Overview
The utilities industry is one of the most technologically intensive segments of today’s economy. The utility worker who is well-rounded with knowledge of different types of utilities and skills will find success in many areas. Mitchell Tech is addressing this industry need by combining the curricula of existing programs to offer an AAS degree in Utilities Technology.
COMBINATION DEGREE
Students who complete a combination of any two programs:
- Power Line Construction and Maintenance
- Heating & Cooling Technology
- Drone Aviation & Geospatial Technologies
Will be awarded an AAS degree. Graduates of this program will find many employment opportunities with utility providers.
Students are expected to conform to Mitchell Tech’s Drug Testing Policy while enrolled in the Commercial Driving course. See the MTC Catalog and Student Handbook for details. Any student who enrolls in Commercial Driver training must obtain a South Dakota driver’s license to complete the CDL training course. A Class A CDL is a graduation requirement for this program. See the Course Description for TRAN 100 for a full explanation.
Please Note: Students planning to obtain an AAS degree in Utilities Technology MUST complete the CDL requirement during their first year of enrollment.
Curriculum
Award: AAS Degree
Semesters
0
Semester 1
HV101 > Electrical Fundamentals3 credits
HV111 > Heating Fundamentals3 credits
HV121 > Air Condition Refrigeration Fund2 credits
HV151 > Air Condition Heat Refrig Lab I4 credits
CPR100 > First Aid, CPR and AED0.5 credits
OSHA101 > OSHA 10 Construction1 credit
SSS100 > Student Success1 credit
> Communications Elective3 credits
Total Semester Hours17.5 credits
Semester 2
HV122 > Sheet Metal Tech Lab3 credits
HV132 > Heating Refrigeration Theory4 credits
HV142 > HV Controls Heat Pumps3 credits
HV152 > Air Conditioning Heating Ref Lab II4 credits
> Math Elective3 credits
Total Semester Hours17 credits
Semester 3
PAT100 > Intro to GPS Technologies1 credit
PL111 > Fundamentals of DC/AC2 credits
PL141 > Power Grid Design2 credits
PL150 > Field Training I2.5 credits
PL151 > Construction of Underground Lines2.5 credits
PL181 > Field Safety I1 credit
TRAN100 > Industrial Transportation CDL1 credit
PL152 > Construction of Overhead Lines2.5 credits
PL157 > Overhead Distribution2.5 credits
Total Semester Hours17 credits
Semester 4
PL120 > Transformers Connections2 credits
PL143 > Power Grid Design II2 credits
PL154 > Maintenance of Underground Lines2.5 credits
PL156 > Field Training II2.5 credits
PL182 > Field Safety II1 credit
PL155 > Maintenance of Overhead Lines2.5 credits
PL158 > Overhead Distribution II2.5 credits
> General Education Elective3 credits
> General Education Elective3 credits
> General Education Elective3 credits
Total Semester Hours24 credits
Requirements
CDL Requirements
Students are expected to conform to Rules for Programs with Required Drug and Alcohol Testing while enrolled in this program. See the MTC Catalog and Student Handbook for details. Any student who enrolls in Commercial Driver training must obtain a South Dakota driver’s license in order to complete the CDL training course. A Class A CDL is a graduation requirement for this program. See the Course Description for TRAN 100 for a full explanation. Students planning to obtain an AAS degree in Utilities Technology MUST complete the CDL requirement during their first year of enrollment.
Admission Requirements
MTI recommends that applicants to this program obtain a physical examination for their safety and protection. Applicants to this program need to be able to perform physical activities that require considerable use of arms and legs and moving the whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping and handling of heavy materials.
Computer Requirements
Students enrolling in UT-HCT or UT-GPS will need an MTC-issued laptop computer. Those enrolling in UT-PL or UT-NG may provide their own laptop computer as long as it meets these minimum specifications:
Processor – Intel Core i Series (i3, i5, i7) or AMD Ryzen
Operating System – Windows 10
Webcam Recommended
Memory – 4 GB or more
Internal Storage – 64 GB or more
Microsoft Office is available at no charge as long as enrolled at MTC.
NO APPLE/MAC COMPUTERS
Outcomes
- High demand, high skill, high wage occupation
- Nearly half of the utilities workforce will be nearing retirement age within the next 10 years, resulting in excellent opportunities for qualified entrants
- Persons with advanced technical education will have the best employment opportunities
Cost
Please Note: Costs (approximately $9,000-$11,000 in tuition and fees annually) for this program are factored according to individual educational plans. Students will receive final costs at the time of course registration each semester.
