Heating and Air Conditioning Diploma

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Heating/AC (HVAC)
Heating and Air Conditioning Diploma

Master Heating, Cooling, and More

You master everything from electric controls to troubleshooting furnace and air conditioning units. 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 Diploma at a Glance

Award

Diploma

Length of Study

1 year

Course Format

Hybrid

Classes Meet

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

Certification Options

100%

EPA 608 Technician Pass Rate

Tuition for Eligible Students

Program Overview

Semester 1

Applied Electricity for HVACR
Applied Electricity II
Applied Math or
Math for Liberal Arts or

College Algebra or

Precalculus or

Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry or

Statistics or

Calculus I
Introduction to HVACR
Residential Heating Systems

Semester 2

Alternative Heating and Cooling Systems
Employability Skills or
Communications
Hydronic Heating Systems
Principles of Air Conditioning
Refrigeration

Semester 3 — Summer

Applied Practices
HVAC App Controls with Automated Systems
Internship — Air Conditioning

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

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.

In the HVAC lab, you’ll practice on the same equipment you’ll see in the field. We have top brands like Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Heil, WaterFurnace (geothermal), and Modine.

You’ll work hands-on with air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, air exchangers, boilers, and even propane systems. It’s a great way to build confidence and get real experience before starting your career.

Take what you learn and put it to work in the real world. You'll complete 192 hours of field experience that gives you a real taste of the HVAC industry.

A highlight of the program is our partnership with the Sustainable Construction & Design program. You'll help install ductwork and the full HVAC system in the net-zero home built by their students. It's hands-on work that connects directly to your future career.

You'll also practice career skills. Each spring, local contractors host interviews and often hire students for internships or summer jobs. It a great chance to meet employers and show your skills.

You can earn national certifications in EPA Section 608 Universal Refrigerant and A2L Refrigerants.

You will also complete the HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Gas Service Heating and OSHA-10 Safety certification.

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.

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

" 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

Meet Your Instructor: James Konrardy

"HVAC is a great career for anyone. I love training students and sharing my 30+ years of experience."

HVAC Lab: Hands-on Learning

You’ll spend about 90% of your class time in our HVAC lab, getting hands-on with air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, propane systems, and more. Come check it out for yourself—schedule a campus tour today!

Schedule a Campus Tour

How to Get Started

It’s simple! Complete these steps:

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

Program Admission Requirements

To enroll in 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.