Process Technology
Department Overview
The process technology program at the UAF Community & Technical College offers certificates and degrees that prepare students for employment as operations technicians in the process industry, which includes oil and gas production, mining and milling, transportation and refining, chemical manufacturing, power generation, utilities, wastewater treatment facilities maintenance, and food processing.
Process technology graduates will develop the knowledge and skills required to monitor, control, and troubleshoot the process technologies used in process and manufacturing industries. Instrumentation technology graduates will develop specialized knowledge sought after by the industry to fill instrumentation technician positions worldwide. Mining mill operations program completers will receive an MSHA Surface New Miner Certification certificate and be prepared for mill operator positions in the mining industry.
Learn more about the Process Technology programs, including an overview of the program, career opportunities, and more.
A.A.S., Industrial Process Operator
The Industrial Process Operator program prepares students for employment as operations technicians in process industries, which includes oil and gas production, mining and milling, transportation and refining, chemical manufacturing, power generation, utilities, water treatment facilities and food and beverage processing.
This A.A.S. degree program incorporates technical and academic courses covering topics such as pumps and turbines, instrumentation, safety and quality control. Summer internships offered by some industry partners give students valuable practical experience and exposure to the true nature of industrial process operator careers.
Minimum Requirements for Industrial Process Operator A.A.S. Degree: 60 credits
O.E.C., Mining Mill Operations
The occupational endorsement in mining mill operations provides education and training in the skills and knowledge required of a mining mill operator.
Minimum Requirements for Mining Mill Operations Occupational Endorsement: 17 credits
Certificate, Instrumentation Technology
The instrumentation technology program will develop entry-level skills in industrial instrumentation. Courses combine the technical know-how, the use of state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on experience necessary for work in a variety of industrial instrumentation fields.
Students are taught the necessary objectives and skill sets required to take the entry-level Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society certificate examination. This is a nationally recognized certification by industry partners; individuals holding this certification are sought after by industry partners to fill instrumentation technician positions worldwide.
As the process industries expand and automate, the need for qualified technicians increases. This need is currently being addressed by the Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technology Alliance. CTC and the process technology program are active members of this national alliance.
Minimum Requirements for Instrumentation Technology Certificate: 32 credits
Courses
Electronics Technology (ELT)
ELT F101 Basic Electronics: DC Physics
4 Credits
Offered Fall
Basic terms and units. Use of test equipment, hand tools and techniques of soldering. Ohm's law, fundamentals of magnetism, DC circuit analysis, inductance and capacitance in DC circuits.
Prerequisites: Placement in MATH F054 or TTCH F131.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F102 Basic Electronics: AC Physics
4 Credits
Offered Spring
Principles of alternating current, vectors, phase relationships, inductive and capacitive reactance and impedance. AC circuit analysis, series and parallel resonant circuits, transformers and network analysis.
Prerequisites: ELT F101 or MATH F105 (may be taken concurrently).
Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F108 Arithmetic/Dc Circuits
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F109 Arithmetic/Ac Circuits
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F111 FCC Amateur and General Radiotelephone Operator Licensing
1-3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
An introduction to the study of radio frequency transmission and receiving will be taught. Basic AC electronics in the radio frequency ranges will be studied. Some of the circuits studied are oscillators, modulators, mixers, amplifiers and filters. The classes will include a hands-on demonstration as part of the lecture.
Special Notes: Completion of the class will give the student the instruction necessary to complete an Amateur Radio License test and a background for the General Radiotelephone Operator commercial test (GROL).
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 3 credits
ELT F122 Intro/Electronic Devices
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F123 Electronic Circuit Fund
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F171 National Electric Code Study
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Systematic study of the National Electric Code and rules governing minimum requirements for installation of electrical services, feeders and branch circuits, and requirements for construction and installation of electrical equipment.
Prerequisites: ELT F102.
Recommended: MATH F105.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
ELT F246 Electronic Industrial Instrumentation
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Methods of analog electronic signal transmission. Discussion of the details of several pieces of equipment in-depth, providing practice in establishing correct interconnections. Basic concepts used in troubleshooting this type of equipment are also introduced.
Prerequisites: ELT F102.
