Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

History, Affiliations and Rankings

Established in 1962, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is a public college providing education in numerous faculties of business, science, health, and skilled trades. The Alberta provincial government decided in 1959 to create a facility in Edmonton to supplement apprenticeship and vocational training, which were previously handled by the Provincial Institute of Technology (PITA) in Calgary. The new institution would be known as the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), whereas PITA would be known as the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). The new facility's construction began in January 1962. The first batch, consisting of 29 Communication Electrician apprentices, was enrolled in October. On May 27, 1963, Premier Ernest Manning officiated at the inaugural opening of NAIT. The inaugural graduation ceremony took place in 1965, with 326 graduates. The government handed over responsibility to the new Board of Governors, chaired by Allan McCagherty, in 1982. In 1962, the college had its first-ever class of 29 communication electrician trades. In 1965, the institution had its first convocation ceremony. The institution has affiliations with 80 partners belonging to different sectors. The college has taken 89 top-leading research projects of which 99% were in affiliations with the industry.

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology has four campuses out of which three are Main, Patricia, and South campuses located in Edmonton and Spruce Grove Crane and Hoist campuses are situated in Spruce Grove. The campus has services like on-campus dining, online shopping, parking, and others. Moreover, the college has more than 70 student clubs and organizations. The institute is also home to a student-run media community consisting of News TV shows, NAIT newspapers, and NR92 radio shows. The main campus has facilities like the HP centre, Centre of applied sciences, and others. The Patricia campus has the School of Skilled trades, South campus has apprentice courses such as iron maker, boilermaker, plate fitter, and others. The Spruce Grove campus is home to the Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator training courses.  The university provides more than 80 credit courses leading to degrees, applied degrees, certificates, and diplomas. The undergraduate program is provided Baccalaurean Second Language courses in Administration, Technology Management and Applied programs which include network management, and finance.

Accomplishments and Alumni

NAIT's key accomplishment is that it has done over 89 leading research projects, 99 percent of which were in collaboration with industry, and it has a phenomenal 98 percent employer satisfaction rating. The university is so invested in technology that it publishes its own circulating journal, Techlifetoday. In addition, the institution collaborates and conducts research in areas such as biotechnology, digital economy, energy and environment, and others. Notable alumni include Nolan Crouse, Mayor of St. Albert, Patrick LaForge, Past President and CEO of the Edmonton Oilers, Doug Pruden, Push Up World Record holder and holder of 9 records, Vince Steen, MLA of the Northwest Territories, and Travis Toews, Minister of Finance of Alberta and President of the Treasury Board.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

Northern Alberta Institute Of Technology values diversity in all its dimensions. The University has more than 25,000 student enrolments out of which 22,000 are undergraduates and more than 1,200 postgraduates with more than 1,200 faculty within the premises. They have more than 2,200 students hailing from all over the world on the campus. The male-to-female ratio is 9:91 at the Northern Alberta Institute Of Technology making it a fairly gender-balanced university. The University has students from a wide range of backgrounds, including race, national origin, religion, beliefs, age, socioeconomic level, gender, sexual orientation, and handicap status. University's vibrant and diverse campus offers several opportunities for students to engage with their peers. Some of the leading recruiters at this institute are AppleOne, Citrine Informatics, Gap Inc., and others.