Program Overview
Tidewater Community College lists a Certificate in Electrical Wiring. The college says it takes 2 semesters and 33-34 credits and lists the Chesapeake Campus as the location. The purpose is preparation for employment or advancement as an electrician, with coursework on residential and industrial design, voltage regulation, transformers, and power distribution systems.
This listing is that certificate: system plan 942, Electrician program, CIP 46.0302. The same page also lists a 24-credit Career Studies Certificate in Electrical Wiring and a 14-credit Career Studies Certificate in Electrical Wiring for Technicians. Those are separate awards. A system certificate is at least 30 semester hours and includes one 3-credit English class, which fits this award rather than the shorter certificates.
These pages do not say whether sections meet on campus, in the evening, or online. Confirm the Chesapeake Campus schedule.
Curriculum Highlights
The certificate description names residential and industrial design, voltage regulation, transformers, and power distribution systems. The system inventory says it prepares people for electrician jobs and for advancement in the field. The program page does not print the course list. Check the current curriculum, including the required English course, before you register. The shorter wiring certificates are not this sequence.
Admission Requirements
General admission requires a high school diploma or the equivalent, or age 18 or older and the ability to benefit from a program. The application page, dated May 29, 2026, says the person who will attend should complete it, with a live photo and a photo ID. The new-student page says the application is free and says to select a program of study.
Cost & Financial Aid
For 2026-2027, Virginia-resident tuition and required fees are $207.10 per credit hour: $177.00 tuition, a $7.30 institutional fee, a $2.80 student activity fee, and a $20.00 auxiliary capital fee. Out-of-state residents are listed at $452.70 per credit hour. Some fees are charged only up to 15 credit hours in a semester, and the State Board for Community Colleges can change tuition. The college also publishes a $12.50 per credit hour fee for skilled-trades courses and a First Day textbook charge of $22.50 per credit hour unless you opt out by the refund deadline. First Day is not used for dual enrollment or workforce courses. No single total is published for this certificate. The new-student page says to complete the FAFSA and gives school code 003712. It does not say this certificate is approved for a particular grant.
Career Outcomes
The college says the certificate prepares students for employment or advancement as an electrician. These pages do not say this certificate is the training required for the state electrician examination. The program page ties that examination statement to the separate 14-credit Electrical Wiring for Technicians career studies certificate. Institutional accreditation is from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, to award the associate degree, with certificates allowed at approved levels, and is affirmed through 2027.