Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference
between a Certificate and an Associate's degree?
A certificate is a document that shows that you have specific
training in a certain career field (such as Mechatronics). Our
certificate requires only seven courses, all of them in
Mechatronics. An Associate's degree is a full college degree, and
requires taking "general education" courses such as English, Math
and Social Studies in addition to your Mechatronics courses.
Associate's degrees typically require 20 to 25 classes.
How long does it take to
complete your program?
A typical time frame to complete our program is two years.
Although the seven classes in our certificate program have
been completed in two semesters (9 months), that is the rare
exception. On the other hand, if a student can only take one course
per semester, it will take three to four years to complete our
mechatronics certificate. One-and-a-half to two years is the most
common time frame for a student to complete our certificate
program.
Obtaining an associate's degree requires taking general education classes (English, social science, etc.) as well as our seven mechatronics courses and therefore takes longer than obtaining just a certificate. A full-time student can still complete the mechatronics associate's degree in two years. In the end, the length of time to complete the our certificate or associates degree program is up to you and your schedule. See one of our instructors or a counselor for further information.
How much does your mechatronics
program cost?
Total tuition for our mechatronics certificate is less than
$1,200. Total tuition for an associate's degree in mechatronics
is less than $2,900. The cost of textbooks, parking fees, meals and
other expenses also need to be considered but vary greatly from
student to student. Financial Aid is often available.
Do you offer daytime and evening
mechatronics classes?
Yes, we offer our mechatronics program with both daytime and
evening courses. Every course may not be available every semester
at both times, so please check the current course schedule at
www.sierracollege.edu for course time offerings.
Do you offer online
classes?
Because all of our courses utilize hands-on, project
based learning we do not offer any of our courses on-line. In
every one of our classes students spend more time in the lab
building things than listening to lectures. Therefore our
students learn by doing, not just by reading and taking tests.
How do I enroll in your program?
Visit the main Sierra College website at www.sierracollege.edu. Once there, you can fill out an
application for Sierra College and sign up for mechatronics and
other classes offered at Sierra.
Should I get a mechatronics
certificate or an associate's degree in mechatronics?
Many employers simply require only some post-secondary (post
high-school) technical training. Our certificate program would
qualify you for these jobs. Some employers require an associate's
degree for entry-level jobs or for supervisory-level
positions. The bottom
line is, the more education you have, the more job opportunities
you will have. The choice is up to you, your schedule and
your desire to further your education.
What kind of jobs can I get with
mechatronics training?
Our mechatronics training is not geared towards any single
industry. Our program trains you for any technician-level job that
involves the installation, repair or maintenance of electrical,
mechanical and/or computerized equipment. From small equipment like
medical analysis equipment to large-scale installations like ski
lifts, mechatronics training prepares you to work on just about any
electrical or electro-mechanical system. See the Success
Stories link (in red near the top of this page) for some
examples of where our graduates are working.
How much do mechatronics
graduates typically earn?
Like any profession, pay rates vary significantly, but starting
annual salaries in the $35,000 to $50,000 range are common for
mechatronic technicians. Some employers, such as Anheuser-Busch,
the City of Roseville and PG&E, start people out at higher pay
rates than that. We have some graduates with significant years of
experience earning over $100,000 per year. We can not guarantee
what any individual graduate's salary would be, but we have a
demonstrated track record of providing the training for students to
obtain living-wage jobs and beyond.
Can you guarantee me a job after I
graduate?
No, we can't. The truth is, no school can ever guarantee you a
job. If you look at the so-called job "guarantees" from private
technical training schools, you will see that they are not
offering to refund your tuition if you do not get a job. They only
offer additional job placement assistance, additional classes or
other services to help you get a job.
What we can do is this. We will provide you with the skills needed
to qualify for jobs in electronics, robotics, industrial
automation, green energy and many other fields. We have a proven
track record of providing the right training to enable our students
to find jobs in the mechatronics field. These skills will give you
a great advantage when you are looking for a job. Sierra College
also provides career placement assistance.
Does your program offer
internships?
We do offer internships. Internships (short-term employment in your
career field) are a great way to get some job experience that will
enhance your educational experience and better prepare you for your
full-time job search. The availability of internships is very
dependent on the ability of local employers to host interns, but
even in a down economy there are some internships available.
Contact the Sierra College Career Connections office for more
information on internships.
Which classes should I take
first?
Five of our seven required courses have no pre-requisites, so that
students can start with the courses that interest them the most. In
general, we encourage students to take MECH-10 with MECH-14 first,
followed by MECH-4 with MECH-44. MECH-54 and MECH-90 have these
other courses as pre-requisites and should be taken last. MECH-25
can be taken whatever semester fits best into the student's
schedule.
Do you offer the mechatronics
program at the Nevada County and Tahoe-Truckee
campuses?
Due to the equipment-intensive nature of our program, we do not
have the capability to offer all of our mechatronics classes at our
Nevada County and Tahoe-Truckee campuses.
We offer five of our seven required classes at the Nevada County
campus (MECH-54 and MECH-90 would need to be taken in
Rocklin).
On the Tahoe-Truckee campus we offer MECH-1, an introductory course
to introduce students to the principles of mechatronics and see if
this course of study is a good fit for them. See a mechatronics
faculty member or Sierra College counselor for details.
Didn't your department used to be
called "CIE"?
Yes, we used to be called the CIE department, but since our focus
is now completely on Mechatronics (because that is where the jobs
are), we changed our name to Mechatronics and our course
abbreviations to MECH. The course numbers have not changed (e.g.
CIE-10 is now called MECH-10).
What kind of education do I need to
prepare for your program?
A standard high-school education is the only preparation needed for
our program. High-school level math, science or computer courses
are helpful, but not required. You will need to have the ability to
do very basic algebra to succeed in our program. If it has been a
while since you have been in school, don't worry. We can bring you
back up to speed on the math.
How much are the lab fees for
your classes?
Our students build and keep many projects in our classes, but we
currently do not charge any lab fees for any of our classes. All
project materials are included in the cost of tuition ($46 per
unit, the same as any other class at Sierra College).
Is financial aid
available?
Financial aid is available in the form of scholarships, loans
and work-study grants. Some are specifically intended for
technical / career education and some forms of financial aid can be
used for any type of educational plan. The specifics of what is
available changes constantly so you should contact the Sierra
College Financial Aid office for the most up-to-date
information. http://www.sierracollege.edu/StudentServices/financialServ/index.html
Can I get a tour of your
facilities and talk with someone from the faculty?
Yes you can. Please feel free to call us at 916-660-7862 and we can
arrange a time for you to get a tour of our facilities with one of
our instructors.
What do I do if I have more
questions?
Contacting us using the Contact Form on the home page of this
website is the best way to get in touch with us. You can also call
our department and leave a message at 916-660-7862 and someone will
be able to call you back.
You may also want to watch this video about our program from the viewpoint of former students and local employers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K0J_egOGkk&t=1s