Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Energy and Building Technology

at Humber College North Campus Canada

Society faces significant population growth challenges while we seek to decarbonize, adapt to climate change and manage resources in a more sustainable manner. Meeting these challenges means buildings, energy systems and infrastructure must evolve – yesterday’s solutions are being replaced by new approaches. Our Sustainability Energy and Building Technology advanced diploma program positions graduates with a portfolio of skills that are in high demand.

Our unique program prepares graduates to examine, model and improve the energy and environmental performance of existing buildings; to support the design, construction and operation of new, sustainable buildings being built to increasingly stringent performance standards; to implement renewable energy technologies; and to support new approaches to understanding and managing energy use and building resilience into campuses, neighbourhoods or whole cities. At one time we paid little attention to the cost, availability or environmental impact of energy use – today, these are issues of growing importance to individuals, business and government.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Perform a land site assessment to determine potential for renewable energy harvesting, optimum placement of wind, solar and earth energy technologies and building orientation for passive solar gain and protection from the elements.
• Perform an energy needs analysis for residential or small-scale commercial or industrial structures, designated under Section 9 of the Ontario Building Code, and identify building system components that save energy.
• Perform an energy audit on residential, small-scale commercial and industrial buildings, designated under Section 9 of the Ontario Building Code, to determine energy efficiency, problem areas and energy loss and advise on corrective actions.
• Design and propose a grid-tied or off-grid renewable energy system for a residential or small-scale commercial or industrial structure, designated under Section 9 of the Ontario Building Code, based on an energy needs analysis.
• Adhere to legal, regulatory and health and safety codes and guidelines in sustainable energy and building technology practice.
• Estimate the costs and time schedule of implementing a renewable energy/energy efficiency system, including annual running costs and return on investment.
• Assist in land development, regulatory and stakeholder processes regarding the placement of renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies during the planning/approval phase.
• Assist in the selection of heating, cooling, hot water and electrical systems and equipment during the building specification phase in a new structure or retrofit to ensure high energy efficiency.
• Assist in the delivery, handling, installation and testing of renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies during the construction phase
• Prepare a viable business plan for a new energy business venture.
• Assist in the development of sales and marketing strategies for energy products and services.
• Promote an integrated or whole building approach with clients, industry professionals and associations.

Work Placement

• Our program features an optional work placement of 400 hours (minimum). This offers practical experience in the energy efficiency, green building or sustainable energy industry sectors following Semester 4. We work with business, industry and government to identify work placement opportunities.

Humber’s Paralegal Education diploma program explores the theoretical, procedural and advocacy aspects of law that may be handled by a paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. You will learn specialized practical skills within the areas of advocacy, legal research, specific courts and administrative tribunals. The course of studies includes business, criminal summary convictions, landlord and tenant, employment law, and alternative dispute resolution. Students will develop strong oral advocacy skills by participating in class and in role plays, as well as in presentations and mock trials before their peers and large audiences.

Courses in ethics and the rules of professional conduct, accounting and entrepreneurship prepare you to create and manage your own paralegal practice.

During the program, you will develop strong communication skills particularly in spoken and written English, essential skills for your future career. Students are required to demonstrate competency in small and large group oral presentations including role plays and mock trials in order to graduate.

Our advisory committee ensures that our program is current and meets high industry expectations.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Articulate and adhere to the permitted scope of paralegal practice and the Paralegal Rules of Conduct and complete all work in compliance with the ethical and professional responsibilities of a Paralegal.
• Manage a paralegal practice and operate a small business, within the Paralegal Rules of Conduct relevant to these matters by effectively utilizing administrative and business management skills.
• Describe the fundamental elements of the Canadian government and legal system, including the Constitution Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the organization of the Canadian court system, and the basic principles of property, business and consumer law.
• Articulate and adhere to the basic principles of tort and contract law.
• Conduct legal research and write legal memoranda and reports.
• Adhere to the civil litigation process, within the permitted scope of paralegal practice, and apply procedural and evidentiary rules related to proceedings in the Small Claims Court.
• Describe the principles of criminal law, and adhere to the rules relating to proceedings under the Criminal Code before a summary conviction court.
• Describe the principles of the law of provincial offences, and adhere to the rules relating to proceedings under the Provincial Offences Act before the Ontario Court of Justice.
• Make effective client representation before courts and administrative tribunals within the permitted scope of paralegal practice.
• Compare and contrast various alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, select an appropriate mechanism as required, and explain to the client the potential consequences of the dispute resolution mechanism.
• Adhere to the basic principles of administrative law, and of general practice and procedure before administrative tribunals.
• Articulate and adhere to the principles of employment law, and the practice and procedure related to the administrative tribunals that deal with employment matters.
• Articulate and adhere to residential landlord and tenant law, and the practice and procedure before the Landlord and Tenant Board.
• Draft all necessary documents in a clear, concise and accurate manner.
• Apply basic accounting principles, terminology, and operations to all paralegal obligations related to trust accounts, and the Law Society’s requirements for book and record keeping.
• Select and use the appropriate computer software necessary to produce correspondence, spreadsheets, memoranda and legal documents.
• Prepare an employment resume in accordance with professional legal standards.

