Agriculture: Equipment Operations & Maintenance Certificate

COVID-19 Update: Operating and Trucking Courses are meeting in person during labs with lecture content in online format.

View the Spring 2021 Heavy Equipment Operations Newsletter (PDF)

• Complete certificate in 2 semesters/1 year
• Hands-on experience with Excavators, Dozers, Loaders, Backhoes, Road Grader, and more
• Study Surveying, Career Planning, Construction Skills, and TOPCONS Training​
• Pursue optional Class A & B License Training Course​
• Can count towards Associate's Degree in Industrial Technologies & Heavy Equipment Logging Certificate

Agriculture: Equipment Operations & Maintenance Certificate

This curriculum is designed to provide employable skills essential to several occupations and emphasizes the "learning-by-doing" method of instruction on modern up-to-date equipment.

This certificate is approved through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. Upon satisfactory completion of the listed requirements and filing an application for graduation with Admissions and Records, the student’s transcript will reflect completion of this certificate.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student should be able to:

• Understand and demonstrate safe heavy equipment operational and maintenance practices.
• Be able to use heavy equipment to move soil to grade.
• Be able to perform basic equipment inspections and maintenance procedures.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to survey, layout and set grade on a construction project.
• Be able to operate and maintain heavy equipment resulting in minimum impact to the watershed and use appropriate Best Management Practices to control erosion.

Certificate Requirements

• AGMA 44 Intro. to Construction Skills for Agriculture and Natural Resources 3 OR 
• WELD 70 Beginning Welding 3
• AGNR 66A Watershed Restoration Practicum I 1 OR 
• AGNR 66B Watershed Restoration Practicum I 1
• CONS 45 Career Planning/Leadership for Heavy Equipment 2
• CONS 46 Equipment Operations and Maintenance 3
• CONS 47 Project Construction for Equipment Operations 3
• CONS 48 Surveying for Equipment Operators 2
• MATH 100 Technical Applications of Mathematics OR 
• AGNR 52 Computers in Ag and Natural Resources OR
• CIS 1 Computer Literacy Workshop

Take two of the following courses: 6-6.5

• AGMA 42 Farm Power and Machinery (3)
• AGPS 24 Soils (3)
• CONS 139 Crane Certification (3)
• CONS 148 Surveying, Grade Setting and Global Navigation
• Satellite Systems (GNSS) for Construction (3)
• CONS 149 Class A & B License Training (3)
• DIES 48 Hydraulics (3.5)
• WELD 73 Structural Steel Metal Fabrication (3)

Take 1-4 units from the following courses: 1-4

• CONS 55A Equipment Operations Skills Development (1)
• CONS 55B Equipment Operations Pad Construction (1)
• CONS 55C Equipment Ops Roadway Construction (1)
• CONS 55D Equipment Ops Global Satellite System (1)
• CONS 94 Worksite Learning for Construction Tech (1-4)

Total Units for Certificate: 24 – 27.5

Suggested Courses:

• AUTO 1, CMST 54, DIES 166, DIES 170, WELD 118, WELD 170, English, Computers

For reference only as of 2019/2020