Diploma in Behavioural Science Technician

at George Brown College - Waterfront Campus Canada

Behavioural Science Technician is a two-year diploma program that provides students with an opportunity to study applied behaviour analysis (ABA). This field of study helps prepare you for work that is often related to developmental disabilities, brain injury, gerontology, and behavioural disorders. A common misconception about this program is that it involves teaching students counselling and "talk therapy." It does not.

The themes in the program include:

• Behavioural theory and application
• Program development
• Scientific method
• Ethics and professionalism
• Diversity
• General education with an emphasis on practical application in the field

The Honours Bachelor of Brand Design is a four-year degree program that responds to the rapidly changing world of graphic design by preparing students to be forward-looking brand designers with strengths in collaboration, research, critical and strategic thinking, technical design execution and brand storytelling. It is built on multidisciplinary pillars of research, critical thinking, strategic brand development, technical design execution and brand storytelling.

Brands are more than logos or sales tactics, they are carefully developed relationships between the brand makers and audiences – a brand is a promise to follow through on a purpose and a set of values that taken together express how someone perceives an organization or product. The Honours Bachelor of Brand Design degree is an opportunity to build a knowledgeable creative community of collaborators and strategic designers who are able to bridge business strategy, technology and the design world in order to produce innovative brand experiences.

Graduates of the Honours Bachelor of Brand Design degree program will have the analytical and technical skills to:

• Communicate and evolve the brand through the design of visual and physical, online and offline identities and experiences.
• Research to create and tailor designs that work across different touchpoints, generating dynamic, responsive, multi-sensory and personalized brand experiences for customers.
• Write, visualize and translate the brand story across these touchpoints and engage long-term with the emotions of audiences.
• Collaborate towards creative innovation with multidisciplinary teams.

This program responds to the dynamic and growing field of design, training learners to:

• Create streamlined brand messaging across numerous mediums and touchpoints that engages audiences.
• Understand new technology and be able to work across the old and new channels.
• Have strong writing skills and adapt to different situations, audiences and genres.
• Be flexible in that they are able to adapt to changing work and work environments (multiple sectors, services and products).
• Work collaboratively and bridge business and creative roles, by understanding the culture, processes, and language of the branding business.
• Utilize diverse and quantifiable research methodologies in the design process.
• Offer a diverse and customizable range of services to clients, particularly niche services (e.g. video and animation).
• Have the ability to compete on tender: put together a professional sales pitch while offering a competitive price.

Your Field Education Options

• Students must complete a 420-hour paid co-op work term in the spring/summer period between the third and fourth year.
• Students have the opportunity to complete this co-op domestically and/or internationally, as opportunities arise. The majority of co-op work terms are completed in the Greater Toronto Area, where the design sector is robust and the majority of interaction jobs are located.
• The School of Design Field Placement team works with many notable training partners, including agencies such as Publicis, K9 Strategy + Design, Trevor/Peter and Relish Interactive; larger, well-known brands such as Nelvana (Corus Entertainment), Rogers Media, Mozilla, Crayola and PUR Gum; and a variety of industry-relevant arts and design institutions, including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) and Applied Arts.
• The work term allows students to apply the skills, abilities and knowledge they've acquired in the program in a workplace environment or through an appropriate interaction design research project or initiative. Students gain valuable experience and the opportunity to reflect on the application of previous learning. A faculty member evaluates the student based on feedback provided by the employer.
• Students will develop a digital portfolio demonstrating artifacts completed during the co-op work term.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Use ideation techniques to generate innovative design solutions that respond to a creative brief.
  • Participate in a collaborative brand-building project to produce an outcome that meets the needs of the client.
  • Incorporate interdisciplinary theoretical approaches in the planning, production, and critique of design and strategy work.
  • Plan, conduct and apply research in order to contextualize and make informed design.
  • Assess the social, environmental, and economic impact of the design solution in order to prioritize sustainability issues in design practice.
  • Use the fundamental principles of branding to address the needs of the brand design and strategy for clients of various scale.
  • Design solutions in support of a brand strategy.
  • Communicate information, arguments, creative ideas, and brand stories persuasively, to a range of audiences, using a variety of verbal, visual, and written communication techniques.
  • Utilize professional practices and knowledge of the business of branding in all design and strategy work.

Video games have become one of the leading forms of artistic expression in the 21st century. Game development requires a combination of talents, hard work and passion. The Game - Art three-year advanced diploma is a rigorous program of study that focuses on the principles and techniques of video game art creation required to break into the industry.

Students will develop both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artistic abilities by learning concept art, sprite and pixel art, modelling, texturing, animation and level design. Taught by faculty with industry experience and mentored by local game industry leaders, students will develop games for commercial, educational and other purposes.

Students will have the unique opportunity to develop commercial quality games in a simulated video game studio environment, at times working with industry partners and game programmers. In the second year, students choose whether to specialize in game modelling or game animation.

Prior to graduation, each student will assemble a portfolio/demo of their creative work demonstrating their ability in game development and highlighting their chosen area of specialization. It is anticipated that graduates of the Game Development program will find employment in the game industry at entry-level positions.

