Program Description
The Architectural Technologies program is designed to provide you with the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required to work as an Architectural Technologist for architectural firms, residential builders and many other companies involved in the construction industry. The purpose of the program is to enable graduates to be able to perform and manage the fundamental duties of a junior architectural technologist.
This Diploma program is two years in length, consisting of four 15-week semesters. In the fourth semester, you refine your skills in a comprehensive Capstone project. The Architectural Technology program is learner-centred. We believe that students learn best when they construct knowledge and meaning from a collaboration between their learning experiences and their ideas. This type of applied experiential education means the development of the hand and mind through innovation, relevant content, engaged instructors and students who want to create meaningful careers.
The program employs a Project Based Learning (PBL) model. This means that the “single subject inputs and assignments all relate to, and support the project work.” In this applied education model the repeated practice of going through a problem enables you to build up a repertoire of significant experiences. A critical feature of the program the focus on blending the science and practice of architectural technology
You will learn by undertaking projects that simulate and simplify work practices in an educational setting modelled on a real-world environment. It is a setting where you get to practice. Semesters are typically organized around a manageable core or central project. These projects will involve both individual and group-based work. In both instances, collaborative learning and teaching are practised. In all cases, there is an emphasis on learning by doing. This program will develop critical thinking skills through the practice of confronting uncertainty. It allows one to see unfamiliar situations as familiar and this, in turn, allows one to have a feel or approach to problems that do not conform to rules.
Your Career
Graduates find diverse work in architectural offices and in building construction as architect assistants, building inspectors, building products sales and graphic designers.
- Graduates of the Architectural Technologies program have a 95% employment rate
Student Success
The most successful students in the program are those with a solid foundation in high school Math and Physics and the aptitude to apply those skills to solving real problems. The ability to visualize in three dimensions and an affinity towards computerized graphics software are valuable assets.
Credentials
Upon successfully completing this program, graduates will be awarded a SAIT diploma in Architectural Technologies.
Accreditation
Once completed, this SAIT credential may be eligible for transfer credit at another post-secondary institution. Visit Transfer Options to learn more about the transfer agreements currently available to SAIT graduates and incoming students.
Progression
Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester and pass the necessary prerequisite courses to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.