Work Placement
Students complete a work placement of 120 hours in their last semester of the program. This placement fulfills the Law Society of Ontario requirements and is an opportunity to gain practical on-the-job skills and knowledge. With the support of the field placement advisor, students secure a suitable placement within the paralegal scope of practice that meets their needs and area of interest.

Learn about the inner workings of Canada’s dynamic business scene and develop the critical expertise to ignite your career within it. Humber’s Business Management diploma program gets down to business with a practical, skills-based approach that teaches you everything you need to know to achieve your goals and make a difference in organizations. Our curriculum gets you up to speed on the essential aspects of business including marketing, e-commerce, accounting, business writing and communications. Through individual and group assignments in courses taught by experienced professionals and entrepreneurs, you’ll build your business management knowledge and gain first-hand insights into current business practices, trends and opportunities.

In the first year, you will be introduced to an overview of fundamental business disciplines including the mathematics of finance, PC essentials, marketing, microeconomics, business law, services marketing and the principles of management. In the second year, the focus includes business computer applications, accounting, e-commerce, human resources administration, operations management, business finance, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Work Placement

In Semester 4, you will be assisted in finding a paid or unpaid business work placement, where you will practice your skills during an 84-hour assignment. This adds valuable hands-on experience to your resumé and provides excellent networking opportunities.

Humber’s Enterprise Software Development graduate certificate program provides advanced concepts, skills and knowledge for those currently employed in the information technology and related fields, or graduates of information technology or computer studies programs.

Students will have the opportunity to select their pathway through elective courses ranging from software development, web and mobile application development to big data, business intelligence and database administration. Students will then apply these concepts in variety of hands-on activities and enterprise projects.

In the final semester of the program, students become involved in an industry project supervised by one of the Humber industrial partners, helping students apply and enhance their IT, teamwork, interpersonal and project management skills.

Moreover, through a range of Capstone showcasing events and employer engagement workshops, students will have a chance to showcase their portfolios and capstone project to employers and practise how to reach prospective employers in today's competitive job market.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Describe the current and future use of e-commerce technology to improve intra and inter-organizational processes.
• Analyze and define the specifications and design of an e-commerce system based on user requirements.
• Identify connectivity and interoperability issues in the development of Internet applications for networking.
• Plan, track and present the progress of a project applying principles of project management.
• Develop programs for distributed applications involving web page technology.
• Develop interfaces on the web.
• Modify, document and maintain existing software components.
• Outline legal, ethical and intellectual property issues and practices.
• Develop applications consistent with security practices.
• Develop code to deliver multimedia data streams.
• Develop programs for distributed applications using client-side technology.
• Develop a web site that implements business transactions.
• Integrate corporate database capabilities with a web site.
• Develop applications consistent with performance applications.
• Write project proposals.
• Prepare and present a web project.
• Research new technology.
• Compare and contrast current e-commerce strategies.
• Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviour.
• Perform user training.
• Using available technology, implement e-commerce objectives.

Design is everywhere - built into the environments we navigate, the financial and social services we access, the technology we use, products we consume, and processes we use to do our jobs. Design is providing innovative solutions to the most pressing and urgent problems in today’s world. There has never been a more exciting or relevant time to be a designer.

A wide variety of subjects will guide you through important conceptual and practical design fundamentals such as design theory and practice, prototyping, and usability testing. Design courses will help you develop visual storytelling and communication skills, ensuring that you are equipped with top-notch graphic and user design skills upon graduation.

