Bachelor of Applied Arts in Art and Design (Formerly Visual Communications)

at Medicine Hat College Canada

One of the greatest rewards of working with children is learning how to see the world through their eyes. If you love caring for young children and working with families, our Early Learning and Child Care program will help prepare you for a fulfilling and playful career in this field.

Throughout the program, you will learn the importance of play in the lives of children, and our classes give you lots of hands-on learning opportunities. We play with art materials, story props, and science and math materials to better understand how children learn and how we can help teach them.  

Our program also gives you the opportunity to apply theory to practice every semester through a five-week practicum setting. You’ll be able to practice your communication skills, better understand child development, and provide developmentally appropriate programming for children in a variety of settings.

Gain the knowledge and abilities need to manage information, organize and maintain files, coordinate projects and learn bookkeeping and computer skills. This certificate program takes just eight months to complete and includes the full range of courses you need to succeed as an entry-level administrative professional in many different office environments.

As a student, you’ll form strong connections with faculty and classmates to support your college experience and build your network. You’ll also gain on-the-job experience through a work placement in both the fall and spring semesters. The ability to use your?Administrative Office Professional?certificate as a starting point for a business diploma or degree is one of the strengths of this program. You can focus on building the skills you need for work right away, but also think of a long-term career at the same time.

As a Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant, you will find a rewarding career supporting Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) in their assessment and treatment of people with communication difficulties and disorders.

A communication disorder may be evident in a person’s ability to pronounce sounds, to understand what is spoken, to use vocabulary and grammar skills, to speak without stuttering, and to use their voice. You may provide treatment based on the SLP’s goals, make and develop materials and activities, document and report results, carry out screenings, maintain equipment, and assist with clerical duties. Working one-on-one and in groups, you will have the opportunity to help people of all ages to improve their ability to communicate and interact with others and make a positive difference in their daily lives.

When lives are on the line, the skills and knowledge of a paramedic can make the difference between life and death. The Bachelor of Applied Health Science – Paramedic degree program prepares learners to be an integral part of the health care team, primarily within the pre-hospital environment.

MHC’s Bachelor of Applied Health Science (Paramedic) Degree has been created to meet the emerging needs of patients, practitioners and employers. It enables you to move seamlessly through the various levels of preparation for careers in Emergency Medical Services, ultimately allowing you to attain the Advanced Care Paramedic Diploma or to continue on to the Bachelor of Applied Health Science Paramedic Degree.

Prospective students must be mature and highly motivated to deal with the stress of emergency care, critical care and shift work. Paramedics must think independently, exercise good judgment, communicate effectively with others and work well in multidisciplinary environments. The training provided not only addresses the necessary skills of a paramedic but also the skills required to perform with confidence in a variety of situations, effectively interact with others and maintain professional decorum whether in simple or complex situations.

There is a high demand for paramedics who are employed by public and private ambulance services provincially, nationally and internationally. Paramedics also work in a variety of industrial and community-based emergency health settings.

The Child and Youth Care Counsellor program provides you with the skills and competencies to improve the physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of vulnerable children, youth, and families who may have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, neglect, failure, family breakdown, and may have behavioural and/or learning difficulties.

Preparation for a career in Child and Youth Care Counselling demands a commitment to learning the essential components of developing healthy, caring relationships, as well as a look inward to learn to understand yourself and your ability to help others. The dynamics of abuse and neglect and the treatment of those issues are explored through courses in professionalism, children and the law, psychology, treatment methods, counselling skills and caring for at-risk youth. Education in group process, family dynamics, and ethics is also offered to enhance personal development and growth.

As a student, you’ll be trained in professional practice, communication, self-awareness, theory, and assessment and intervention. You will also be out in the community applying your skills and knowledge in three of the four semesters of course work. Throughout, you will be involved in numerous group projects, role plays and counselling sessions. After graduation, you have the option to use your diploma as credit towards a degree at a number of partner institutions.

This new post-diploma program serves as a stand-alone certificate that builds on previous knowledge of accounting theory and application. It can also provide a bridge for students pursuing CPA designation and completion of a business degree.

As a student at MHC, you'll benefit from small class sizes and personalized instruction in advanced accounting courses, as well as work-integrated learning and development of critical thinking skills. This certificate program also includes internship opportunities with participating employers in our region.

The Advanced Accounting certificate program consists of eight academic courses and one work placement, with courses are taught by a combination of full-time faculty and community experts.  With strong support from employers across Southeast Alberta, this program offers new opportunities for diploma graduates interested in pursuing a degree and professional designation.

Your future success in business rests on the foundation of knowledge and skills you’ll build in the Business Administration Diploma program. This program offers you the opportunity to focus on your strength and career goals, with majors in Accounting, Financial Services, Hospitality & Tourism (pending government approval), Marketing, Management, and Administrative Office Professional. All students are admitted into a common first year before concentrating on a specific area through declaring a major in your second year.

Accounting prepares you for an entry-level accounting position. In addition to acquiring a basic knowledge of accounting theory and practice, you will gain a range of business skills that are of value to many businesses and organizations. If your goal is to be recognized by the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA), you can build a program that fulfills the designation's requirements.

Becoming a teacher offers you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people and to shape the future through interaction with youth. Most of us, at some point in our lives, felt the influence of a teacher who affected how we see the world and our place in it. If you love working with children and young adults, have a passion for learning and teaching, and imagine yourself influencing future generations, a career in education is a great fit for you.

There are two options for pursuing a degree in education at Medicine Hat College (MHC).

• In partnership with Mount Royal University, you can complete all four years of your Bachelor of Education at MHC. This pathway includes two years of study for degree completion and teacher certification with a focus on elementary education after you have completed the first two years of the B.Ed. Elementary program (60 credits).
• If you’re interested in starting your studies at MHC and completing your degree at another institution, our University Studies Education program offers the opportunity to study at MHC for up to two years and transfer to a variety of post-secondary institutions in Lethbridge, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Regina.

Managing information has never been more important and information technology professionals are in demand,

• Installing applications,
• Designing complex computer networks,
• Developing information databases, and
• Managing systems.

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills are a must, as troubleshooting and helping others are vital aspects of the job. Additionally, since there is constant interaction with other computer personnel, customers, and employees on the job, IT specialists must be able to communicate effectively on paper, through email, and in person.

Our program is designed to be flexible. Students will select a major when they apply; however the first semester of the program is common to all so students have the opportunity to change their major at a later date.

A Co-op Program option enables highly motivated students to integrate their academic program with paid, relevant work experience in their chosen field. MHC’s IT programs incorporate all or part of the curriculum requirements for a number of industry certifications including

• A+,
• i-Net+,
• Network+, and
• various Microsoft Certifications.

The examinations for the respective certifications must still be written independently.

This certificate builds students’ knowledge of accounting theory and application. It serves as a stand-alone skill upgrade for business program graduates interested in pursuing accounting technician or bookkeeping employment. The program also serves as a bridge to MHC’s one-year Advanced Accounting post-diploma certificate for students pursuing CPA designation. The certificate includes a work integrated learning course to provide hands-on experience.