Pathways to Professional Careers

Transcription

1 Pathways to Professional Careers

2 Table of Contents ACCOUNTANT Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions... 5 ARCHITECHT Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions... 6 CHIROPRACTOR Post-Secondary Institutions... 7 DENTIST Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions... 8 DOCTOR Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions... 9 ENGINEER Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions LAWYER Post-Secondary Institutions PHARMACIST Post-Secondary Institutions... 12

3 PHYSIOTHERAPIST PSYCHOLOGIST Post-Secondary Institutions VETERINARIAN Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions... 15

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5 ACCOUNTANT In order to be eligible for an Accounting designation (Certified Management, Certified General, or Chartered), candidates must first earn a bachelor s degree in any discipline. Most candidates earn degrees in accounting, business, commerce, or a related subject. Each of the above stated specialties has its own certification criteria including examinations, years of related work experience, and education. Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. Lethbridge College (2 year diploma, which will transfer to the University of Lethbridge) 2. University of Lethbridge 3. University of Alberta 4. University of Calgary 5. Mount Royal University

6 ARCHITECHT A four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized university is required for admission. Applicants who do not possess a background in architecture normally enter the program at the foundation year level, which could require up to one full year of study prior to beginning the first year of MArch. Candidates for MArch must provide a Portfolio evidence of original and/or creative work in any field or medium and provide in writing a brief description of the work. Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Calgary

7 CHIROPRACTOR After high school you will need to complete at least 3 years of university before applying to a chiropractic program. It is recommended that you take courses in chemistry, biology, psychology, and humanities while in university. Most students complete a bachelor s degree before applying to chiropractic school. You must complete a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from a chiropractic college. Programs last between 4 and 5 years, and include practice in a teaching clinic. Students receive basic training in the biological and health sciences, as well as specific specialized training related to the theory and application of chiropractic treatment. After graduating from chiropractic school, you will to need be licensed to practise in your province. This involves passing the written and practical exams given by the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB), as well as a licensing exam set by your provincial chiropractic authority. Because there are very few chiropractic programs in Canada, some people choose to complete programs in the US. Post-Secondary Institutions 1. Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (Ontario)

8 DENTIST There is no direct entry from high school into the Dentistry Program. Applicants are required to complete at least two years of university study prior to entering the Dentistry program, but most complete undergraduate degree. The prerequisite courses to be included in the two years at university are full year equivalents in biology, English, general or inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and half year equivalents in statistics and biochemistry. Applicants must also write the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) to be considered for admission. Applicants with a competitive cumulative academic average; prerequisite course average, and DAT average will be invited for an interview for admission to the University of Alberta Dentistry Program Dental school typically takes 4 years to complete. Depending on the school they attend, graduates may earn either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. After finishing a degree, you must be licensed by the province you wish to practise in. This generally involves passing exams set by the National Dental Examining Board (NDEB). See the Other Resources section for a link to the NDEB and contact information for the provincial regulatory agencies. Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta

9 DOCTOR To gain entry into medical school, you ll need to complete a minimum of 2 to 3 years of undergraduate university education. This includes the successful completion of several required science courses. Because admission to medical school is very competitive, most applicants have a bachelor s degree the minimum requirements of some schools and some even have a master s degree. Generally, those applicants with the highest marks have the greatest chance of being accepted. However, many schools also consider things like character, leadership qualities, and extracurricular activities. Medical school takes 4 years to complete, and leads to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. After the MD is obtained, graduates must complete a residency program in a medical or surgical specialty. Residencies are periods of practical, on-the-job training that take place in hospitals or other medical settings. Most residencies last between 2 and 7 years, depending on the area of medicine. For family physicians, the residency period is usually 2 to 3 years in length. Doctors who want to specialize in a particular area such as surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, or anesthesiology must complete a 4 to 7-year residency. All doctors must successfully complete the Medical Council of Canada s (MCC) qualifying exams and be licensed by the appropriate province or territory. They must also pass certification exams in their specialty administered by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta 2. University of Calgary

10 ENGINEER Most students enter the Faculty of Engineering directly from high school. To be admitted, you must have successfully completed the following five Alberta grade 12 courses: English Language Arts 30-1, Chemistry 30, Pure Math 30 or Math 30-1, Math 31 (Calculus), Physics 30. The minimum admission average is determined annually. In recent years, the average has been 80%. All students with an 80% average or higher are encouraged to apply for admission. All first year engineering students are introduced to the Faculty and engineering through common first year courses. This will help determine the engineering degree program you should enter in your second year (Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical etc.) Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta 2. University of Calgary 3. University of Lethbridge (pre-engineering, first year only)

