Power Plant Technology
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Academic Advisor(s): WH-Koon; WT-Koon/Soly; NM-Stokes
Power plant technology is a program designed to prepare individuals for employment as entry level power plant operators. This program is offered in partnership with Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College (KVCTC). KVCTC developed the program in partnership with American Electric Power and offers the technical courses in the program through online instruction, as indicated in the curriculum sequence on the following page. General education and support courses, the internship and the seminar class are taken at Northern and students register for all courses through Northern.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
• Understand operations of a power plant
• Be qualified to start work at a power plant as a junior operator
• Be prepared to successfully complete the Edison Electric Institute POSS and MASS battery of tests
• Be prepared to successfully complete the 3rd Class Stationary
Engineering Exam
Employment opportunities exist in West Virginia and throughout the United States with electric utilities. The Center for Energy Workforce Development estimates that 12,500 power plant operators will be needed nationally within the next five years with nearly 50 percent of all current power plant operators eligible for retirement within the next five years.
First Year - Fall Semester
| Course |
Cr. Hours |
|---|---|
| CIT 117 Microsoft Applications | 3 |
| ENG 101 English Composition I | 3 |
| MATH 102 Technical Mathematics I | 2 |
| MATH 103 Technical Mathematics II | 2 |
| PSYC 155 Human Relations | 3 |
| PPT 101 Power Plant Fundamentals* | 3 |
First Year - Spring Semester
| Course | Cr. Hours |
|---|---|
| ENG 102 English Composition II or ENG 115 Technical Writing or SPCH 105 Fundamentals of Speech Comm. |
3 |
| MATH 104 Technical Mathematics III | 2 |
| PPT 102 Power Plant Water Systems* | 3 |
| PPT 105 Basic DC CIrcuits* | 3 |
| PPT 201 Gas Turbines/Integrated Cycles* | 3 |
First Year - Summer
| Course | Cr. Hours |
|---|---|
| PPT 150 Power Point Internship | 3 |
Second Year - Fall Semester
| Course | Cr. Hours |
|---|---|
| PHYS 115 Applied Physics | 4 |
| PPT 106 Basic AC Circuits* | 3 |
| PPT 107 Electrical Controls* | 3 |
| PPT 204 Power Plant Steam Systems* | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Second Year - Spring Semester
| Course | Cr. Hours |
|---|---|
| ECON 104 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECON 105 Principles of Microeconomics or SS Social Science Core Requirement |
|
| PPT 202 Instrumentation & Control* | 3 |
| PPT 203 Power Plant Electrical Machinery* | 3 |
| PPT 250 Power Plant Seminar | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Total Hours in Program - 64
*Online through KVCTC
