SAIT - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Diploma in Instrumentation Engineering Technology

The Instrumentation Engineering Technology program (IIET) requires an interest and aptitude for math, science, and computers. The foundation that you have developed in these areas through previous education and experience will be further enhanced through courses that include lecture and laboratory components.

Contact time with instructors in lectures and labs is thirty hours per week. The average student is expected to spend about an additional twenty-five hours per week on assignments, studying and projects.

A career in Instrumentation Engineering Technology typically includes both office and fieldwork. Depending on someone’s particular career path the proportion of office and field exposure can vary significantly. In the IIET program, students are exposed to lab work that simulates field activities. This includes using machinery and hand tools to assemble, calibrate and troubleshoot industrial instrumentation components, following safety requirements including the use of personal protective equipment like safety glasses and footwear.

Some of the subject areas that are a focus of the program include:

• Industrial Process Analysis
• Process Instruments
• Analytical Instruments
• Control and Safety Systems

In the industry, instrumentation practitioners will often work in teams of various sizes. In the IIET program, many courses require working in teams for projects or lab assignments.

We invite you to reflect on the following questions:

• Do I enjoy working in a team environment?
• Am I a good communicator? Verbal (good English language skills); Written (clear, concise)
• Am I a self-starter who likes to think critically through problems and challenges?
• Am I adaptable?

The IIET program is designed to provide teaching, or the delivery of information to students, at the beginning of the program, but evolves to more of a coaching role, where students learn more independently, by the end of the program. This requires that students take more initiative and responsibility for their learning, with instructors available as a resource, as they progress through the program.

Students will have to secure their own job after graduation. Assistance is available on resumé writing and interviewing for a position. Networking opportunities with industry are available through the program. Students are encouraged to be active in their student club, to develop the soft skills that are important to a successful career and to access additional opportunities to network with industry.

Graduates can pursue job opportunities in a variety of sectors, including power production, processing, transportation, fertilizer production, pulp and paper, wood processing, food processing, mining and manufacturing. Potential positions include:

• instrumentation technologist
• engineering design
• instrumentation sales
• industrial processing

Related careers include:

• oil and gas refining
• petrochemical processing