Electronics Technology Certificate

Prevent and solve electrical woes

Fix old and new technology

Train to be an electronics technician at College of Lake County! This certificate prepares you to work with both analog and digital electronics. After completion, you’re able to install, troubleshoot and repair any problems.

What can you do with a certificate in Electronics Technology?

The certificate in Electronics Technology prepares you work in electrical engineering, electronic information technology or related fields.

See what students love about the electrical engineering technology program at CLC. Picture yourself here:

Watch video on YouTube

Highlights

Financial Aid/Scholarships Available

Based on need and/or achievement. Explore ways to pay for college.
Career Certificate

Earn a career certificate in 1 year or less to refine your skills into an in-demand career.
Program Length: 1.5 Years

Full-time students can complete in 1.5 years.
WIOA Program

Eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-awarded vouchers.

Career Outlook

Repair, maintain, or install computers, word processing systems, automated teller machines, and electronic office machines, such as duplicating and fax machines.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $36,461
  
  Median
  
  $47,904
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $80,285
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $17.52
  
  Median
  
  $23.03
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $38.59
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  28.15%
  
  Certificate
  
  31.04%
  
  Some college
  
  7.47%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  32.97%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  0.38%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent evaluation and use by engineering staff in making engineering design decisions.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $50,610
  
  Median
  
  $79,311
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $105,903
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $24.32
  
  Median
  
  $38.13
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $50.91
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  12.47%
  
  Certificate
  
  24.44%
  
  Some college
  
  8.64%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  42.76%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  8.14%
  
  Doctorate
  
  3.54%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Repair, test, adjust, or install electronic equipment, such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $39,917
  
  Median
  
  $61,977
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $112,540
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $19.19
  
  Median
  
  $29.79
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $54.10
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  22.02%
  
  Certificate
  
  32.27%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  45.71%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Operate, test, maintain, or adjust unmanned, automated, servomechanical, or electromechanical equipment. May operate unmanned submarines, aircraft, or other equipment to observe or record visual information at sites such as oil rigs, crop fields, buildings, or for similar infrastructure, deep ocean exploration, or hazardous waste removal. May assist engineers in testing and designing robotics equipment.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $62,022
  
  Median
  
  $78,238
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $100,337
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $29.82
  
  Median
  
  $37.61
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $48.24
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  10.83%
  
  Certificate
  
  31.72%
  
  Some college
  
  7.33%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  29.83%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  10.97%
  
  Master's Degree
  
  5.59%
  
  Doctorate
  
  3.72%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $50,532
  
  Median
  
  $76,094
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $103,689
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $24.29
  
  Median
  
  $36.58
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $49.85
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  21.64%
  
  Certificate
  
  1.25%
  
  Some college
  
  36.92%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  25.54%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  14.65%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $49,424
  
  Median
  
  $73,484
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $98,763
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $23.75
  
  Median
  
  $35.32
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $47.47
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  39.09%
  
  Certificate
  
  47.22%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  13.7%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.
- Salary Levels
  
  Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $36,642
  
  Median
  
  $58,198
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $84,760
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
  
  Entry-Level
  
  $17.61
  
  Median
  
  $27.98
  
  Senior-Level
  
  $40.75
  
  Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Top entry-level education
  
  Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
  
  High school diploma or less
  
  26.02%
  
  Certificate
  
  62.97%
  
  Some college
  
  6.62%
  
  Associate Degree
  
  2.85%
  
  Bachelor's Degree
  
  0.35%
  
  Master's Degree
  
  1.17%
  
  Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).

View more careers

Need help?

Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) helps you

complete the admission process
choose an academic program
enroll in first-semester classes
get access to helpful resources

Talk to a CCN

Recommended Pathway

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. View degree requirements in the college catalog.

View program in catalog

Icon Key

Credit for prior learning available
Dual credit options available
Global citizenship
Online/Virtual options available

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
CLC 120	CLC 120 College Success Seminar Class Description This course is designed to teach students attitudes and skills valuable for college success. Topics may include: growth mindset, self-advocacy skills, college resources, college culture, financial literacy, and academic success strategies, such as study skills, time management, and goal setting. Throughout this course, students will develop skills necessary for promoting positive human relations in a diverse society.	2
EET 170	EET 170 DC Circuit Fundamentals Class Description Topics include definition of voltage, current, resistance, conductance, and power. Also includes Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws as applied to series, parallel and series-parallel circuits. Calculation of power dissipation, use of voltage and current dividers, recognition and use of Wheatstone Bridge circuits.	2
EET 115	EET 115 Electronic Laboratory Techniques Class Description An introduction to electronic measurement techniques, the identification and testing of electronic components, and Ohm's law and power law. Lab safety concepts, proper use of basic laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, DMM, power supplies, frequency counter and signal generators are introduced. Additional topics include: soldering and desoldering of components, breadboarding, how to keep a lab notebook and schematic reading. The student will be expected to pursue and complete a laboratory project of his/her choice with the instructor's approval.	2
EET 174	EET 174 AC Fundamentals Class Description Introduction to AC circuit fundamentals. Study of circuitry consisting of AC sources, resistors, inductors, capacitors and transformers. Course material covers, reactance, impedance, vectors, current and voltage phase relationships, apparent and reactive power, complex notation. Q, resonance and filters are discussed.	2
MTH 117	MTH 117 Technical Mathematics I Class Description This course covers college mathematics for students majoring in technology. It includes algebra, geometry and trigonometry. NOTE: A specific graphing calculator is required for this course. Contact the EMPS division office for details.	3

