The Savannah Technical College began its journey as the Opportunity School in 1929. The Savannah Chamber of Commerce sponsored the school, which quickly began to grow to an enrollment of 466 students in 1930 and moved to a larger setting. The school moved again to a building inside of the Independent Presbyterian Church and began offering shop classes and business education classes. Voters of Chatham County approved a bond that combined the Opportunity School and the Harris Area Trade School to create the Savannah Area Vocational-Technical School.
As the need for a larger facility grew, the plans to acquire land to build a consolidated vocational-technical post secondary school began in 1973 and the ground breaking ceremony was held in 1978. Evening classes started in the fall of 1981 and regular classes began in the summer. In 1984, the Savannah Tech Foundation and Advisory Council was established to raise funds for endowment, research grants, and scholarships. In the fall quarter of 1989, the official name of the school changed to Savannah Technical Institute. The school received accreditation to award diplomas and associate’s degrees by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and School (SACS).
The school later received recognition as the 5th largest of 33 technical colleges. The school experienced one last name change in 2000 and became known as Savannah Technical College. The school continued to provide continuing education, technical education, business training, and adult literacy education. Savannah Technical College also received recognition as the 3rd fastest growing two-year college in the country. Enrollment grew and the campus continued to expand, and the school’s Liberty Campus opened in 2006.
Savannah Technical College
Academics
Savannah Technical College is a diverse school with many educational opportunities. The school offers diplomas, technical certificate of credit programs, and associate degree programs at five campus sights that include Fort Steward AEC, Crossroads Campus, Liberty County Campus, Savannah Campus, and Effingham County Campus. The college also offers online educational options for students. There are 6 academic divisions at the Savannah Technical College: Business and Technology, Economic Development, General Studies, Health Sciences, Industrial Service, and Public Service.
Business and Technology Division
The Business and Technology Division is for students interested in entering fields related to technology and business areas. Highly skilled professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge to the programs are responsible for teaching the courses. Students learn through engaging experiences to create meaningful educational experiences. Many graduates start successful careers after graduating from a business and technical program. Some students choose to further educational experiences and pursue bachelor’s and master’s degree after graduating from the Savannah Technical College.
Business & Technical Division
Programs within the Business & Technical Division prepare students for careers in accounting, paralegal studies, and computer information systems. Possible degrees, diplomas, and certificates that students may earn are Computer Support Specialist Degree, Management and Supervisory Development Diploma, CISCO Certificate, Business Administration Technology Diploma, Accounting Associate Degree, and Microsoft Networking Technician Certificate.
Economic Development Division
The Economic Development Division offers students short-term career certificates. The programs achieve this goal by designing programs to meet the needs of the community. Students also participate in business partnerships for hand-on experience in a particular area. Students gain many technical skills through educational experiences. The state of the art laboratories and teaching facilities prepare student for real world experiences.
A few of the career fields that students may enter after receiving training in the Economic Development Division include aviation, customer service, manufacturing, and warehousing. Possible certificates, degrees, and diplomas include Certified Manufacturing Specialist, Team Supervisor Certificate, Aircraft Electrical Assembly Certificate, Certified Customer Service Specialist, and Certified Warehousing and Distribution Specialist.
General Studies Department
The General Studies Department offers students support for the occupational and academic programs available through the college. General education programs are available for all credit programs. The General Studies Department also offers assistance via a testing center. The testing center offers diagnostic testing, exit exams and placement testing for students.
Students can also seek assistance from the Career Services Center, where they can receive information about job opportunities from career counselors and receive help with other job-seeking needs. The Learning Enrichment Center offers certified tutors for students who need these services and students who do not speak English as their first language may receive ELS and RSL courses to assist with their educational needs. There are over 200 learning support and general education courses offered at Savannah Technical College. Students can earn a Technical Communications Certificate from this department.
Health Sciences Department
The Health Sciences Department prepares students for all levels of the health care industry. Upon completion of a program, students can earn an entry-level position with many opportunities for advancement. Students receive preparation for positions in nursing homes, dental offices, hospitals, home health, and health and illness care facilities.
The department offer professional diplomas, associate degrees, and technical certificates. A few of the careers include patient-care technicians (PCT), medical assistants (MA), and certified nursing assistants (CAN). Students may earn diplomas, degrees, and certificates in Medical Assisting, Central Sterile Processing, Surgical Technology, Paramedic Technology, Phlebotomy Technician, Dental Office Management, and Emergency Medical Technician.
