DeKalb Technical College (DeKalb Tech) was established in 1961 and was subsequently known as DeKalb Technical Institute.  It was organized initially in cooperation with the Vocational Division of the State Department of Education as a part of the total educational program operated by the DeKalb County Board of Education.  DeKalb Tech operated as a division and campus of Georgia Perimeter College from 1972 to 1986, and as the postsecondary unit of DeKalb County School System until June 30, 1996.  On July 1, 1996, DeKalb Tech began operating as a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.  In 2000, DeKalb Technical Institute’s name was officially changed to DeKalb Technical College.  Established to serve a multi-county area east of Atlanta, the College is one of a statewide network of area postsecondary technical colleges.

The College enrolled its first class of 18 students in Electronics Technology in 1961.  At that time the College was in temporary quarters while the Clarkston Campus facility was under construction. The facility at 495 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston, Georgia, was occupied on October 14, 1963 and consists of four buildings totaling 170,000 square feet of floor space. Construction of the Covington Campus was completed in August 1997 and consists of approximately 68,000 square feet of instructional space on 67 acres in the Covington/Newton County Industrial Park.  Programs and services are also offered in numerous other locations throughout the DeKalb, Newton and Rockdale counties, including the Newton Center in Covington and the Adult Education Centers in Doraville and Clarkston.

Over 38 different occupations are included in the academic programs. They include career programs in Business Technologies, Computer Information Systems, Electronics, and Engineering Technologies, Health Technologies and Human Services, Industrial and Transportation Technologies. Annual enrollment, including credit programs, continuing education, business and industry training, and Adult Literacy Services, exceeds 17,000 students.

DeKalb Technical College provides technical education for citizens in the DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale, and Morgan counties. These educational opportunities are offered through certificates, diplomas, and associate degree programs designed to prepare a person for a productive and satisfying career; technical instruction for employed persons who wish to upgrade their knowledge and skills; technical instruction enabling persons to train in new occupations when their previous technical skills become obsolete; and adult general education designed to assist persons in improving basic academic skills and in obtaining a high school equivalency certificate. The academic programs are provided conveniently in many locations.