Automotive Collision Repair: General Automotive Collision (CERT)
Department website: https://www.cerritos.edu/autobody/
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
The General Automotive Collision Repair Certificate prepares the student for employment as an entry level technician in the automotive collision repair field. Students will learn the estimating process, parts identification, vehicle design, vehicle disassembly and assembly, panel repair, refinishing and welding processes used in the collision field. Graduates are employed as entry-level technicians, paint helpers, estimators, parts technicians, apprentice technicians or are self- employed. Spatial intelligence, cognitive ability and hand-eye coordination are recommended for those entering the program.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will analyze structural damage to crashed vehicles and develop appropriate repair plans to restore them to factory specifications.
- Students will complete I-CAR Industry Certification training for ProLevel-1 certification.
- Students will properly clean vehicles to be repaired and remove necessary moldings and trim for access.
- Students will properly clean, prepare, block sand-repaired areas, and mask vehicles for application of primers.
- Students will properly identify the base materials used to make automotive parts and select appropriate repair materials and methods to restore damaged parts to factory specifications.
- Students will properly repair automotive metal and plastic parts to industry standards.
- Students will properly set up and tune GMAW (MIG) welders and complete plug, lap, butt, and butt with insert welds to industry standards.
- Students will properly use terminology unique to the collision repair industry when describing learning activities.
Program Requirements
| Code Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| AB 151 | Non-Structural Repair | 4.5 |
| AB 181 | Non-Structural Damage Estimating | 3.0 |
| Required Electives | ||
| AB 154 | Advanced-Design Panel Repair | 4.5 |
| AB 156 | Non-Structural Automotive Welding | 2.0 |
| AB 161 | Preparation and Spot Refinishing | 3.0 |
| AB 161L | Automotive Refinishing Lab | 1.5 |
| Total Units | 18.5 | |