HVAC

The field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning—HVAC—is the science and practice of controlling indoor climate, thereby providing health and comfortable interior conditions for occupants in a well-designed, energy-efficient, and low-emissions manner. This certificate program is a professional curriculum in HVAC. The curriculum provides you with a coherent approach to acquiring in-depth technical understanding of the principles and applications you need to design new HVAC systems and to retrofit existing systems to meet energy conservation standards.

The courses are designed for people who plan, design, install, and operate HVAC systems for buildings. Design engineers, plant managers, designers, contractors, and architects should benefit professionally.

Program Requirements

This program consists of four required courses and 90 hours of electives (usually three courses), for a total of 14 semester units (210 hours of instruction).

On successful completion of four required courses (120 hours) plus 90 hours of electives (usually three courses), UC Berkeley Extension will award a Certificate in HVAC. On successful completion of four required courses, the Golden Gate Chapter of the American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) awards a Certificate of Accomplishment. Contact the Business and Management department in writing on completion of all coursework to receive your certificates.

Required Courses

These courses are required for all candidates:

HVAC System Load Calculations and Psychrometry [Mechanical Engineering X469]

HVAC Ductwork and Piping Systems [Mechanical Engineering X470] (offered spring term)

HVAC System Design Considerations [Mechanical Engineering X472]

HVAC Control and Energy Management Systems [Mechanical Engineering X473] (offered spring term)

Elective Courses

Ninety hours of electives (usually three courses) are required.

Hands-on Building Commissioning for LEED

IAQ, HVAC, and Green Building [Mechanical Engineering X410] (offered spring term)

Facilities Management: Systems and Technology [Architecture X412.3] (offered future term)

The Building Envelope [Architecture X413.3] (offered future term)

Implementing LEED 2009 Strategies [Civ. and Env. Engineering X496]

To Begin the Program

You may begin the program by enrolling in one or more of the HVAC courses offered this term.

Prerequisites for Admission

There are no prerequisites for the Certificate in HVAC, but a bachelor's degree is recommended.

Registration Procedure

Courses start throughout the year. You may begin the certificate in any term. We recommend that you register for the certificate program before you begin your third course in the program. To register, please (1) complete and submit the Program Registration Form or (2) print out and complete the form at www.unex.berkeley.edu/cert/certproginfo.html. Mail or fax it as it indicates, and include the nonrefundable registration fee. Certificate registration cannot be taken by phone.

Requirements may be updated based on new developments in the field of study; we recommend completing the program in a timely fashion.

Completion Requirements

You are expected to complete the course requirements for the certificate within five years of taking the first course. You must notify us in writing when you have received the final grade report for your last course. After verifying successful completion of all coursework and requirements, Extension awards your certificate.

Grading Policy

All courses must be taken for a letter grade. A grade point average of 2.5 is required in order to earn the certificate, and each course must be completed with a grade of C or better. If you maintain a 3.5 grade point average or higher you will be awarded a Certificate with Distinction.

Substitutions, Waivers and Transfer Credit

Students may request to substitute a course requirement in the program with another credit course that is equivalent in content and credit semester hours/units. A substituted course must be another credit course either at UC Berkeley Extension or it can be transfered from another regionally accredited academic institution.

Waivers: Students who possess a license or credential in a particular subject area or professional field may request to have a course requirement waived. When a course is waived, the semester units/hours of the waived course must be made up taking another course within the personal financial planning program or an approved elective. Requests for waivers and the substituted course must be approved in advance by the program director and department director.

Transfer Credit: Transfer credit will only be accepted if (1) all coursework was completed prior to the student beginning the program at UC Berkeley Extension, (2) all coursework does not exceed one-fourth of the total number of semester units/hours of the program, (3) the student has obtained a "B" or better grade in all coursework, (4) all coursework was completed at a regionally accredited university or college, and (5) all coursework was completed within five years of beginning the program at UC Berkeley Extension. Accepted transfer credit within the UC system will be calculated into the GPA. Accepted transfer credit from institutions outside of the UC system will not be calculated into the GPA. After a student has started the program at UC Berkeley Extension, no transfer credit will be allowed into the program, and the student must complete the remainder of the program requirements at UC Berkeley Extension.

Further Information

Please call (510) 642-4151 or write to:
HVAC Certificate Program
UC Berkeley Extension
1995 University Avenue
Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94704-7000

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