Three credentials, one path
Every class counts toward the next credential. Stop after any of them with a job-ready award.
Start here
Welding Basics certificate
1 term
$1,980 full program
- Financial aid eligible
- Day or evening
- Starts every term
Most students choose
Welding certificate
3 terms
$6,300 full program
- Financial aid eligible
- Day or evening
- Prepares you for industry weld tests
Go further
Associate degree in Welding Technology
2 years
$12,400 full program
- Financial aid eligible
- Day classes, some evening
- Adds pipe welding and inspection
Illustrative costs for a fictional college: in-district tuition and fees for the whole program, before aid. Gear and books are about $600 more.
Photo: Josh Beech on UnsplashWhat you’ll do
- Weld steel, stainless and aluminum with MIG, TIG and stick.
- Read blueprints and weld symbols.
- Cut and fit parts with plasma and oxy-fuel torches.
- Practice for industry weld tests in the shop.
- Work safely around heat, fumes and heavy parts.
Program map: Welding certificate
Full time, three terms. Part time takes about twice as long.
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Term 1
- Shop safety
- Intro to MIG welding
- Blueprint reading
Earn Welding Basics
-
Term 2
- Stick welding
- Cutting and fitting
- Applied math for trades
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Term 3
- TIG welding
- Weld test practice
- Workplace communication
Earn the Welding certificate
The associate degree adds three terms of pipe welding, inspection and general education.
Jobs this leads to
-
Production welder
Builds parts on a line in a fabrication or manufacturing shop.
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Structural welder
Joins beams and frames for buildings and bridges.
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Pipe welder
Welds pipe for water, gas and energy work. Usually needs the degree.
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Fabricator
Cuts, fits and welds custom metal work from drawings.
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Maintenance welder
Repairs equipment on farms, at mills and on job sites.
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Welding inspector trainee
Checks welds against codes. Experience required first.
We don’t list wages here because they vary by region and employer. For current pay and job outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.