Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences

at Medicine Hat College Canada

MHC's new agroecology program provides you with the competencies required for producing food, forage, fiber, and fuel using sustainable methods. Courses within the program will prepare you with a range of knowledge in the three E’s:

• Environment,
• Economics, and
• Energy using systems theory.

Cultivating food for future generations, this program provides you the scientific knowledge to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment to grow food with minimal impact to our world.

Whether you are a small-scale farmer, urban grower or entrepreneur, the agroecology diploma gives you exposure to a variety of topics preparing you to diversify your current operations or start a venture. Expand your knowledge in areas, such as:

• Holistic (Grazing) Management: A value-based decision-making framework that integrates all aspects of planning for social, economic, and environmental considerations.
• Mycoculture: Mushroom cultivation for food production, medicine, or other ecological applications.
• Permaculture: Principals which allow us to create a culture that can sustain and prosper for generations to come. It considers care for the planet, care for people and fair share.
• Rangelands: Ecosystems comprised of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are typically grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals.
• Vermiculture: The process of using worms to decompose organic food waste, turning the waste into a nutrient-rich material.
• Eco-system: A geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life.
• Systems thinking: A process of understanding how elements like air, water, energy, plants and animals influence one another to thrive.

This program meets the knowledge, technical skills, and performance competencies required for certification with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists as a registered Technologist in Agrology (RTAg). This program also maximizes transfer opportunities to universities offering sustainable agriculture programs.

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.

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, 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.

Many of the courses completed in the Business Administration program may be used for credit towards a variety of professional designations and university programs. Students interested in these possibilities, please consult with the Business Administration Academic Advisor.

Hospitality and Tourism Management Program prepares students for entry-level designation management positions with opportunities to work in areas related to: Food and Beverage Management; Marketing; Front Office Procedures: Transportation; Tours and Ticketing.

As age and illness advance, many people need support from caring individuals who have the compassion and training to provide basic health services. Our Health Care Aide program is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to function as a front-line caregiver in just eight months.

The Government of Alberta HCA Curriculum (2019) is offered through Medicine Hat College at both the Medicine Hat and Brooks campuses Individuals with related work experience as a Health Care Aide may be evaluated through Prior Learning Assessment. You must provide information from your employer(s) to confirm your learning and you will also be required to complete a written and skills evaluation.

Medicine Hat College offers a two year transfer program. You complete your first two years at Medicine Hat College and then transfer to Mount Royal University in Calgary to complete your baccalaureate degree.

There is a mandatory work term organized by Mount Royal University where you are placed in paid work situations to gain experience and knowledge. 
 

Few people in our society are entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing laws and maintaining order. Professionals in this field must be equipped with technical knowledge and skills, and offer the strong character and personal discipline required to succeed in a demanding environment. The Criminal Justice program will help you prepare to take on this challenge.

Throughout the program, you will gain an understanding of the criminal justice system through studies in:

• Human relations,
• Psychology,
• Sociology,
• Investigations,
• Policing,
• Security,
• Criminology, and
• Law.

Exposure to an array of investigative techniques and practices including forensics, crime scene investigations, and threat and risk assessments will further prepare you for employment in the field of your choice.

Police services, industry trainers and educators have identified the key competencies required in the criminal justice community including leadership skills, ethics, analytical thinking, self-confidence, communication skills, flexibility, diligence, patience, self-control, problem solving, and physical skills. During the program, you are encouraged to attain the necessary skills and fitness level to pass the testing requirements demanded by law enforcement organizations, as well as volunteer for various groups and agencies to demonstrate community involvement.

Environmental reclamation is the returning of lands disturbed from mining, oil and gas activities, transportation, or logging back into either economically productive or natural habitats. As an environmental reclamation technician, you will provide the expertise and support to carry out the reclamation and re-vegetation of these disturbed lands.

Our two-year diploma program was designed by employers to include specific training essential for this career while focusing on the unique environmental conditions of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. You will develop your skills and knowledge in

• Surveying and mapping,
• Water and soil studies,
• Botany and plant taxonomy,
• Agronomy,
• Weed control,
• Environmental assessment and monitoring,
• Environmental law,
• Legislation and
• Reclamation technologies.

Course-related field trips and fieldwork may take place on weekends or may require overnight travel. Participation in all activities related to field trips and fieldwork is mandatory.

On-the-job duties may include coordination of field activities for monitoring and sample collection, data analysis, development of reclamation plans, carrying out environmental assessments, researching the history of well-sites, completion of documents and reports, supervision or implementation of weed management measures, or providing technical support for erosion and sediment control.

At the conclusion of the program, you will undergo a 220-hour work experience practicum where you will put your learning into practice and build essential industry contacts. The environmental field is rapidly expanding and the demand for individuals with the required knowledge, skills and practical experience is increasing. Even during slowdowns in the oil and gas industry, the employment outlook for reclamation professionals remains strong.

An education in Humanities and Social Sciences (Arts) is often misunderstood and underrated. Some may take a look at the classes and claim that subjects like philosophy and history have little relevance in daily life. But when you consider the challenges we face as a society—war based on religious idealism, globalization, medical problems like HIV, and more—you will soon realize how relevant these topics are. If we fail to understand other cultures for example, how can we do business successfully overseas? How can our society address any complex problem without looking inward?
The courses you take in UT Arts will help you develop critical thinking skills to consider and interact with the vast amount of information available. The result can be creative approaches and problem-solving skills that you will need to make decisions and succeed in a complex world.
At MHC, you’ll have the advantage of building strong rapport with faculty who possess qualifications on par with university professors. The result is a high quality, yet personal learning experience. The range of courses available is broad, allowing you to build an individualized program that meets your interests and the degree you have in mind. The college helps you develop a suitable class schedule, as there is a very high degree of flexibility.
Medicine Hat College has transfer agreements with the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, as well as an agreement with Athabasca University that allows you to complete a Bachelor of General Studies (Arts and Science) at Medicine Hat College.

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.

Improving client health, movement and quality of life is the reward for a career as an Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physical Therapist Assistant (OTA/PTA). As an OTA/PTA, you will work under the direction of occupational therapists (OT) to help clients of all ages and health conditions successfully perform daily activities related to self-care, leisure, and work, school or play. You will also work under the direction of physiotherapists (PT) to provide treatment that helps patients recover from illness or injury to increase mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or lessen physical limitations.

This two-year diploma program offers extensive classroom training and valuable practicum experiences with potential employers in hospitals, private clinics, home care settings, schools, and community programs. Through the use of games or crafts, group activities, exercises, assistive devices, and various electrotherapy and physical modalities, you’ll have opportunities to bring your compassion and creativity to a health care and rehabilitation team.