This technical certificate program is a three-semester (twelve month) program and is composed of didactic and clinical instruction. The online format is designed to better accommodate students with more difficult schedules as well as those who may live long distances away from the main campus. The program format includes six (6) lecture courses offered online and clinical training during the summer and fall terms. All didactic instruction is delivered online from the Volunteer State Community College main campus in Gallatin, TN. The clinical training is performed at various hospitals and clinics throughout East, Middle, and West Tennessee and surrounding areas. The VSCC Sleep Diagnostics Technology program has partnered with numerous clinical affiliate sites throughout most of the state and beyond. The program is designed to prepare the student for employment in a Sleep Disorder Center as well as lessen the training period required to sit for the national BRPT credentialing examination. After completing and successfully passing the BRPT examination, the sleep lab technologist will receive the RPSGT credential (Registered Polysomnographic Technologist).
The program must be completed in succession beginning with the spring semester. All students begin the program in the spring and complete the certificate in December of the same calendar year. For those students entering the program with prior Sleep Diagnostics experience the advisor may allow the transfer of college credit or credit by credit by examination.
For those wishing to pursue an associate degree, this technical certificate may be applied towards the A.A.S. Health Sciences Option.
Students interested in one of Volunteer State Community Colleges Health Sciences programs must follow the A.S. in Health Sciences curriculum. You must contact an advisor in your preferred area of emphasis to identify appropriate general education and elective courses for admission into your selected program. For more information about specific program deadlines and requirements, please refer to the program's information packet.
Enrollment Requirements
Students desiring entrance into the Sleep Diagnostic Technology program must have the following on file:
- Meet admission requirements for Volunteer State Community College based on the admission or readmission status the applicant is seeking
- Apply to the Sleep Diagnostics Program by October 1 for the class beginning in January. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Any questions about the program or the admissions procedure should be directed to the Program Director, Mel Matthews.
- Clinical affiliates that students visit as part of the clinical rotations requirements for the program require students to pass a background check and a 10-panel drug screen before their clinical semester. The background checks are generally concerned with prior criminal activity. A background check is also required by the TN Board of Health to obtain a TN license to practice polysomnography after graduation. Please consider this before applying.
Accreditation
The Sleep Diagnostics Program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in cooperation with the Committee on Accreditation for Polysomnographic Technology (CoA-PSG).
Committee on Accreditation for Polysomnographic Technology (CoAPSG)
1711 Frank Ave
New Bern, NC 28560
(252) 626-3238