Course Highlights
Course Code	CLC 120
Course Title	CLC 120 College Success Seminar Class Description This course is designed to teach students attitudes and skills valuable for college success. Topics may include: growth mindset, self-advocacy skills, college resources, college culture, financial literacy, and academic success strategies, such as study skills, time management, and goal setting. Throughout this course, students will develop skills necessary for promoting positive human relations in a diverse society.
Credits	2

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 170
Course Title	EET 170 DC Circuit Fundamentals Class Description Topics include definition of voltage, current, resistance, conductance, and power. Also includes Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws as applied to series, parallel and series-parallel circuits. Calculation of power dissipation, use of voltage and current dividers, recognition and use of Wheatstone Bridge circuits.
Credits	2

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 115
Course Title	EET 115 Electronic Laboratory Techniques Class Description An introduction to electronic measurement techniques, the identification and testing of electronic components, and Ohm's law and power law. Lab safety concepts, proper use of basic laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, DMM, power supplies, frequency counter and signal generators are introduced. Additional topics include: soldering and desoldering of components, breadboarding, how to keep a lab notebook and schematic reading. The student will be expected to pursue and complete a laboratory project of his/her choice with the instructor's approval.
Credits	2

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 174
Course Title	EET 174 AC Fundamentals Class Description Introduction to AC circuit fundamentals. Study of circuitry consisting of AC sources, resistors, inductors, capacitors and transformers. Course material covers, reactance, impedance, vectors, current and voltage phase relationships, apparent and reactive power, complex notation. Q, resonance and filters are discussed.
Credits	2

Course Highlights
Course Code	MTH 117
Course Title	MTH 117 Technical Mathematics I Class Description This course covers college mathematics for students majoring in technology. It includes algebra, geometry and trigonometry. NOTE: A specific graphing calculator is required for this course. Contact the EMPS division office for details.
Credits	3

Course options: Students can also choose MTH 122 or MTH 144 instead of MTH 117.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EET 151	EET 151 PC Hardware and Networking Fundamentals Class Description This course will cover the basic components of a PC, including motherboards, memory, disk drives, cases and power supplies. Computers will be disassembled, reassembled and configured to operate.NOTE: Recommended preparation CIT 120 and concurrent enrollment in EET 170 or equivalent knowledge.	3
EET 223	EET 223 Introduction to Digital Electronics Class Description (Formerly EET 213) This course covers principles of operation, performance, and design of digital circuits and digital instrumentation. Number systems including binary; Boolean algebra and the application to digital logic; combinational and sequential circuits; digital logic application to electronic instrumentation; basic Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and lab work with CMOS & FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) will be covered.	4
ENG 120	ENG 120 Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition Class Description Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition is an introductory college level writing course for anyone interested in learning how to develop their professional writing skills for real world applications. Students will learn how to plan, draft, compose, and revise a variety of technical and professional documents common to the workplace. Writing clearly and succinctly for a defined target audience will be emphasized, as well as developing skills in document design and multimodal composition. Projects are based on practical situations within the student’s area of study.	3
EWE 120	EWE 120 Job Readiness Skills Class Description This course focuses on job readiness skills to prepare students to apply for an internship/job, improve in a current internship/job, or successfully work towards a promotion. Topics covered include networking, resume writing, interviewing, social media tools, self-awareness, conflict resolution and time management.	1

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 151
Course Title	EET 151 PC Hardware and Networking Fundamentals Class Description This course will cover the basic components of a PC, including motherboards, memory, disk drives, cases and power supplies. Computers will be disassembled, reassembled and configured to operate.NOTE: Recommended preparation CIT 120 and concurrent enrollment in EET 170 or equivalent knowledge.
Credits	3

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 223
Course Title	EET 223 Introduction to Digital Electronics Class Description (Formerly EET 213) This course covers principles of operation, performance, and design of digital circuits and digital instrumentation. Number systems including binary; Boolean algebra and the application to digital logic; combinational and sequential circuits; digital logic application to electronic instrumentation; basic Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and lab work with CMOS & FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) will be covered.
Credits	4

