University Arts and Sciences - Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology

at Northern Lights College - Dawson Creek Campus Canada

The Applied Business Technology program prepares students to work in offices in business, government, and industry. The demand for administrative assistants in government, municipal offices, accounting firms, oil and gas, legal, and health care is growing, and employers actively seek our graduates. Students are trained in current software packages and administrative procedures in order to be prepared for employment upon graduation.

This program teaches current office skills in word processing, keyboarding, spreadsheets, automated accounting and bookkeeping. Business communications and office procedures courses enable students to develop the soft skills necessary for success in today’s offices. Students utilize current Microsoft Office software in the program.

While most students complete the Administrative Assistant specialization, two alternative streams, Financial Assistant and Office Assistant, enable students to exit early. Each stream includes a one- or two-week practicum placement to give students the opportunity to apply their new skills in an office environment.

Study as part of a cohort or choose a less intense schedule
Students can enrol in and complete the 39-week Administrative Assistant program as part of a group that starts together in September and finishes together in June. In this cohort environment, all courses are delivered in a face-to-face format.  Cohort students may also opt to exit after 23 weeks as an Office Assistant or after 29 weeks as a Financial Assistant.

Students receive training according to the provincial Apprenticeship curriculum, as established by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) of British Columbia. Students who complete the NLC Foundation program are taught in a salon environment for the majority of their 990 hours and are credited with 300 work-based training hours.

Students are introduced  to the basics of haircuts, styles, shampoo and scalp treatments. Students are also trained to chemically treat hair using colour and permanent treatments, and the business and communication skills required in a salon environment.

Upon successful completion of the Foundation program and 1290 further work-based training hours, students may enroll in the Hairstylist Apprenticeship Program.

The Enhanced Carpentry Foundation Program is a 32-week program during which students earn credit for Carpentry Levels 1 and 2 technical training. Theoretical and practical instruction is provided through a variety of projects including stairs, forms for concrete, framed floors, walls and roofs, finishing work and rigging/hoisting. Students will spend approximately seventy percent of their time in practical skills development building a construction project from start to lock-up stage.

Individuals who complete the Enhanced Carpentry Foundation program will receive Levels 1 and 2 technical training and 450 work-based hours credit towards completion of their Carpentry Apprenticeship.

The University Arts and Sciences program serves individuals and communities by providing university-level learning opportunities that reflect the intellectual and creative modes of inquiry practiced in the Arts and Sciences.  A wide variety of first- and second-year courses enable learners to pursue numerous credential and career options, and to engage in personal enrichment. 

The Associate of Arts Degree enables students to focus on disciplines in the humanities and/or social sciences.  This provincially recognized credential is designed to provide a well-rounded educational experience that prepares students for work, citizenship, and further study.

For students intending to pursue further studies, the Associate of Arts Degree comprises the first two years (60 credits) of a four-year degree program (120 credits). All 60 credits comprising the Associate Degree receive full block-transfer at universities throughout British Columbia. Accordingly, the Associate of Arts Degree enables students to complete half of a degree program while remaining in their home community.

Students transferring to universities may still be required to meet specific first- and second-year requirements for certain degree programs, so advance planning  is recommended. Where viable, Associate Degree students are encouraged to select courses that also satisfy Flexible Pre-Majors.

The Archaeology Diploma program at Northern Lights College provides academic knowledge and field skills specific to archaeology sampling techniques. The field of archaeology is growing along with the oil and gas industry and other developments that disturb the land. Trained graduates can find employment opportunities with numerous archaeology and environmental consulting firms as well as government agencies.

The diploma program is ideally suited for students interested in entry-level positions that largely involve field work in remote areas under physically demanding conditions. This career can involve survey and excavation, artifact processing and analysis, and report preparation.

By using this Diploma program as a stepping stone to completion of a bachelor's degree, students can obtain employment in upper-level positions. A degree in Anthropology or Archaeology in combination with field experience offers graduates the opportunity to become Field Directors or Senior Archaeologists.

