Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
10/31/2026
Start Date
7 months
Duration
750
Total Hours
8 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
$3455
ICTESS’s Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization is designed to train specialists in the design, programming, and commissioning of industrial automation systems. The program covers everything from the fundamentals of automatic control to implementing complete solutions with programmable logic controllers, operator interfaces, and supervisory systems.
You’ll learn standardized programming techniques under IEC 61131-3 (Ladder, FBD, Structured Text), how to design control architectures with industrial PLCs, sensor and actuator configuration, HMI screen development for machine operation, and SCADA implementation for real-time supervision. The specialization includes a Capstone Project where you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to a complete industrial automation project.
The Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization answers the growing demand for technical professionals who can design and implement automated control systems in industrial settings. Industry 4.0 has accelerated the need for specialists who master both PLC programming and the supervisory systems and industrial communication networks that tie modern production plants together.
The purpose of this program is to train professionals who can develop complete automation projects, from requirements analysis through commissioning. You’ll learn to select and configure control hardware, program PLCs using standardized languages, design intuitive operator interfaces, implement data-acquisition systems, and establish device communications using standard industrial protocols.
The training covers the professional programming environments used across the industry (TIA Portal, RSLogix, Codesys) and culminates in a Capstone Project where you’ll develop a complete project applying every skill gained across the technical modules.
The Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization qualifies you for specialized technical roles at systems integrators, machinery manufacturers, industrial maintenance departments, and automation engineering firms. You can work as a PLC programmer, automation technician, control systems integrator, or industrial automation project lead.
The training prepares you to execute complete automation projects: performing functional analysis of industrial processes, designing control architectures with PLCs and distributed I/O, programming control logic under IEC 61131-3, configuring variable-frequency drives and field devices, and developing supervisory systems for operation and maintenance.
You’ll also build skills to diagnose and troubleshoot automated systems, optimize existing processes, implement industrial communications between equipment from different manufacturers, and document projects to professional standards. The hands-on approach lets you apply this knowledge immediately on real installations in the industrial sector.
Study from anywhere with no commuting required. Balance your technical specialization with your current job.
Organize your study time around your own schedule. Move through the modules whenever works best for you and reinforce whatever you need.
Learn with TIA Portal, RSLogix, and Codesys, the same development environments used by companies across the industrial sector.
Technical video lessons, PLC simulators, up-to-date downloadable materials, and forums with specialized instructors.
With ICTESS, you’ll get specialized technical training focused on professional practice and designed to help you master the skills the industrial automation sector demands. Learn with an up-to-date methodology and real-world programming tools.
What you'll achieve
Design industrial control architectures by selecting CPUs, input/output modules, and communication devices based on the requirements of the process being automated.
Program programmable logic controllers (PLCs) using standardized IEC 61131-3 languages: Ladder Diagram, Function Block Diagram (FBD), and Structured Text (ST).
Configure industrial sensors (inductive, capacitive, photoelectric, encoders) and actuators (motors, drives, solenoid valves), integrating them correctly into the control system.
Develop professional HMI interfaces for machine and process operation, implementing supervisory screens, alarms, and historical data logging.
Implement SCADA systems and industrial communication networks (Modbus, Profibus, Profinet, Ethernet/IP) to integrate devices and supervise processes in real time.
Shortage of qualified PLC programmers: The job market faces a critical shortage of technicians who can program PLCs from different manufacturers and master multiple communication protocols. Systems integrators and maintenance departments report difficulty filling specialized openings, especially for profiles that combine programming, HMI, and SCADA skills.
Growing demand for multi-brand skills: Today’s projects integrate equipment from multiple manufacturers (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Schneider, Omron), requiring versatile professionals who can program across different platforms and establish communications between heterogeneous systems. Specializing in the IEC 61131-3 standard makes this versatility much easier to build.
Competitive edge in the job market: Specialized training in automation and PLCs sets you apart from generalist electrical or maintenance profiles. Mastering standardized programming, industrial communications, and supervisory systems makes you a top candidate at leading industrial companies.
