Welding
Leave the classroom with knowledge and work experience.
The welding program prepares students for employment, including apprenticeship, in many industries, including aerospace, maritime, energy, construction and transportation. Students build skills across multiple processes, receiving training from Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) faculty. One of only two Washington colleges accredited by the American Welding Society (AWS), students can complete their studies with an associate’s degree and multiple welding certifications, including WABO (Washington Association of Building Officials). With an emphasis on hands-on training, graduates leave the welding program with both classroom knowledge and work experience. The program also has a strong reputation for giving back to the community, and, in particular, has been recognized for its contributions to Pierce County Parks and Recreation’s Fantasy Lights event.
Contact Information:
Brandon Held, Career Advisor
253-680-7410
South Campus
Day 12-5 PM / Evening 5-10PM
Get the skills you need for the career you want.
More about the program:
Students prepare for apprenticeship employment as welders, filling positions in industries including shipbuilding, industrial construction, energy fields, sheet metal, and auto body. Extensive practical training in all aspects of welding is included as students work in the shop on a variety of welding projects. Upon completion of the welding competencies, students are encouraged to take the certification tests for the American Welding Society and the Washington Association of Building Officials. This program also provides extended learning for persons previously or currently employed in these professions.
Note: Through an Opportunity Grant, special tuition and book funding is available to assist low-income adult students entering this program.
Degrees & Certificates:
- Associate of Applied Science: Welding
- Certificate of Competency: Welder
- Certificate of Training: Welder I & Welder II
- CIP: 48.0508 EPC: 814
Program Lengths:
- AAS program degree length: 6 Quarters
- Certificate of Competency: 7 Quarters
- Certificate of Training: 2 Quarters
Faculty and Other Contact Information:
Note: Information is accurate as of its original posting date. The college reserves the right to edit, change, or update information as needed throughout the year. Up-to-date information is available in Student Services.
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Welding AAS (94-101 Credits)
Description:- 6 quarter AAS with an optional 7th quarter certification
- Maximum class size: 18
- Student to teacher ratio: 18:1
- Enrollment point: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
- This program offers online, hybrid, web-enhanced, and face-to-face courses. Please see course descriptions for more information.
- Students in this program will use welding machines for most processes. They will also learn to use ventilation, air compressors, welding booths, oxy/fuel torches, plasma tables, track burning ops, and forklift operation.
- Both day and evening courses are offered as well as various welding certificates.
- Students will be responsible for purchasing their own welding hood, leather boots, leather jacket, leather gloves. For complete list, see instructors.
Required Courses
Welding AAS (94-101 Credits)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits WELD101 Safety Principles 2 WELD104 Oxyacetylene Cutting 3 WELD105 Introduction to Shielded Metal Arc Welding 5 WELD114 Introduction to Flux Core Arc Welding 4 WELD115 Flux Core Arc Welding - Full Penetration 5 WELD117 Welding Symbols 5 WELD201 Introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 5 WELD202 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Full Penetration 5 WELD203 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Aluminum 5 WELD204 Welding Certification Testing - SMAW 5 WELD205 Advanced Welding Applications - Pipe/SMAW 5 WELD206 Advanced Welding Applications - Pipe/GTAW 5 WELD207 Welding Certification Testing - Flux Core 5 WELD208 Non-destructive Testing 2 WELD210 Advanced Welding Applications - Project 5 WELD292 Independent Projects 1-5 General Education Requirements
Communications (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits ENGL175 Professional Writing 5 ENGL&101 English Composition I 5 ENGL&235 Technical Writing 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
