Program Overview
Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offers an Electrician Associate of Applied Science degree. The catalog plan of study runs four semesters with a 69-credit minimum, and the program page describes it as a two-year program. Classes are taught in the Ed Wood Trade and Industry Center with industry-standard tools and equipment, and students spend significant time on hands-on projects that mirror jobsite work. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Curriculum Highlights
The catalog plan of study includes fundamentals of electricity with a lab, blueprints and schematics, electrical construction, three wiring essentials courses with labs, National Electrical Code I through III, fundamentals of controls, PLC essentials, inductive circuits, building automation, and electrical and industrial safety, plus general education in communications and mathematics. The program page says students learn to install and maintain wiring, read blueprints and electrical diagrams, apply the National Electrical Code, troubleshoot components and work safely with tools and meters.
Admission Requirements
Applicants need at least one of the following: a high school GPA of 2.5, GED sub-scores of 145 or higher, a college GPA of 2.0 on at least 9 credits, an ACT of 17 with a math sub-score of 16 or more, or an SAT of 880 with a math score of 430 or more. Students must pass a safety test with a score of 100% before beginning lab and are allowed three retakes. The program is bring-your-own-laptop, and required tools are sold at the campus bookstore. Southeast Tech's online application is free.
Cost & Financial Aid
For 2026-2027, Southeast Tech charges $282 per credit hour, made up of $134 in tuition, $44 in state fees and $104 in institute fees, plus a registration fee and a one-time graduation fee. Its estimated cost sheet lists $19,458 in tuition and fees for the Electrician degree's 69 credits and an estimated total program cost of $26,226, including program course fees, technology and registration fees, and books and supplies. Living costs are separate. Ask the financial aid office about grants, loans and the Build Dakota scholarship, for which the program page lists the degree as eligible.
Career Outcomes
Southeast Tech says the skills prepare students for residential, commercial and industrial electrical jobs, and its catalog says electricians can work for contractors, retail, wholesale and repair companies. The catalog also says graduates receive 2,000 hours toward certification and placement in the third year of an electrician's apprenticeship; that credit is decided by the apprenticeship and the state, not guaranteed by the degree.