The Business Management program promotes conceptual and technical skill development in business through a one-year Certificate program, a two-year Diploma program, and a Post-Degree Diploma program.

The Post-Degree Diploma program is available to both international and domestic students. For international students who already hold a three-year degree in commerce or business administration, the Post-Degree Diploma is an effective bridge to further North American business studies or to pursue employment in North America.

International and domestic candidates with three- or four-year degrees in fields beyond commerce and business management (such as computing, engineering, health, etc.) would also benefit from the program. For such students, the Post-Degree Diploma is a capstone program that augments existing technical skills and education in other fields.

The Post-Degree Diploma alone does not meet the typical educa­tion requirements for a Master’s Degree program (or MBA) in Canada. Students planning to study at a Master’s level in Canada should ensure that their prior education (a three or four-year degree) meets the educational requirements for their intended program.

The Advanced Certificate in Culinary Arts is a 1-year program designed to encompass ITA Levels 1 and 2 of Professional Cook training, with a 30-hour Capstone course at the end. 

Students will perform all phases of kitchen activities including the preparation and presentation of vegetables, soups, sauces, meat, fish and poultry; cold kitchen items; desserts, baking, pastry; basic menu planning/costing as well as knowledge of safety, sanitation and food storage. 

Students will also gain valuable knowledge of customer service which will enable them to become leaders in their field. Level 1 starts in a fully supervised environment, performing basic cooking and food preparation tasks, while the Level 2 environment allows students a partially independent role in performing the same variety of tasks. 

At the end of each course level there is an ITA Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) exam. Upon completion of Professional Cook 1, students will receive 600 hours of work-based training. The remaining 400 of the required 1000 hours can be obtained through employment in any external agency providing food services while taking the Advanced Certificate program. Upon successful completion of Professional Cook 2, students will receive an additional 240 hours of work-based hours. 

Students will only be eligible to write their C of Q for Professional Cook 2 at the completion of their full 1000 work-based training hours.

The Capstone project (30 hours) is designed to demonstrate and be evaluated as a culmination of all things learned throughout the two levels. Activities will include a dining event demonstrating each individual's skill at menu planning, dining setup, dining service, preparing quality food, delivery timing, and dining cleanup.
Successful completion of both levels of Professional Cook studies and exams will result in an ITA Level 2 Professional Cook qualification. With the additional completion of the Capstone project, NLC will award an Advanced Certificate of Culinary Arts. 

The Post-Degree Diploma in Business Management with a specialization in Health Administration (PDD in HADM) is ideally suited to international students who already hold a minimum three-year degree in nursing or other closely related Health Care profession.  The addition of advanced studies in business and health care administration in a Canadian context will enhance employability for administrative assistant positions and movement into entry level management positions in various health professions in Canada.

The fields of study comprising this multi-disciplinary program include business administration, psychology, and specialized health administration courses. The program introduces management and health administration concepts in a Canadian context, with emphasis on interpersonal and interprofessional communications, organizational behaviour, human resource management, ethics, and change management. 

The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Program at Northern Lights College (NLC) provides opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to work with young children and their families in early learning settings in British Columbia. A variety of delivery methods enables students to remain in their home communities and to integrate theoretical and practical experiences through full- or part-time studies. The program prepares students to apply for various BC ECE Registry certificates to practice.

The Diploma in Practical Nursing at Northern Lights College follows the new provincial curriculum as revised in 2017. The program is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, judgments, and attitudes to perform to the full range of competencies as endorsed by the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).
The curriculum provides a learning experience that is integrated, professional, collaborative, and culturally sensitive, with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals (and families of individuals) at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings.
Consistent with the CLPNBC Scope of Practice: Standards, Limits and Conditions (2017), the focus for beginners' practice is “promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health, with a focus on clients with stable and predictable states of health."
Upon successful completion of the program, learners will possess the competencies to successfully complete the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE).