Associate of Arts Degree

at Okanagan College - Kelowna Campus Canada

The Associate of Science degree is a provincial credential offered by many institutions in the BC Transfer System. The associate degree provides an educational experience that prepares students for life as an educated person, and lays a solid foundation for further study. The associate degree curriculum consists of two years of university-level study in a variety of academic areas. Students are required to complete a broad range of course offerings balanced with in-depth study in specific disciplines. Since many students will continue their studies, the requirements are sufficiently flexible to enable students to complete the required prerequisites for upper-level course work in their intended major. Students will be exposed to a program of study that seeks to develop:

• An interest in and curiosity about the world around them
• An understanding of the global context in which they live and work
• An appreciation of intellectual thought and human creativity
• An openness to a variety of viewpoints
• A capacity for and interest in self-directed life-long learning
• An acceptance of the social responsibilities that come with the benefits of advanced learning.

This two-year diploma program is designed for students who wish to obtain employment in the automotive industry as an Automotive Collision Repair Technician, Refinishing Preparation Technician or Auto Glass Technician. The program begins by providing the student with the first year of apprenticeship training followed by second-year courses that focus on industry required skills in estimating, office skills and entrepreneurship.

This unique program provides training in four technical areas that include automotive refinishing preparation, automotive refinishing, automotive collision repair and auto glass repair and replacement. Each of these areas will be covered providing the graduate with completion of four modules of level one technical training. Upon successful completion of the technical training, students will be eligible to write the provincial Industry Training Authority standardized examinations.

The program consists of 37 weeks (1110 hours) of full-time studies. Approximately 50 percent of the day is spent on theory discussions in a classroom setting, followed by hands-on practical training in the shops located in OC’s Aerospace Campus at Kelowna International Airport. The program follows a national set of standards and is approved by Transport Canada.  Upon successful completion, the graduate will receive an Okanagan College certificate. Transport Canada also grants graduates of this program ten months experience credit towards the 36 month experience requirement.  Upon completion of the required total work experience and successful completion of a regulatory exam you will qualify for a Transport Canada AME "S" Licence.

The Advanced Certificate in Communication provides students with skills in applied communications. Students develop competence in areas such as professional writing, public relations theory and practice, management communications, marketing writing, and visual communication. Completion of the program will provide students with a valuable skill-set, applicable to every potential career. The certificate will be of interest to students who are looking to complement their previous post-secondary experience by focusing on an applied, career-related field. 

The certificate features flexible completion of required courses, allowing students to complete the requirements as part-time and/or evening study. In addition, students can apply six credits of first-year Communications or English earned in previous post-secondary study toward the Advanced Certificate in Communication

The Studio Woodworking Certificate Program is a 38-week (1140 hours) full-time study of woodworking from the craftsperson's perspective. With a primary focus on furniture, the program will offer a range of woodworking skill sets that can be adapted to any of the many disciplines within the Cabinetmaker/Joiner trade. Inasmuch as this program's focus is 'Art' as well as 'Industry', the range of knowledge covered within this program will enable the successful student to acquire meaningful employment in a range of 'studio' or 'custom' environments with confidence, whether self-employed or working for others. Those successful students who wish to continue in a traditional apprenticeship will be granted level one apprenticeship technical training credit and 450 work-based hours in the Cabinetmaker/Joiner trade by the Industry Training Authority in B.C.

The range of topics taught includes a history of the trade, design basics, an understanding of the materials, safe work practices, hand and machine skills, and joinery techniques. They also include more advanced techniques such as design and creating curved parts, veneer, inlay, marquetry and banding. Basic Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machining will be explored. Wood finishing from simple hand rubbed to advanced spray booth techniques will be practiced. Students will also be introduced to portfolio and promotion concepts, including photography of product, and how to interact with clients. Students will design and build a final project from concept to promotion. A public exhibit at the conclusion of the program will spotlight the students' achievements and provide a showcase for their work.

The Therapist Assistant Diploma will prepare the graduate to work as an Assistant to Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Recreational Therapists. It is a two-year diploma of full-time study including four semesters of coursework plus 18 weeks of practical experience in clinical settings.