Our program is designed to respond to the increasing demand for designers prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Grounded by the unifying principle of human-centeredness, this program focuses on how design thinking can be harnessed for social change, improve daily experiences, and make processes and interfaces more human-focused.

Humber’s Carpentry and Renovation Techniques certificate is one of three stackable programs within the Carpentry-Construction group. Along with the Building Construction Technician diploma and the Construction Engineering Technology advanced diploma, the program introduces students to the carpentry trade, gives practical experience with trade regulations and with best practices. Students will be able to move from this certificate program into the diploma and advanced diploma programs. Additionally, Humber’s Carpentry and Renovation Technician diploma and Industrial Woodworking Technician diploma offer additional pathways.

The Carpentry and Renovation certificate program is designed to introduce you to both the practical experience necessary for trade regulations and the academic requirements of carpentry trade certification. You will gain a solid understanding of the fundamental technical elements of the carpentry trade.

You will learn health and safety practices and perform building construction and renovation tasks in compliance with contracts, building code, laws and ethical practices. These practices will be taught in light of established sustainability practices. You will learn to safely operate tools and assist in the preparation of estimations. Essential learnings also include time management, team work and problem solving.

If you describe yourself as creative, resourceful, detail-oriented and a problem solver, then Humber's Web Design and Development certificate program is for you. You will learn to critically analyze problems and apply best practices to plan, design and build websites/applications. You will build sites and apps from the ground up using the most up-to-date techniques and fundamental technologies. You will also learn to tackle technical challenges by developing strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills. The solutions you create along your journey will be curated into a captivating portfolio website at the end of the program.

Our unique project-based approach leads students in the program through the entire process of creating websites and web applications. You will build static and dynamic websites utilizing the most current versions of industry-standard applications and tools. Programming and design skills are taught with a focus on following best practices and established industry standards including designing websites that are mobile-ready, accessible and future-proof.

You will be constantly challenged to learn more through the escalating curriculum, while working in our dedicated computer lab. You will be guided by experienced faculty and industry professionals who are passionate about the web and related media in a practical, hands-on style of teaching. Opportunities to network with potential employers, alumni and other professionals will help you to build your own network of invaluable contacts to shape your future career.

The Humber Advantage

• Program Benefits
  • Become a career-ready web designer in 1 year
  • Gain a comprehensive education from highly-talented and industry-experienced faculty
  • Use various industry-standard software in our state-of-the-art labs 
  • Graduate from the program with a captivating portfolio website to present to potential employers
  • Make connections with industry professionals during networking opportunities
• Skills You'll Develop:
  • CSS and JavaScript Animation
  • Scalable Vector Graphics
  • Real-time 3D Imagery using WebGL
  • Using open-source technologies, such as HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/AJAX, PHP, MYSQL and Apache 
  • Develop projects using frameworks such as jQuery, Bootstrap, Angular, ThreeJS, and A-Frame 

Humber’s Interior Decorating diploma program combines essential creative and practical elements with insights into current design trends.

• Cultivate your creative abilities using the principles and elements of design.
• Hone your artistic talent and develop your professional skills to launch your career.
• Learn how to design, plan, detail and create unique spatial concepts for residential environments as an interior decorator.
• Explore and ideate clients’ needs and passions, then use them to transform their living/work space.
• Discover and implement unique trends for kitchen and bath solutions

You will learn from practising professional experts in our design studios. The studio curriculum provides hands-on experience and training using market-specific materials and trends. Guest speakers, trade shows, field trips and out-of-country adventure opportunities await you. Using the latest in technology software programs, you will explore the world of design and discover furniture, finishes, textiles, objects d’art and essential elements that evolve into unique and extraordinary living spaces.

Our program will complement your creative and technical expertise with essential business training in how to run your own enterprise and manage your own projects. You will learn how to understand specifications and how to communicate design ideas effectively to a real client. Round out your interior decorating education with instruction in mechanical, electrical, plumbing services and building methods including residential finishes, computer drafting, sketching interiors and digital communications.

The interior decorating program offers an optional work placement to all students who choose to enrol in this opportunity. The work placement requirement is a minimum of 240 hours, following Semester 2. Students who enrol in January have a slightly modified option to gain the mandatory hours.

