Program Details

• Admission Requirements

  • 50% or better in English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2
  • 50% or better in Math 20-1 or 20-2
  • 50% or better in Chemistry 20 (Mandatory Requirement)
  • 50% or better in Biology 20 OR Science 30
  • Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement 

  Academic Upgrading and High School Applicants: Applicants currently in high school or who are completing academic upgrading must submit proof of enrollment and any available interim/midterm marks. Final marks must be submitted within one month following the completion of the course(s) and no later than one month prior to the program start date.

  Alternate Admission: Alternate Admission status may be offered to applicants who have not or will not complete one of the academic admission requirements. To be considered under Alternate Admission Status, applicants will be asked to provide the following:

  1. (Required) Transcript(s) showing any completed high school and post-secondary courses
  2. (Required) Letter of Introduction and Intent, outlining the following:
     • Introduce yourself
     • Indicate why you wish to enrol in the program
     • Elaborate on your career goals
     • Detail your experience relevant to this program and the industry
  3. (Required) A resume of your work history, extracurricular activities, volunteer service, etc. for the last 5 years
  4. (Optional) Include copies of any tickets and/or certificates you currently hold (first aid, safety tickets, etc.)
  5. (Optional) Letter(s) of reference from current or past employers/coaches/etc. (maximum of two letters)

  *Submitting Alternate Admission material does not guarantee admission*

  Out of Province Applicants: Please refer to the Provincial Equivalency Chart for course equivalencies.

  International Applicants: Olds College welcomes applications from International Applicants and those who have completed their high school education outside of Canada. Please note, it is still necessary to meet all of the noted admission requirements, including English Language Proficiency.

  Graduation Requirements

  • Completion of 60 credits
  • Completion of all required courses and credits as per Program of Study
  • Cumulative G.P.A. of 2.00 or better
  • Satisfactory completion of occupational experience and/or assignment, if required

• Tuition & Fees

  Please refer to the current Fee Schedule for complete details.

  Tuition, Fees & Payments

  Scholarships & Student Awards

  Olds College of Agriculture & Technology offers over 450 awards, valued at $500,000+ in scholarships, bursaries and prizes. Thanks to our industry partners, alumni, and friends of Olds College we are fortunate to offer a generous student awards program to students.

  For additional information on scholarships, bursaries and prizes at Olds College, visit Scholarships & Awards.

  Entrance Awards Available!

  Entrance awards range from $250 - $1,500 for students applying for the upcoming academic year and have paid the tuition deposit by the deadline.

  Awards are selected randomly from those that have applied and qualify based on the criteria.

  Award will be applied as a tuition credit to the student's account after the add/drop course deadline, confirming full-time attendance. Not all that apply will receive an entrance award.

  Student Funding

  For information on how to apply for government student loans, financial aid or for help with financial planning, visit our Student Funding page.

• Courses

  Note: This webpage has been updated to reflect changes that will be effective as of Fall 2025. Please review the 2024/2025 Academic Calendar for current program details. 

  Term 1

  • EVS 1210 - Applied Ecology
  • GPS 1200 - Introduction to GPS and Mapping
  • PLS 1010 - Plant Science Principles
  • SOI 1000 - Fundamentals of Soil Science
  • WTR 1330 - Introduction to Water Resources

  Term 2

  • AGN 1540 - Introductory Pest Management
  • EVS 1730 - Land Conservation and Reclamation
  • LUP 1620 - Contemporary Environmental Issues and Ethics
  • AGF 1330 - Foundations of Agriculture and Agri-Food
  • GIS 1300 - Introduction to GIS
  • Optional Elective: WIL 1600 - Industry Field Placement

  Term 3

  • PLS 2410 - Native Plants of Alberta
  • COM 2050 - Writing for Environmental and Land-use Professionals
  • LUP 2610 - Environmental Land Use Planning and Management
  • WTR 2630 - Watershed Management
  • EVS 2330 - Reclamation Field Methods

  Term 4

  • EVS 2560 - Environmental Statistics and Database Management
  • SOI 2340 - Soil Classification and Management
  • EVS 2730 - Environmental Site Assessment
  • WTR 2330 - Water Quality
  • EVS 2711 - Wildlife Identification and Surveying

