Des Moines Area Community College
Let Truck Driving Schools Info Connect You With a Quality Diesel Mechanic School Near You!
The schools in our network hold one or more of the following quality standards:
- Hands-On Training
- ASE Certified Instructors
- Nationally Recognized Accreditation
- Job Placement Assistance for Those Who Qualify
Just click the orange "Find Your School!" button below and request information from the schools near you. Hurry! Classes are filling up fast!
Diesel Technology
The Diesel Technology program at Des Moines Area Community College is an AED Foundation accredited program that provides students with the skills and training needed to properly test, repair, and maintain diesel engines, power trains, and components of trucks and heavy construction equipment.
Students receive both classroom instruction and hands-on training in applied physics, diesel engines, power trains, hydraulics, brakes, basic electricity, air conditioning, diesel electronics, diesel fuel systems, heavy equipment repair, truck repair, operation and maintenance, welding for automotive mechanics, and other topics.
Students also have the opportunity to train on Kenworth, Navistar, and Century Class semi-trucks with Detroit Engine, Cummins, and Caterpillar engines.
The Diesel Technology A.A.S. Degree Program
The Diesel Technology Associate Degree program consists of the following classes:
- Diesel Engines I
- Diesel Engines II
- Power Trains I
- Hydraulics and Brakes
- Basic Electricity
- Air Conditioning
- Operation & Maintenance
- Diesel Electronics
- Power Trains II
- Diesel Fuel Systems
- Heavy Equipment Repair
- Welding for Automotive Mechanic
- Advanced Electricity
- Truck Repair
Students are also required to take The College Experience, Applied Math or Finite Math or Trigonometry, Human Relations in Business or Introduction to Psychology or Human and Work Relations or Introduction to Sociology, Survey of Physics or Technical Physics, and either Composition I or Communication Skills in order to fulfill the 81 credit hour requirements of the Associate of Applied Science Degree program. Students must finish each class and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, the equivalent of a “C” grade, in order to graduate.
The Diesel Technology Diploma Program
The curriculum of the Diesel Technology Diploma program is made up of the following courses:
- Diesel Engines I
- Diesel Engines II
- Power Trains I
- Hydraulics and Brakes
- Basic Electricity
- Air Conditioning
- Operation & Maintenance
Students are also required to take The College Experience, Applied Math or Finite Math or Trigonometry, Human Relations in Business or Introduction to Psychology or Human and Work Relations or Introduction to Sociology, and either Composition I or Communication Skills in order to fulfill the 47 credit requirements of the Diploma program. In order to graduate, students must complete every course and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, the equivalent of a “C” grade.
The Diesel Maintenance Certificate Program
The Diesel Maintenance Certificate program contains of the following classes:
- Basic Electricity
- Air Conditioning
- Operation & Maintenance
- Hydraulics and Brakes
- Diesel Engine Tune-Up
Students are required to complete every class and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, the equivalent of a “C” grade, in order to graduate.
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the Diesel Technology program at Des Moines Area Community College will not only have the skills, education, and training needed to service and repair diesel systems and diesel equipment, but will be qualified to secure and hold an entry-level position as a qualified diesel mechanic in the diesel truck and heavy construction equipment industry.
As the diesel industry continues to grow rapidly, job opportunities for qualified diesel mechanics is expected to increase 11% by the year 2020, as fast as average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The mean annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists working in the United States in 2014 was $45,160, while the mean salary for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists employed in the state of Iowa was $39,410 yearly and $18.95 hourly, just 13% lower than the national average.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree, One-Year Diploma, and Undergraduate Certificate
Des Moines Area Community College offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science Degree in Diesel Technology. Des Moines Area Community College also offers a one-year Diesel Technology Diploma as well as an 8-month Undergraduate Certificate in Diesel Maintenance. All three programs are Pell Grant eligible. Certain students may qualify to receive the Kibbie Grant or the Iowa Grant to help supplement the cost of their education.