Scholarships
$500
Lisa Jolliff Memorial Scholarship
- 1 Available
- Kelly Sterk and Tammy Hanson
In memory of Lisa Marie Jolliff, her family is honored to establish the Lisa Jolliff Memorial Scholarship for a student attending Mitchell Technical College.
Lisa was a caring, giving, loyal, reliable, genuine, and hardworking person. She believed in doing things the right way, keeping her word, helping others, and giving her best in everything she did. She was someone people could count on, and her kindness and genuine concern for others left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know her.
Lisa was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and dedicated member of her community. Her family wanted to find a meaningful way to honor her life and the qualities she represented. Through this scholarship, we hope to continue the spirit of giving that was such an important part of who Lisa was.
The Lisa Marie Jolliff Memorial Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a Mitchell Technical College student who demonstrates dedication, perseverance, a strong work ethic, and a desire to build a successful future through education.
Our family hopes this scholarship will be more than financial assistance. We hope it will be a way for Lisa’s qualities and values to continue to live on.
She was caring. She was giving. She was loyal. She was reliable. She was genuine. She was hardworking.
These are the qualities we remember and cherish, and they are the qualities we hope this scholarship will honor.
By helping a student pursue an education and work toward a future career, we can carry a little piece of Lisa’s legacy forward and allow her spirit of caring and giving to continue touching the lives of others.
In loving memory of Lisa Marie Jolliff— a life that made a difference, and a legacy that will continue.
The Family of Lisa Marie Jolliff
Must be enrolled full-time in an on-campus program.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
Preference is given to students with limited funding opportunities and/or social supports.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
Preference is given to students with limited funding opportunities and/or social supports.
Must be enrolled full-time in an on-campus program.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
Preference is given to students with limited funding opportunities and/or social supports.
$2500
Jack & Donna Steele Family Scholarship
- 1 Available
- Jack & Donna Steele Family
Must be enrolled fulltime in a Mitchell Technical College program with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
Must be enrolled fulltime in a Mitchell Technical College program with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Must complete the online MTC Foundation scholarship application.
$500
Graves Family Scholarship
- 1 Available
- Dr. Joe Graves
Dr. Joe Graves is the Secretary of Education for the South Dakota Department of Education. As an advocate of technical education, and as a supporter of Mitchell Technical College, he and his family are pleased to offer Mitchell High School students the opportunity to receive a scholarship to assist in their educational journey.
First-year student from the Mitchell Area High School with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
$1000
Otter Tail Power Company
- 8 Available
- Otter Tail Power Company Foundation
Must be enrolled full time in the Powerline Construction & Maintenance, Electrical Construction & Substation or Wind Turbine Technology program
Must maintain a GPA 2.0 or higher
Must complete the MTC Foundation Online scholarship application
Must be from an Otter Tail Power Company Service Area
$750
SD Municipal Electric Association Energy Production & Transmission Scholarship
- 1 Available
- SD Municipal Electric Association
The South Dakota Municipal Electric Association (SDMEA) consists of 35 member municipalities dedicated to providing reliable electricity to approximately 100,000 residents across South Dakota. The association works collaboratively to ensure efficient, community-focused electric service and advocates for the interests of municipal utilities within the state.
This scholarship was created by the SDMEA to support workforce development within the electric utility industry. Its primary goal is to encourage students with an interest in the power industry to continue their educational pursuits and to remain connected with their hometown municipal electric utility. The scholarship aims to strengthen local communities and ensure a skilled, engaged workforce for the future.
Powerline Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Utilities Technology
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Utilities Technology
Must be a resident of one of the SD Municipal Electric Association’s 35 member communities, enrolled in an electric related program, and have minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
$1000
East River Electric Power Co-op Scholarship
- 1 Available
- East River Power Cooperative
East River Electric Cooperative has been providing scholarship funds to Mitchell Tech since 2003. This scholarship is provided annually for a student in the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program. The scholarship will be awarded in fall semester and applied to the recipient’s account for the Spring semester.
Electrical Utilities Substation student
Electrical Utilities Substation student
$500
Central Electric Cooperative Scholarship
- 2 Available
- Central Electric Cooperative
Electrical Utilities & Substation
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Heating & Cooling
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Heating & Cooling
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Applicant must be a full-time student in the Electrical Utilities & Substation, Power Line Construction & Maintenance, Electrical Construction & Maintenance, Heating & Cooling, Agricultural Business or Agronomy program at Mitchell Technical College
Applicant must maintain a 2.5 GPA
Student must be a member or dependent of a member of Central Electric Cooperative based in Mitchell, SD
Applicant must complete the MTC Online application to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
Student must provide member name on account and Central Electric will verify membership status before recipient is announced
$1000
South Dakota Assoc. of Cooperatives Scholarship
- 1 Available
The scholarship was established in 2013.
