Certificate in Electrical.

The electrical curriculum prepares learners for a career as skilled professionals in the electrical field.

It places strong emphasis on safe work practices, while covering applied electrical theory and residential, commercial, and industrial electrical knowledge and skills.

Electrical Course Descriptions

Expand each course below for a description and assigned time commitment per topic.

  • Time on Topic: .5 day / 4 hours 

    This course introduces students to the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) materials. NCCER is a leader in construction education and training materials and students will be provided their access code and spend time learning how to navigate the website to access the learning materials.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) course teaches basic safety and health information to entry-level workers in the construction and general industry. The course focuses on recognizing and avoiding common workplace hazards. Also covered are worker rights and employer’s responsibilities.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of safety in the electrical industry.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamental tools used in the electrical industry.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of electrical circuits.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamental elements of electricity. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of the required national codes for electrical projects.  This is a essential knowledge needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 5 days / 40 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of electrical projects to include installing outlets, electrical devices, pulling wire, and junction boxes.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to bend metal conduit by hand.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 3 days / 24 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to work with wireways, raceways, and a variety of fittings.   This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to work with various conductors and cables.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to read and understand house, architectural, building drawings and construction documents connected to the electrical plans for a given structure.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 5 days / 40 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of residential wiring.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to use various electrical test equipment. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of alternating current.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to install various lighting fixtures.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to bend a variety of conduits.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to pull wire and install junction boxes in a variety of settings.   This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to bend metal conduit by hand.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of grounding and bonding.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of circuit breakers and fuses.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of control systems.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to determine the load calculations for both branch and feeder circuits.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to select the correct conductor and to determine the calculations for the respective conductor. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the practical applications for lighting in a variety of settings.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to identify and to avoid and work around hazardous locations.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of overcurrent protection.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of distribution equipment.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of transformers. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of motor controls. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to determine load calculations-feeders & services.  This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: .5 days / 4 hours

    In this course students will learn about the unique electrical features associated with health care facilities.  This is an advanced skill for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of standby and emergency systems. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 5 days / 40 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of advanced controls and estimating.  In learning how to estimate the cost for a job students will learn how to identify the various cost factors of labor cost, material costs, equipment costs, overhead cost and contingency costs. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 4 days / 32 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of HVAC controls. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of HVAC controls. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 2 days / 16 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of motor operation and how to maintain the motors. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 1 day / 8 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of how to terminate/splice medium voltage wiring/circuits. This is an essential skill needed for an electrician and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 5 days / 40 hours

    In this course students will learn the fundamentals of reading blueprints and other construction drawings. Also, in this course students will learn the fundamentals of supervision/leadership.  Students will learn the foundational elements of leadership for a first-time supervisor. Students will learn the components of guiding, instructing and correcting someone else and leading a crew of electricians. This is an essential skill needed for a tile worker and a high level of proficiency is expected of students. This course is designed to be a “hands-on” experience, and students will be able to apply best practices to real-world work situations.

  • Time on Topic: 10 days / 80 hours

    In this course students will be on the job site to apply the knowledge, and skills learned while in their program to the world of work. This is a learning experience, and students will not be used as replacement or regular employees.  Students may or may not be paid for their internship. Internships will be coordinated and monitored by the program coordinator/lead instructor to ensure that the expected learning outcomes are achieved.

Total Days / Total Hours

80 days / 640 hours


At the successful completion of the Program, a Certificate will be awarded by the Virginia Construction Trades Academy.

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