Course Highlights
Course Code	ENG 120
Course Title	ENG 120 Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition Class Description Introduction to Professional & Technical Composition is an introductory college level writing course for anyone interested in learning how to develop their professional writing skills for real world applications. Students will learn how to plan, draft, compose, and revise a variety of technical and professional documents common to the workplace. Writing clearly and succinctly for a defined target audience will be emphasized, as well as developing skills in document design and multimodal composition. Projects are based on practical situations within the student’s area of study.
Credits	3

Course Highlights
Course Code	EWE 120
Course Title	EWE 120 Job Readiness Skills Class Description This course focuses on job readiness skills to prepare students to apply for an internship/job, improve in a current internship/job, or successfully work towards a promotion. Topics covered include networking, resume writing, interviewing, social media tools, self-awareness, conflict resolution and time management.
Credits	1

Course options: Students can also choose ENG 121 instead of ENG 120.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits	Course Highlights
EET 113	EET 113 Solid State Electronics Class Description This course is an introduction to semiconductor devices and their applications. Operating principles and characteristics of diodes, transistors, JFETS, MOSFETs and thyristors are discussed. Transistor models using the h and r parameters are covered. Various transistor configurations and biasing techniques are studied. Device functionality and applications are discussed and range from power supplies, voltage regulators, small signal/power amplifiers, amplifier response analysis (Bode Plot) to operational amplifiers.	4
EET 176	EET 176 Circuit Analysis and Network Theorems Class Description This course introduces students to DC and AC analysis with network theorems, including Thevenin's Theorem, Norton's Theorem, Max Power Transfer Theorem, mesh analysis, nodal analysis, branch analysis, superposition and other analysis techniques. Passive filter operation will be covered including series and parallel resonance, the use of Bode plots and an introduction to transfer functions.	4

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 113
Course Title	EET 113 Solid State Electronics Class Description This course is an introduction to semiconductor devices and their applications. Operating principles and characteristics of diodes, transistors, JFETS, MOSFETs and thyristors are discussed. Transistor models using the h and r parameters are covered. Various transistor configurations and biasing techniques are studied. Device functionality and applications are discussed and range from power supplies, voltage regulators, small signal/power amplifiers, amplifier response analysis (Bode Plot) to operational amplifiers.
Credits	4

Course Highlights
Course Code	EET 176
Course Title	EET 176 Circuit Analysis and Network Theorems Class Description This course introduces students to DC and AC analysis with network theorems, including Thevenin's Theorem, Norton's Theorem, Max Power Transfer Theorem, mesh analysis, nodal analysis, branch analysis, superposition and other analysis techniques. Passive filter operation will be covered including series and parallel resonance, the use of Bode plots and an introduction to transfer functions.
Credits	4

Course options: Students can choose other EET courses instead of EET 113 and EET 176.

Total Credit Hours

30

*Cost is estimated based on recommended pathway credit hours. This includes in-district tuition and other fees, such as books and materials before financial aid is applied, as well as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.

Electrical Technology at CLC

Get the bigger picture

This certificate is just one possible way to study Electronical Engineering Technology. Get the bigger picture—degrees, credentials and extra options.

View the Electrical Technology program overview

Frequently asked questions

Through this program, you learn how to:
- repair digital and analog electronics
- test electronic circuits
- work with microprocessors
You also learn how to use bench-test equipment, including:
- DC power supplies
- multimeters
- function generators
- oscilloscopes
You learn in a lecture-lab format. We spend time in lectures discussing the subject material, and then you immediately follow through with a hands-on lab.
No. You learn everything you need to know through our hands-on environment.
No. We do not offer online classes because all hands-on labs must be in person. Keep your degree on track with classes that meet face-to-face, providing you with opportunities to interact in person with faculty and peers.

Take the next step...

Be debt-free at CLC

CLC has some of the lowest tuition around. Financial aid and scholarships are available—even for working adults.

Paying for college

Request info

Your education is a big investment of your time, money and attention. Gather all the info you need.

Send me info

Visit us

Get a feel for life on campus when you register for a tour. We'd love to show you around. Oh, and bring family and friends along for the fun, if you want!

Take a tour

Get started

Start your application today—it’s free and easy to complete. When you’re ready, we’re ready to help you take the next step.

Start today!

Prevent and solve electrical woes

Fix old and new technology

What can you do with a certificate in Electronics Technology?

Highlights

Financial Aid/Scholarships Available

Career Certificate

Program Length: 1.5 Years

WIOA Program

Career Outlook

Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Industrial Machinery Mechanics

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

Salary Levels

Top entry-level education

Need help?

Recommended Pathway

Icon Key

Semester 1 11 Credits

Semester 2 11 Credits

Semester 3 8 Credits

Total Credit Hours

Electrical Technology at CLC

Get the bigger picture

Frequently asked questions

What will I learn?

How will I learn?

Do I need to know anything about electrical engineering?

Can I take my classes online?

Take the next step...

Be debt-free at CLC

Request info

Visit us

Get started