Addendum I – HVAC Technician
Northwest Career College has established a new program, called the HVAC Technician program. The program description, course names, length in weeks, academic credits awarded, and tuition and fees are listed below.
HVAC Technician Program
Program Description
The HVAC Technician program is designed to prepare graduates for careers in residential and light commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning environments. Individual didactic courses may be delivered via blended or full distance education. Instruction is provided with online lectures and hands-on experience conducted online or in a classroom setting. Externship is completed in a residential manner within approved HVAC service or installation sites. Upon satisfactory completion of the program detailed below, students will be granted an HVAC Technician diploma from NCC and will be qualified for entry- to mid-level technician roles within the HVAC industry. A computer meeting the technical specifications listed under Computer System Requirements in the Academic Policies section of the catalog and internet access are required for completion of this program.
Program Length
36 Weeks
*Actual program length (in weeks) may vary due to holidays
and scheduled administrative breaks.
Course List
Detailed course descriptions can be found below.
| Course Name and Number | LECTURE HOURS | LAB HOURS | CLINICAL HOURS | CREDIT HOURS | CLOCK HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC101 – Mechanical Principles | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC102 – Applied Electricity for HVAC | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC103 – Gas Fired Heating Systems & Boiler Operation | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC104 – Air Conditioning Systems | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC105 – Commercial Refrigeration & Ice Machines | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC106 – Troubleshooting, Start-Up & Installation | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC107 – Heat Pump Systems | 64 | 16 | 0 | 7.0 | 80 |
| HVAC201 – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Externship | 40 | 0 | 180 | 10.0 | 220 |
| Total | 528 | 112 | 180 | 63.0 | 820 |
Course Descriptions
HVAC101 – Mechanical Principles (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: None
- Description: In this course, students are introduced to the HVACR industry, major job roles, and the codes, standards, and safety practices that guide the trade. Students learn safe use of tools, basic measurement, and core scientific and thermodynamic concepts, including heat transfer and the refrigeration cycle. By the end, students can describe a basic refrigeration system and apply essential mechanical principles to HVACR applications.
HVAC102 – Applied Electricity for HVAC (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101
- Description: In this course, students learn electrical safety, core electrical theory, and the use of test instruments as they apply to HVACR equipment. Topics include AC/DC circuits, Ohm’s law, single-and three-phase power, motors and controls, and common electrical components and diagrams. Students practice conductor sizing to code and develop structured methods for wiring, verifying installations, and troubleshooting HVACR electrical systems.
HVAC103 – Gas Fired Heating Systems & Boiler Operation (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102
- Description: In this course, students study combustion fundamentals and the safe, efficient operation of gas- and oil-fired heating equipment. Instruction covers gas and oil furnaces, boilers, hydronic heating systems, fuel piping and venting, start-up and safety checks, and routine maintenance and troubleshooting. Students also learn about combustion air requirements, carbon monoxide prevention, boiler components, zoning strategies, and humidification systems.
HVAC104 – Air Conditioning Systems (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102, HVAC103
- Description: In this course, students learn comfort cooling principles, psychrometrics, and air distribution fundamentals for residential and commercial applications. Instruction covers airflow measurement, duct design, indoor air quality, and the operation and installation of room units, split systems, mini-splits, VRF systems, and related components. Students practice start-up, checkout, and structured troubleshooting of air, electrical, and mechanical problems, and are introduced to commercial air-conditioning and hydronic cooling systems.
HVAC105 – Commercial Refrigeration & Ice Machines (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102, HVAC103, HVAC104
- Description: In this course, students learn safe installation, service, and troubleshooting of commercial refrigeration systems and ice machines. Topics include refrigerant safety, EPA Section 608–aligned procedures, piping and brazing, line sizing, and instrumentation use. Students study medium-, low-, and high-temperature systems, rack systems, CO2 and hydrocarbon applications, and ice machine operation, cleaning, and performance, while developing systematic methods for electrical and mechanical fault diagnosis.
HVAC106 – Troubleshooting, Start-Up & Installation (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102, HVAC103, HVAC104, HVAC105
- Description: In this course, students focus on code-compliant installation, system start-up, planned maintenance, and structured troubleshooting of residential and light commercial HVACR systems. Instruction covers installation planning, wiring and protection, evacuation and charging, documentation, and customer education, as well as maintenance procedures for common heating and cooling equipment. Students also learn contamination cleanup, basic load calculations, duct design concepts, and test, adjust, and balance (TAB) practices to optimize comfort, efficiency, and compliance.
HVAC107 – Heat Pump Systems (80 Contact Hours / 7.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102, HVAC103, HVAC104, HVAC105, HVAC106
- Description: In this course, students learn the operation, installation, and troubleshooting of electric heating and heat pump systems. Topics include electric furnaces, hydronic electric heating, power and protection sizing, and diagnostic checks on electric heat components. Students then study air-source and water/ground-source heat pumps, controls, efficiency and balance point considerations, start-up procedures, and systematic methods for diagnosing airflow, refrigeration, charge, and defrost-related problems.
HVAC201 – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Externship (220 Contact Hours / 10.0 Quarter Credit Hours)
- Prerequisites: HVAC101, HVAC102, HVAC103, HVAC104, HVAC105, HVAC106, HVAC107, SAS101
- Description: This externship gives students the opportunity to apply their HVAC training in an affiliated professional setting under the supervision of program faculty and the externship coordinator. Externs gain hands-on experience assisting with installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting tasks while developing the professional skills and work habits required in the field. Students may rotate through residential, commercial, or mixed-service environments depending on site availability.
Tuition Information
HVAC Technician
| 1st Term - 2nd Term Charges | |
|---|---|
| Tuition Per Term | $ 7,749.50 |
| Total Program Cost | $ 15,499.00 |
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