11 LAWYER To become a lawyer, you must attend law school and complete a law degree. Before applying to law school, you must complete at least 2 years of undergraduate studies at university. However, because the admission process is extremely competitive, most applicants have at least a bachelor s degree. Bachelor s degrees usually take 4 years to complete. A degree in any subject is acceptable but those that allow students to develop their research and writing skills, such as English, history, or political science, can be particularly helpful. Before starting law school, you may wish to take courses in the area in which you intend to specialize. For example, take business courses if you want to be a corporate lawyer or child psychology if you want to work for child protection agencies. To get into law school you need very good marks. You almost always need to write an aptitude test called the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) as well. Law school usually takes 3 years of full-time study to complete, and the degree you get is either a Juris Doctor (JD) or a Bachelor of Laws. Some universities offer combined law and business administration programs that result in the JD or LLB and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees. After graduating from law school, you still need to work for approximately 1 year as an articling student, under the direction of licensed lawyers (fortunately, you usually get paid for this) before you can become a licensed lawyer. You must also successfully complete the bar admission program, including classes and exams, which takes several weeks to several months to finish. Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta 2. University of Calgary

12 PHARMACIST To become a pharmacist, you must complete a bachelor s degree in pharmacy. Although entrance requirements vary, most universities require applicants to have completed at least 1 year of undergraduate university studies before applying. During this year you must complete courses in several required subjects, including chemistry, biology, math, and English. Some universities also require applicants to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), a standardized aptitude test. Contact the school you re interested in for specific requirements. Once you are accepted into a program, you must complete a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy. Pharmacy programs take about 4 years to complete and provide instruction in subjects such as drug therapy, communicating with patients, professional ethics, and developing and managing medication distribution systems. They may also provide supervised practical experience in pharmacy settings. Pharmacists who want further education can go on to earn a master s degree or PhD. These programs allow students to focus on a specific area of study, such as pharmaceutical chemistry or pharmacy administration. Pharmacists must complete an internship before they can be licensed. The internship allows them to gain on-the-job experience under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. It is also necessary to pass the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada exam. Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta

13 PHYSIOTHERAPIST In order to practice as a physiotherapist, you must complete an accredited university program in physiotherapy, and then meet licensing requirements in your province. The basic requirement to work as a physiotherapist is a master s degree. To enter a master s program, you first need to complete a 4-year bachelor s degree, including specific courses in areas such as human physiology, psychology, and statistics. It s a good idea to contact the physiotherapy school you are interested in to see what degrees they offer and what their admission requirements are. Master s degree programs take 2 to 3 years to complete. Once you have completed a physiotherapy program, you will need to be licensed or registered with the regulatory board in your province. This usually involves passing an exam. Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta

14 PSYCHOLOGIST In Canada, psychologists are licensed provincially and the requirements for licensure vary from province to province. In some provinces, only those with PhDs are licensed to work independently, while in others a master s degree is sufficient. In other provinces, holders of master s degrees can be licensed to work as associates, either independently or under supervision. A master s degree usually takes about 6 years of study (4 years for a bachelor s degree and 1 or 2 years for a master s). A PhD takes an additional 4 to 5 years to complete. Higher level academic and research positions require a PhD. To get a licence to practice, you apply to the body that regulates the practice of psychology in your jurisdiction (these are usually called Colleges or Associations of Psychologists). Once your application is accepted, you are usually required to pass an oral and a written exam. In most cases, you must also work for a specified period under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. People with a bachelor s degree in psychology may work as technicians (often aiding in research or administering tests) under the supervision of a psychologist. However, there are not a lot of these positions available. A bachelor s degree in psychology does not qualify you for a licence to practice as a psychologist in any Canadian jurisdiction. Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Alberta 2. University of Calgary 3. University of Lethbridge

15 VETERINARIAN After high school you must complete 2 to 4 years of pre-veterinary or science studies at university before applying to veterinary school. However, because the competition for veterinary school admission is so competitive, it s a good idea to complete a full Bachelor of Science degree before applying. Veterinary schools require you to have completed courses in specific subjects before they will consider your application. Since these subjects vary depending on the school, you should contact the school you plan to attend and find out which subjects to take during your preveterinary studies. It s very difficult to get into veterinary school and you must have extremely high marks to be accepted. Once you are accepted by a veterinary school, it takes another 4 to 5 years of study to graduate as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). After obtaining the DVM, you must pass the national board exams for veterinary medicine and become a member of the veterinary medical association in the province where you want to practice. Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions 1. University of Calgary