Skip to main content
Penn State Berks
Hotline Give Apply Visit
  • Admission
  • Academics
  • Campus Calendar
  • Information For
    • Future Students
    • Parents & Families
    • Current Students
    • Adult Students
    • Alumni
    • Faculty & Staff
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Berks
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Give Apply Visit
  • This is Penn State
    • Campus Leadership
    • Chancellor's Welcome
    • Penn State Berks at a Glance
    • Our History
  • Academics
    • Baccalaureate Degrees
    • Registrar
    • Course Schedule
    • Academic Advising Center
    • Thun Library
  • Admission
    • First Year Students
    • Visit Us
    • En Español
    • Adult Learners
    • International Students
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarship Eligibility
    • Tuition & Cost Calculator
    • Paying Your Bill
  • Continuing Education
    • Adult Students
    • Services for Organizations
    • Summer Camps
    • Workforce and Professional Development
  • Student Life
    • On-Campus Housing
    • Residence Life
    • Moving In
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Family and Homecoming Weekend
    • Student Events Calendar
  • Athletics

Find Information For:

  • Future Students
  • Parents & Families
  • Current Students
  • Adult Students
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff

Helpful Links

  • Canvas
  • First Year Seminar
  • LionPATH
  • Driving Directions
  • Educational Equity and Diversity Programs
  • Faculty Directory
  • Staff Directory
  • University Police and Public Safety

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
  1. Home
  2. Continuing Education
  3. Workforce & Professional Development Programs

PLC for Industry Certificate Program

About the Program

The Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) certificate program is offered at the Penn State Berks in an evening study program. Classes are hands on and provide students with the skills needed to become experts in automation design.

Certificate Requirements

Students seeking to be awarded the PLC for Industry Certificate must complete the following required courses with a final minimal grade of “C”:

  • PLC Basics – EE 7320
  • PLC Intermediate: ControlLogix - EE 7010
  • PLC Intermediate: PanelView – EE 7319
  • PLC Intermediate: Loop Control – EE 7321
  • PLC Intermediate: Drives – EE 7318
  • PLC Advanced – EE 7317

Career Potential

Multiple manufacturing companies throughout the Reading, PA area are looking for applicants with PLC skills. Job titles include Mechanical Technician, Maintenance Technician, and Controls Engineer.

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool.

Meet the Instructor

Frank Kaczmarcyzk earned a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and has worked as an Electrical Engineer for over 25 years. He is the lead instructor for the PLC classes at Penn State Berks for over 20 years.

Course Offerings

PLC Basics – EE 7320

This introductory course will teach basics involved with Allen-Bradley PLCs and Programmable Logic Controllers with RSLogic software, but the concepts taught apply to the PLCs of other manufacturers.

Dates:  Coming fall 2023
Time: 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Room:  114 Gaige
Cost: $650

PLC Intermediate: Loop Control – EE 7321

This course is designed to introduce students to the PID algorithm with emphasis on tuning the loop. Students will gain knowledge and practice on the methods of tuning.

Dates: Thursdays, December 1 - December 22, 2022
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Room:  Gaige 114
Cost: $325
REGISTER ONLINE

PLC Intermediate: Drives – EE 7318

The introduction to digital drives will teach students configuration and set-up, downloading and uploading, choosing a drive, communications and control for remote I/O and Device Net.

Dates: Tuesdays, November 22 - December 13, 2022
Times: 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Room: 114 Gaige
Cost: $325
REGISTER ONLINE

PLC Intermediate: ControlLogix – EE 7010

This introduction to ControlLogix is for users already familiar with RSLogix500 or RSLogix5 and need to understand the basics of the ControlLogix processor. Students will have hands on practice with a Compact and will be introduced to all programming modes along with Data Structures, aliasing, and I/O.

Dates: Mondays, January 23 - February 13, 2023
Times: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Room: 114 Gaige
Cost: $325
REGISTER ONLINE

PLC Intermediate: PanelView – EE 7319

The introduction to PanelView will teach students communications, creating screens, downloading, uploading, tag organization, pushbuttons, message displays, alarm messages, alarm banners, and importing user-developed objects.

Dates: Mondays, February 27 - March 20, 2023
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Room: 114 Gaige
Cost: $325
REGISTER ONLINE

PLC Advanced – EE 7317

This course is designed to expose students to the next level of understanding with the Allen-Bradley PLCs, SLC-500 Programmable Logic Controllers and CompactLogix Controllers. Students will concentrate on Ethernet communications, structure programming, file organization techniques, data table organization techniques, indirect addressing, maximizing scan time, SLC-500 block transfers, PIDs, STIs, sequences, alarming annunciation shortcuts, and serial communications.

Dates:  Mondays, April 3 - May 22, 2023 
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Room: 114 Gaige
Cost: $650
REGISTER ONLINE

Workforce & Professional Development Programs

  • 2D / 3D CAD Certificate
  • Advanced 3D with SolidWorks Certificate
  • Building Systems - Design & Construction Certificate
  • Craft Brewing Certificate
    • Brewing Course Descriptions
  • Construction Management Certificate
  • Enterprise Resource Planning Certificate
  • ERP with SAP Certificate
    • How to Apply - ERP with SAP Certificate
  • Foundations of Organizational Leadership Certificate
  • Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
  • Industrial Electricity Certificate
  • Introduction to Business Management Certificate
  • Introduction to Corporate Communication Certificate
  • Introduction to Revit
  • Leadership Development Certificate
  • Mastering Additive Manufacturing Certificate
  • Microsoft Project Class
  • PLC for Industry Certificate Program
  • Process Instrumentation and Control
  • Project Management Certificate
  • Spanish in the Workplace
  • Supply Chain Management Classes
  • Winemaking Certificate
    • Wine Certificate Program Course Numbers & Descriptions
  • Winery Business Development

Program Contact

Erica Kunkel
Director, Continuing Education & Outreach
610-396-6221
[email protected]

Request More Information
Contact Continuing Education
Locations of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania with Penn State Berks highlighted

Penn State Berks

Nestled on 258 beautifully landscaped acres in Berks County and easily accessible from anywhere in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
Give Apply Visit
  • This is Penn State
    • Chancellor's Welcome
    • Penn State Berks at a Glance
    • Campus Leadership
    • Advisory Board
    • Our History
    • Freyberger Gallery
  • Academics
    • Baccalaureate Degrees
    • Registrar
    • Course Schedule
    • Academic Advising Center
    • Thun Library
  • Admissions
    • First Year Students
    • Visit Us
    • En Español
    • Dual Enrollment
    • Adult Students
    • International Students
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarship Eligibility
    • Tuition & Cost Calculator
    • Paying Your Bill
  • Research
    • Undergraduate Research
    • Research in Engineering, Business & Computing
    • Research in Humanities Arts and Social Sciences
    • Research in Science
  • Continuing Education
    • Adult Learner Admissions
    • Practical Nursing Program
  • Resources
    • Canvas
    • First Year Seminar
    • LionPATH
    • Driving Directions
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • COVID Information
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • University Police and Public Safety
Penn State University
Tulpehocken Road, Reading, Pennsylvania 19610 610-396-6000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State