Hands-on, industry-relevant skills
The Power Engineering Technology 2-year diploma program will prepare you for progression through the 4th Class, 3rd Class and 2nd Class - Part A ABSA levels by providing both theoretical and practical training.
The intent of the program is to prepare you to make both safety and efficiency a priority on the job. In the classroom, we will discuss foundational concepts of boilers, electricity, instrumentation, safety, codes and legislation, thermodynamics and physics.
By the time you graduate, you will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to:
- operate boilers
- operate turbines
- control and operate refrigeration and air conditioning systems
- maintain and repair boilers and auxiliaries, pumps, compressors, turbines, generators
- commission equipment
You’ll need to pass all courses and attend a minimum of 80% of the theory classes, 100% of the labs and 100% of the plant practicum to successfully complete the program.
Tools for success
To be successful in this program, you’ll need to demonstrate manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination and mechanical inclination for the operation of switches and control of monitoring instruments. Colour vision may also be required by some employers.
Attendance
Instruction at NAIT is intensive and involves training in specific skills and techniques that the graduate will need in industry. Each program prescribes specific attendance requirements. Students must communicate with their Instructors and Program Chair of any foreseen absences.
Students must attend at least 80% in theory courses, as per the program policy. ABSA mandates 100% attendance to pass the Power Engineering Labs, this time is used to calculate your steam time for the ABSA Certificate(s). The Power Engineering Advisory Committee made up of Industry members strongly supports the adherence to this policy. Students will receive a not complete in courses and will have to remediate the deficiency before successful completion and may receive a minimum pass grade for courses that this program requirement was not met in.
Both online theory courses and Power Lab attendance will be tracked to ensure that course attendance requirements are met.
Students receiving training allowances or other forms of financial assistance are expected to be aware of and comply with the conditions of their sponsorship, which generally require regular attendance. The student is responsible for providing attendance requirements directly to the sponsoring agency to ensure continued financial assistance.
Practicum/co-op/work experience
The Plant Practicum (POWT2395) portion of the Power Engineering Technology program is designed to provide you with industrial experience. Only qualified students (who have completed and passed all Level 1 courses successfully AND have successfully completed the ABSA, 4th Class A & B papers) may be assigned to industrial plants where they will be exposed to the many phases of power engineering.
- Length: 480 Hours/13.25 Weeks (nominal)
- Salary: Paid and Unpaid Placements
- Relocation: Possible
Please note: You will be charged the tuition fee for both the paid and unpaid plant practicums. This fee covers, staffing costs related to the plant practicum, room usage for interviews, industry information sessions, etc.
Courses and Advanced Credit
Current and recently admitted students can find information and updates about their program on their My Program page in the MyNAIT Portal. To monitor your course progress and the courses still needed to graduate, visit your Academic Progress Report.
Advanced Credit
You may apply for advanced credit once you have been accepted into the program. Advanced credit can be Transfer Credit (for completed post-secondary courses) or PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition).
Transfer Credit
In addition to the common guidelines outlined on the Transfer and Credit Options section, your program has other advanced credit requirements that are applied to each request including:
- You must have completed the course or program no more than 7 year(s) ago unless a formalized articulation agreement is in place
- You must have a minimum mark of C in the course(s) or program
Any POWT related courses that are to be looked at for advance/transfer credit can be considered but not necessarily granted due to the need to have the student be successful in learning the ABSA accredited standardized curriculum being used and the impact it has on being successful in passing the ABSA examinations. There can be a better possibility of granting advance/transfer credits for 'academic' courses such as physics and mathematics subject to the minimum requirements of the course(s) in question and equivalencies to the existing NAIT courses (e.g. PHYS 1146 or PHYS 2446 or MATH 1141).
Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition (PLAR)
Please see below for the list of courses that available for PLAR credits in this program. Please click on the specific course for more information on the evidence that is required for each course.
Please refer to the Credit for Work and Life Experience page for more information on how to apply for PLAR credits.
Read more about advanced credit or contact us about applying for credit for this program.
Tuition & Fees
This content is specific to the selected Sep 02, 2025 intake.
The tuition and fee amounts are estimates based on current academic year's rates. For financial planning purposes, please use these totals as an approximate estimate of your costs. Actual fees may vary by term and enrolment activities. Please refer to the tuition and fees page for more detailed information.
Books, Supplies & Program Fees (est.)
Level 1 Term 1: $725
Level 1 Term 2: $325
Level 2 Term 1: $725
Level 2 Term 2: $325
Scholarships & Awards
NAIT awards over $6 million in scholarships and bursaries to more than 4,000 students each year, with the support of donors and the government. A variety of awards are available, including ones for academics, community involvement, equity/diversity grants, bursaries for financial need, program-specific awards and more!
Learn how to apply for awards
International Applicants
This program accepts international students.
PGWP Eligibility
This program does not meet eligibility criteria for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), following Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) field of study requirement. Students who applied for a study permit before November 1, 2024, are not affected by the new field of study rule and may be eligible for a PGWP.
While graduates are currently ineligible to apply for a PGWP, NAIT still welcomes international students to this program to gain valuable knowledge and skills to pursue your career goals, whether in Canada under another type of permit or in your home country or other international markets.
Co-Op Work Permit
Mandatory Co-op: This program has a mandatory work-integrated learning component. International students must apply for a co-op work permit and have it approved before the start of their work placement.
Learn more about PGWP and explore eligible NAIT programs.
