This 3-month programme is non-credit-bearing and non-accredited, delivered by ECT’s affiliated institute, EIT, and therefore your certificate of completion will be awarded by EIT. These professional certificates are distinct from ECT’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programme offerings.
This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who need to get practical skills and knowledge in the fundamentals of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and SCADA systems.
This practical course covers the essentials of SCADA and PLC systems, which are often used in close association with each other. A selection of case studies is used to illustrate the key concepts with examples of real-world working SCADA and PLC systems in the water, electrical, and processing industries.
This is an excellent opportunity to network with your peers, as well as to gain significant new information and techniques for your next SCADA or PLC project. Although the emphasis of the course will be on practical industry topics highlighting recent developments, using case studies, the latest application of SCADA, PLC technologies, and fundamentals will be covered.
Our focus is on the generic programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and uses the open programming IEC 61131-3 standard. We will give you practical, up-to-date information on the application of PLC systems to the automation and process control industries.
It is suitable for people who have little or no exposure to PLCs, but who expect to become involved in some or all aspects of PLC installation. You will get practical advice from experts in the field, to assist you to correctly plan, program, and install a PLC with a shorter learning curve and more confidence.
While the course is ideal for electricians, technicians, and engineers who are new to PLCs, much of the material covered will be of value to those who already have some basic skills, but need a broader perspective for larger and more challenging tasks ahead. The information included advances from the basics to challenge even the most experienced engineer in the industry today.
The course is composed of 12 modules, covering topics such as SCADA software configuration, installation, troubleshooting and network security issues, telecommunications links, Industrial Ethernet in SCADA systems, PLC hardware and installation criteria, writing PLC programs using ladderlogic, and troubleshooting for PLC systems.
To obtain a certificate of completion for EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online fortnightly webinars. Detailed summaries/notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance. In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes. If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.
Please note: The Engineering College of Technology (ECT) is affiliated to the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), an accredited Australian education and training provider which has been providing engineering qualifications and professional development to students worldwide since 2008.
You will be required to pay your tuition fee upfront before the programme start date.
For a limited time, a promotional fee of £599 applies to new applications submitted between 1 July 2026 and 30 November 2026. The standard tuition fee is £933.
Payment can be made by credit card (Visa and Mastercard only). Upfront payments must be received prior to the programme’s start date.
Please note that if the course does not proceed, you will be issued with a full refund.
The promotional fee cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. We reserve the right to amend, extend or withdraw this promotion after the advertised closing date.
Hadi Harb has more than 15 years of experience in the development and management of Artificial Intelligence and Audio Signal Processing projects.
Our courses are delivered by experienced engineers and technical experts from around the world. Many have tackled real-world engineering challenges and bring practical, applied knowledge directly into the classroom.
We draw from a global pool of instructors and lecturers across our organisation. Explore our full team of expert educators on the Instructors & Lecturers page here.
Please note: Not all lecturers and instructors listed on this page will teach every course. The team teaching your course will be confirmed as part of your course enrolment.
Learn about our instructors.
You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars in order to graduate from the program. If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer. The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.
This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.
We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.
This course may use the following software:
Due to ongoing unit and course reviews, software may change from the list provided.
Registrations are open for our upcoming intakes. Please ensure you book your place at least one week before the course start date.
If the course is not currently scheduled, please contact us.
