The Best HVAC Certification Courses in California

California is one of the states in the United States of America that offers the best HVAC certification courses. This is probably because of the state’s great economy and high demand for experts in the HVAC industry.

Although California tends to enjoy moderate temperatures even during the winter seasons, it still harbors the Death Valley, a place regarded as the hottest place on Earth. 

That is why the residents of California must be kept cool and comfortable at all times so that they wouldn’t jeopardize their health.

This, however, can only be achieved if a large industry filled with experts and professional technicians in HVACR is sustained.  For an individual to become an expert in this field, he or she must undergo rigorous training to ensure that he or she gains all the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to successfully carry out this task.

Best HVAC Schools In California

This is a list of renowned schools in California that offers the best HVAC training.

  • San Diego City College
  • Long Beach City College
  • Mt. San Antonio College
  • Stanford University
  • California Institute of Technology
  • University of California – Los Angeles
  • University of Southern California
  • Laney College
  • Capstone College
  • Brownson Technical School
  • University of California – Berkeley

Top HVAC Certification Courses In California

Undergraduate Certificate In HVAC Technician – Capestone College

A program fashioned to make sure students are supplied with fundamental skills needed to get a good job in the industry, it also serves as an entry-level basis for other programs. 

Students are made to practice in a real-world setting with the same set of tools used in the industries. To finish an HVAC technician program, one would need to spend a complete 900 hours or 36 weeks. The total cost of tuition and other fees is around $14,800.

Capestone college, a renowned college in Los Angeles and the whole of the USA is certified by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training to offer this program. Capstone equips students for getting a license by the State Contractors License Board.

Undergraduate Certificate In HVAC –  University of California – Berkeley

The undergraduate certificate program in HVAC equips students with the basic knowledge and technical principle needed to build new HVAC systems and to upgrade an old system to make them more energy-efficient.

The advisory board of industry and education leaders is in charge of supervising this program. It is authorized by the University of California. This University is in charge of making sure that the curriculum provided is necessary and not outdated.

Graduates of this program are given a certificate of accomplishment by the Golden Gate chapter of ASHRAE. It is a program of 11 units, 4 compulsory courses, and 2 or 3 optional courses. To complete this course, students would have to study for at least three semesters with a total tuition of approximately $4875.

Associate In Science (As) Degree with a Major In Air Conditioning/Refrigeration – Long Beach College

Students who have registered for this program are required to go through with a total of 60 unit courses. Out of these 60 units, 30 units are courses in Air conditioning/Refrigeration Theory and practice and 19 units are courses in general studies. 

It gets students prepared for preliminary positions in refrigeration and air conditioning. HVACR technology for industrial and commercial applications is an inclusive part of this program.

Students who have fully undergone this program can fix and service HVAC systems up to the standards of the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) 

AS In Air Conditioning and Refrigeration – Mt. San Antonio College

The Associate degree program educates students on basic topics like the fundamentals of mechanical engineering and the fundamentals of electrical engineering. 

They are also taught heat loads, advanced mechanical and electrical engineering, mathematics, codes and standards, air properties, and welding. It is a 31.5 unit program, in addition to a general studies unit.

The curriculum is a combination of both theoretical and practical subjects. it gets students ready for various professions in the wide field of Heating, Refrigeration, and air conditioning. 

After graduation, such students can take up jobs as installers, manufacturers, designers, repairers, operators, or even distributors and sellers of HVAC units. 

Certificate In Air Conditioning and Refrigeration – St. San Antonio College

This program readies students for a possible vocation in the HVAC-R industry and also leads to employment in sales, design, distribution, operation, installation, repair, manufacturing, and maintenance of HVAC units. Just like in the above program, a total of 31.5 units is required to complete this program.

BS in Mechanical Engineering – Stanford University

This certificate is obtainable at Stanford University. It is an undergraduate program that trains students on the theoretical and practical aspects of mechanical engineering. Students who have completed this program are embraced with many opportunities and options.

 From elementary work as a mechanical engineer to professional studies in either an engineering field or other disciplines where the basic knowledge of engineering is required.

The department of mechanical engineering conducts a summer Research program for undergraduates. 

It involves student research training, this research can be conducted individually or in teams. Students who are admitted into the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) are usually paid a particular amount of money to cover on-campus housing.

MS in Mechanical Engineering – Stanford University

Stanford University also awards an MS in Mechanical engineering. To complete this course, 45 units is required. 

Dissertations are not required from students but they are allowed to be part of a research project in their Master’s year. A student can record up to 6 units of his research towards this degree.

Undergraduate certificate in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) – Orange Coast College

This program lasts for a whole 48 weeks. It is centered on Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration, and ventilation. 

Students who have undergone this program are prepared for job opportunities as HVAC engineers where they can work as manufactures, installers, designers, operators,  or even as distributors and marketers of HVACR units.

It is a 30- credit -hour course that involves both theory and practice. The cost of this program is $1401 for in-state schooling and $11,151 for out-of-state schooling. The cost of books and other supplies is $2,686.

Certificate of Achievement in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning – Orange Coast College

Not so different from the above program, a certificate of achievement in HVAC also readies students for positions like installers, estimators, mechanical engineers, inspectors, and other HVACR technicians in the industry. 