Principles, theory and practice will be taught at the Assistant level in the disciplines of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Recreation Therapy. Students will obtain an academic and practical foundation in the areas of health and rehabilitation science, and will take introductory-level university courses in English, Biology and Psychology. The Therapist Assistant Diploma curriculum is reflective of the growing and evolving scope of practice for Therapist Assistants. It has been developed in consultation with therapists, therapist assistants, and employers province-wide and is informed by national trends and provincial trends and competencies.

The Diploma in Communications, Culture, and Journalism Studies (CCJS) is a two-year interdisciplinary diploma that foregrounds a critical analysis of the mass media as contemporary society's most pervasive agent of political and cultural transformation. Students will explore the social, political, and economic functions of news and communications media, the history of journalism, and cultural policy & theory. Particular attention will be paid to questions of social justice, as well as of identity and constructions of gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationality.                               

Housed in the Department of Communications, CCJS offers students foundational courses in media theory, writing-intensive courses in Communications and English, and a selection of elective breadth courses from a range of departments --including Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, and Women's Studies.

While students may proceed directly to potential entry-level careers in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising, research, writing, publishing, consulting or new media, especially in small markets and independent digital environments, completion of this program is intended primarily to provide students with the liberal arts education necessary for further study.

The publishing industry has been transformed by an unprecedented surge of activity as individuals and organizations share text and post images as never before. This has led to exciting changes and challenges in the way writers and publishers look at publishing. Graduates of this two-year diploma program will have the technical skills and wide range of experience crucial to navigating this industry.

Our applied and academic courses take students through the first stages of the writing process to the final post-production stages of publishing in a variety of formats. Our goals are to foster students' writerly personae, to hone their critical voices, and to teach them how to write professionally for multiple audiences. From creative writing workshops to web publishing labs to book design studios to professional editing classes, our courses help students acquire the skills necessary to ensure their work resonates on both page and screen.

We teach our students using industry-standard software, beginning on the first day of class and carrying through each semester of the program. Students can also take advantage of unique hands-on opportunities to put their skills into practice. Okanagan College features a working letterpress print shop, as well as other in-house elements such as Kalamalka Press and Ryga: A Journal of Provocations. These are only some of the opportunities for students to build the sort of portfolio that demonstrates to prospective employers how lessons learned in the classroom contribute to the broad skill set of a qualified professional.

Graduates of the program have a variety of options. Some may pursue employment in a range of traditional and new media outlets, from independent presses to commercial publishing houses. Others may choose to continue their studies in fields such as creative writing, journalism, marketing and media studies.

The International Development Diploma is designed for learners who are interested in working with organizations involved in development projects across the globe. The program provides learners an opportunity to engage with current global issues such as poverty; environmental degradation; racial and gender discrimination; corruption and lack of economic and financial transparency; and political deficiency. Upon successful completion of this program, learners have acquired a multidisciplinary understanding of the current issues in international development and will apply appropriate techniques to analyze the issues and problems of development in the global context.

The Diploma has two options
International Development Governance. In this option, students will have a choice of further emphases in:

• Women and Development
• Environment and Development

International Development Management, a joint Diploma Program between Arts and Business
All Arts courses in this Diploma program have university studies credits, providing students with the option of further study in either international development or other related disciplines. Business courses are transferred on a course-by-course basis. Students are advised to verify with the appropriate Department Chair or Dean that the specific course offerings will be offered within a two-year cycle if students intend to complete the Diploma in two years.

This unique two-year post-baccalaureate diploma (60 credit/20 course) is aimed at students with a bachelor degree in any business or science program who wish to pursue a career in Marketing and Data Analytics. Students will receive thorough training in statistics and data science. Term one of this program sets the mathematical and statistical foundation for higher level learning in the marketing and data science area. In subsequent terms, students build on, and apply, these foundational skills to a diverse set of areas. While many of the applications have a business or marketing focus, the mathematical, statistical, and data science concepts learned are universally applicable to a wide range of disciplines.