Technical schools offer a wide range of programs. The most common are those in the service industry, but there are also programs in automotive and electrical fields; physical therapy and health care; heavy equipment operations and technology; and design drafting technology. There are also programs in nuclear technology, automation and robotics, and aviation maintenance. Technical schools have fewer admission requirements than colleges, so they give students with different educational backgrounds the opportunity to learn a trade.
Admission requirements to technical school programs vary from state to state, but generally applicants are required to have in-state 12-month residency prior to applying to be eligible for resident tuition. Students who enroll in a program, but don't need a degree are required to complete a non-degree seeking form, pay an application fee and submit their scores at the standardized college placement tests (ACT, SAT or ASSET). If they have not taken a placement test before, they can take one, upon request, at the school they are applying for.
Students who want to obtain a certificate or an associate degree are generally required to submit one of the following documents, but requirements may vary from state to state: an official transcript for at least six or seven semesters in an accredited high school; an official passing GED score report; an official transcript with at least 24 semester credits from an accredited college; or the high school transcript and the college transcript, if fewer than 24 credits were achieved. Additionally, candidates must submit placement test scores; an application form specifying the desired certificate or associate degree; and the application fee.
The health care system is very competitive, so each program has additional requirements for admission that vary from state to state. For example, an associate degree program in Dental Assisting at Athens Technical College in Athens, GA, requires higher grades on official transcripts; birth certificate, passport or driver's license to certify they are at least 17 years old; several hours of observation in a dental office and completed and signed intent forms.
Because the number of students accepted in the Dental Assisting program is limited, some of the highest ranking students are required to submit a 500-word essay on their interest in the program, to sign the Code of Ethics and to participate in a personal interview. The candidates selected will have to submit at a later date a cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificate, immunization records, results of dental and medical examinations, a verification of medical and malpractice insurance, and a document acknowledging the students' financial responsibility if required to take a drug test or a background check.