Orange County Community College

If you like figuring out how pieces and parts go together, or spending time thinking about how rooms and spaces can be arranged, a career in architectural technology may be for you. Architecture is everywhere and we spend the majority of our time living and working in buildings, or driving from building to building. As the entire Hudson Valley region continues to grow, opportunities are favorable for careers in building-related fields.

Architectural Technology graduates make careers, most often as CAD operators, in many different building related fields: architectural firms, engineering firms, building product manufacturers, governmental agencies, general contracting firms, institutional facilities, consultant firms, and kitchen and bath consultants.

All organizations today rely on computer and information technology to conduct business and operate more efficiently. Often, however, these institutions do not have the internal resources to effectively implement new technologies or satisfy their changing needs.

When faced with these limitations, organizations turn to the computer systems design and related services industry to meet their specialized needs on a contract or customer basis.

Firms may enlist the services of companies in the computer systems design and related services industry for help with a particular project or problem, such as setting up a secure web site or establishing a marketplace online.

The Associate of Applied Science degree program in Cyber Security prepares students for employment in a variety of entry level careers in Cyber Security.

Today, everyone is concerned with security, and people with knowledge in this area are in high demand. Positions can include such titles as Network Administrator, network security specialist, information security technician, just to name a few.

The main thrust is protection of information and limiting access to network resources. In addition to security, students will also be instructed in techniques used to track perpetrators once an attack has occurred.

In addition to basic computer and networking skills, the student will be instructed in Operating Systems, Computer Forensics, Network Forensics, Information Security, Network Perimeter Security, and Cyber Crime Investigation.

Classes are designed to provide students with hands-on training utilizing state-of-the-art computer facilities. Lab work and assignments will present real world cyber security scenarios encountered in the work place. For forensics studies, industry standard software will be used.

While A.A.S graduates are prepared to enter the workforce immediately, many students choose to transfer to upper-level programs leading to a bachelor's degree in technology. If students are considering this, they should consult with the department chair and advisors for entering the program with previous college credit or equivalent training/ work experience.

This certificate program is designed to develop professional career skills in preparation for entry level positions in a variety of early childhood fields. Field work provides an opportunity to link theory with hands-on practice. Nine of the 12 courses in the certificate program directly relate to early childhood and all courses apply to the AAS degree in Early Childhood Development and Care.

This program prepares students for responsible and effective employment in positions ranging from aide to head teacher in a variety of early childhood settings. The program provides theory, practical information and extensive supervised experience in normal early human development, developmental difficulties, caring for and educating young children, methods for fostering child development, and the operation and management of early childhood facilities.

This 25-credit certificate program develops professional career skills needed for students pursuing support positions in varied educational settings. All courses also apply toward an Associate Degree AND the Jointly Registered Teacher Education Program, AND as preparation for New York State Teacher Assistant Licensure and Certification.

This program will prepare the student for licensing by the State Board of Dentistry of New York State to practice dental hygiene. Career opportunities are available in private solo and group practices, hospitals and other health service agencies, public schools, and other public institutions. Traditional and advanced functions in oral health are taught to clinical proficiency.

Each student actively participates in clinical dental hygiene experiences in the college dental hygiene clinic, as well as off-campus sites, including hospitals. Students are required to provide their own transportation to these off-campus facilities and are required to purchase their own instruments and related supplies.

The Medical Laboratory Technician Program seeks to provide each student with educational experiences and knowledge to develop the critical thinking, technical and interpersonal skills required to be a successful clinical laboratory scientist. The program will integrate knowledge gained from general education, biological science and clinical laboratory science so that the future laboratorian will exercise good judgment, ethics and appropriate decision making abilities to serve the needs of the community and the profession.

The number and variety of medical office environments are growing, from hospitals to long-term care facilities to health maintenance organizations, imaging centers and outpatient services. The medical office assistant career offers a broad array of jobs with skills to choose from any of the following fields - the choice is up to you:

Medical billing
Medical reports production
Medical insurance reporting
Medical records

The Associate Degree Nursing Program provides for the development of those competencies expected of registered nurses in general nursing practice at the technical level. Emphasis is on direct patient care in the preparation of women and men for a career in nursing. Through study in the humanities, biological, and social sciences, and the experience of academic life, the student gains an understanding of the value of the individual and his contribution to society.

A variety of teaching methods are employed to integrate the classroom with the clinical experience. Selected community hospitals, health agencies and community experiences are utilized. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Professional Nurse (RN). A minimum grade of 75% (C) in each nursing course is required for progress in and graduation in nursing.

Occupational Therapy (OT) provides service to those individuals whose abilities to cope with their occupations (tasks) of living are threatened or impaired by developmental deficits, the aging process, physical injury or illness, or psychological and social disability.

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA) work under the supervision of and in collaboration with Registered Occupational Therapists (OTR) addressing an individual's functional abilities and limitations in performance of daily occupations. The occupation of self-care, for example, includes the activities of bathing, shaving, dressing and feeding, each of which requires varying degrees of skill in motor, perception, cognition and psychosocial functioning.

The physical therapist assistant (PTA) works with and under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist in a wide variety of health care settings. These settings include hospitals, private offices, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, schools, fitness centers, and home care settings.

PTs/PTAs provide a wide variety of physical therapy services to people of all ages who have limitations in their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives, due to medical problems or other health-related conditions. The PT/PTA relationship is one in which the PT provides supervision and role modeling with an emphasis of continual communication. The physical therapist evaluates the patient/client and establishes a plan of care in which selected interventions are designated. These interventions are applied and progressed by the physical therapist assistant. Through on-going monitoring and data collection of patient/client responses, the PTA recognizes if and when treatments should not be administered secondary to the patient/client status or condition and thus communicates same to the PT. Moreover, the PTA must possess the ability to distinguish whether an intervention procedure is outside of his/her scope of practice and will pursue clarification with the physical therapist.

Potential interventions provided by a PTA may include training techniques and education to improve strength, coordination, and balance; exercises to improve activities of daily living and mobility, for example, walking with devices such as crutches, walkers or canes; manual techniques to reduce pain and increase range of motion; the use of modalities or physical agents and various forms of electrical stimulation. Intervention is not limited to the application of physical treatment alternatives, but the PTA also affords education to patients/ clients, family members, caregivers and other health care professionals including PTA students.

Radiologic Technologists, also called Radiographers, is the second largest category of allied health care professionals, surpassed in number only by nurses. Radiographers apply ionizing radiation to demonstrate portions of the human body on a radiograph, fluoroscopic screen, or other imaging screen to assist physicians in diagnosis of disease and injury. They work in hospitals, clinics, private practice, and more.

An essential member of the healthcare team, the radiographer positions body parts accurately and manipulates radiographic equipment to produce a quality diagnostic image while using the least amount of radiation necessary to get the best possible image.

Radiographers have a variety of career options open to them; most enter the profession taking x-rays and some move into specialized areas as Computed Tomography (CT), Angiography, Mammography and others. They have the opportunity to work with a variety of technologies and connect one-on-one with patients.