Professional Diploma in Building Services – HVAC&R

The definitive training program for the HVAC&R industry, providing essential knowledge and skills to engineering graduates employed in consulting or contracting firms. This part-time, nine-month online program will increase your exposure to the HVAC&R industry through comprehensive and practical training across four key areas.

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Delivery method

Online

Course length

Nine months part-time, with two annual intakes (April/October)

To note

Throughout the course, students will be required to adhere to assessment schedules, and will have access to peer-to-peer discussion via online discussion forum.

While the course is tailored to evaluate the competencies of mechanical engineering graduates with 1 to 3 years of experience, applications from those in associated fields will be considered.

Program overview

AIRAH's accredited Professional Diploma in Building Services – HVAC&R is the definitive training program for a graduate engineering role in the HVAC&R industry. The program provides students with exposure to the HVAC&R building services industry through comprehensive and practical online training.

The part-time program takes place across nine months and features over 100-hours of topics across four key areas:

Fundamentals

Equipment and components

Systems

Practice and performance

In addition to the theoretical content provided across these four topics, the program takes students on a journey of designing an HVAC system over 12 assignments. Feedback from experienced engineers is provided at every step.

Topics

Topic 1: Fundamentals | 30 hours

Introduction to practice
Engineering fundamentals
Introduction to HVAC&R – System types and applicability
Introduction to system components
Psychrometry
Load and energy estimation
Comfort conditions
Refrigeration cycles and refrigerants

Topics 2: Equipment and components | 10 hours

Chillers
Pumps
Fans
Heat rejection
Hot water heaters
Heat exchange equipment
Packaged systems

Topic 3 - Systems | 40 hours

Refrigeration systems
Air systems
Water systems
Electrical systems
System control
Thermal storage and mass
Passive, mixed-mode, and hybrid systems
System design and selection

Topic 4 : Practice and performance | 15 hours

Industry practice
Design and construction process
Regulation and compliance
Sustainability
Bidding and tendering
Estimating
Programming
Design
Construction
Commissioning and building tuning
Operations, maintenance, and facilities management

This program is designed for

This program is suitable for engineering graduates who would like to gain a better understanding of how knowledge gained from their tertiary studies can be applied through HVAC&R design principles. It has been designed for individuals, who have 1-3 years’ experience in system design and are committed to upgrading their engineering technical skills, as well as businesses committed to developing their workforces.

Consideration will also be given to applications from those with a trade and/or associated building services background, particularly those who have already successfully completed AIRAH’s Accredited Professional Certificate in HVAC&R Fundamentals.

Benefits for participants

The Professional Diploma in Building Services – HVAC&R program helps you fast track your knowledge of HVAC&R, bettering your understanding of industry processes, and giving you the confidence in assuming greater responsibility in your role to produce better project outcomes.

The program, running over nine months, allows participants to independently study HVAC&R specific topics in a flexible learning environment.

Benefits for companies and employers

The program, running over nine months, allows participants to independently study HVAC&R specific topics in a flexible learning environment.

Enrolment requirements

You should have experience of 1-3 years in HVAC system design from a consulting engineering or mechanical contracting firm.
You must have a fundamental understanding of common place HVAC systems and components and the ability to source real-world information about these systems from the local market.
You will need to demonstrate the ability to research independently, effectively manage your time to meet submission deadlines, and determine answers to design problems.
You will require access to an existing commercial building, its HVAC plant room and other areas as needed, to complete the case study assessment.
Access to a mentor with 15 – 20 years’ experience in HVAC design is highly recommended for additional support that you will require.

You must be a financial member of AIRAH to enrol in the program. Non-members and student members will be required to join, with the price of a one-year AIRAH Affiliate membership included in their registration. For more information on becoming an AIRAH member, please click here.

Participants must be competent in both written and spoken English and have regular access to a computer and internet connection.

If you do not currently understand, or have experience with, HVAC systems and components, please consider registering for the AIRAH Accredited Professional Certificate in HVAC&R Fundamentals course prior to enrolling in this program. Find out more here (link to fundamentals course here)

Program fees (inc. GST)

AIRAH members

$5,775
Register before August 15, 2024

$6,325
Register after August 16, 2024

Non-members

$6,165
Register before August 15, 2024

$6,715
Register after August 16, 2024

Registration

Registration for the April 2024 intake of the AIRAH accredited Professional Diploma in Building Services – HVAC&R is now open. Please download the registration form below or email [email protected] for information.

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