Accredited HVAC Programs in Cleveland, OH
Another option for prospective HVAC professionals is to complete a formal certificate or degree program. Prior to enrolling in a school, it is essential to determine if a school is accredited and by which organization. Accreditation is a process by which an independent agency evaluates the quality of the program, including both the curriculum and the instructors.
Two organizations evaluate and provide accreditation to HVAC programs: HVAC Excellence, which has awarded accreditation to the University of Northwestern Ohio, located in Lima, and the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA), which has accredited eight programs in Ohio.
Here are several accredited HVAC programs in Cleveland and beyond:
Great Oaks Career Campuses
Great Oaks, one of the largest technical and career education districts in the US, has been providing workforce development, economic development, and career development services to businesses, individuals, communities, labor, industry, and other organizations in southwest Ohio since 1970. It offers a program in heating/ventilation & air conditioning that provides students with the knowledge and skills to repair and troubleshoot HVAC equipment. The program prepares students for various certifications such as the NATE Industry Competency Exam (ICE), the U.S. Section 608 EPA Refrigerant Recovery Certification Exam, OSHA 10 Construction, Elevated Work Platform Certification, and many more.
The program is open to students who are 18 years and above. Other than this, students are required to provide a high school diploma and have a workkeys assessment level of four or higher in the following three sections: graphic literacy, workplace documents, and applied math.
This 900-hours program will delve into topics such as concepts of refrigeration, preventive maintenance, concepts of electricity, installing refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, servicing and repairing, proper usage and maintenance of tools, and fabricate and install duct systems, among others. Students in this program will also learn about employability and entrepreneurship skills, soldering and brazing, installing and troubleshooting heating systems, and indoor air quality.
At the end of the program, graduates can pursue opportunities such as service technician, installation technician, maintenance technician, design and manufacturing, sales and distribution, and energy management.
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Accreditation: COE (the Council on Occupational Education) and PAHRA (Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Accreditation).
- Expected Time to Completion: 45 weeks
- Estimated Tuition: $7,695
Polaris Career Center
The Polaris Career Center offers an HVAC/R certificate program through their adult education services. The curriculum is based on the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) core curriculum and is taught through classroom lectures and hands-on training in the lab. Students are prepared to successfully enter the HVAC/R field and learn to install, service, and maintain complex HVAC/R systems in commercial, residential, and light industrial buildings.
Coursework covers job safety procedures, HVAC installation, reading schematics, troubleshooting, ducting, air flow and balancing, HVAC/R equipment and systems, controls, electrical codes, and customer service. Students also learn employability skills.
Graduates are qualified to seek entry-level employment as HVAC technicians. They can take up roles such as furnace A/C installer, HVAC wholesaler, HVAC/R service technician, HVAC/R contractor, and similar positions. They receive NCCER certification and are prepared for industry certification exams that include R-410A Safety Training, EPA Section 608, OSHA 10-hour, apprentice PM tech, and the Industry Competency Exam (ICE) for residential HVAC.
- Location: Middleburg Heights, OH
- Accreditation: Council on Occupational Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 20 weeks
- Estimated Tuition: $9,394
Remington College
Remington (Cleveland, OH campus) offers a heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) diploma program and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning associate degree program. Combining practical training with classroom education, these hybrid programs provide training in HVAC systems, demonstrating hands-on skills that are needed for successfully maintaining and troubleshooting complex HVAC/R systems.
The diploma program consists of 59 academic quarter credit-hours. It includes courses such as career development principles, career development fundamentals, basic refrigeration theory, motors and motor control, basic electricity, introduction to air conditioning and major components, residential heating, fundamentals of HVAC maintenance, and commercial refrigeration systems, among others.
The degree program comprises 95 academic quarter credit-hours. It includes all courses from the diploma, with additional coursework such as small business principles, business applications, recordkeeping and financial statement basics, small business basics, introduction to psychology, college algebra, English composition, and oral communication.
These programs prepare graduates for entry-level positions in the HVAC industry, such as in commercial or industrial heating and cooling, residential, commercial, or industrial refrigeration and freezers, and residential heating and cooling, and introduces them to the basic concepts of starting and/or managing a small business.
After completing the program, graduates have career opportunities at refrigeration equipment installation and repair, contracting companies, commercial and residential HVAC, manufacturers, commercial air conditioning and freight, and residential/light commercial cooling, heating, and refrigeration.
- Location: Cleveland, OH
- Accreditation: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Diploma (12 months); degree (24 months)
- Estimated Tuition: $21,520 per year
Belmont College
Belmont College offers an AAS degree program and a certificate in HVAC technology. These programs prepare students to install, repair, and maintain residential as well as commercial HVAC systems. Upon completion, graduates can take up roles such as maintenance technician, service technician, ventilation, heating, and air conditioning technician, controls technician, furnace equipment installer, and heat pump installer or mechanic.
The HVAC certificate program comprises 35 credit-hours including courses such as AC systems maintenance, basic electricity, heating & cooling fundamentals, power systems & motors, welding fundamentals, forced air systems & sheet metal, and piping and installation fundamentals. All courses in this program are applicable to the AAS degree. Students are also prepared for an on-campus certification test in refrigeration-handling.
The associate in applied science degree consists of 63 to 64 credit-hours. Sample some of the coursework in the curriculum: A/C system maintenance, workplace safety, A/C and heating troubleshooting, refrigeration service and repair, work sequence, hydronics and steam, assignments & clients, and heating and cooling fundamentals.
The AAS program prepares students for a 160-hour internship with a local HVAC contractor, the refrigerant-handling License (EPA), and similar credentials. Graduates can expect to learn how to analyze effective and efficient systems, create schematic diagrams and blueprints, and test, analyze, repair, and troubleshoot components, basic industrial systems, and circuits.
- Location: St. Clairsville, Ohio
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Expected Time to Completion:Certificate (12 months); AAS degree (24 months)
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($169.75 per credit-hour); out-of-state ($274 per credit-hour)
Columbus State Community College
Columbus State Community College offers an associate of applied science degree in HVAC technology preparing students for a wide variety of occupations in the HVAC industry. The program provides them the training that is needed for developing technical proficiency, as well as the ability to work independently.
Comprising 65 credit-hours, the program provides instruction in load calculations, the principles of refrigeration,hand tools & safety, automatic controls, the instrumentation & combustion process, business communications, and piping systems, among other subjects.
Students will learn how to create designs for industrial and commercial piping systems, create manual and computer graphic representations of HVAC projects, test and calculate airflow through system equipment, assist in designing preventative maintenance programs for various HVAC systems, and calculate heat loss and heat gain loads for residential and commercial structures.
Columbus State Community College also offers the following HVAC certificates: controls (13 credit-hours), high-pressure boiler license training program (12 credit-hours), large commercial (20 credit-hours), residential & light commercial (21 credit-hours), and test & balance (15 credit-hours).
- Location: Columbus, OH
- Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission
- Expected Time to Completion: Four semesters
- Estimated Tuition: Residents ($162.93 per credit-hour); non-residents ($333.25 per credit-hour)