Automotive Technology

The Automotive Technology program consists of 1200 hours of instruction (68 quarter credit hours) and is available in two schedules. Both the Day and Evening sessions require twelve months for completion on the basis of approximately 25 hours of instruction per week. All terms of the program are independent, thus the sequence in which they are offered to students may vary.

This program is currently taught in a Blended format (lecture material on-line and hands-on skills on-campus) and is also offered residentially (all classes and labs on campus) at various campuses as conditions permit. As part of their program materials, students receive a device which is fully compatible with the Learning Management System (LMS) used in both delivery methods. Veterans’ Benefits are only available for the residential version of this program.

This program intensively covers automobile service and repair. Students will develop an understanding of the theory and practical application related to all automotive parts, systems, functions, performance, diagnostics and repair. Emphasis is placed on acquiring proficiency in the use of computer-based diagnostic equipment essential for analyzing and troubleshooting today’s high tech cars including fuel injection, electronic ignition, transmissions, brakes, and suspension.

The Automotive shop is equipped with the same equipment currently in use by most automotive service and repair facilities. This includes various kinds of scan tools, computer diagnostic oscilloscopes, emissions diagnostic equipment, computerized alignment machines, brake lathes, valve grinding machinery, wheel balancing equipment, and specialized pneumatic and hand tools. The maximum number of students being taught in an on-line class is fifty and the maximum in lab is twenty-five.

The program helps prepare students for the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification tests and graduates may choose to become certified once the tests are passed and the ASE work experience requirements are met.

Delivery at this campus. Blended Automotive Technology Program – lecture online, labs on campus (offered at Springfield MA).

If you’re passionate about cars and looking for an automotive school that will help you reach your career potential, here are some reasons our programs in Connecticut and Massachusetts may be a perfect match!

Concrete Skills. You’ll be trained to diagnose and repair all major vehicle components including engines, electronics, fuel and emission systems, transmissions, and body control systems. You’ll also learn how to boost vehicle performance and keep cars in tip-top shape.

Hands-on Training. In addition to online instruction, you’ll spend a lot of time in our auto shops where you’ll get to work on real cars with real problems. We’ll test your skills with training models, but you’ll also get to work on real vehicles with the wear and tear you’d see in an actual service station. We equip our auto shops with scan tools, computer diagnostic oscilloscopes, emissions diagnostic equipment, computerized alignment machines, brake lathes, valve grinding machinery, wheel balancing equipment, and specialized pneumatic and hand tools.

Qualified Instructors. Our instructors are all ASE Certified Master Technicians with years of professional experience. They are knowledgeable on a wide variety of vehicle makes and models. They are also friendly, caring, and committed to your success. They’ll treat you like your employer would, with respect and confidence in your ability to get the job done.

Job Outlook. With more than 273 million cars on the road today, there are plenty of cars on the road that could make into your shop. The automotive training you will receive at Porter and Chester Institute will prepare you to work in dealerships, repair facilities and specialty shops. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, about 73,300 openings for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Soft Skills. In addition to motor vehicle knowledge, you’ll learn auto technician soft skills to interact with customers with professionalism. And we’ll teach you what it means to be a good employee in a real-world setting.

Prior to enrollment at the Institute, an applicant must have graduated from high school or have acquired a state high school equivalency diploma or graduated from a college degree program. Instruction is only offered in English, requiring proficiency in written and spoken English.

Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. Students may begin classes in the Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter. Students are encouraged to make early application for admission, as some forms of financial aid give preference to early applicants; and whenever aid is limited, it is made available to the first applicants.

Student from either delivery method could be assigned to the same on campus lab shifts. Campus lab hours are 7-2 and 6-10. Students taking day labs in the blended program need to plan on 2-3 lab sessions per week, based on course needs. Students taking evening labs in the blended program need to plan on 3 lab sessions per week and an occasional Saturday lab from 8-2. Lab schedules will be distributed to blended students prior to the start of each term. Residential students attend M-F 7-2.

Students will need approximately 25 hours per week for instruction (whether online or on campus), activities and simulations and for on-campus lab work, with an additional six hours per week for reading assignments and other homework activities. For Blended classes, course materials, assignments, and homework are accessible in an asynchronous format 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week through the Learning Management System (LMS).

Day Schedule: Automotive Technology, Electrical Technology, HVACR, Low Voltage Technology, and Plumbing are typically scheduled over seven (7) hours per day (e.g., 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM) Monday-Thursday and include up to 60 minutes of scheduled breaks. Evening Schedule: they are typically scheduled Monday through Thursday over six (6) hours per day (e.g., 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM), to include an online day for a total of 24 hours per week.

Upcoming class starts published in the catalog's Program and Term Schedule are January 11, 2027; March 22, 2027; May 31, 2027; August 16, 2027; October 25, 2027; January 17, 2028; and March 27, 2028. If, in the opinion of the Institute, there is insufficient enrollment to make the class start of a program session or section feasible, the Institute reserves the right to cancel that class.

