Southwest Virginia Community College in Cedar Bluff, Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, are some of the schools that offer diplomas in welding. Southwest Virginia Community College has a two-year program that trains students to be welders, fitter-welders and shop foremen. Classes include machine shop practices, arc welding, pipe fitting, survey of computer aided drafting and a welder certification test.
There are several colleges that grant certificates in welding, including Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Ivy Tech Community College with 23 campuses in Indiana, Central Arizona College in Coolidge, the Black Hawk College campuses in Moline and Galva, Illinois, Texas State Technical College in Waco, and El Camino College in Torrance, California.
Pennsylvania College of Technology offers a four-semester certificate course in welding that gives students the skills, theories and practice in such areas as shielded metal arc welding, oxy-fuel welding, inert gas shielded metal arc welding and plasma cutting. Graduates will be qualified to seek work as construction welders, fitters and shipbuilders.
Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, Mesa Community College in Arizona, Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, and Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin, are among the schools that award associate degrees in welding.
Ferris State University, founded in 1972, has developed a 62 credit-hour Associate in Applied Science in Welding Technology. Students in this program are provided direct lab experience in welding processes, and receive instruction in areas such as metallurgy, mechanical testing and weldment fabrication. Graduates will have the qualifications to find work as welding supervisors, welding technicians and inspectors.
If you want a four-year degree in welding, there are a number of institutions you can choose from, including Ohio State University in Columbus, Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, Idaho State University in Pocatello, Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho and Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan.
Ohio State University confers a Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering that trains students in design, materials, process theory and testing aspects of welding. The curriculum will include classes in chemistry, engineering, electrical circuits, welding engineering design, welding metallurgy and industrial quality control.