They undergo rigorous training, both practical and theory to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for servicing and maintaining refrigeration and air conditioning systems both in our homes and place of work.

With this program, students are better prepared for more advanced programs in the manufacture and installation of automatic systems.

BS in Mechanical Engineering – California Institute of Technology

This program is approved by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. When the first year comes to an end, every student who applied for mechanical engineering would have an adviser designated to him or her. 

This adviser must be somebody very close to their field of interest and together, they would work out the programs of study for the remaining years. 

Students who have completed this program are automatically certified to use the skills, techniques, and contemporary engineering equipment necessary for the practice. Having completed this BS program at the California Institute of Technology, it would be easier to become a Registered Professional Engineer in the field of HVAC installation and related services. 

MS in Mechanical Engineering – California Institute of Technology

MS in Mechanical Engineering also offered at California Institute of Technology is a small program, it is highly restrictive and based mainly on research. 

Candidates who intend to undertake a Ph.D. degree are more likely to be granted admission into this program.

Most graduates of Mechanical Engineering are paid for living expenses. The financial support they receive could be a teaching assistantship, a research assistantship, or a fellowship. In a few cases, a student may combine any of these three.

AAS in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Environmental Control Technology – San Diego City College

Completing an Associate in Science degree program requires at least 60 units. A graduate of this program can conveniently analyze and fix HVAC malfunctioning equipment with HVAC spare parts. T

This program offers students the opportunity to venture into career opportunities like air- conditioning refrigeration contractors, refrigeration services, and service management.

Certificate of Performance: Air Conditioning and Solar Energy

This program trains students in the area of mechanical technology and equips them with both the skill and knowledge they need for the internalization of solar energy technology and other standard technology. To complete this course, a minimum of 16 units is required.

Certificate of Performance: Basic Refrigeration And Control Systems

This is an 11-unit program that equips students with the appropriate information, knowledge, and skill required to enable them to install, maintain, and repair commercial and domestic systems.

Certificate Of Achievement In Air-conditioning, Refrigeration, And Environmental Control Technology

The primary aim of this program is to help students acquire the skill and knowledge required to precisely and automatically control an air-conditioning system efficiently with minimum operational cost. This program is a 33-unit program

BS in Mechanical Engineering – University of California-Berkeley

This program for undergraduates presents students with vast knowledge and experiences including an in-depth foundation based on science and engineering. 

A graduate of this program can go on to further studies or become gainfully employed in the national laboratories, the industry, the academia, or the state and federal agencies. 

This BS program in Mechanical Engineering is approved by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The  University of California, Berkeley is found towards the bay area of San Francisco, not far from the exciting wonders of Silicon Valley. Many research programs conducted by the University of California are paid for by the National Science Foundations, the government agencies, or sometimes by International high-tech companies.

MS in Mechanical Engineering – University of California-Berkeley

This program requires a 24-semester unit to finish, it can be done jointly with a Ph.D. program and can also be done alone for people who do not want to pursue a Ph.D. program. 

This program focuses mainly on how the principles of natural sciences are related to the examination and resolution of problems in engineering. Students are made to undergo advanced courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and other life sciences. Normally it takes 3 semesters or one and a half years to complete this course.

Mechanical Engineering BS – University of California-Los Angeles

This program is intended to supply elementary knowledge in basic subjects relevant to all Mechanical engineers such as mechanical design, heat transfer, mechanical Dynamics and control, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, materials, and manufacturing.

The University of California – Los Angeles is one of the leading universities in the USA when it comes to programs on mechanical engineering. They carefully and thoroughly prepare students for a successful career life in mechanical engineering and a strong base for further studies.

Graduates can work not only in HVAC, but also in cryogenics, vacuum technology, and solar thermal energy.

Mechanical Engineering MS – University of California-Los Angeles

Students who wish to enroll in this program are given two choices, it’s either they go for the comprehensive examination plan or they go for the thesis plan. 

To be certified as an MS graduate in mechanical engineering, a minimum of 9 courses which should sum up to 36 units are required. At UCLA, programs participated in before you are being awarded a bachelor’s degree is not recognized towards a graduate degree.

HVAC  Certification Courses In  California: The Expert Salary Range 

In California, an HVAC technician earns about $14.80 to $42.28 per hour, $24.76 being the average. Salary could range from $30,790 to $87,940 , an average of $51,500. 

Every HVAC engineer in California earns double the country’s national median salary although the cost of living in this state is more expensive than in the other states of the USA.

Conclusion

In California, the HVAC industry keeps increasing with good pay too. And that is why, every year, more and more candidates seek admission for the best HVAC certification courses. 

This certificate would allow them to work as an HVAC technician, earning a sizable income. 

Other than a bachelor’s degree, a  four-year industry experience which could be three years of vocational training and one year of experience qualifies you as a licensed contractor. To enroll for a Bachelor’s or a Master’s program, look out for HVAC schools near me to determine which of them would meet your specifications.

Relation: Best HVAC Installation Companies In California

Related: Residential Solar Installation Guide For New Homeowners

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