Industrial Services Division
The Industrial Services Division prepares students for industrial related professions. The programs combine classroom instruction and training with hands-on experience to prepare students for industrial positions. Possible fields that students can work in include commercial truck driving, construction management, automotive and collision repair, drafting, aircraft structural, historical preservation, and electronic and computer engineering.
Students can earn such degrees, certificates, and diplomas as a Drafting Diploma, Gas Metal Arc Welding Certificate, Historical Preservation and Restoration Associate Degree, Masonry Apprentice Certificate, Air Conditioning Technology Degree, and Automotive Collision Repair Diploma.
Public Service Division
The Public Service Division prepares students to work in all level of public service. This division has trained professional who are dedicated to student success. The programs aim is to prepare students with the skills necessary to attain professional and personal goals. The curriculum is of the highest quality possible. The division consists of the areas of Marketing; Cosmetology/Barbering; Criminal Justice/Peace Academy; Culinary Arts; Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism; and Early Childhood Care and Education programs.
Students can earn degrees, certificates, and diplomas such as Basic Law Enforcement Certificate, Culinary Institute of Savannah-Culinary Arts Associate Degree, Barber Diploma, Basic Fire Company Officer-TCC, Early Childhood Program Administration Certificate, Hospitality Customer Service Provider Certificate, Nail Technology Certificate, Marketing Diploma, Fire Officer II-TCC, and Sales Representative Certificate.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Savannah Technical College.
Students must follow a few easy instructions to apply for admission to the college. Students must complete the application and pay the non-refundable application fee, submit official GED or high school transcript, submit transcripts for university or college courses or degrees, show proof of college entrance exam scores or make arrangements to take a placement examination, complete the FAFSA form, and complete a BLAST (Basic Learning About Savannah Tech) orientation session prior to registration and advisement. The orientation is available online for students to access. Students must access the Savannah Technical College’s website for this information.
International students may need to seek assistance from the General Studies Department if students are in the process of studying English as a Second Language (ESL). There are several admission forms on Savannah Technical College’s website for program admission. Other applications include Dual and Joint Enrollment Application, POST Exam Form, Change Major Form, and International Student Admission Application.
Financial Aid
Students must complete the FAFSA form to qualify for financial assistance. Students have options to receive many forms of state and Federal financial assistance to finance schooling. A few of the ways that students may finance an education include grants, work-study programs, loans, and scholarships. Aid is available based on the financial need of each student. The college also offers several options for loans and scholarships. Many students may have to depend on private loans if these students do not qualify to receive assistance through FAFSA. There are also a number of outside scholarships that students may qualify for based on certain criteria.
The campus is full of student organizations in which students can join. Students are encouraged to participate in order to develop social interactions, leadership skills, and community involvement. A few of the organizations include Air Conditioning Technology Club (ACT), Dental Assistant Club, National Vocational-Technical Honor Society (NVTHS), Surgical Technology Club, SkillsUSA Club, and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
This college also offers assistance for special groups of individuals. The college also has Disability Services that offers assistance with the special needs of students. Students who require these services should get information from Savannah Technical College’s website. There is also a program called Savannah Technical College’s Special Populations program that helps people who are part of a defined group of individuals. The aim is to remove the barriers that prevent success on academic and economic areas. Students who are displaced homemakers, limited English proficient and single parents qualify for this service.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Savannah Technical College?
Feel free to add comments or additional information regarding Savannah Technical College, or discuss this school in the University Discussion Forum
11 months agoStudent nearly finished
I'm currently finishing up a degree in the business department. For secure reasons, I won't mention the name of the program.
It's quite a disappointment to see the potential of these students wasted away by some of the sub-par instructors. The reason why I attended STC in the first place was because I was able to get the Hope Grant eventually work over to the Hope Scholarship. Everyday I see the potential of the students just wasted away by the instructor's lack of attention. I took a class back in 2008 to "test the waters." I was very impressed by that instructor's attention to learning and detail of that learning. I continued my education in 2010, to much chagrin. Every quarter I attended a class by the same horrible instructor. Personally, he's a good guy; terrible instructor. In one class, I was held accountable for material that was covered in a completely different class that I never took, nor was required to take! When confronted with the information, I was made to look like an idiot, and my intelligence degraded.
I see why the retention rate is so low here.
