Diploma in Paramedic

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Service Dog and Canine Studies Management is an exciting new opportunity that prepares students for a career in a wide range of canine-related fields. This program explores canine care and a variety of dog training techniques while having the student train a service dog for a specific disability that will be placed with an actual client at the end of their schooling. It is a two-year, five-semester, program including workplace integrated learning in both shelters/kennels and a two-month spring course in a service dog organization that will give the student a valuable professional experience as part of their education. The program is designed for the student who enjoys working with animals and working in a therapeutic and helping profession field.

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.

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.