• Career Opportunities

  Olds College of Agriculture & Technology has a solid reputation working with employers in the industry! This directly translates into jobs for our graduates. Opportunities include, but are not limited to:

  Land Reclamation Technician Drilling Waste Technician Environmental Monitoring Technician Remediation Technician Environmental Consultant Conservation Group Coordinator Rural Planner

  Surface Land Agent Municipal Development Officer Land Use Planning Assistant Environmental Technologist Water Quality Technician Agricultural Fieldman Research Assistant

  Visit ALIS to find Occupational Profiles with current wages, industry trends and more!

  ALIS Occupational Profiles

• Admitted Students

  Program Dates

  Find out when your term start and end dates are, so that you know when you are expected to be in attendance. For more information, please review the Program Dates & Fee Schedule.

  Class Registration

  You will be registered into your classes automatically. This will happen approximately 1 month prior to the start-date for your program. You will be notified once you have been timetabled into your courses. You will be able to see your class schedule in your My Olds College account. If you need to make any changes to your class registration, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

  Technology Recommendation

  It is required that you come to Olds College of Agriculture & Technology with the following technology:

  • A Windows based laptop capable of running Microsoft Office and ESRI ArcGIS Pro 2.5. Students will be using these programs extensively in lectures and classes. The software will be available for installation once you are on campus.
    • The minimum requirements for this laptop are:
    • Operating System: Windows 8.1 (64 bit) or Windows 10 (64 bit)
    • CPU: 2 cores, hyperthreaded (4 cores or more recommended)
    • RAM: 4 GB (8 GB or more recommended)
    • Storage: 32 GB of free space (Solid State Drive recommended

  As part of your student accounts, all students have access to Office 365 for the duration of their time with Olds College. To access this you just need to follow these steps:

  • Go to portal.office.com
  • Enter your Olds College email address and password
  • Once logged in there is a button on the right that says "Install Office Apps"

  This will give you access to the full Office suite on your computer, for both Windows and Mac based platforms.

  Materials & Supplies

  It is recommended that you come prepared with the following items for your field experiences:

  • Waterproof jacket & pants
  • Rubber boots
  • Solid hiking books (no flip flops or sandals)
  • Umbrella
  • Rain poncho
  • Long Pants
  • Sunhat
  • Sunglasses (if desired)
  • Sunscreen & bug spray (if desired)

  Many courses at Olds College require instructor prepared modules as a substitute for textbooks. These modules provide you with the essential course notes and laboratory exercises. They also serve as excellent reference materials for you after you leave school. Modules typically cost between $25 - 40, depending on the size.

  Information on other required textbooks and any further supplies will be provided as you attend each class. All books and supplies will be available during the first few weeks of classes in the College Campus Store.

  Textbook Order Form

  Other Important Information

  Time Requirements: An exciting component to this program is you will participate in an off campus hands-on field school experience.

  Additional Skills: Basic computer skills are recommended for all and it is certainly beneficial to have some prior experience with computers before you arrive at college. A familiarity and comfort in the use of Google products, word processing, spreadsheet and e-mailing software will be a definite asset.

  Student Clubs: The Environmental Science and Technology students have a student club which you are strongly encouraged to join. The club involves both social activities and opportunities for professional networking through their annual career day.

  Opportunities: The Environmental Science and Technology program includes the opportunity to take field trips and attend conferences as part of your studies. These provide real world grounding of subjects learned at the college and allow you to begin to network with industry people.

  Accreditation: Every graduate of the Environmental Science and Technology Program is eligible for membership in the Alberta Institute of Agrology. (Agrology Technologist In-Training -ATT). An ATT must meet the educational requirements and be approved for registration by the Registration Committee. Upon completion of the In-Training Program, an ATT is eligible to become a Registered Technologist in Agrology RT(Ag). Similarly, graduates are eligible for membership in the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (Biological Technologist in Training - BTT) leading to Registered Technologist in Biology (R.T.Biol.) with several additional experience requirements that need to be met.