Completing the Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization positions you in a sector with high demand for technical specialists. Industrial automation cuts across every production sector, from food and pharmaceuticals to automotive and logistics, creating steady opportunities for professionals qualified in PLC programming and control systems.
Access to specialized technical roles: You’ll be able to pursue positions such as PLC programmer, automation technician, systems integrator, or automated-systems maintenance lead. Specializing across multiple PLC brands and communication protocols significantly broadens your opportunities at systems integrators and engineering departments.
Mastery of professional tools: Working with programming environments like TIA Portal (Siemens), RSLogix (Allen-Bradley), and Codesys sets you apart in hiring processes, since these are the dominant platforms in the industry and hands-on mastery of them is highly valued by employers.
Ability to execute complete projects: You’ll build the skills to manage every phase of an automation project, from functional analysis through commissioning.
Recognized professional certificate: The ICTESS Professional Certificate validates your specialized technical training in automation and PLCs, strengthening your position in the job market.
This specialization is designed for industrial-sector professionals and technicians looking to specialize in the design, programming, and commissioning of automated control systems. Recommended profiles include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culmination of the program and represents the practical integration of every technical skill built throughout the specialization. It consists of developing a complete real-world industrial automation project, from functional process analysis through simulated commissioning, applying the professional methodologies and programming tools used in the industry.
The project includes designing the control architecture with a justified selection of PLC, I/O modules, and field devices. You’ll develop the complete control program using standardized IEC 61131-3 languages, design the operator HMI screens with alarm management and data logging, configure the industrial communications between devices, and prepare the electrical schematic for the automation panel with proper protection and wiring criteria.
The project also includes professional technical documentation: a design report, variable list, wiring diagrams, an operation manual, and maintenance procedures. The final deliverable must be presented at the technical level and professional format required for systems-integration projects, demonstrating your ability to produce complete, rigorous documentation suitable for delivery to industrial clients or for use as a professional portfolio piece.
ICTESS’s Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization includes hands-on training in the development environments most widely used across the industry: TIA Portal from Siemens for programming S7-1200/1500 PLCs and developing HMIs, RSLogix/Studio 5000 from Allen-Bradley for ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers, and Codesys as a manufacturer-independent platform compatible with multiple brands. You’ll also learn to configure SCADA systems and establish communications using Modbus RTU/TCP, Profibus, and Ethernet/IP protocols. Proficiency with these tools is highly valued in hiring processes, since they’re the industry standard for automation project development.
An engineering degree isn’t required, but technical training in electrical, electronics, or mechatronics, or equivalent professional experience in the industrial sector, is recommended. The specialization is designed for electrical technicians, engineers, maintenance technicians, and vocational-program graduates who have basic knowledge of industrial electricity and control circuits. It’s important to be able to read electrical schematics, understand control logic (contacts, coils, timers), and work with technical software. If you have hands-on experience with industrial installations but no formal degree, you can still enroll in the program.
The ICTESS Professional Certificate validates your specialized technical training in automation and PLC programming and is recognized by industrial companies as high-level supplementary training. While it isn’t an official university degree, the certificate documents highly sought-after skills: PLC programming under the IEC 61131-3 standard, HMI design, SCADA implementation, and industrial communications configuration. Systems integrators, machinery manufacturers, and maintenance departments particularly value this hands-on training because it demonstrates real mastery of industry-standard tools and the ability to develop complete automation projects.
This Industrial Automation and PLC Specialization stands out for its comprehensive, multi-brand technical depth. While many courses focus exclusively on a single PLC brand or cover only introductory content, this program addresses the full cycle of an automation project, from hardware selection through commissioning, including standardized IEC 61131-3 programming applicable to any manufacturer. The content covers PLCs, HMI, SCADA, and industrial communications in depth, with hands-on practice across multiple development environments (TIA Portal, RSLogix, Codesys). It also covers sensors, actuators, drives, and industrial networks, skills usually taught in separate courses but integrated here into a single, coherent program.
