Western Dakota Technical College

Accounting

The Accounting Program will prepare students for entry-level positions in accounting-related employment opportunities by providing them with technical and social skills. Because accountants and bookkeepers are an organization’s financial record-keepers and assistants to management, graduation from this two-year program with an AAS degree can lead to a number of good-paying employment opportunities. Students will learn the principles of accounting and the concepts behind the principles.

Advanced Emergency Medical Technician

The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certificate student will experience over four hundred hours of training that entails didactic experience and a vigorous and stringent clinical program that will produce a pre-hospital caregiver that will meet the demands of society.

Agricultural Business

This two-semester Certificate degree program will prepare students who plan to run family farms and ranches, and those who wish to enter industries that support agriculture, including equipment sales and others. This program includes classroom theory and hands-on experience that allow students to practice what they learn in the classroom. Students will visit farm and ranch operations and support businesses to apply what they learn.

Agricultural Business

This four-semester Associate of Applied Science degree program will prepare students who plan to run family farms and ranches, and those who wish to enter industries that support agriculture, including equipment sales and others. This program includes classroom theory and hands-on experience that allows students to practice what they learn in the classroom. Students will visit farm and ranch operations and support businesses to apply what they learn.

Allied Health

The Allied Health Associate of Applied Science degree provides students with an enhancement of health care and general education competencies and may allow for future educational and workplace advancement.

Architectural and Engineering Technology

The Architectural and Engineering Technology program at WDTC equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to work side-by-side with Architects and Engineers as they develop solutions for the Manufacturing and Construction industries. Graduates of the program become experts in the full range of software and design concepts needed to succeed as an Architectural or Engineering Technician.

Architectural and Engineering Technology - Architectural

The Architectural and Engineering Technology program at WDTC equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to produce accurate technical drawings using industry-standard design software. Graduates of this certificate receive training in only the technical architectural courses. It is designed for students who already have a related degree but wish to specialize in architectural design.

Architectural and Engineering Technology - Mechanical

The Architectural and Engineering Technology program at WDTC equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to produce accurate technical drawings using industry-standard design software. Graduates of this certificate receive training in only the technical mechanical courses. It is designed for students who already have a related degree but wish to specialize in mechanical design.

Automotive Technology

The Automotive Technology program will provide education in most types of vehicles.

Bookkeeping

The Bookkeeping program will provide students with technical understanding and skills development by integrating theory with practical experience. Through the program, students will develop skills in accounting principles, finance, payroll accounting, QuickBooks, and more. Students will learn how to complete the typical duties of someone working in the bookkeeping field.

Business - Business and Technology

The Business and Technology program exposes students to key business disciplines with an innovative technology focus. Disciplines include industry-leading creative software, social media marketing, accounting, and entrepreneurship. This degree is available 100% online or with a combination of on campus and online classes.

Business - Entrepreneurship

An Entrepreneurship Certificate will prepare students who want to start and operate a successful business. Students will prepare a comprehensive business plan while also learning technical and professional skills through a variety of courses including accounting, project management, supervisory management, and small business entrepreneurship.

Business - Hospitality

The Hospitality program will provide students with technical understanding and skills development in the hospitality field by integrating theory with practical experience. Through the program, students will develop skills in hospitality management principles, finance, and more. Students will learn about varying duties of someone working in the hospitality field and will complete a minimum of 240 internship hours.

Business - Office Professional

An Office Professional Diploma will prepare students for a career as an office manager or an executive assistant. Students will learn technical and professional skills through a variety of courses including written and oral communications, customer service, professional development, and project management. Students will also obtain computer skills with the latest software.

Business - Social Media Marketing

A certificate in Social Media Marketing will prepare students for this specialized field to meet the needs of businesses who want to reach customers where they are by utilizing the most current social media platforms.

Computer Science - Information Technology Specialist

The Computer Science - Information Technology Specialist diploma program at WDTC is a focused and intensive program designed to provide students with the essential skills needed to jumpstart their careers in the field of information technology (IT). This program prioritizes hands-on experience in real-world networking and cybersecurity environments, ensuring students' immediate readiness for entry-level IT positions.

Computer Science - Information Technology Specialist

The Computer Science - Information Technology Specialist program at WDTC offers an in-depth curriculum that spans 18 months, providing students with a comprehensive education in the field of information technology (IT). This program balances theory and practical application, ensuring that graduates are not only well-prepared for their initial IT roles but also primed for continued growth within the industry.

