A number of courses are available that support gas chromatography for Chemical Laboratory Technicians.  Below are those which have been identified by the Gas Chromatography Module Development Team as being particularly useful.

1. Advanced Techniques of Gas Chromatography 
Developed for customers with some GC experience, this three-day course will build skills in techniques of capillary GC. Practical aspects are covered, including split, splitless, and on-column injection techniques; exercises in resolving complex analytical problems; and methods development. Specialized topics include high-temperature analyses, data handling, and the automation of a modern, low-cost autosampler.  Offered by Varian, the course reference number is TS-COURSE-12. 

2. Anlytical Gas Chromatography:
A Collaborative Effort Analytical Gas Chromatography, 2nd Edition by Walter Jennings, Eric Mittlefehldt, and Philip Stremple.
This course, by J&W Scientific offers good, basic troubleshooting charts and information.  It also offers free help with application development.

3. Chrompack Courses
Chrompack is a company for chromatography products for GC (incl. PLOT) and HPLC, instruments etc.  These European training courses offer free help with application and development.
 
4. Fundamentals of Gas Chromatography, Course
This three-day course, by Shimadzu's Gas Chromatography & GC/MS Platform, provides an introduction to GC principles.  Hands-on laboratory experiments cover setup, operation, method development, evaluation, and maintenance of Shimadzu gas chromatographs.  State-of-the-art teaching media is employed in classrooms, and the course development is based on both theoretical and practical applications.
 
5. Gas Chromatography HP 5890 Series GC :
Gas Chromatography HP 5890 Series II Gas Chromatography overview.  On-line Tutoring covering columns, auto sampler pressure system and integrator. This offers good, basic information from an operations perspective.

6. Gas Chromatography Short Course 
Offered by the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Function at Penn State, this is one of two intensive short courses.  (The other being Liquid Chromatography).  These courses are designed for both industrial and academic users of Gas and High Performance Liquid Chromatography. They offer practical experience and classroom discussion to help new and experienced users improve their technique and expand their uses of these powerful analytical tools. In addition, Penn State offers GC and LC courses in a joint venture with Hewlett Packard.

7. Gas Chromatography: Theory and Practice
This four-day course, taught at Virginia Tech and available through the American Chemical Society covers a number of topics, including: principles of gas chromatography as a separation and analytical tool, components of a gas chromatograph, the relationship of retention time and resolution to the characterization of mixtures, detectors, column length, installation, and maintenance, column packing material and construction, the use of gas chromatographs to analyze known and unknown mixtures, injection, computer-controlled gas chromatographs, and vendors of gas chromatographic instruments.

8. Introduction to Gas Chromatography  
This one day "hands-on" short course by NSITC includes lectures in areas of applications and components of an instrument.  Practicals include components of a GC, injection technique, and integration/data handling.   The course consists of approximately one hours theory and the rest of a day working with a gas chromatograph, practicing good technique.
 

9. Principles of Gas Chromatography 
Students in this course will learn basic concepts of operating any standard gas chromatograph.  The focus is on the fundamentals needed to understand how a GC works.  Discussion of theory is minimized.  Helpful for both novices and experienced chromatographers.  Hands-on laboratory exercises include general instrument control, syringe injection techniques, temperature programming, quantitative analysis, and more.  Course is provided by Chroma-Skills, Inc.

10. Shidmazu Gas Chromatography Course
The Shimadzu Customer Training and Education Center (CTEC), located at Shimadzu Scientific Instruments' main headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, serves as the primary educational facility for our customers. State-of-the-art teaching media is employed in classrooms, and instruments representing Shimadzu's major product lines are showcased in our hands-on teaching laboratories. Our instructors are fully qualified and experienced with the course materials and instruments. Course development is based on both theoretical and practical applications. We welcome and encourage colleague discussions and our courses include an opportunity to interact with Shimadzu product specialists.

11. Specializing in Economical Solutions to High Resolution Chromatography
Available from OnLine Lectures and Tutorials, created by James Hardy at the University of Akron, offers fundamental information presented as a slide presentation.  Although it could more explanations, it is a clear and clean presentation.  It covers the following topics: distillation theory and practice, solvent extraction, chromatographic theory, qualitative evaluation of chromatographic data, quantitative analysis, gas chromatography, capillary column gas chromatography, multidimensional gas chromatography, as well as high-performance liquid chromatography.
 
12. Techniques of Gas Chromatography (Varian)
This four-day introductory course, offered by Varian covers theoretical principles, operation of state-of-the-art systems, as well as troubleshooting and maintenance topics.  Packed columns and large bore and narrow capillary techniques are presented, along with specific injector and detector information.  The course reference number is TS-Course-11.

13. Techniques of Gas Chromatography Course (Hewlett-Packard)
This five day course featuring hands-on lab exercizes designed to teach the fundamentals of gas chromatography is offered by Hewlett-Packard.  Students are taught how to set up and analyze a sample using a standard method.  Principles of injection, separation, detection, and data analysis, including calibration are taught.  Method optimization and troubleshooting and maintenance techniques are addressed.

14. U.S. Analytical Instrument Training (Perkin-Elmer)
This course offers fundamentals of gas chromatography, columns, and troubleshooting.

15. Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley

Offers a annual series of chromatography courses, taught by some of the leading chromatographers in the world. Modern Practice of Gas Chromatography is scheduled to be taught at West Chester University in PA on May 10-12, 2000. For information contact Ed Carenzo at 610-292-4353.