required to complete this practicum. The co-op work permit is separate from the study permit for having authorization to work up to 20 hours per week during your studies.

In this program, you’ll train thoroughly for the behind-the-scenes jobs available in the growing world of video production. This includes working closely with industry professionals to learn the skills today’s employers are looking for, all to help prepare you for your dream career as an editor, video producer, film maker, and more.

Through BCIT’s Television & Video Production diploma program, you’ll prepare and deliver programming that’s broadcast weekly on Shaw TV, streamed online, and delivered through online video services. As part of earning experience in every facet of production, you’ll rotate through various roles, including writing scripts, shooting and editing, directing, lighting, and audio mixing.

Because BCIT’s first goal is to prepare you for a successful career, we regularly update and adapt our course offerings and hours to meet changing industry conditions and demands. Some classes and practicums may take place outside of normal class hours, including evenings and weekends to offer flexible training opportunities for students.

To give you even more current, relevant experience, you’ll participate in a 4-week practicum with a TV station, film studio, or media production company to learn on the job and develop connections throughout the industry. Students find practicums in communities throughout the province, across the country, and around the world!

The Mechanical Systems option concentrates on providing comprehensive engineering skills that can be applied in:

• Energy conversion
• Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC)
• Building environmental controls and energy management
• Plumbing and fire protection systems

These systems provide comfortable, healthy, safe environments for buildings that are energy-efficient and cost-effective.

The Mechanical Systems option prepares you for the jobs of the future by teaching you about designing and installing environmental systems in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Graduates will be equipped with skills to work in the rapidly evolving green economy.

Modern Business Operations Management encompasses a number of knowledge areas. The base of the operations function is supply chain management, specifically purchasing, process management, and quality management to maximize productivity. This is supported by digital business strategies such as ERP, business analytics, and various emerging technologies; as well as continuous improvement skills such as project management, process design and improvement, and change management to ensure the business can respond to evolving customer demands. These business management and transformation activities form a body of knowledge that is integral to business success.

In the BCIT Business Operations Management diploma program, you’ll learn how to manage, evaluate, and improve these critical functions. You will acquire a highly transportable set of skills applicable to a variety of organizations. A strong connection to industry allows you to apply those skills to real world situations, preparing you for success.

The BCIT Building Engineering/Building Science Master of Applied Science program provides students with the capabilities to independently conduct rigorous, innovative research and publish, present, and defend those research outcomes to expert peers.

A core course component teaches advanced knowledge and skills leading to a holistic understanding of building performance. Specialized elective technical courses prepare students with in-depth knowledge to enable them to conduct research in their particular area. A well-structured research component is included in the program to enable students to develop research skills.

Students are required to complete a research methods course, conduct a literature survey, develop a research plan, write a research proposal, undertake innovative scientific research and complete a comprehensive research thesis that advances scientific knowledge. Students will conduct research independently with guidance from a thesis supervisory committee.

The Master of Applied Science program:

• Offers an interdisciplinary curriculum
• Specializes in building science
• Emphasizes an engineering approach for practical problem solving
• Focuses on applied research to provide solutions to industry problems
• Engages students in interdisciplinary research
• Is supported by a strong foundation of research infrastructure unique to western Canada
• Delivers a first-of-a-kind program in BC and western Canada

Become a part of Canada’s premier environmental and restoration related programs. BCIT invites you to join one of the most unique educational models in Canada. In the time it takes to do a typical university degree, you can get two academic credentials; a Diploma in Fish, Wildlife and Recreation (FWR) or Forest and Natural Areas Management (FNAM) and a Bachelor's Degree in Ecological Restoration.

Completion of either of these two-year diploma programs (or similar programs elsewhere) will provide you with the strong foundation needed to apply for entry into BCIT’s Degree in Ecological Restoration. This degree, the first of its kind in Canada, provides world-class applied training on restoring the numerous damaged aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that exist across British Columbia, Canada, and around the world.

Ecological Restoration (ER) is a scientific discipline that has recently emerged due to the increasing need to restore damaged ecosystems. Restoration scientists and practitioners are ‘ecosystem physicians’ …. Doctors apply knowledge of physiology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and parasitology to address human health issues. ER practitioners apply knowledge of: ecology, hydrology, geochemistry, geomorphology, and engineering to address ecological health issues1. Natural habitats across the province have been severely impacted due to habitat destruction, urban sprawl, invasive species expansions, and direct damage due to industrial contamination of soils and aquatic resources. These factors combined with the resulting increase in number of threatened and endangered species have resulted in the strong need for ecosystem restoration work across the province and around the world.

The Bachelor Degree in Ecological Restoration provides graduates with a strong foundation in the methods available to restore a broad range of ecosystems that have been impacted by human influences in British Columbia, across Canada and in other parts of the world. Ecological Restoration graduates will not only bring skills and expertise to current employers but will also be leaders and innovators in this rapidly-developing industry.

These programs, in partnership with the newly established BCIT Rivers Institute, are widely renowned locally and internationally for their “?eld oriented” learning and applied research. The Rivers Institute plays a leadership role in the protection and restoration of rivers and provides support and mentoring to the next generation of river stewards. Working with our many diverse partners on a wide range of applied restoration projects, students gain extensive experience tackling some of the many environmental challenges facing local, regional, provincial and international communities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been called the new electricity. AI and machine learning (ML) systems are currently being utilized to organize supply chains, manage customer relationships, transfer organizational knowledge, and optimize enterprise resources. According to estimates, up to 47% of current jobs could be automated by AI, robotics, and machine learning systems in the next two decades. Firms have identified that a lack of skilled people make deployment of machine learning capabilities an ongoing challenge. Due to these factors, numerous jobs will become available for managing these systems.

The Business Information Technology Management (BITMAN) – Artificial Intelligence Management (AIM) option will train artificial intelligence/machine learning management knowledge workers for entry-level positions managing AI/ML/business intelligence solutions. This option will focus on AI business models, AI ethics, machine learning for business (supervised learning, neural networks, and deep learning), computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP).