Diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services

at Durham College - Oshawa Campus Canada

This pathway is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the engineering technology sector. This option provides the foundation necessary for success in college engineering technology programs such as architectural, biomedical, chemical, electronics, energy systems, environmental, mechanical, and water quality. Students considering a skilled trade program would also benefit. This program offers an opportunity to develop and refine the academic skills for science, mathematics, and communication that are necessary for admission to further studies. Some General Arts and Science courses are also transferable to other post-secondary programs. This pathway has the added benefit of helping students become better acquainted with post-secondary life, workload, and expectations.

Developed in response to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business processes globally, the Honours Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence program will teach you skills, tools, and techniques to design AI solutions.

A comprehensive mix of courses, that not only focus on technical theory but also on topics including legal, social, and corporate responsibility, as well as a field placement and capstone project, will teach you project management, as well as critical and analytical thinking skills.

Biotechnology touches a broad range of industries including food processing, health, pharmaceuticals, food production and agriculture. The discipline has created knowledge and products essential to our continued livelihood such as vaccines to prevent disease, pest-resistant plants, environmentally friendly biofuels and improved detection of diseases. Graduates of the Biotechnology - Advanced program are suited to work in a range of industries including those focused on food, the environment, pharmaceuticals, natural health products and cannabis. Learning within state-of-the-art labs using industry-grade equipment, students learn how living organisms or parts of living organisms can provide new methods of production and development of new products in a range of industries as well as the regulations which govern the use of these techniques. Our courses are rooted in real-world applications and our extensive analytical instrumentation lab provides practical, hands-on training. Students graduate with a strong base of theoretical knowledge and practical skills to draw from in their future careers.

Our well-equipped biotechnology, microbiology, chemical analysis and pharmaceutical facilities provide our students with hands-on experience in the methods and instrumentation used in the biotechnology, cannabis and pharmaceutical industries.  Our students learn the theory of and perform experiments involving the isolation and manipulation of DNA, the purification and characterization of proteins, growth, maintenance and management of tissue cultures and microorganisms, and the analysis of pharmaceuticals.  In the final semester students combine their knowledge to use biological organisms to manufacture a chemical product used in an industrial process. Our graduates leave with the scientific theory and skills combined with a clear understanding of regulatory affairs and the ethical implications of the biotechnology industry and its influence on society.

During placement, students have the opportunity to gain experience at partner organizations, including pharmaceutical companies, university research labs and analytical testing faculties. Graduates are employed in both the public and private sectors.

As the only one of its kind in Ontario, the Law Clerk Advanced program will help you gain experience in both foundational areas of law such as corporate, litigation, family and real estate, as well as specialized areas such as securities, intellectual property, employment and immigration law to prepare you for a rewarding and successful career. Whether you want to be a law clerk in a law office, a corporate legal department or a government agency, you’ll have the skills needed for a successful career.  The demand for graduates has never been greater with over 50% of students routinely securing full-time employment before classes even finish!

Co-operative education (co-op)
The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

Students in the Law Clerk – Advanced Diploma program will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first academic semester. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive. Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete two four-month, paid work terms totalling 840 hours. Work terms are scheduled between semesters two and three and four and five of the program.

Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions.

Water is a life source that millions of species depend on for survival. As a water quality technician, you will work towards keeping water safe for consumption and for its return to the environment through proven treatment methods. Distribution and collection methods will also be examined. As part of this program, you will complete the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks entry-level Drinking Water course and may also challenge the four Ministry operator-in-training exams (water treatment, wastewater treatment, water distribution and wastewater collection) for an additional fee. This program also offers you the opportunity to add to your skills and knowledge with real-life work experience gained through either a field placement or a co-operative education (co-op) experience

