Heating and Air Conditioning Diploma

Master Heating, Cooling, and More

You master everything from electric controls to troubleshooting. Learn how to install and repair all kinds of heating and cooling systems, making you a pro in no time!

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Heating and Air Conditioning at a Glance

Degree
Diploma
Length of Study
1 Year
Course Format
Face-to-Face
Classes Meets
Daytime
Program Start
Fall

See all HVAC options at Hawkeye

Your HVAC Career

HVAC professionals install and repair heating, cooling, and ventilation systems in homes and buildings. They keep spaces comfortable by making sure the temperature and air quality are just right. It’s a hands-on job with good pay and lots of opportunities for growth.

Graduates often work for dealers, distributors, and commercial businesses as HVAC service technicians and installers.

This is a partial list of employers who have hired Heating and Air Conditioning graduates:

  • Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Waterloo, IA
  • Bergen Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling, Inc., Waterloo, IA
  • Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Fireplaces, Inc., Cedar Falls, IA
  • Mike Fereday Heating & Air Conditioning, Waterloo, IA
  • Independence Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling, Independence, IA
  • Jim Hundley Heating, Air Conditioning, & Plumbing, Janesville, IA
  • Plumb Tech, Inc., Waterloo, IA
  • Young Plumbing & Heating Co., Waterloo, IA
$150B

U.S. Industry

5

Certification Options

100%

EPA 608 Technician Pass Rate

$0

Tuition for Eligible Students

Program Overview

Competency-Based Education (CBE) is a way of learning where you move through your courses by demonstrating that you’ve mastered the skills or knowledge required, instead of just spending a certain amount of time in class.

The focus is on achieving specific competencies—things you need to know or be able to do to succeed in your field.

You can move at your own pace, progressing when you’ve shown you understand the material. This gives you the flexibility to speed through topics you already know and spend more time on areas you need to work on.

All assignments, including lectures, readings, and quizzes, are completed online. Labs are scheduled and completed in person.

You apply what you learn in class right away using the latest equipment in the campus HVAC lab. Train on a variety of air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, air exchangers, boilers, LP (Propane) equipment, and more.

Gain 192 hours of real-world work experience, ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.

You can earn national certification in EPA Section 608 Universal Refrigerant and the 410A High-Pressure Refrigerant.

You can also complete HVAC Excellence Employment Ready certifications for Air Conditioning, Electrical, and Gas Heat.

This program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship and will pay up to 100% of your tuition.

You must apply for, be awarded, and meet the ongoing eligibility requirements for the Last-Dollar Scholarship.

Graduates of the program will finish the first three levels of the four-level HVAC apprenticeship. After completing the fourth level and four years of work experience, you'll be ready to take the journeyperson test and get your journeyperson license.

" I would recommend Hawkeye any day of the week. It’s a small campus compared to a major university. You know the instructors, and the instructors know your name. "
  • Shadrach Banks
  • Heating and Air Conditioning '21

How to Get Started

It’s simple! Complete these steps:

  1. Apply for admission at Hawkeye.
  2. Send official transcripts to Admissions.
  3. Demonstrate college readiness.

Check the status of your application at any time by logging into your admissions account.

Program Admission Requirements

To enroll this program, you’ll need to meet the minimum score requirements.

  ALEKS ACCUPLACER Next Generation ACCUPLACER Classic COMPASS ACT GPA
Math 6 240 Arithmetic
241 Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS)
40 Arithmetic 24 Pre-Algebra 14 2.00

You can take the ALEKS Placement Assessment online. If you prefer, you can take the ACCUPLACER Next Generation or ACT at Hawkeye. While ACCUPLACER Classic and COMPASS aren’t offered anymore, you can still use your scores from those tests if you took them before for program admission.

If you don’t meet the minimum score requirements, you can take success courses instead. Talk to your academic advisor to help you find the right courses to get started.

If you meet the assessment score requirements, you can be accepted into the program.

If you don't meet these requirements, you’ll be accepted into a Pre-Program. As a pre-program student, you’ll start by taking general education and prerequisite classes. Your academic advisor will help you make a plan to meet the program requirements. After finishing your pre-program courses, contact Admissions to let them know.

Program Contacts

Admissions

Main Campus
Hawkeye Center 134
319-296-4000
Email Admissions

Regular Hours — Spring 2025

Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4:30 PM

Academic Advisor

Natasha Ceaser
Main Campus
Bremer Hall 136C
319-296-4014 ext.1062
Email Natasha Ceaser

Pathway Navigator

Sonja Bock
319-296-4014 ext. 1388
Email Sonja Bock

Faculty Advisor

James Konrardy
Main Campus
Bremer Hall 153
319-296-2329 ext.1205
Email James Konrardy