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.