Energy Technology Degree

Description

The Energy Technology Program is designed to provide training and education in technical and professional skills to enable individuals to work in the energy industry. An Associate in Science in Energy Technology is offered by this Program, as well as an Energy Technology Instrumentation Certificate. Technicians with the education and training can provide support and assistance to engineers, geologists, and operations staff in a variety of career and job types. Skills attained will be transferable to other related professions such as manufacturing, food processing, renewable/alternative energy fields, and others.

Link for details of the locally approved Energy Technology Instrumentation Certificate.

Earnings Potential

An associate degree in energy technology offers you the salary potential of $48,193 two years after graduation from Taft College, based on studies of graduates by California Community Colleges. This does not reflect salaries with a four-year degree.1

Careers options and annual median wages, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, include engineering technologist and engineering technician at $68,290; geological technician at $50,080; and industrial engineering technologist and technician at $60,220.2

1 California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Salary Surfer. 2021. https://salarysurfer.cccco.edu. Accessed 19 April 2023.

2 “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Sept. 2022. www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Program Requirements

To earn an Associate in Science in Energy Technology, students must complete: (1) all course requirements with a minimum grade of “C” in each course; and (2) complete General Education Graduation Requirements with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better.

See the degree requirements in the Taft College Catalog. This links to an external website. Plan to return to the Taft College website.

Any course listed below may be used as a substitute for any Energy Technology major program requirement of equal or less unit value listed in current and prior catalogs. Substantial program changes have been submitted to the state for approval to include the most relevant courses and pre-existing courses have been inactivated or will not be made readily available for students to complete.

ENER 1530 Electricity and Electronics; ENER 1540 Fundamentals of Programmable Logic Controller; ENER 1610 Mechanical Systems; ENER 1620 Fundamentals of Instrumentation; ENER 1503 Environmental Awareness & Regulatory Compliance. (Refer to Office of Instruction Memo 12/01/2017.) 

Program Learning Outcomes

After completing the Energy Technology Program, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze and take immediate action to communicate with competent authority any major problems or safety-related issues in an energy-related operation or facility through a variety of methods and communication venues.
  2. Solve problems as an individual or as part of a team and take corrective action in an energy-related operation or facility, using their skills in data analysis, reading gauges, and/or observing various other plant performance indicators.
  3. Take part in and/or manage teams that can analyze plant performance, externalities that can affect plant performance, and environmental issues, in order to implement proper procedures that will improve upon the capability of an energy-related operation or facility.
  4. Clearly demonstrate understanding of regulations and laws governing an energy-related operation or facility, and also apply ethical and other industry-wide acceptable standards that will accentuate professional behaviors.
  5. Show through a variety of methods their understanding of scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical competencies required to perform assigned requirements safely and efficiently in an energy-related operation or facility.

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