Two-year degree leads to one of Minnesota’s most essential, in-demand technical careers
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) is launching a new Process Technology Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree.
Designed for individuals who enjoy hands-on work, technology, problem-solving, and teamwork, the program prepares graduates to operate and maintain the complex systems that keep modern manufacturing and production facilities running safely, efficiently, and around the clock.
Highlights:
- Great for those who enjoy hands-on work solving problems
- 60-credit program can be completed in two years, then leads straight into the workforce
- Evening classes create a schedule built for working adults and career changers
Strong demand and potential for growth
Process technicians are the skilled professionals behind the products people use every day—from the gasoline that fuels vehicles and the electricity that powers homes to the food on grocery store shelves, clean drinking water, renewable fuels, pharmaceuticals, and countless manufactured products.
The career outlook is strong. During the past year, Minnesota employers posted more than 2,000 unique job openings related to process technology occupations, with a median advertised wage of $26.15 per hour. As technicians gain experience and move into more specialized roles in industries such as refining, power generation, and chemical manufacturing, wages can increase substantially. In some sectors, experienced process operators earn more than $50 per hour, in addition to opportunities for overtime, shift differentials, retirement benefits, and comprehensive healthcare.
Learn by doing
The 60-credit program provides students with both the technical knowledge and practical experience needed to enter the workforce with confidence.
Students will build a strong foundation in:
- Process operations and industrial systems
- Instrumentation and control systems
- Industrial safety
- Mechanical systems troubleshooting
- Process optimization
- Quality control
- Regulatory compliance
Students will also develop the professional skills employers consistently seek, including communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and troubleshooting. These competencies are increasingly valued across manufacturing, utilities, food processing, energy, and chemical production.
Hands-On Learning in an Industrial Environment
One of the program’s greatest strengths is its emphasis on real-world learning.
Students train in lab environments that simulate industrial facilities, working with equipment such as pumps, valves, piping systems, boilers, heat exchangers, automated control systems, and process instrumentation. Rather than simply learning theory, students practice diagnosing problems, monitoring systems, calibrating instruments, and responding to changing operating conditions.
This hands-on experience helps graduates enter the workforce with the confidence and technical skills employers value from day one.
Equipment vs. Process Technology
It helps to separate two things students learn to work with.
Process equipment is the physical hardware—the pumps, valves, piping, boilers, heat exchangers, tanks, and instrumentation found throughout industrial facilities.
Process technology is what that equipment is used to accomplish: transforming raw materials into finished products.
Distillation separates mixtures into purified components. Chemical synthesis creates new materials from simpler ingredients. Fermentation, filtration, drying, and heat transfer all play critical roles in modern manufacturing. A successful process technician understands both the equipment and the science behind the process because the same equipment may perform very different functions depending on the operation.
Where these processes touch everyday life
Although most people never see these industrial processes, they experience their results every day.
Distillation transforms crude oil into gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and ethanol. Chemical synthesis produces fertilizers that support agriculture while also creating plastics, packaging materials, and countless industrial products. Fermentation and thermal processing are essential to food and beverage manufacturing, while similar technologies produce pharmaceuticals, detergents, textiles, renewable fuels, and other products that power modern life.
Process technicians are the professionals who keep these operations running safely, reliably, and efficiently. They monitor systems, troubleshoot problems, optimize production, and ensure products consistently meet quality, safety, and environmental standards.
Built for working adults and career changers
DCTC’s Process Technology program is designed to fit the lives of today’s students. Classes meet Monday through Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m., allowing students to continue working while earning their degree. The evening schedule makes the program an excellent option for incumbent workers looking to advance their careers, individuals seeking a career change, military veterans transitioning to civilian employment, and recent high school graduates who want to gain valuable work experience while attending college.
Whether students are entering the workforce for the first time, changing careers, or seeking advancement in a technical field, DCTC’s Process Technology program provides industry-focused instruction, small class sizes, personalized support, and opportunities for continued education and career growth.
Prepare for a career that keeps the world running
As Minnesota industries continue to invest in advanced manufacturing, energy production, food processing, water treatment, and chemical manufacturing, the demand for skilled process technicians continues to grow.
DCTC’s new Process Technology program prepares graduates for rewarding careers that offer competitive wages, strong advancement opportunities, and the chance to work in industries that produce the products and resources people rely on every day.
For more information on Process Technology and all DCTC programs, contact:
Admissions
admissions@dctc.edu
651-423-8266
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