Construction Technology

The Construction Technology program will prepare students who plan to enter the growing construction field. This program will include classroom theory, hands-on experience, and internship experiences that allow students to practice what they learn in the classroom. The program will prepare students for a challenging field that is full of opportunities.

Criminal Justice

As the population grows, so does the need for trained workers in a variety of criminal justice fields. This program will graduate skilled technicians who are able to bring value to the criminal justice field in multiple ways because they will have a broad understanding of the criminal justice system and will be skilled to fill a variety of roles. This program has been designed to be broad in nature and to include coursework in a wide variety of criminal justice topics.

Diesel Technology

The Diesel Technology program will provide education in most types of land transportation, vehicles, and construction equipment to include trucks, tractors, construction equipment, and mining equipment. Students will be competent in the service and repair of diesel engines, hydraulic systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, manual and automatic transmissions, brake systems, and steering and suspension systems.

Electrical Trades

This program provides in-depth instruction in the theories and principles of electricity and electrical construction. Strong math skills are a requirement. Principles of operation for electrical devices/equipment and correct/safe operation of tools are covered. A typical job description for an electrician may include typically working 40 hours per week. However, some jobs may require working evenings or weekends.

Electrical Trades - Autonomous Equipment Technician

The Electrical Trades – Autonomous Equipment Technician certificate program provides in-depth instruction in the skills required to install, commission, and maintain electrical and mechanical systems. The Autonomous Equipment Technician will bridge the gap between basic mechanical systems and advanced IT systems. Principles of electricity, networking, welding, and mechanical skills will provide a foundation for various autonomous systems.

Environmental Engineering Technician

The Environmental Engineering Technician program is designed to prepare students for work in an exciting and growing field. As our population grows, society puts an ever-increasing demand on our natural resources. Program graduates primarily work outdoors in the field, collecting information used to assess how increased demand affects the quality and quantity of our nation’s natural resources.

Environmental Engineering Technician - CEA

The Environmental Engineering Technician – Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) program is designed to prepare students for work in the exciting and growing field of controlled environment agriculture. Successful completion of this Associate of Applied Science Degree prepares students to become greenhouse professionals with skills that can be applied to home, farm, or commercial scale operations.

Health Information Management

The primary objective of the Health Information Management program is to prepare students with the necessary skills to work in the medical field maintaining a patient’s health information. Students in both the diploma option and the degree option will take coursework in anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, medical office software, records management, electronic health records, and billing/reimbursement.

Health Information Management - Coding Specialty

The primary objective of the Health Information Management program is to prepare students with the necessary skills to work in the medical field, maintaining a patient’s health information. Students in both the diploma option and the degree option will take coursework in anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, medical office software, records management, electronic health records, and billing/reimbursement.

HVAC/Refrigeration Technology

The Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program prepares students with the necessary skills to be successful in the career field. Students will take coursework in theory, HVAC electrical applications, installation practices, low, medium, and high temperature commercial refrigeration and other technical skills. The HVAC graduate will be able to work on residential heating, air conditioning, heat pump, low, medium, and high temperature commercial refrigeration systems.

Law Enforcement Technology

The mission of the Law Enforcement Technology program is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment as entry-level law enforcement officers. This is not a strictly academic program. It has an extensive hands-on component to it. A law enforcement officer is an official representative of the government who is entrusted with a wide variety of duties.

Machining and Engineering Technology

This program equips graduates with a comprehensive skill set in machining, engineering technology, and computer-aided design, preparing them to meet the evolving needs of industry. Graduates will gain practical experience and technical expertise that enable them to contribute across multiple areas of manufacturing, design, and engineering processes.

Meat Processing

This 3-semester Diploma program will prepare students who desire a career in the meat processing field. Students will learn essential skills in proper meat processing and understanding the importance of food safety. This program includes classroom theory and hands-on experience that allows students to practice what they learn in the classroom. Students will visit local meat processing facilities and complete a 240-hour internship.

Meat Processing

This 5-semester Associate of Applied Science program will prepare students who desire a career in the meat processing field. In this degree program, students will learn enhanced essential skills in proper meat processing, gain an understanding of the importance of food safety, and will be introduced to accounting, management, and marketing skills. This program includes classroom theory and hands-on experience that allows students to practice what they learn in the classroom.

