Career Opportunities and Work Life

Skills You'll Need

Salary Ranges

The Classroom Experience

Certificate & Degree Options

The Classroom Experience - Industrial Maintenance Technology

Industrial Maintenance Technology program coursework covers:

• hydraulics
• pneumatics
• electrical
• welding
• machine tool
• drafting
• programmable logic controllers

You will be required to take numerous courses in varying disciplines.

• Machine tool courses teach the skills to adjust and make parts. These skills, when applied on the job, will allow for in-house adjustments to get machinery operating at maximum efficiency.
• Drafting courses teach you how to interpret and work from prints and machine diagrams.
• Electronic courses introduce you to DC/AC electricity, circuit construction and the characteristics of components.
• Manufacturing courses introduce you to programmable logic control and its hardware component. These courses often have opportunities for tours of local manufacturing firms.

Welding is also offered. Four welding processes are introduced - Oxy-Acetylene, Shielded Arc, MIG and TIG. Half of a semester is spent on each process. Students will be able to work on their own machine, so there is no waiting in lab. A grade will be given on all lab work.

"The hands-on courses are usually the most popular courses. Students like that they are in the labs working on and seeing a project. I feel that these courses are very valuable in that they get students to apply all the concepts they have read about and studied," says Flowers.

Grades are determined by performance on lab work, exams, readings and assigned questions.

Technology in the Classroom
Automation Studio, a schematic design software package, is available in the lab at M-TEC. This industry-standard software allows students to conceptually build and see the inner workings of circuits and parts, giving the students a deeper understanding of maintenance procedures.

A variety of technologies are used in conjunction with traditional lecture and hands-on activities. PowerPoint presentations, the Internet and materials available on Blackboard - the College's instructional Intranet - play an important role in class.

Getting the Most from the Program
"For those students who are still in high school, I recommend taking math classes like algebra, geometry and calculus so you are equipped with a solid mathematical background," states Flowers.

Once a student, you can make sure you are on track by keeping in touch with your advisor and, if necessary, your plan can be revised to adjust for any circumstances that may change you available time to complete the program.