Diesel Power Technology, A.A.S.

• Career Readiness: Keep your options open. Whether you dream of working for a large trucking company, or working on Off Road equipment or Heavy Equipment, or starting your own small diesel technician business, you’ll have the skills to do it. Small business management is a key piece of our curriculum and many alumni have successfully started their own operations. 
• Growing Industry: Master skills that will be in demand for years to come. The country’s economy depends upon a vast transportation network powered by diesel technology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, diesel technician jobs will grow at a healthy pace over the current decade.  
• Hands-On Learning: Learn by doing. Half of your time will be spent in the shop where you’ll put into practice what you’re learning and master the technical skills you’ll use on the job.   
• On-the-Job Experience: You’ll graduate with a résumé attractive to potential employers thanks to a 400-hour internship built into the program. 

What You’ll Learn

In Vermont State’s diesel technology degree program, you’ll acquire a thorough knowledge of diesel technology along with related systems found in heavy trucks, agricultural equipment, and earth-moving machines. Both classroom and laboratory experience will play an important role in your learning.  

Areas covered in the curriculum include: 

• Steering, suspension systems, and alignment 
• Preventative maintenance 
• Diesel engine design, diagnostics, and repair 
• Heavy-duty braking systems 
• Electric systems and components 
• Diesel fuel systems 
• Hydraulics 
• Engine performance 
• The analysis and diagnosis of system failures. 

You’ll supplement your core courses with two electives that align with your career goals, selecting from Small Business Management, Advanced Technology Vehicle, and Manufacturing Processes I. 

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

You’ll hone your skills for diesel technician jobs and build confidence for the workplace through a 10-week paid summer internship. Many students are offered jobs at this same employer after graduation.  

An internship allows you to apply your classroom and shop-based education to the real world. You’ll work on machinery, interact with customers, and gain exposure to the business side of service and maintenance work. Together with your coursework, this experience will give you a solid foundation for future success in all aspects of the diesel technology profession.  

Special Facilities

Catamount Center: Our facility will give you plenty of room to build your skills and prepare you for the workplace. The spacious center includes lab areas and numerous bays for hands-on practice with everything you’re learning from engines to hydraulics to suspension systems.