Recommended: MATH F105.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Mining Applications and Technologies (AMIT)
AMIT F101 Introduction to Mining
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Fundamentals of surface and underground mining, economic planning, proper exploration designs, environmental concerns and safety factors.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
AMIT F129 Surface Mine Safety
1 Credit
Offered As Demand Warrants
Rights of miners, introduction to the work environment, ground control, hazard recognition, first aid and explosive safety. Course fulfills the Mine Safety Health Administration requirements for surface miner training. Students are awarded MSHA certificate upon completion of the class.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
AMIT F130 Surface Mining Operations
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Safe operations of a surface mine. Placer gold, sand and gravel, coal, and open pit metal mines.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
AMIT F135 Introduction to Mining Systems and Equipment
4 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
An overview to the field of mining beneficiation and comminution, systems and equipment used for the mining and mineral processing industry. Fundamentals of basic separation and mineral beneficiation of surface and underground mining, economic planning, environmental concerns, safety and terminology will be explored.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
AMIT F145 Introduction to Mineral Beneficiation
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Provides an overview or introduction into the field of mineral beneficiation and comminution, systems and equipment used for the mineral processing industry. Fundamentals of basic separation and mineral beneficiation, environmental concerns, safety and terminology will be explored.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Process Technology (PRT)
PRT F101 Introduction to Process Technology
3 Credits
Offered Fall, Spring and Summer
Introduction to process operations in industry. Non-mathematical overview of general information, processes, procedures and equipment a process operator would be expected to know and use.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F110 Introduction to Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Overview of the field of safety, health and environment within the process industry. Covers plant hazards, safety, and environmental systems and equipment, and applicable government regulations and industry standards.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F117 Drafting for Technicians
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Skills and techniques needed to produce process piping and instrumentation drawings.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F120 Water Quality Management for Process Industries
4 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Overview of the chemistry, biology, hydraulics and hydrology related to water management in industries. Water distribution systems, water processing, operation of water works, wastewater processing, advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F130 Process Technology I: Equipment
4 Credits
Offered Spring
Selected process equipment including rotating machinery and process units. Emphasis on equipment components, construction, preventative maintenance and safety. Includes hands-on experience.
Prerequisites: PRT F101.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F135 Stationary Equipment
4 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
A detailed hands-on lecture/lab course covering stationary equipment used in a variety of process industries. Piping, valves, vessels, tanks, exchangers, heaters, boilers, mineral processing, mill equipment and distillation equipment are covered.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F140 Industrial Process Instrumentation I
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Physics of pressure, temperature, level and flow measurement; mechanical and electrical aspects of instruments used to control dynamics of processes. Dynamics of automatic control including proportional control, automatic reset, derivative action and integral timing.
Prerequisites: MATH F105.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F144 Industrial Process Instrumentation II
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Continuation of PRT F140. Emphasis on repair, maintenance and calibration, including hands-on physical training on a wide variety of process instruments.
Prerequisites: PRT F140.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F160 Oil and Gas Exploration and Production I
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Surveys oil and gas exploration and production issues including marketing, geology, reservoir economics, legal aspects of resource ownership, drilling and production technologies, product separation, safety and environmental issues. Course may not be audited.
Prerequisites: Must be enrolled in the PRT program or permission of Program Chair.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F230 Process Technology II: Systems
4 Credits
Offered Fall
Integration of equipment concepts to show how the individual components interact as part of a system and how each system works within an entire processing facility. Systems topics include upstream oil and gas production, petrochemicals and refinery processes, refrigeration, power generation, milling, boilers and heaters, coolers and heat exchangers.
Prerequisites: PRT F130.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F231 Process Technology III: Operations
4 Credits
Offered Spring
Duties and responsibilities of the process operator on the job. Includes the details of normal operation, upset conditions, emergency action plans, startups, shutdowns, operating modes, turnarounds and routing maintenance activity.
Prerequisites: PRT F230.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F240 Industrial Process Instrumentation III
3 Credits
Offered Spring
A study of digital and analog industrial measurement and control instrumentation, including continuous analog control loops, relay logic and programmable logic controllers. Emphasis is on commonly used process measurement devices, control methods and strategies, and the proper selection, identification, design, installation and operation of instrumentation.
Prerequisites: PRT F140; PRT F144.
Recommended: MATH F113X or higher.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 2 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F248 Valve Maintenance and Instrumentation
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Covers maintenance and operation of gate, globe, ball, plug, check and special-purpose valves. Details of actuators and various accessories related to valve maintenance and control will be explained and related to valve selection based on application. Industrial process control valve maintenance and basic calibrations.
Recommended: PRT F130.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 1 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F250 Process Troubleshooting
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Troubleshooting process operations and problems. Using indicators, variables and controllers along with a formalized process of troubleshooting. Troubleshooting examples will reflect current needs of industry.
Prerequisites: PRT F230.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F255 Quality Concepts for the Process Industry
1 Credit
Offered Fall, Spring and Summer
Introduction to current quality concepts applied to role of process technician. Includes quality concepts with respect to the client and the role of statistical processes used by the operator in achieving quality.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
PRT F275 Process Technology Internship
1-9 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Working experience in and exposure to various stages and settings within the process industry. Endorsed and promoted by Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium, the internship is an intensive exposure to the various duties and responsibilities of the process operator in Alaska. A maximum of 9 credits may be earned.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Recommended: PRT F101, PRT F110, PRT F140.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 5-45 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 9 times for up to 9 credits
Faculty
David Fonger
Assistant Professor | Program Advisor | Program Director
drfonger@alaska.edu
Process Technology907-456-1754
Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center, 3600 Cartwright Ct, Fairbanks, AK