Program Details
Public health depends on the superior management of water quality and a team of professionals is required to ensure safe water for residents of Ontario. The Water Quality Technician program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and practical skills to work in water and wastewater treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection and environmental monitoring.
You will receive the specific education required to develop the skills needed to meet the demands of municipalities with water and wastewater treatment systems, water-use industries and environmental monitoring agencies.
Classes will be delivered at both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses, depending on the semester and year. This enables students to utilize various applicable lab resources. Students will be notified in advance when they register for classes.
You will focus on:

• Engineering concepts
• Environmental quality
• Professional responsibility relating to co-workers, the public and regulators
• The impact that water quality has on human health

Targeted skills development includes:

• Chemistry and mathematics related to water quality, treatment and analysis
• Conflict management, problem solving and effective communications
• Emerging pathogen risks and public health concepts
• Hydrology
• Knowledge development in the areas of operation of water and wastewater systems
• Microbiology
• System design concepts and blue print reading
• Sampling, laboratory techniques and data interpretation

Co-operative education (Co-op):
The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.
Students in the Water Quality Technician Diploma program will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first academic semester. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive.  Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete a four-month, paid work term between the second and third semesters of their program.
Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions. Upon completing the work term, co-op students return to campus to complete their final two academic semesters of the program before graduating.

Accredited by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), this program qualifies graduates to apply to write the LSO’s licensing examination, successful completion of which qualifies the graduate to become an LSO member as a professional, licensed paralegal. Unique to Ontario, the paralegal profession was established to provide affordable legal representation and access to the justice system for people who find themselves facing charges under provincial law or some Criminal Code provisions; those who require legal assistance in dealing with government agencies and tribunals in areas such as human rights, social assistance, immigration and workers compensation; and those who are embroiled in disputes involving residential tenancies or small claims court. 

Whether you provide paralegal services in your own professional capacity, as a member of a law or paralegal firm, or as an employee of a government agency, your passion and integrity combined with extensive skills and knowledge, will make you the ideal legal representative for those challenged by the law.

Human resources (HR) professionals work in partnership with business managers to take care of the company’s largest asset – its employees. To help a business run, HR staff provide advice to department supervisors on a range of employee relations issues; design and deliver a range of programs and services focused on individual and team needs; and create company policies that support and promote a workplace culture based on fairness, equity and personal growth. You will acquire skills in the effective use of industry-standard software and learn from professors who are connected to industry. As a student, you will have the opportunity to interact directly with industry professionals and to participate in hands-on learning opportunities.

This two-year diploma program includes courses that qualify towards the academic component of either the Certified Human Resources Professional Designation (CHRP) designation granted by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA). Additional courses are required to meet the full academic component of these professional certifications.

Human resources (HR) professionals serve as strategic partners in today’s business environment. They work closely with management colleagues at all levels of a company on a variety of project-based and proactive initiatives. Many roles are performed by HR professionals including the following:

• Advocating on a variety of staff issues
• Developing and implementing company policies, procedures, programs and services
• Giving advice and counsel to corporate executives, line managers and employees

This program will develop your skills, knowledge and abilities in the following areas:

• Compensation management
• Computer applications for HR professionals
• Intro to HR management
• Organizational behaviour for HR professionals
• Recruitment and selection
• Training and development

This two-year diploma program includes courses that qualify towards the academic component of the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.  Additional courses are required to meet the full academic component of this professional certification.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Participate in the recruitment, selection, and retention of employees.
2. Participate in performance management processes.
3. Participate in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of employee orientation, training, and development programs.
4. Contribute to an organisation's success through effective employee relations.
5. Assist with the administration and communication of the organisation's total compensation plan.
6. Participate in organisational health and safety policies and practices.
7. Apply current and emerging information technologies to support the human resources function.
8. Implement organisational development strategies aimed at promoting organisational effectiveness.
9. Communicate human resources information accurately and credibly in oral, written, and graphic form.
10. Plan and act on personal professional development plans to achieve ongoing competence in human resources professional practice.
11. Identify the human resources component of a business plan.
12. Assist in the collection and analysis of human resources data.