Medical Assisting

The Medical Assisting program prepares students for a variety of careers in the medical profession. A Medical Assistant is a professional, multi-skilled person who assists in all aspects of medical care and is primarily employed in a medical office setting. Medical Assistants help physicians with patient care management. They also execute administrative and clinical procedures and perform managerial functions.

Medical Laboratory Assistant - Phlebotomy

The Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA)-Phlebotomy program prepares students for employment as entry-level Medical Laboratory Assistants and/or phlebotomy technicians. This program prepares students for entry-level positions as Certified Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) and/or Phlebotomist by providing comprehensive training in specimen collection, processing, and basic laboratory testing.

Medical Laboratory Technician

The goal of the Medical Laboratory Technician Program at Western Dakota Technical College is to educate and train students with a wide range of academic and clinical skills in order to gain employment as competent, entry-level Medical Laboratory Technicians. Students graduating from the MLT Program at WDTC will possess psychomotor, cognitive, and affective skills necessary to sustain professional employment in a variety of clinical settings.

Paramedic

The Paramedic certificate at Western Dakota Technical College is available to participants that are currently certified and/or licensed as Emergency Medical Technicians at the state or national level. The Paramedic certificate student will experience over one thousand hours of training that entails didactic experience and a vigorous and stringent clinical program that will produce a pre-hospital caregiver that will meet the demands of society.

Paramedic

Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary people to take the first step to lead others to safety. The Paramedic program at Western Dakota Technical College produces this caliber of individual.

Plumbing Technology

The Plumbing Technology program prepares students to begin a career in plumbing. Coursework provides technical understanding and skills development and integrates theory with practical experience. Through the program, students develop skills in piping techniques and procedures, plumbing and piping systems, residential and commercial system installations, blueprint reading, and isometric interpretation.

Practical Nursing

The mission of the Practical Nursing program is to provide graduates with the knowledge, skills, attitude, and integrity to provide safe, prudent, and patient-centered care necessary to prepare them to successfully complete the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN) and become employed as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Precision Machining Technology

Graduates will be trained to set up and operate a wide range of machine tools, including both conventional and computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Students will develop expertise in producing precision metal parts and custom tools. Machinists trained in this program will be capable of performing machining operations in high-volume production runs as well as producing unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Professional Truck Driving

The Professional Truck Driving program teaches the knowledge and skills to prepare students for driving over-the-road Class A tractor/trailer combination vehicles and consists of theory and behind-the-wheel instruction. Topics covered include basic vehicle operation, safe operating procedures, vehicle systems, vehicle inspection, backing, and vehicle controls.

Radiologic Technology

Students in radiographic technology acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to utilize radiation in disease diagnosis under the supervision of a physician. This program integrates academic learning with practical instruction, laboratory work, and over 900 hours of supervised clinical training to equip students for careers as radiologic technologists.

Registered Dental Assisting

The Registered Dental Assistant is a vital and respected member of the dental healthcare team. Graduates of this diploma program will be highly trained professionals equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide quality dental care, support efficient practice operations, and pursue registration as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) in the state of South Dakota.

Registered Nursing

This degree will provide a 1 + 1 bridge track for graduates of an LPN program who hold a current LPN license. This program is designed for students with a goal of advancing their nursing career which includes opportunities in hospital, long-term care, clinic, assisted living, and other settings. This program will allow individuals to expand on the technical and communication skills obtained through their LPN licensure.

Surgical Technology

The mission of the Surgical Technology program is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dedication necessary to become successful, valuable, and effective surgical technologists in the communities they serve. Graduates of accredited surgical technology programs complete a comprehensive education in which they receive in-depth knowledge related to the operating room. This includes completion of a surgical rotation during a clinical experience.

Technical Studies

The Technical Studies curriculum will differ for each student. Individualized plans of study will be developed to meet the student’s career goals and be approved by the Registrar at WDTC. The exact mix of courses will vary from student to student, as long as the minimum credit hour requirements are met, and the courses counted toward the degree assist the student in meeting his or her career goal.

Welding and Fabrication

The Welding and Fabrication program prepares students for the growing number of career opportunities in the welding field. The combination of classroom theory, hands-on welding skills training, and practical application in labs allows students to attain skills for entry-level employment.

Welding and Fabrication

The Welding and Fabrication program prepares students for the growing number of career opportunities in the welding field. The combination of classroom theory, hands-on welding skills training, and practical application in labs allows students to attain skills for entry-level employment.