Automotive Guided Pathway

Drag Strip

 

If you are here you have questions. You are in the pits at the LPC Automotive drag strip. The pits is where you build your engine, set up your suspension, and program the engine computer. In other words get ready for the race of your life!

Automotive Guided Pathways Maps:

AS Degree - Automotive Electrical Technology

Certificate of Achievement Automotive Chassis

Certificate of Achievement Automotive Driveability

AS Degree - Light Duty Diesel

AS Degree - Automotive Alternative Fuel/Hybrid Technology

AS Degree - Automotive Master

AS Degree - Smog Technician

Certificate of Achievement - Light Duty Diesel

Certificate of Achievement - Automotive Alternative Fuel/Hybrid Technology

Certificate of Achievement - Automotive Master

Certificate of Achievement - Automotive Mechanical

Certificate of Achievement - Smog Technician

 Automotive Guided Pathway Step by step:

Step One: Follow the link below. Complete Step one through Step three and come back to this page.

         Admissions and Records - Six Steps to Success.

Step Two: Before hitting the accelerator pedal at a drag strip, there are some things a driver needs to know. Talking with the crew chief can reveal some inconsistencies about the track, humidity, temperature, and fuel being used. That is the same when signing up for Automotive classes here at LPC. Your crew chief is this Guided pathway. Here is what you need to know:

1. Review class names and descriptions here: Automotive Courses.
2. Every new student must take AUTO INTR, (INTL and INTZ). This class(es) is a corequisite for all other classes. There are only 3 ways not to take AUTO INTR (INTL and INTZ). However, only 5% of students fall into these categories.
1. Articulation through your high school.
2. Two years of verified full-time automotive experience approved by the automotive program coordinator.
3. The Challenge test was chosen by the automotive program coordinator and passing by more than 90%
3. Every semester (Fall and Spring), two sections of AUTO INTR (INTL and INTZ) are run. One section is Monday, Wednesday night. The other is Saturday.
4. Every Semester LABA and LABB are run Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
5. Smog Classes are run Tuesday and Thursday night. More on these later.
6. The other classes rotate through the Monday/Wednesday morning, Tuesday/Thursday morning, and Tuesday/Thursday afternoon slots. This means three different classes are run every semester. Example: If you are looking in the class schedule and see A3, A4, and A5 being run in the Fall semester. You can be sure A6, A7, and A8 will be run in the Spring Semester. Another example. If you see A9, L1, and L3 run in Spring Semester, you can be sure A1, A2, A3 will run in the Fall semester. Graphical Example here.
7. Classes can be taken in any order with few exceptions. INTR (INTL and INTZ) must be taken first or at the same time as other Auto classes in your first semester (corequisites). L1 and L3 have extra corequisites. They are A6 and A8. Lastly, LABA must be taken before LABB (prerequisite).
8. IMPORTANT: If at any time during your race down the drag strip, A6 and A8 are being offered. TAKE THESE CLASSES. If you do not, you will not meet the corequisite for L1 and L3. This means you will delay your graduation date by 1.5 years.

Step 3: Burnout. Time to test the rev of the engine. What is your goal? Certificate? AS Degree? Smog? Couple classes and work? Just want to learn about cars? If you do not know, that is OK. Plans change.

Definitions/Descriptions:

AS Degree: Designed for students interested in transferring to a four-year university or wanting a job in the automotive industry. Jobs such as Dealership or independent technician, shop owner, parts counter person, service consultant, and service manager.

Certificate: Designed for students who are wanting a job in the automotive industry. Jobs such as Dealership or independent technician, shop owner, parts counter person, service consultant.

Smog: Designed for students who are wanting a job in the automotive smog industry. Jobs such as Smog Inspection technician, smog repair technician. 

Hobby Pathway: I am just an enthusiast. I want to learn about cars. I do not want to be taken advantage of. 

The point is to start correct, stay in the grove, and finish. See the chart below:

Certificate/AS/Smog/Hobby Pathway

Step 4: Staging. Pullup to the line and wait for the green light to hit the gas! You know about the program. You have seen the map to each goal—time to look at the class schedule and sign up for classes. Go here: Classweb.

Step 5: Finish the race. Come to class, learn, experience, and enjoy!

Step 6: Still have questions, need help? Contact Brian Hagopian

 

 Smog Classes

Las Positas Automotive offers California State Smog Certification classes. These classes are AUTO SDR and AUTO L1L2. SDR is normally run in the Spring Semester and L1L2 is run in the Fall Semester. These classes have a set curriculum that comes from the Bureau of Automotive Repair. They are written by the State of California and aimed at people who have experience in the field. If you are a new student and would like to obtain your smog license, you will need these two classes. WARNING: It is highly recommended that you have at least AUTO INTR before taking these classes.