Dallas College

Patient Care Technician


4 Certificates
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Train to become a Patient Care Technician at Dallas College. Patient care technicians/assistants work under the supervision of nursing or medical staff to provide basic patient care in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, urgent care medical facilities, wound care centers, nursing homes, home care agencies or long-term care facilities and physician’s offices.

Patient Care Technician at a Glance

Dallas College offers many different ways to reach your career goals. Whether you want to jump into the workforce quickly or spend more time building advanced skills, we have the programs that fit your needs and timeline.

Certificate Programs

Estimated total tuition cost2:

$1,584-$4,200

Estimated time to complete1:

2-4 months

Which Degrees and Certificates are Right for Me?

Workforce Training

Dallas College offers fast, flexible credentials designed with local employers to help you quickly start or advance your career.

Can I Get a Job?

Dallas College offers a variety of certificates and degrees to help you gain the skills you need to start working right away.

  • These credentials are often considered Career and Technical Education (CTE).
  • These credentials are established with the assistance and cooperation of representatives from local business, to meet local and regional employment needs.
  • Higher-level certificates and degrees will typically lead to a higher salary in the workforce.
  • Workforce (CE) certificates can often be completed faster than traditional credit certificates but typically do not offer college credit.
  • Level 1, Level 2, Enhanced Skills certificates and others offer college credit and are often stackable to help you build skills as you work toward an associate degree.
  • Workforce credentials may give you college credit at Dallas College, but they may not transfer to other colleges or universities.

If you're unsure if this is the right path for you, you can talk to a pathway specialist for advice.

Pathway Specialist

Credit Certificates

Dallas College offers credit certificates that provide focused, career-ready skills recognized by employers.

Can I Get a Job?

Dallas College offers a variety of certificates and degrees to help you gain the skills you need to start working right away.

  • These credentials are often considered Career and Technical Education (CTE).
  • These credentials are established with the assistance and cooperation of representatives from local business, to meet local and regional employment needs.
  • Higher-level certificates and degrees will typically lead to a higher salary in the workforce.
  • Workforce (CE) certificates can often be completed faster than traditional credit certificates but typically do not offer college credit.
  • Level 1, Level 2, Enhanced Skills certificates and others offer college credit and are often stackable to help you build skills as you work toward an associate degree.
  • Workforce credentials may give you college credit at Dallas College, but they may not transfer to other colleges or universities.

If you're unsure if this is the right path for you, you can talk to a pathway specialist for advice.

Pathway Specialist

Questions About Degrees and Certificates?

We know applying to college can be confusing. If you are not yet a Dallas College student, you have a whole team of recruitment coaches to help guide you through programs and the enrollment process.

Current students, contact your success coach (advisor) who can answer any questions you have about Patient Care Technician programs and your degree and certificate options.

Contact a Recruitment Coach

A Look Inside Patient Care Technician Video

Would you like to earn credit towards becoming a Certified Patient Care Technician?

Consider Dallas College's Patient Care Technician Certification Program, which can be completed in less than a year.

Patient Care Technicians work under the supervision of a healthcare professional to provide basic patient care in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, urgent care medical facilities, nursing homes, home care agencies, and physicians' offices.

Routine tasks of a patient care technician include responding to patient calls and requests for assistance, bathing and dressing patients, assisting with personal hygiene, serving meals, and monitoring and recording vital signs.

So why choose Dallas College?

As a student, you'll have access to our dedicated faculty and staff who care about your success, guiding you on your pathway towards earning a certification in healthcare.

Visit our website today for more information and begin your journey at Dallas College.

Doctors, nurses and other health care professionals rely on patient care technicians/assistants to assist with the critical day-to-day care of patients.

The routine tasks of a PCT include:

  • responding to patient calls and requests for assistance
  • bathing and dressing patients
  • assisting with personal hygiene
  • serving meals
  • monitoring/recording vital signs

PCTs are required to observe, record and report temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration rates, a patient’s physical, mental, and emotional condition.

A patient care technician must also be able to perform electrocardiograms (EKGs), collect blood samples (phlebotomy) and perform other clinical duties.

The Patient Care Technician program has its own admissions process, timeline and requirements. Visit the School of Health Sciences Information Packets and Sessions page to view the Patient Care Technician information packets.

Find Out More About Dallas College

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School of Health Sciences

Dallas College

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1Length of time is based on catalog degree plans. Prerequisites may be required, which are not included in this estimate. For most programs, full-time student status is assumed, a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

2Cost for credit courses is based on tuition rates for program hours for Dallas County residents. The price of most required learning materials (books, software, supplies, etc.) is included with the price of tuition. Certain programs may have additional costs above the standard tuition. Continuing Education and Ed2Go courses may vary by program. Please review the Area of Study Overview and/or the Health Information Packets for additional costs and details. Visit our Paying for College site to learn more about cost, financial aid, scholarships and more.

3Each location offers a unique combination of certificate and degree options. Not all degree and certificate offerings are available for admission/start at all campuses every semester.

4A portion of Lightcast’s data comes from O*NET Online by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Lightcast has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Updated June 25, 2026