Diploma in Speech Language Pathologist Assistant

at Medicine Hat College Canada

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.

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.

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.

Marketing prepares you for careers in the field by focusing on the skills needed to create successful relationships with consumers and organizational customers. Possible areas of employment include sales promotion, sales, customer relations/service, marketing research, advertising, public relations, and retailing.

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.

Power engineering is a challenging field of study that supports the supervision, operation and maintenance of machinery and systems.

From boilers and turbines to generators and pressure vessels, power engineers are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the equipment and related controls that provide power, heat, refrigeration and other utility services to industrial and commercial facilities.  

If you enjoy controlling and operating manual and automated systems, analyzing information and solving problems, and having clear rules and organized methods for your work, power engineering may be a good fit for you. People drawn to this field tend to have a mechanical and electrical aptitude, good eye-hand co-ordination and an ability to work well with others in a team environment.

With MHC’s modern, state-of-the-art lab with an actual plant environment and small class sizes, you’ll gain ample operating time and relevant industry experience.  

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.

Complete the certificate in one year, or pursue the diploma, which has two majors:

• Software and Internet Development (two years)
• Technology Support (two years)

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.

It has been widely recognized that the early years of a child’s life are essential for healthy development. Child care providers play an important role in this time of a child’s life and they need to have an understanding of working with children, families and communities. Child care providers are now being recognized and valued by both families and government more than ever, making this an ideal time to enter the field.  

In the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) 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.  

Our ELCC program will help you work with children in a variety of settings or move on to other educational programs. Many students have said our program helped them grow on a personal level and was very useful when they became parents themselves. Others have entered specialized areas of child care, or assumed leadership responsibilities in a variety of settings.  

The Administrative Office Management program will provide you with the necessary computer skills, office skills and practical on-the-job work experience required for employment in today’s office, as well as an enhanced skill-set to increase your potential for obtaining a supervisory or managerial position in an office environment.

Throughout the program, you will focus on areas such as:

• Bookkeeping,
• Accounting,
• File maintenance and
• Project management,

as well as learn management theory, supervision, human resource management, leadership, and group dynamics.
Two unpaid work terms during the first year of the program will provide you with practical, hands-on training, and upon completion of the first year, you will receive a certificate in Administrative Office Professional.

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.

Complete the certificate in one year, or pursue the diploma, which has two majors:

• Software and Internet Development (two years)
• Technology Support (two years)

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.

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.