Last, I don't mean to discredit ALL instructors, as I've had one teacher that understands there *IS* a gap between teacher and student...and actually DOES something about it! I've praised her behind her back numerously and recommend her to anyone that struggles in her subject area. If all teachers at STC were like her, the retention rate would be much higher, morale wouldn't be so low, and we wouldn't have classes with only THREE students!
about 2 years agoFormer Student
I was a student at Savannah Technical College for over a year before transfering to another university after a disappointing experience. STC is disorganized with too big a portion of campus staff remaining untrained. No one would ever seem to have an answer if student paperwork was completed or in order or what needed to be done next.
When approaching the school's financial aid for information about scholarships, grants, loans, I was told that they "didn't know" and that they generally "expected students to find out about that stuff on their own."
Another issue is that many of the textbooks used for STC are specially published for STC with its logo, etcetera on the covers. One quarter not enough books were published and over half of at least one class were without books until the quarter was nearly finished.
In one of my classes the professor had been had been absent for over a couple of days, but upon returning gave a test on material not covered. When all but three students failed this professor pooh-poohed everyone. Also, upon approaching this professor for help on how to work out a problem, I was told that I should ask another student, that this professor was not going to help due to her feeling that it was like personal "tutoring".
In this same class, the professor strongly advised against our working while going through our program. The school does not certify student loans and some students still were working for obvious financial reasons. This class, which required a certain score to continue on the rest of the program, was not really taught during the assigned or scheduled time. The professor would either come in late or discuss off-topic nonsense during the scheduled hours. Then after class was supposed to be let out, she would begin to cover our material. Over half the class would have to leave either for work or to pick up their children from school. The leaving students were admonished for leaving, told that we shouldn't be working or we could have stayed. Of course, those of us who were leaving missed out on what was being taught after class. The students who stayed post-class also were often rewarded with extra credit points. Due to all this, this class was self-taught. One student who excelled on the material also taught the class during a study period and some of my other classmates said they only understood certain points due to this student teaching us.
Some of the classes or programs would change up last minute what was going to be covered or accomplished that day, meaning students would need to have all books and matierals with them to be sure to have what they needed. If you did not have the correct material you could be sent home as being "unprepared". Some classes required as many as seven books. Due to this you would often see students literally hauling around suitcases to be able to carry everything.
In one course, we were required to read from multiple books. Two of the books conflicted with each other on the presented material. Prior to being tested on this material, one of classmates approached the professor, pointed out a variety of discrepanies between the texts and asked which were correct since it would covered on our test. He was told "good luck with that" and the at-odds facts were never decided upon in class.
The low cost of attendance and short run of programs is what attracts students, but the school is so poor their degrees are not worth much.
over 3 years agoDoris Krznarich hairdresser96 ((at)) hotmail dot com
I graduated 1996 from the Cosmetologie program. I became very sucsessful in my profession. Comeing from Germany i had to overcome a few language problems. end of the program i graduated top of my class. All this because of the special and carring teacher i was lucky to have. Her name was Millie Wilke. I have been searching hi and low for her. I sure would like to tell her what a great influence she had on me. All her advice she gave me sure hepled me along. If anybody knows anything whre i might find Mrs. Wilke please let me know. I live now in minnesota and dont get a chance to come in person. Thank you D0ris Krznarich.
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I'm currently finishing up a degree in the business department. For secure reasons, I won't mention the name of the program. It's quite a disappointment to see the potential of these students wasted away by some of the sub-par instructors. The reason why I attended STC in the first place was because I was able to get the Hope Grant eventually work over to the Hope Scholarship. Everyday I see the potential of the students just wasted away by the instructor's lack of attention. I took a class back in 2008 to "test the waters." I was very impressed by that instructor's attention to learning and detail of that learning. I continued my education in 2010, to much chagrin. Every quarter I attended a class by the same horrible instructor. Personally, he's a good guy; terrible instructor. In one class, I was held accountable for material that was covered in a completely different class that I never took, nor was required to take! When confronted with the information, I was made to look like an idiot, and my intelligence degraded. I see why the retention rate is so low here. Last, I don't mean to discredit ALL instructors, as I've had one teacher that understands there *IS* a gap between teacher and student...and actually DOES something about it! I've praised her behind her back numerously and recommend her to anyone that struggles in her subject area. If all teachers at STC were like her, the retention rate would be much higher, morale wouldn't be so low, and we wouldn't have classes with only THREE students!