This well-rounded college education gives our graduates a competitive edge - they leave with the practical skills required to step right into a job and with the flexibility and depth required to adapt to change and move ahead on a career path. Our focus on the outcomes of education - the ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes expected on the job - means that employers know they can count on the Algonquin graduate to rise to workplace challenges.

Faculty members bring extensive industry experience and sound teaching practices to the delivery of theoretical and laboratory classes which promote active learning and problem solving. They design programs to reflect the practices and technologies that graduates will encounter in the workplace. Advisory committees made up of local employers and former students meet with us regularly to revise and update program content to ensure that it stays current with today's workplaces. Many programs include clinical and field placements where students can apply their learning in authentic settings. With the support of industry, a number of programs also offer a co-operative education option.

The College works closely with private business, industry and the publicly-funded sectors in our community to design and deliver the education and training employers need. These working partnerships help us to keep all of our curriculum relevant and our technologies current.

Algonquin is the first college in the province to identify the specific computer and communication standards graduates must achieve to meet the demands placed on them by employers. All of our programs place an emphasis on the generic employability skills everyone needs - working on teams, managing information, planning the use of time and resources, adapting to new situations, and working safely.

General education courses which develop an understanding of science, technology, culture, the arts, the economy, and the social and political realities of Canada and the world allow graduates to think beyond immediate day to day tasks and to contribute to their workplaces as innovators and good corporate citizens.

Algonquin is committed to making these high quality programs accessible to learners in our community. Our faculty are developing more and more offerings for online and distance education to reach learners who can't always come to our campus for scheduled courses. Even on-campus students are expected to take at least one course on-line to develop the skills they will need to use this learning technology in the future.

The College also offers preparatory courses for those adults not yet ready for post-secondary programs and post-diploma programs for those learners who, having completed a program, wish to specialize in an emerging field. We encourage adult learners to seek recognition for prior learning

Graduates of post-secondary programs may also wish to consider studying part-time to prepare for career changes or retirement projects. They will find offerings in a wide variety of discipline areas which allow them to take individual courses or to complete a certificate or diploma program.

I welcome you to explore our program offerings and encourage you to call us if you have questions.


Raymonde Hanson
Vice President, Academic