Certificate in Primary Care Paramedic

at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Canada

Careers that leave a lasting impact
Have a passion for building? Civil Engineering Technology is a 2-year diploma program or 2-and-a-half year co-op diploma program through which you’ll learn how to design and manage construction, infrastructure and research projects.

Our curriculum has been developed with industry input to ensure we cover all of the theoretical and practical elements that are essential within the broad field of civil engineering. With the help of hands-on learning and supportive, experienced instruction, you’ll apply computer-aided design & drafting (CADD) systems to civil engineering problems in the areas of:

• Structural design
• Urban services design
• Highway design
• Pavement design
• Geotechnical design
• Project management
• Applied research

All students in the Biological Sciences Technology program take a common first semester before entering into their specialization - Lab and Research, Renewable Resources or Environmental Sciences. The common first semester provides students with strong fundamentals in Biological Sciences while semesters two, three, and four build on these fundamentals with additional specialization-specific education and training. 

Graduates of Biological Sciences Laboratory and Research program are highly skilled, hands-on technologists with the ability to use and apply current technologies and research methods in animal physiology, molecular biology, cell culture, immunology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology. Graduates are valued for their professionalism, effective communication, lab competency, and work safely and efficiently in a team environment. They are aware of the changing industry, and are committed to lifelong learning.

Veterinary medical assistants provide support to clients, animal health technologists and veterinarians. Duties may include administration, animal handling and support with nutritional and pharmaceutical products. They also assist with record keeping and other clinical procedures and tasks.

This 1-year certificate program will provide you the skills and confidence you’ll need to work in a front-line position as a veterinary medical assistant in private veterinary clinics, livestock centres and animal shelters. In addition to classroom instruction, you’ll get in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in animal clinics across Alberta.

Good attention to detail? Thrive on a fast pace and heavy workload? These are important traits of people interested in this program. If you are a people person and enjoy helping them with their animals, this program is a good fit for you.

What You Will LearnCareer 
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
To work as a veterinary medical assistant, you will need to have a genuine interest in animals and their welfare. It’s important to understand that you will need to be comfortable working with a variety of animals, both large and small.

After a year of classroom instruction, your clinical placement will give you hands-on experience at an animal clinic where you’ll get a taste of what your future career could look like. Travel may be necessary as some placements are outside of Edmonton.

You will also regularly support the animal health technologists at the NAIT Animal Clinic. 

As a student in the program, you can expect to spend on average:

• 26 hours per week attending classes over the course of a semester 
• 15 to 20 hours per week studying and completing class assignments

NAIT's Radio and Television programs are 2 distinct, yet interrelated full-time diploma programs. Each of these dynamic 2-year programs takes a non-traditional approach to teaching that will provide you with learning opportunities through hands-on experiences.

Undertake the typical job functions found in radio and television stations by acting as the staff for NAIT's campus radio station (NR92) and television newsroom (NAIT NewsWatch). Using industry standard digital equipment and labs, and while working in modern studios, you'll hone written, technical, communicative and production competencies.

Our instructors are highly-qualified professionals with years of industry experience and our program is well-recognized across the country. If you flip on your TV or radio at any given time, you're likely to see or hear NAIT alumni working across North America.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
In this program, you can expect to receive quality instruction from broadcasting professionals and experience hands-on training in the following areas:

• News/sports writing and reporting
• On-air performance
• Interviewing techniques
• Copywriting
• Commercial production
• Videography
• Social media
• Studio production
• Online content creation

The Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technology program is unique in that students are trained in both the medical laboratory and x-ray disciplines, practicing predominantly in rural communities. On completion of their training, graduates are able to perform general medical laboratory procedures, general diagnostic radiographic procedures, and electrocardiograms. Students also receive training on information systems and technology in the medical laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Students attend classes full-time at NAIT for a total of 2 years where they will learn and practice the skills required to be a registered CLXT.

Year 1 of the Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technology program begins every September and consists of 38 weeks of lectures and hands-on labs that align with current industry standards. This includes two 15-week semesters, and one 8-week intersession located at the NAIT Main Campus.

Upon completion of year 1, the student progresses to an affiliated rural clinical site to complete 40 weeks of Work Integrated Learning (WIL). Students will train alongside technologists where they will apply the knowledge learned in year one and continue to develop their critical thinking and professionalism skills while providing high quality patient care. Scheduled shifts during clinical training will include evenings, nights and weekend days.

Individuals will work alone or alongside physicians, other technologists, nurses and non-medical personnel. The ability to work independently and/or closely with others are important requirements for an effective Combined Lab and X-Ray technologist.

The Digital Media and IT (DMIT) program is multi-disciplinary in its approach. Spanning a range of career opportunities from business analyst to visual designer, this innovative program allows you the ability to meet industry demand while developing skills aligned with your individual talents and inclinations.