Interior decorators work with clients and consult on programming through to installation phases. Components selection encompasses style, colour schemes, space plan layouts, elevations perspective sketches, lighting, furniture, floor finishes, wall finishes, kitchen and bathroom design, accessories, and many more details. Interior decorators can provide conceptual sketches, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), generated working drawings, and other design-related essentials to their clients including product specification, as well as cost estimates. Decorators can also choose from other career avenues including window display, event planning, décor magazines, television work, home staging and much more. Humber graduates have gone on to become interior decorating magazine editors-in-chief, featured magazine interior decorators, TV personalities with their own show, guest TV decorators, newspaper feature article leaders, interior decorating business owners, event planners, managers of decorating retail stores, design consultants and buyers to name but a few.

Humber’s Bachelor of Engineering program begins with a common platform of first year courses which provide foundational engineering knowledge and skills. Following the first year, the curriculum branches into three different discipline areas: Information Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, and The Built Environment.  

The Bachelor of Engineering - Information Systems Engineering discipline prepares you for an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses rapidly changing, evolving and converging areas of computer, software, networking, telecommunications, mobile applications, internet and cyber security. Following the first year, the curriculum covers the core courses in various subjects such as digital systems, operating systems, embedded systems, communication engineering, software engineering, mobile applications and systems, and more. In the third year, the program branches out to two specializations, Internet of Things (IoT), and Data Network and Security, with eight specialization courses in each. 

The program also provides project-based learning, experiential learning with hands-on and practical training, applied research opportunities, and work-integrated learning activities. Students will have opportunities to solve real-world problems while developing professional skills such as teamwork, communication, presentation and project management. 

Work Placement
A co-op work program (three consecutive work terms, 420 hour each) ensures that work-integrated learning experiences are woven into the curriculum. This provides students with a contextual understanding of the industry and specific sectors they are training for, as well as recognition of the importance of hands-on experience.

Humber’s Bachelor of Interior Design degree program balances creativity with sensitive, pragmatic design thinking. Our graduates problem-solve, investigate and explore design environments where people thrive.
Engaging interior design studios enable you to master an evidence-based design process, develop effective presentation abilities and acquire vital professional practice skills. Team collaboration among student groups mirrors industry team practices.

Observational field trips provide opportunities for you to connect classroom theory, such as the perception of space and human interaction, with built environments. In the fourth-year, you will interact with industry mentors to research, develop and document a large scale project from initial concept to construction documentation.
Additionally, a self-directed volunteer project helps connect your passion for design to the community and the design industry. Students have worked with organizations such as the Furniture Bank, Toronto District School Board, youth and women’s shelters, and Habitat for Humanity.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
  • Design, document and communicate high quality interior design propositions of varying size, scope and complexity employing principles of evidence-based design methodology.
  • Select and employ appropriate visual languages to investigate, analyze, interpret, develop and articulate ideas for two and three-dimensional projects.
  • Produce sophisticated design proposals emphasizing three- dimensional quality of space achieved through architectural detailing.
  • Integrate sustainable practices in the design process and demonstrate leadership by educating users in these principles.
  • Analyze the complexity of forces – economic, political, physiological, sociological and technological – which influence the design of the physical environment.
  • Select appropriate methods and materials to achieve the technical functionality and aesthetically pleasing built environment.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between human behaviour and the built environment and the implications in preparing design solutions.
  • Assess the implications for interior design presented by key developments in current and emerging materials, media and technologies and in interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary design practice.
  • Employ effective and professional communication skills and techniques to interact, negotiate and undertake collaborative efforts including meaningful discussion of one’s work in an open studio environment, with audiences, clients, markets, end-users and team members.
  • Confidently employ appropriate professional accountability, personal and business ethics demonstrating competency of industry practices.
  • Employ appropriate conventions of measurement, scale, site measuring, drafting and volumetric manipulation through a variety of manual and digital modeling techniques.
  • Design to exceed the minimum standards of applicable laws, codes, regulations, and practices that protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
  • Employ both convergent and divergent thinking in the process of observation, investigation, speculative enquiry, ideation, rationalization and implementation of design solutions.
  • Source, navigate, select, retrieve, evaluate, manipulate and manage information from a variety of sources, both primary and secondary.
  • Analyze information and experiences in order to articulate an academically structured, sustained and well-supported argument supporting a design issue or creative interior design solution.

Work Placement
You will apply your hands-on, job-ready skills with a 420-hour paid work placement. Career management workshops help you to develop effective job search skills. You will find your own work placement with the support of work placement consultants and faculty.