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Analyze the differences in game genres in order to develop games that meet the needs of specific markets.
• Analyze the history of video games to compare various approaches to game development.
• Support the development of games by identifying and relating concepts from a range of industry roles – programming, design and art.
• Contribute as an individual and a member of a game development team to the effective completion of a game development project.
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the games industry.
• Perform all work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, industry standards and codes of ethics.
• Develop pre-production and conceptual art for games and gaming through the selection and application of relevant design tools and drawing techniques
• Create original game assets to meet requirements outlined in game design documents and/or creative briefs
• Engage in original world building and level design within a range of game engines to meet industry and marketplace requirements
• Generate user interface design in alignment with Game Design Documents to optimize both the aesthetics and function of gameplay

The Dental Technology program will prepare you to work in the field of dental technology. If you want to work in the dental industry but don’t necessarily want to engage directly with client care, consider this profession. We recommend that you have an eye for detail, enjoy working with your hands and have good hand/eye coordination.

We’ll teach you to use a variety of tools to create oral devices that are prescribed by regulated dental practitioners (often a dentist). You’ll learn how to use specialized hand tools, molds and the latest technology to make oral devices that are as unique as the individuals you will be creating them for. You’ll practice your skills in our on-site high-tech dental labs as we teach you to create:

• Full dentures
• Partial dentures
• Crowns
• Bridges
• Implant-regulated restorations
• Orthodontic appliances
• Other speciality items

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Apply learned theory of biology, biomechanics, chemistry, and anatomy in all relevant aspects of dental technology practice.
• Employ safe and aseptic procedures when using and maintaining equipment and materials associated with the dental technology profession.
• Select and utilize specified materials in the construction of dental prostheses, recognizing the materials’ limitations and advantages.
• Complete all work in the dental technology practice in adherence to the legislative and ethical requirements of the profession.
• Design and construct dental prostheses using current technologies and materials.
• Analyze and evaluate the design and construction of dental prostheses.
• Work and communicate effectively as part of an interdisciplinary health care team.
• Identify effective business practices in the management of a dental laboratory.

The Autism and Behavioural Science program was developed in response to the growing public concern about services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

It was designed to deepen the expertise in the field of autism and behavioural sciences for application within the children’s sector, and simultaneously create a pool of qualified individuals to meet the needs of service agencies that provide autism or children’s services.

The program enables graduates with university degrees and graduates of Early Childhood Education, Social Service Worker, Child and Youth Care, Developmental Service Worker and similar programs to acquire the specialized skills and expertise they need to work with individuals with a diagnosis of autism.

Students learn about:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• intervention methods including Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)
• Applied Behaviour Analysis theory (e.g. operant conditioning)
• working with families and treatment teams
• relevant legislation

Art and Design Foundation is a one-year certificate program that provides students with a broad base of expert knowledge and technical skills in the field of art and design. This program is designed for students who want to explore a variety of art and design disciplines, to develop their portfolio for further study or for those who wish to enjoy learning creative skills in a studio-based environment.

The Graphic Design program is an ideal training ground for the design profession. The program provides a strong overall understanding of design while also allowing you to select a major in either Communication Design, which prepares you for a corporate design career, or Advertising Design, which prepares you for a career at an advertising agency. In addition, design electives allow you to gain skills in areas such as illustration, motion, interaction, web, book and environmental design.

The first three semesters provide you with a strong foundation in the core subjects of design, typography, production, digital applications, drawing for design and design culture. In the fourth semester, you choose a major while continuing to develop applied skills through intensive studio projects. In the final year, you become involved in a thesis or major project, which allows for synthesis of skills. You will also engage in professional practice classes that prepare you for the workplace.

You learn through working on real-life projects in state-of-the-art labs and through industry networking. Students with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher by the end of semester 4 will be eligible for field placement.

Membership in the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario is included in your tuition, giving you access to a network of Canada’s top design professionals and a head start in the process of becoming a Registered Graphic Designer. The best student work will be displayed in annual exhibitions and a publication distributed to industry and the general public.

Your Field Education Options

• Students with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher by the end of Semester 4 and a B+ on the portfolio assignment (Semester 5) will be eligible for the Field Placement course (GRAF3017) in Semester 6.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Conceptualize and develop design solutions using principles of design to create visual communications that meet the needs of the project.
  • Employ the design process to create design solutions that meet the project objectives and the needs of the client and/or user.
  • Plan, create and use photography, illustration and typography in design layouts to meet the requirements of the creative brief.
  • Design, develop and create a variety of media products using relevant, current and/or emerging technologies.
  • Communicate ideas, design concepts and opinions clearly and persuasively to others.
  • Use recognized industry practices throughout the design process and related business tasks.
  • Plan, implement, and evaluate graphic design projects using project management skills to deliver quality work to clients according to schedule and within budget.
  • Complete all work in a professional and ethical manner, and in accordance with all applicable legislation and regulations.
  • Keep current with visual media design trends, technologies and industry practices using strategies that enhance work performance and guide professional development.