The Digital Cinema area of emphasis gives you real world, hands-on experience that will allow you to not only learn about filmmaking but also become a filmmaker and creative entrepreneur.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills:-
DMIT - Digital Cinema courses prepare you for the creative, technical and business aspects of the rapidly growing digital cinema industry while also introducing you to industry organizations and professionals that can assist you in launching your career.

Our in-depth and industry-directed courses will help you identify original stories and teach you how to plan, script, budget, film and edit these stories to deliver finished narrative fiction and non-fiction productions. Through all four levels, you will be mentored by award-winning industry professionals.

For aspiring producers, content creators and technical craftspeople, the Digital Cinema area of emphasis is highly focused on the business side of digital screen production. You will have the opportunity to develop your own transmedia production while developing a business plan that includes financing, casting and all five phases of production.

The Digital Media and IT (DMIT) program is multi-disciplinary in its approach. Spanning a range of career opportunities from business analyst to visual designer, this innovative program allows you the ability to meet industry demand while developing skills aligned with your individual talents and inclinations.

The Animation area of emphasis prepares you for jobs in films, games, architectural visualization, industrial simulations, concept design and illustration.

Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The DMIT - Animation area of emphasis will set you up with skills in all areas of the animation process, including story development, character design, drawing fundamentals, modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, special effects, lighting, rendering and editing.

First-year courses establish a solid foundation in classical drawing and 3D modelling. More advanced courses offer you experience with:

• Digital sculpting
• Rigging
• Character animation
• Video editing
• Motion graphics and compositing, including integrating 2D and 3D elements into live action footage

In this area of emphasis, you will learn using the most current techniques and tools from the industry today, and be well-prepared for a career in animation.

Co-op opportunities
As a result of DMIT's close connection with industry, various co-op opportunities exist for students in the DMIT program. Many companies offer our students paid co-op positions that provide direct experience in specific areas of study. Co-op is also seen as a staffing strategy for many organizations.

As a registered medical laboratory technologist, you will assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. In this program the focus will be on the analysis of human blood and body fluids for microorganisms and cellular and chemical components. Compatibility testing of blood and blood products, plus preparation of tissue samples for microscopic examination.

What You Will Learn
Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Medical Laboratory Technology focuses on the analysis of human blood, body fluids and tissues, with students learning a variety of skills to become entry level professionals. This program includes general laboratory related courses with progression to discipline specific courses in Microbiology, Transfusion Science, Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, and Histotechnology.  Goals of the program include the following:

• Teaching students how to provide quality patient care by being introduced to:
  • How to work safely in a level II containment laboratory
  • How to collect and process specimens for analysis
  • How to analyze, interpret & report quality laboratory results
  • How to think critically and how to communicate and collaborate inter-professionally
• Teaching students the professional responsibility of a registered MLT, including scope of practice, ethics, accountability, and professional development.
• Preparing students for clinical training by providing theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiences
• Preparing students for the CSMLS national certification exam

The MLT program is divided into two phases where students will learn and practice the skills required to be a registered MLT 

Phase I of the Medical Laboratory Technology program begins every September and consists of 49 weeks of classroom instruction with related practical laboratory sessions on NAIT Main Campus. This includes (two) 15-week semesters, (one) 4-week intersession, followed by one additional 15-week semester.

Phase II consists of 38 weeks of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at one of three affiliated training sites in Edmonton, Grande Prairie or Red Deer. WIL provides practical experience in a variety of clinical settings. Emphasis is placed on practical application of concepts studied at NAIT and on development of organizational, critical thinking, and professionalism skills.

NAIT’s 1-year Dental Assisting certificate program will give you the knowledge and skills necessary for direct entry to dental practice. From infection prevention and control to all chairside restorative and specialty procedures, as well as direct patient care and dental practice administration, our program will prepare you to be an integral member of the dental health care team.

Hands-on, industry-relevant training
Our training approach emphasizes practical experience backed by strong theoretical knowledge in the skills and technology necessary to be a successful Dental Assistant. Our program features the following:

•  38-week full-time program: two 15-week semesters and an 8-week intersession.
•  Small group learning, which allows for the optimum student-to-instructor ratio
•  Practical, hands-on approach to learning in labs, as well as through clinical placements within the dental community
•  Providing treatment to both peers and the general public in our fully equipped onsite dental clinic

Chemical Engineering Technology is a two-year diploma program that prepares the graduate for employment in the hydrocarbon and chemical processing industry (downstream petroleum industry). The program deals with the processing of oil, natural gas and bitumen into final products such as motor gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, propane, butane, utility gas and others. The program includes the study of the production of secondary petrochemicals such as ethylene, vinyl chloride, methanol and others.