The College of Technology

Ms. Tammi Miller, Associate Dean
tmiller@msubillings.edu
COT A-009, (406) 247-3009
www.msubillings.edu/cot/

For the most up-to-date information about College of Technology programs please see the annual College of Technology Catalog.

Mission

The mission of the Montana State University Billings College of Technology is to be the College of first choice, dedicated to the development of workforce capacity by providing top quality learning opportunities and services to meet a variety of career choices and customer needs by being responsive, flexible, and market-driven.

History

In 1969, the Montana State Legislature created the Billings Vocational-Technical Education Center (BVTC) to serve the postsecondary technical training needs of adults. In 1987, by order of the Legislature, governance passed from the Billings School District to the Montana University System Board of Regents, making the BVTC one of five campuses of the Montana University System for postsecondary vocational-technical education. In 1994, the BVTC officially merged with Eastern Montana College to become the fifth College of Montana State University Billings. The merger and subsequent sharing of resources brought about new and improved student services, such as cooperative education, health services, career services, fee payment options, and credit transferability.

Areas of Emphasis

The College of Technology provides individuals with training (or re-training) to obtain excellent, “in demand” positions available at many area employers. Graduates of the College of Technology become licensed practical nurses, surgical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, automobile technicians, diesel technicians, process plant operators, computer system technicians, computer desktop support specialists and computer assisted drafting technicians working with architects. These examples are just a few of the career possibilities awaiting students earning a Certificate, Associate of Applied Science degree, Associate of Science degree or Associate of Art degree from the College of Technology. We will give you the tools to make your career dreams come true.

Partnerships and Collaborative Relationships

The College of Technology enjoys partnerships with key organizations in the greater Billings region including: Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, Billings Fire Department, Bresnan Communications, Underriner Motors, One Eighty Communications, The Billings Gazette, and the Montana Contractor’s Association to name a few. In addition, the College offers occupationally specific and related instructional opportunities on campus as well as through distance learning to prepare or retrain individuals to meet the demands of present and future technology. The College continues to develop collaborative relationships and articulation agreements with other institutions of higher education where appropriate. Since fall 2003, the College Of Technology has been a training site for the University of Montana’s Surgical Technology Associate of Applied Science degree. Students in the Billings area are now able to complete all of the training locally instead of having to relocate to the Missoula area. This is our first attempt at collaboration with another College of Technology in offering their program through our campus and community. We anticipate expanding such collaborations in the near future.

Specialized Training

Through the College of Technology’s Outreach and Community Development Center of Excellence, a variety of special programs have been developed to meet specific training needs of business, industry, and other organizations through contract training, continuing education courses, workshops, and seminars. Specialized programs can be developed at the request of individuals and employers and are conducted on the job site or on campus.

Accreditation and Approval

Montana State University Billings is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The College of Technology has individual programs that are recognized and approved by the United States Office of Education, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP), and the Montana State Board of Nursing. All programs are approved for veterans.

Location and Campus

The College of Technology is located at 3803 Central Avenue, seven miles from the senior MSU Billings campus in the fast-growing west-Billings “Shiloh Corridor Complex,” near the intersection of Central Avenue and Shiloh Road. The campus consists of two buildings: the Tech building and new Health Sciences building. At the front of the COT campus is the MSU Billings soccer field, used by both the women’s and men’s soccer teams for practice and games.

College of Technology Degrees and Certificates

The College of Technology offers Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science Degrees and Certificates in the following areas:

Programs marked with a Ñ are also offered in an online format.

Associate of Science Degree (AS)
Programs of Study in:

Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Accounting Technology Ñ
Administrative Assistant
Automobile Collision Repair and Refinishing
Automotive Technology
Computer Desktop/Network Support
Computer Programming & Application Development
Computer Systems Technology
Construction Technology-Carpentry
Diesel Technology
Drafting & Design Technology
Medical Administrative Assistant
Paramedic
Power Plant Technology
Practical Nurse
Process Plant Technology
Radiologic Technology
Surgical Technology (from the University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology)
Sustainable Energy Technician
Welding & Metal Fabrication Technology

Certificate of Applied Science Programs

For the most up-to-date information about College of Technology programs, please see the annual College of Technology Catalog.

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