Communicative disorders assistants, under the guidance of speech-language pathologists and/or audiologists, help implement effective treatment plans that will assist people of all ages to communicate more effectively.

An education in journalism provides excellent training in critical thinking, writing and presenting ideas while preparing students for one of the most interesting careers imaginable. Armed with very transferable knowledge, skills and experience, journalism graduates go on to write and deliver stories on all written and broadcast platforms. Students also develop an array of social media skills and undergo experiential learning through the program’s ‘working newsroom’, before moving on to a seven-week field placement, applying their skills in a professional environment. Students taking the Journalism advanced diploma program will have an additional four-week field placement at the end of the sixth semester.

This program embraces the broad changes occurring in the media landscape and offers a progressive curriculum that will allow you to focus on development of journalism, social media skills and content creation on all platforms – online, print and broadcast. Students in the Journalism – Mass Media program will develop the essential skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to work in this progressive, critical profession. In their first year, students are introduced to the core journalism skills and learn how society functions both locally and globally. In their second year, students focus on creating content for all media platforms and undergoing experiential learning through our ‘working newsroom’'.

Due to the constant evolution of technology and the increasing development of new platforms of communication, traditional media professions such as journalism are facing new opportunities, as well as new challenges. Changes in the delivery methods of traditional news have forced journalists and others within the journalism industry to change how they do their jobs. For instance, journalists can now collect information with their phones and deliver stories directly to multiple platforms.

Graduates will have developed skills in: broadcasting, reporting, interviewing, editing, writing, content creation and media production, teamwork and critical thinking. You will have knowledge of applicable legislation, standards and professional ethics, and recognize the importance of continuous learning. More specifically, you will gain a clear understanding of the impact of digital technology on journalism and will be able to respond and adapt effectively and efficiently to technological changes.

Upon successful completion of this program you will have opportunities at an entry-level in a wide variety of news organizations and as content creators for a variety of private companies and public organizations, such as school boards, hospitals and governments. Graduates will have the skills to perform a range of tasks, including:
Writing local, national and international news through interviews and research

• Writing news stories for publication and/or broadcast
• Editing, analyzing and verifying information for accuracy
• Researching and conducting interviews for broadcast, online and print
• Applying production skills and using equipment to create content for a range of platforms
• Using social media platforms to engage audiences
• Planning and designing editorial content to meet a mass communications strategy for a client

Durham’s Journalism – Mass Media program has successfully covered the campus and community since 1974. It has an ongoing history of excellence, winning Ontario Community Newspaper Association honours on a regular basis. Our graduates have a track record of producing quality work across Canada – for news organizations such as CBC, CTV and TSN and in communities from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Grads have also earned careers as content creators and social media coordinators for companies, agencies and institutions.

NOTE: Students enrolling in this program are required to purchase their own laptop. 

Chemical Engineering Technology is at the core of our ever-evolving world - innovative products, processes and materials are a constant in our time. To support these changes, this program puts a focus on material science, nuclear physics and instrumentation. Renewable fuels, process simulation and analysis and development of chemical products all have one thing in common - the chemical engineering technologist.

Chemical engineering technology is about creating value through chemical conversions, all the way from lab-scale processes to optimizing full plant operations, and this program provides training to enable graduates to do this. Applications include manufacturing of high-tech polymers, water treatment operations, catalytic conversions, nuclear power and sustainable fuel sources. . Chemical engineering technologists play a role in each of these areas.

This program will provide you with hands-on experience and a solid background in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, nuclear physics and instrumental analysis including chromatography and spectroscopy, as well as process control and sustainability. Working alone and in teams, first-hand experience is emphasized through our fully equipped Analytical Instrumentation laboratory. The core of the program will give you training and experience in the handling, analyzing, monitoring, processing and properties of a wide variety of chemicals.

Safety and environmental compliance are both emphasized in the program as chemical engineering technologists take processes from “cradle to cradle”. The field placement component of the program provides valuable contacts and experience.