Students who have received an RN (Registered Nurse) designation from previous university or college may specialize their training through a Post RN BScN Degree.(Post Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree).
Offered by distance learning through St. Francis Xavier University, this degree gives registered nurses the chance to specialize in their profession.
The Post RN BScN degree is composed of 75 credits. Enrollment is open and the degree is delivered through print-based material and audio and video cassettes.
This professional development program is composed of the following:
- 21 mandatory nursing credits
- 30 credits from humanities and science
- 12 nursing electives (specialization)
- Six open electives from any university level
The specialization areas that make up the 12 nursing electives may be taken from:
- Gerontology
- Mental Health
- Women's Health
- Women Children and Families
Applicants to the Post RN BScN degree must have at least one year of clinical experience along with their RN designation. It is recommended that this program be taken over four years by nurses working in the health care industry.
Employment counselors assist the public in finding relevant and meaningful employment. Due to the changing nature of work, counselors need new and advanced skill sets to serve their clients.
Through open learning, Memorial University offers a 30-credit, two semester program for employment counselors and trainers. The Certificate in Career Development is composed of 21 mandatory courses and nine electives. A work practicum is included for those new to the field of career counseling. Employed job counselors may take their new skills directly to their clients.
The mandatory 21 credits include:
- Career development and assessment
- Interpersonal communication
- Nature of the helping profession
- Group facilitation
- Nature of work
- Workforce and workplace practicum.
The Certificate in Career Development is available internationally to anyone involved in employment counseling and job search services. Students must possess an undergraduate degree or a college diploma to enroll in this professional development program. This program is offered to both Canadians and international students.
Royal Roads University offers a distance certificate in Project Management, while Athabasca University offers an advanced graduate diploma in project management. Both professional development programs are designed for professionals involved in large building and construction projects.
Enrollees are typically:
- Construction managers
- Building developers
- Contractors
- Designers
- Architects
Due to the wide scope that building projects take and the different professions involved, Royal Roads University does not demand an undergraduate degree. Students must demonstrate that they have spent five years in the project management field to be admitted.
The two semester, 9-credit certificate from Royal Roads University, does have a Canadian residency requirement. Students must spend several days at the university at the beginning and end of each semester. Non-Canadian residents must make the necessary arrangements for the residence requirement. The Project Management Certificate involves taking students from the pre-planning, to planning, to implementation and completion stages of a large-scale building or construction project. Students will also learn how to handle and solve problems that arise with a large budget project.
The Project Management Certificate consists of:
- Advanced project management
- Managing complex projects
- Project planning and scheduling
- Capstone - exam preparation
The outcome of this professional development program is the examination of the Project Management Institute. This examination leads to the highly sought after Certificate of PMP, Project Management Professional.
For those employed in social and health care agencies, client care and case management is a difficult and sometimes overwhelming task. In respond to the demand for an increased skill set, McMaster University offers a distance Certificate in Case Management.
All courses in the Certificate of Case Management program are mandatory and include client and caseload management, enhancing management skills and understanding health law, as it applies to the client. This Professional Development Certificate is a 15-credit program and may be transferred toward a social work undergraduate degree.
The certificate in case management is designed for:
- Social service workers
- Employees of nonprofit agencies
- Managers of nursing agencies
- Retirement home managers
- Physiotherapists and gerontologists
- Nurse caseload managers
- Nurses
Applicants for the certificate in case management must hold a social service worker certificate or have five years of demonstrated experience in a social or healthcare setting. A criminal record search must be obtained by the student at the time of application to the program.
Canadian Educators refer to teachers and instructors employed in elementary, high school, community colleges and universities. As delivery modes of education are changing, our teachers need to increase their technological skills for our changing classrooms.
UCCB, University College of Cape Breton, offers an open learning distance graduate diploma in educational technology. This web-based diploma is open to teachers, administrators and anyone interested in education.
Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree to apply for this diploma. There are no deadlines to complete the open learning, graduate diploma in educational technology.
Courses include:
- Principles of Computing and Implication for Instruction.
- Assessment of Software and Information Technology Applications for Education
- Integration of Instructional Design and Informational Technology
- Applications of Learning Theory in Educational Multimedia Design
- Designing Web-based Teaching.
The graduate diploma in educational technology is available to teachers across Canada.
