HVAC/R programmes train the people who install, service and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems — in a state where air conditioning is not a comfort but the thing that makes buildings usable. ⚠ It is electrical work, mechanical work and refrigerant handling at once, and the last of those is federally regulated.
The degrees this program covers
Florida's framework is a 1,350-hour clock-hour certificate with five occupational completion points, and ⚠ it is also published as two halves — a 750-hour first part and a 600-hour second — so a student can finish the first, go to work, and return. Several state colleges run a college-credit version instead, and a few add an associate degree or an advanced technical certificate above it. ⚠⚠ Certification is separate from the certificate and is not optional: EPA Section 608 is required by federal law to work on equipment containing refrigerant. ⚠⚠⚠ And unlike welding or automotive, the trade above this one is LICENSED — Florida licenses air-conditioning contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (Class A unlimited, Class B up to 25 tons of cooling), so the career has a statutory ceiling that only a licence lifts.
Careers this program leads to
Each one sets out the courses along the way, the licence or certification at the end,
and the sources behind it.
Neighbouring fields that share much of the same coursework, and often the same employers.
⚠ Read these before you commit to a major — which doors a neighbouring degree
keeps open is the part no catalog tells you, and it is far cheaper to change now than later.
50 institutions awarded a credential in this field in 2023,
at these levels: Associate, Certificate (1-2 years), Certificate (12 weeks-1 year), Certificate (2-4 years).
A school appears here if it awards anything in the field, however limited
its offering — a technical college teaching only practical nursing has a nursing
program. Listed alphabetically, not ranked.
Source: federal IPEDS completions data for 2023, first majors only —
the most recent year published. ⚠ It records what was awarded, which is
strong evidence of what is offered, but a program launched since 2023
will not appear here. Check the institution’s own catalog before applying.
Updated 21 September 2026.
⚠ Program pages describe a field of study, not one school’s degree — always
read the catalog of the institution you are applying to.