Psychiatric Technology

The Psychiatric Technology Program prepares students to become licensed Psychiatric Technicians (PTs) who provide compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, and medical conditions. The program equips students with the skills necessary to support patients in achieving their highest level of wellness.

Graduates are eligible to take the California Psychiatric Technician Licensing Examination. The program is accredited by:

California State Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT)
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833

The program admits students in the Fall and Spring semesters. Admission requires the completion of all prerequisites, support courses, and required coursework, as well as an application and acceptance into the program.

To enroll, students must:

• Pass a Live Scan background check
• Meet health requirements

Important Notice: Under California law, the Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) may deny licensure based on prior convictions or legal actions related to Psychiatric Technician practice.

Prerequisites for the Psychiatric Technology Program

1. High school completion (official transcript or Diploma or G.E.D., AA Degree, BS Degree, or foreign graduate that has been evaluated by AERC (American Educational Research Corporation), or IERF (International Education Research Foundation), or World Education Services.
2. Complete the following courses with a grade of C or higher:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Units
   ENGL C1000	Academic Reading and Writing	4
   or ENGL C1000H	Academic Reading and Writing - Honors
   PSYC C1000	Introduction to Psychology	3
   or PSYC C1000H	Introduction to Psychology - Honors
   STAT C1000	Introduction to Statistics	4
   or STAT C1000H	Introduction to Statistics - Honors
   or PSYC 105	Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
   or ECON 208	Business and Economic Statistics
   Human Anatomy and Physiology - Select one series from the following:
   BIOL 155	Introductory Anatomy and Physiology 1	4
   BIOL 250 & BIOL 251	Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology II	8
   BIOL 260 & BIOL 261	Human Anatomy and Human Physiology	8

3. Students have the option to enroll in PSYC 110, PSYC 111, or PSYC 112 if PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H was completed more than 5 years ago.
4. BIOL 155 and PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H must be completed within 5 years of starting the program. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated for equivalency by an approved agency. See program Director/Department Chair.

¹

BIOL 155, BIOL 261 (or BIOL 250 & BIOL 251) must be taken within 5 years of application to the program; Fully online sciences will not be accepted. BIOL 250 & BIOL 251 must be completed at the same regionally accredited institution. 

 Application to the Psychiatric Technician

Applications to the Psychiatric Technician program may only be submitted when all program prerequisites have been completed. Applications must be submitted online via the link provided on the SBVC Psychiatric Technician webpage. The applications will be accepted March 1 – 15 for entry in the fall and September 1-15 for entry in the Spring. The application will not be accepted if falsification or inaccurate information is provided. Submit the following to Admission & Records prior to submitting the application:

1. Official college transcripts from all colleges or universities attended except for SBVC or Crafton Hills College. Transcripts must be issued within the last 6 months and document that the program prerequisites have been completed. If transcripts are from a foreign country, they must be evaluated for equivalency - see Admission Clerk.
2. High School completion document.

Acceptance Procedure

Effective Fall 2019 the Psychiatric Technology Program will select students through a point system. All prerequisites must be completed prior to applying, no exceptions. Once the application period has closed, the acceptance committee will review all completed applications. Students ranked with the highest points will then be selected for entry. Applicants will be notified via email and Canvas of their application status.