Accounting
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Animal Science
Business Management
Diesel Power – Ag Power Technology
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Wi-Fi & Broadband Technologies
Wind Turbine Technology
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Animal Science
Business Management
Diesel Power – Ag Power Technology
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Wi-Fi & Broadband Technologies
Wind Turbine Technology
Applicant must be an accepted full-time student enrolled at MTC in one of the programs mentioned
Applicant must complete the MTC scholarship application during the open application period as instructed to be eligible for this scholarship
First priority will be given to students with ties to a SDAC member cooperative
Essay responses will be a large part of the recipient decision
$1000
Mike Blasius Memorial Scholarship
- 1 Available
- Mike Blasius Family
Raymond “Mike” Blasius owned and operated Blasius Construction in Kimball, SD for nearly 50 years before his death in March 2022. Mike held his crew to the highest expectation of work ethic and attendance and was known for his quick and witty sense of humor. This scholarship will be awarded to a current Mitchell Tech student in a Construction and Manufacturing Technologies program who exhibits excellent attendance and work ethic. Preference is given to students from Mike’s hometown of Kimball, SD and the surrounding area.
Architectural Design and Building Construction
Construction & Manufacturing Technologies
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Construction Maintenance SCADA Option
Heating & Cooling Technology
Machining and Manufacturing
Progressive Welding Technology
Construction & Manufacturing Technologies
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Construction Maintenance SCADA Option
Heating & Cooling Technology
Machining and Manufacturing
Progressive Welding Technology
Must be a current full time student enrolled in an Construction & Manufacturing program
Applicant must have excellent attendance
Preference is given to students from Mike’s hometown of Kimball, SD and the surrounding area
Applicant must complete the MTC Online application to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
$1000
Elite Electricians Of Tomorrow
- 4 Available
- Elite Electric
Elite Electric established this endowment in 2016.
Luke 12:48 references: “For everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked”. This verse has lain heavy on the heart of the Wells family during the years of Elite Electric’s success in the electrical trade. Through hard-work and perseverance, God has greatly blessed Elite Electric. It is with this in mind, and through much prayer, that this endowment was created.
This endowment represents a desire to help lay a strong foundation in the lives of the young electricians of the future. Elite Electric is pleased and honored to be a part of the journey. They pray, that Mitchell Tech Electrical Construction & Maintenance students will also be blessed and that they can, on some level, be a part of the student’s success story.
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Applicant must be a first year full time student enrolled in the Electrical Construction & Maintenance program
Applicant must complete the MTC Online application during the open application period to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
$500
Dennis Knouse Memorial Scholarship
- 1 Available
The fund was established in 2013 by family, friends and co-workers of Dennis Knouse. Knouse was a 1979 Electrical Construction and Maintenance graduate from Huron, SD who died in a motorcycle accident in 2010. Funds for the scholarships are provided by a Poker Run held each summer. The scholarship will be awarded in January each year and applied to the recipient’s account the following Fall semester.
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Applicant must be currently enrolled as a first year full-time student in the Electrical Construction & Maintenance, Power Line or Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology at MTC
Applicant must complete the MTC current student online application during the open application period as instructed to be eligible for this scholarship
The scholarship will be awarded in January to Power Line or EUST recipients and applied to their account for the second semester or to an ECM recipient and applied to their account the following Fall semester.
Applicant must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above
Financial need and indication of strong desire to make a career in the field required
$1000
Jeffrey L. And Trudiann Nelson Rural Electric Endowment
- 1 Available
The Jeffrey L. and Trudiann Nelson Rural Electric Endowment was established in December of 2013 in celebration of Jeff’s retirement from East River Electric. Several of Jeff’s counterparts in the industry, East River Electric, and Jeff’s family came together to complete the endowment on behalf of Jeff and his wife Trudiann in honor of Jeff’s commitment to Mitchell Tech and the industry he served. Nelson has offered his support of Mitchell Tech through his involvement in Mitchell Tech’s Strategic Advisory Committee, program Advisory boards and most recently as a member of Mitchell Tech’s Foundation Board.
Automation Controls/SCADA
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Wi-Fi & Broadband Technologies
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Wi-Fi & Broadband Technologies
Applicant must be an accepted full-time student enrolled in the Power Line Construction & Maintenance, Electrical Utilities & Substation, Automation Controls/SCADA, and Wi-Fi Broadband Technologies/Telecommunications programs
Applicants must complete the MTC Incoming student online application during the open application period to be eligible for this scholarship
