Welding Technology
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About Welding Technology
The Welding Technology Program provides the opportunity to develop skills necessary to be a skilled entry level welder. There is an increasing demand for welders in a variety of industries including light and heavy construction, automobile, aircraft, gas and oil, railroad, machinery and manufacturing industries. These skills are developed through theory and hands-on application into various welding specialties including Blueprint Reading and Advanced Computer Aided Design, Oxy-Fuel Welding and Related Processes, Basic Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Basic Gas Metal Arc Welding, and Basic Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. Students learn to use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Students find employment in industries related to construction, machinery, manufacturing oil and gas, and transportation. Graduates with entry level certifications will find challenging jobs with opportunity for rapid advancement.
What you’ll learn
- Interpret welding blueprints
- Cut and Weld carbon steel using the Oxy-Fuel torch
- Weld carbon steel with the shielded metal arc welding process
- Weld carbon steel, aluminum and stainless steel with the gas metal arc welding process
- Weld carbon steel, aluminum and stainless steel with the gas tungsten arc welding process
Sample Job Titles
Aluminum Welder, Fabrication Welder, Fabricator, Fitter/Welder, Maintenance Welder, MIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder), Sub Arc Operator, Welder, Welder-Fitter, Welder/Fabricator
Essential Skills Needed
This program requires a variety of foundational skills for students to thrive. Click the button below to view the full list of essential skills you’ll need before enrolling.
Quick facts
Location
Thaddeus Stevens College at Greenfield
Type of program
Associate Degree
Job/Salary Outlook
See industry data
Length of program
2 years, 66 credits
Cost of program
$4,500/semester tuition
$3,105 – $3,623/semester housing
$1,915 – $2,417/semester meal plan
Tool List (PDF)
Program details
Courses
MODEL SCHEDULE FOR WELDING TECHNOLOGY
Semester 1
- WELD 106 Welding Blueprint Reading (4 credits)
- WELD 110 OxyFuel welding and Related Processes (3 credits)
- WELD 121 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (4 credits)
- WELD 150 Introduction to Safety (1 credit)
- MATH 126 Technical Math I (or higher) (3 credits)
- Science Elective (3 credits)
Semester 2
- WELD 155 Gas Metal Arc Welding I (1st 8 wks) (3 credits)
- WELD 160 Gas Metal Arc Welding II (2nd 8 wks) (3 credits)
- WELD 165 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding I (1st 8 wks) (3 credits)
- WELD 170 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding II (2nd 8 wks) (3 credits)
- MATH 136 Technical Math II (or higher) (3 credits)
- ENG 106 English Composition (3 credits)
Semester 3
- WELD 205 Flux Cored Arc Welding (3 credits)
- WELD 220 Shielded Metal Arc Welding II (3 credits)
- WELD 225 Metallurgy (3 credits)
- WELD 230 Special Welding Processes (3 credits)
- Humanities Elective (3 credits)
- Health/PE Elective (1 credit)
- ENG 216 Technical Report Writing (3 credits)
Semester 4
- WELD 260 Gas Metal Arc Welding III (3 credits)
- WELD 270 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding III (3 credits)
- WELD 275 Pipe Welding (3 credits)
- WELD 280 Non-Destructive Testing (3 credits)
- CIS 105 Drawing with Auto CAD (3 credits)
- General Studies Elective (3 credits)
Total Credits 73
Faculty
Michael Marino
Assistant Professor, Welding Technology, First-Year Students, ’10 marino@stevenscollege.edu
Andrea Biesecker
Assistant Professor, Welding Technology, First-Year Students, ’09 biesecker@stevenscollege.eduOccupational Advisory Committee
The Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) serves as a vital link between the Program of study and industry, ensuring that the program remains aligned with current workforce needs, technological advancements, and best practices in the field. Composed of employers, educators, and other community members, the committee provides guidance, feedback, and recommendations to enhance the curriculum, instructional methods, and student learning experiences.
Purpose and Responsibilities:
- Curriculum & Industry Alignment
- Workforce Readiness
- Student & Faculty Support
- Internship & Employment Connections
- Accreditation & Program Evaluation
- Facilities & Equipment Recommendations
By fostering a strong relationship between academia and industry, the OAC helps ensure that Thaddeus Stevens College programs maintain the highest standards in CTE (career and technical education).
- Diannia Armolt, American Hydro
- Greg Esh, Goodhart Sons
- Daniel, Feeser, Johnson Controls Navy System
- John Forwood, SWF Industrial
- Cameron Leakey, Goodhart Sons
- Melissa Martin, Viocity Group
- Roch Minnich, Scenic Ridge
- Perry Patton, Walton & Company
- John Peiffer, High Industries
- Sasa Randjelovic, JGM Fabricators & Constructors, LLC
- Rick Sine, Greiner Industries
- Jason Smith, BlueScope Buildings North America
- Dave Watson, The Lincoln Electric Company
- Sasha Wawrzyniak, Viocity Group
- Gregory Weitzel, High Steel Structures LLC
- Eddie Woodard, ITW/Miller Electric
The outcomes speak for themselves
A variety of industries need welders, including light and heavy construction, automotive, aircraft, railroad, and manufacturing industries.
100%
employment
$52.5K
median first-year
salary
100%
satisfaction
Performance Measures
Internal Key Performance Indicators (Sources: Internal data collections, and Post-Graduate Surveys)
Retention Rate
This rate reflects the continuous term-to-term persistence rate for certificate programs and the fall-to-fall retention rate for associate degree programs.
Graduation Rate
This rate reflects the number of freshmen who were officially enrolled in the fall semester and earned a certificate or degree within the expected timeframe.
Post Graduate Survey Response Rate
The post graduate survey is an annual on-line post graduate survey utilized by the college to gather vital information regarding career placement, starting salary, and level of satisfaction.
Employed Full Time Outside of Major
Percentage of graduates who reported being employed full-time outside their field of study.
Graduate Satisfaction
This is the median graduate survey response evaluating the level of preparation for workforce entry (based on a 5-Item Likert Scale).
Placement Rate
This is the percent of graduate survey respondents who reported being employed or continued their education on a full-time basis.
Employed Full Time Within Major
Percentage of graduates who reported being employed full-time within their field of study.
Annual Median Starting Salary
This number is based on the graduate survey response to the request to identify a starting salary from a range of options. This graph shows the median first-year annual salary. All calculations are based on the respondent’s self-reported first-year annual income.
Reported Hourly Rate
This number is determined by dividing the reported median salary by the number of hours in a traditional full-time work week (40), then the number of weeks in a year (52).
Our graduates work with the industry’s best
Soar Agreements
This program enables students to apply certain credits earned in high school to the credits needed for a degree or certificate through Thaddeus Stevens College. The Welding Technology qualifies for this program – see our SOAR program page for details!