Program: Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) (5604) (C.C.) - Florida State College at Jacksonville

Career Certificate (Clock Hour program)

Mission/Purpose

The Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program prepares students for a rewarding career in the all-encompassing HVAC/R industry. Instruction consists of academic as well as laboratory and hands-on training designed to prepare the student to meet numerous industry standards and for practical certifications. Upon successful completion, students will be qualified for a position as an entry-level air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating technology technician. The Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program provides optimal access to high quality, affordable, and relevant degree, career, and community education in a mechanical field that will enhance the lives of our students and the economic development of Northeast Florida.

The Program

Maintaining proper air quality and a comfortable temperature inside every office, industrial building, home, and school is a necessity. Ensuring food, medicine, and other perishables are safely refrigerated and controlled is also imperative. Those are just two of the reasons why the need for trained technicians who know how to install, repair, or service air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration systems is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through this decade. Earning this certificate can be the starting point of a very satisfying career, which pays higher than average hourly wages.

A minimum grade of C or higher must be achieved in all professional coursework.

The Career

In this program, you’ll have the opportunity to network with major contractors while you’re still in school. We also refer you for internships and job interviews. Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Building Construction program has a long-standing relationship with this region’s major industry organizations, such as Woods Engineering, ShayCore Enterprises, Superior Construction, Stellar Group, Dickey Smith & Company, Miatt Construction, Accubuild Construction, Haskell, Gilbane, Barton and Malow, and Auld & White.

Members of the Northeast Florida Builders Association serve on our Construction Management Advisory Council and on advisory committees for all trades, as well as provide internships and fund annual scholarships. The advisory committees provide leadership, support, and guidance for the program and support such educational activities as constructing residential projects from design to move in.

Application Procedure

The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a major criterion in a student’s completion of the program. In order to earn the Career Certificate, students must achieve or surpass the designated exit score(s) on the TABE or qualify for a TABE waiver. Visit fscj.edu/assessment/available-assessments/tabe/tabe-certificate for program exit scores or bit.ly/TABEwaiver for the TABE waiver form. Students with prior coursework, test scores or licensing may qualify for a TABE waiver and can visit or contact any College Assessment and Certification Center to have the waiver processed and added to their individual student record. College Assessment and Certification locations and information can be found at fscj.edu/assessment. For students who do not meet the required TABE scores and need assistance in order to meet the exit requirement(s), the College offers remediation through the Applied Academics for Adult Education (8525) (N.C.) program. Remediation consists of tutoring, referral to online resources and/or completion of the following coursework in Reading, Mathematics and Language:

Students interested in this program should be advised by the instructor or Program Manager before enrolling in coursework.

Need More Information? Contact:

Career Education, (904) 633-8295 or trades@fscj.edu.

Applied Academics for Adult Education (AAE)

Students who have satisfactory test scores are not required to take the following courses:

AAE 0001A - Comprehensive Skills in Reading, Mathematics and Language (Face-to-Face) Contact Hours: 32

or
AAE 0001N - Comprehensive Skills in Reading, Mathematics and Language (Online) Contact Hours: 32

Curriculum

Professional Coursework

A minimum grade of C or higher is required in all Professional coursework.

Total Contact Hours: 1,350

Graduation Requirements

In order to be awarded a career certificate, students must have met the following requirements.

Fulfill all academic requirements for the chosen program of study as outlined in the Florida State College at Jacksonville catalog and curriculum.
Earn the required number of clock hours for the chosen program of study with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale on all courses that apply to the chosen program of study.
Complete a minimum of 25 percent of the total clock hours required for a certificate’s program requirements as a student at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Fulfill all obligations, financial or otherwise, to the College before graduating.
Earn a TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) score that meets or exceeds the program’s exit requirement, if applicable, or meet the criteria to earn a TABE waiver.

Note: Students are cautioned to pay particular attention to the following statements.

A student’s graduation date will be the date of the end of the College term in which the student has fulfilled all academic requirements. (The removal of an incomplete grade does not affect students’ graduation dates, since the grade change is effective at the end of the term in which the incomplete grade was assigned rather than the term in which the incomplete work was made up.)
Students who enter under the (2022/2023) catalog will be assigned to the degree or certificate requirements in effect during the 2022/2023 academic year. The student’s assigned catalog year will remain in effect as long as the student maintains continuous enrollment. Changes to requirements as mandated by law or by rule of the District Board of Trustees may supersede this provision.
Many courses in this catalog have prerequisite requirements and/or corequisite courses listed in the course descriptions. Students are advised to be guided by these requirements.