Recreation Management in Gerontology is a unique diploma program that will teach you the specialized skills required to work with older adults. Over the course of two years, you’ll learn how to design therapeutic programs for older adults that consider the physical, mental and spiritual perspectives of the aging process.

You’ll learn to develop strong communication skills – both from a management and interpersonal perspective. This work requires the ability to work with people across different life stages, so effective communication skills are essential to the job. You will go on to develop coordinator skills that will prepare you to manage physical, financial and human resources.

You’ll also study the science and theory behind aging. This in-depth look at the biological changes of aging includes an understanding of diseases often related to aging like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Hands-on learning is a major component of this program. To help you gain confidence as you learn to create specialized therapeutic programs, you’ll get lots of practice on-site at our 21,000+ square foot Simulation Centre facility and off-site with one of our field placement partners. You’ll also learn proper documentation and Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS) training.

This academically challenging program will equip you with the skills required to provide therapeutic recreation in a variety of settings that include long-term care facilities, retirement homes, community-based service agencies and adult day programs.

Your Field Education Options
Field education, also known as work integrated learning, plays an important role in this program by integrating theoretical learning with practical experience in a workplace setting. Field education is offered in each semester with each experience building on the previous one.

You can expect to complete your field placements in a variety of settings and with older adults of differing needs and abilities.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Function effectively as a member of an inter-professional team in the development and provision of health-promoting and life-enhancing services and programs for older adults.
  • Accurately and comprehensively assess and record the ongoing needs of the older adult using a variety of widely used electronic systems.
  • Develop, coordinate, deliver and evaluate a variety of services/programs that enhance clients’ level of functioning and quality of life by applying relevant research and theory to practice.
  • Apply appropriate health and safety protocols in order to protect the health, safety and well-being of their clients, their co-workers and themselves.
  • Communicate effectively using a variety of therapeutic techniques and in adherence with privacy and freedom of information legislation.
  • Identify, select and use appropriate professional and community resources to meet the needs of the older adult.
  • Ensure programs operate in compliance with relevant policy, legislation and standards of practice for services to older adults in a variety of settings.
  • Establish and maintain professional and ethical standards in the field of activation gerontology as set out by relevant professional bodies.
  • Promote accessible, inclusive and responsive programs and services by recognizing the diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families and communities.
  • Manage physical, financial and human resources in order to effectively coordinate services for older adults.

The Honours Bachelor of Behaviour Analysis is a four-year degree program that takes an in-depth look at Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) – a field of study that uses a systematic and analytical approach to modify behaviour in a desirable way.

We have been providing training and education in applied behaviour analysis in Toronto for more than 15 years. Our graduates are leaders of behavioural treatment in fields as varied as forensic mental health, autism spectrum disorder, and acquired brain injury.

ABA is an effective practice that is often used with populations who have:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Brain injury
• Dementia
• Developmental disabilities
• Addiction
• Mental health disorders

What you will be studying:
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach to the treatment and understanding of human behaviour. This approach can be applied to the entire range of human behaviour (i.e., thoughts, feelings and actions). Research has shown that an evidence-based approach such as ABA is most effective at decreasing problem behaviour and developing a variety of skills.

The ABA approach involves three main components:

• Component 1: A complete behavioural assessment is conducted. A variety of interview and observational techniques are used to gain an understanding of the behaviour to be changed. Students learn how to observe and analyze behaviour in a variety of situations in order to develop an effective treatment strategy.
• Component 2: The next step is to use the results of the behavioural assessment to develop an effective plan that will reduce specific problem behaviours and develop or strengthen cognitive and behavioural skills. Students will learn a variety of behavioural and cognitive behavioural techniques that can be used to change behaviour.
• Component 3: The final phase is an ongoing evaluation of components one and two. Students will learn how to measure the effectiveness of their interventions, and continue to refine and revise their interventions based on the results of these measures.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Learn about psychological theory, research and practices.
  • Design and conduct various assessments across a variety of settings and populations.
  • Design and implement research-based programs in applied behaviour analysis and evaluate their effectiveness.
  • Practice behavioural consulting skills, with different populations.
  • Demonstrate appropriate social, professional, and clinical skills in the context of an interdisciplinary setting with a variety of clients, their support networks, professionals, and the community.
  • Maintain a high degree of professionalism and ethical standards.
  • Communicate, orally and in written form, results of behavioural assessments and treatment programs.
  • Understand, critically evaluate, and synthesize issues in society.

Hearing Instrument Specialist is a three-year, six-semester advanced diploma program that uses the latest technology to train students to work in this field.

As our population ages, there is greater demand for highly qualified hearing instrument specialists who can provide a client-centred approach to better hearing health care. Our vision is to be the leader in preparing hearing professionals with applied and academic skills and competencies.

Students will develop clinical skills that will enable them to not only test hearing, but to select and fit hearing aids.

Graduates will have a strong foundation in the theory and skills related to the hearing instrument sciences, such as:

• Acoustics
• Audiometric testing
• Hearing aid technology

The curriculum offers significant opportunities for applied learning. To help prepare our graduates for employment, we offer additional courses that cover key contemporary topics including:

• Health promotion
• Counselling
• Business management