Tuition is $5,545 per term for 5 terms, for total tuition of $27,725. The Materials Fee is $3,120. Program fee by term: Term 1: $2,700; Terms 2–4 ($100 per term): $300; Term 5: $120.

Program fees may include materials, laboratory, technology, and graduation expenses. These fees are applied at various points throughout the student’s training, depending on the specific requirements of the program. All applicable fees are disclosed in the student’s Enrollment Agreement and are included as part of the overall cost of attendance. The Materials Fee covers all books, devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, supplies, and other materials that the students will receive from PCI during the course of their attendance in their program. Even if costs increase, students will never pay more than the fee specified in their Enrollment Agreement.

There are no additional charges for programs delivered via Distance Education (Hybrid or fully Online). After deducting all anticipated educational funding from the total charges for each term, any balance due to the Institute must be paid by the student out-of-pocket prior to the start of each term. Or, the student may request a monthly payment plan. The first payment on a monthly payment plan is due prior to the start of the first term.

Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Federal Title IV programs available to qualified students include Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). PCI also participates in the Imagine America scholarship program and offers institutional grants and awards to specific student populations.

Veterans’ Benefits are only available for the residential version of this program. All Porter and Chester Institute campuses are approved to train veterans and their qualified dependents who are eligible for Veterans Administration educational benefits.

FAFSA code: 010779 (all PCI campuses other than Hamden). Use the Porter and Chester Institute Net Price Calculator to estimate how much your total career training program will cost you.

For Massachusetts students, the Application/Administrative Fee is non-refundable (except as provided in M.G.L. Chapter 255, Section 13k); the catalog lists Administrative Costs of $25.

Cost of Attendance (COA). For federal student aid purposes, postsecondary institutions must estimate a student’s total cost of attending the institution for a specified period of time, as established by law. The COA includes tuition and fees; room and board (or an allowance for housing and food); an allowance for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and dependent care (if applicable); disability related expenses, and some miscellaneous expenses as well. Below is Porter and Chester’s estimate of a student’s cost of attendance, including estimated living expenses.

• Tuition and Fees: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)
• Books and Equipment: Included in the Student Services Fee (student living with parents); Included in the Student Services Fee (student with dependents)
• Room and Board: $906/month (student living with parents); $1576/month (student with dependents)
• Personal Expenses: $231/month (student living with parents); $353/month (student with dependents)
• Transportation: $348/month (student living with parents); $348/month (student with dependents)
• Loan Fees (other): $25/month (student living with parents); $25/month (student with dependents)
• Disability Costs: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)

The graduates entering the Automotive Service industry will have sufficient knowledge and skill for entry level employment as a specialized or general automobile technician in a new or used car dealership or independent repair facility. Graduates may qualify for the following types of entry-level positions within the industry:

• General Automotive Technician
• Brake technician
• Tune-up specialist
• Engine Rebuilder
• Transmission Specialist
• Parts specialist
• Service Advisor
• Warrantee claims clerk

Licensing and certification. There is no license or certification required for entry-level employment in either CT or MA. As part of their program, PCI students have the opportunity to earn the ASE Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Certification.

Graduation and employment rates. From the 2025 ACCSC annual report, for the 10/2022-9/2023 start cohort at this campus, Automotive Technology reported a graduation rate of 50% and an employment rate of 67% (starting population 24, graduate population 12).

How these rates are calculated. Porter and Chester Institute calculates a Graduation Rate and an Employment Rate for each program using formulas specified by our accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The graduation rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period as the denominator, and as the numerator uses the number of students from that group who graduated within 150% of the program length. The employment rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period and proceeded to graduate as the denominator. Those of the cohort whose self-reported employment in their field of training, or a related field has been verified by the school, form the numerator. The rate is calculated for the cohort after 150% of the program length has elapsed for all students in the cohort, with an additional three month allowance for placement related activities.

Graduation rate for the student body. The graduation rate for first-time full-time students who began their studies at Porter Chester Institute in Fall 2019 (310 students) and graduated within 150% of their program length (178 students) is 57.4%.

Where graduates work. Springfield campus graduates are working at employers such as Balise Automotive, BMW, Gary Rome Hyundai.

The new Springfield campus consists of approximately 35,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed and engineered space that supports classroom instruction and hands-on technical training. Classrooms are air-conditioned and brightly illuminated, and laboratory and shop areas are arranged to provide an efficient, engaging learning environment. Each curriculum division maintains appropriate reference materials and multimedia resources to support student learning. Student workstations feature tools, equipment, and instrumentation representative of those currently used in industrial and commercial settings, helping students develop practical skills relevant to their chosen careers.

Students attending distance education courses in either a hybrid or fully online program may receive their online, didactic instruction from faculty assigned to various campuses and may be in online classes with students from other campuses. Weekly lesson planning among faculty ensures that all students in hybrid courses receive online didactic instruction that aligns with their on campus, hands-on labs and that each student is adequately supported.

Each term, each campus holds a mandatory online or on-campus New Student Orientation, specifically for the incoming student body. Key staff are on hand to share important information.