Humanities/Social Sciences/Natural Sciences/Other (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits BIOL&160 General Biology 5 BIOL&175 Human Biology with Lab 5 BIOL&241 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 5 BIOL&242 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 5 BIOL&260 Microbiology 5 CMST&102 Introduction to Mass Media 5 CMST&152 Intercultural Communication 5 CMST&210 Interpersonal Communication 5 CMST&220 Public Speaking 5 ECON&201 Microeconomics 5 NUTR&101 Intro to Nutrition 5 CHEM&121 General Chemistry 5 CHEM&131 Introduction to Organic/Biochemistry 5 HIST101 A History of Science and Technology 5 HREL111 Interviewing and Career Success 5 HUM&101 Introduction to Humanities 5 PHYS&114 Introductory Physics I (Algebra based Physics) 5 PHYS&221 Engineering Physics I w/LAB 5 PHYS&222 Engineering Physics II w/LAB 5 PHYS&223 Engineering Physics III w/LAB 5 POLS&101 Introduction to Political Science 5 PSYC&100 General Psychology 5 PSYC&200 Lifespan Psychology 5 SOC&101 Introduction to Sociology 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
Quantitative (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits MATH172 Business Math 5 MATH&141 Precalculus I 5 MATH&142 Precalculus II 5 MATH&146 Statistics 5 MATH&151 Calculus 5 MATH&152 Calculus II 5 AMATH170 Engineering Foundational Mathematics 5 MATH&107 Math in Society 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
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Welder Certificate of Competency (94-101 Credits)
Description:- 6 quarter CoC with an optional 7th quarter certification
- Maximum class size: 18
- Student to teacher ratio: 18:1
- Enrollment point: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
- This program offers online, hybrid, web-enhanced, and face-to-face courses. Please see course descriptions for more information.
- Students in this program will use welding machines for most processes. They will also learn to use ventilation, air compressors, welding booths, oxy/fuel torches, plasma tables, track burning ops, and forklift operation.
- Both day and evening courses are offered as well as various welding certificates.
- Students will be responsible for purchasing their own welding hood, leather boots, leather jacket, leather gloves. For complete list, see instructors.
Required Courses
Welder Certificate of Completion (94-101 Credits)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits WELD101 Safety Principles 2 WELD104 Oxyacetylene Cutting 3 WELD105 Introduction to Shielded Metal Arc Welding 5 WELD114 Introduction to Flux Core Arc Welding 4 WELD115 Flux Core Arc Welding - Full Penetration 5 WELD117 Welding Symbols 5 WELD201 Introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 5 WELD202 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Full Penetration 5 WELD203 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Aluminum 5 WELD204 Welding Certification Testing - SMAW 5 WELD205 Advanced Welding Applications - Pipe/SMAW 5 WELD206 Advanced Welding Applications - Pipe/GTAW 5 WELD207 Welding Certification Testing - Flux Core 5 WELD208 Non-destructive Testing 2 WELD210 Advanced Welding Applications - Project 5 WELD292 Independent Projects 1-5 General Education Requirements
Communications (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits ENGL175 Professional Writing 5 ENGL&101 English Composition I 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
Humanities/Social Sciences/Natural Sciences/Other (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits BIOL&160 General Biology 5 BIOL&175 Human Biology with Lab 5 BIOL&241 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 5 BIOL&242 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 5 BIOL&260 Microbiology 5 CMST&102 Introduction to Mass Media 5 CMST&152 Intercultural Communication 5 CMST&210 Interpersonal Communication 5 CMST&220 Public Speaking 5 ECON&201 Microeconomics 5 NUTR&101 Intro to Nutrition 5 CHEM&121 General Chemistry 5 CHEM&131 Introduction to Organic/Biochemistry 5 HIST101 A History of Science and Technology 5 HREL111 Interviewing and Career Success 5 HUM&101 Introduction to Humanities 5 PHYS&114 Introductory Physics I (Algebra based Physics) 5 PHYS&221 Engineering Physics I w/LAB 5 PHYS&222 Engineering Physics II w/LAB 5 PHYS&223 Engineering Physics III w/LAB 5 POLS&101 Introduction to Political Science 5 PSYC&100 General Psychology 5 PSYC&200 Lifespan Psychology 5 SOC&101 Introduction to Sociology 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
Quantitative (5 Credits Required)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits MATH172 Business Math 5 MATH&141 Precalculus I 5 MATH&142 Precalculus II 5 MATH&146 Statistics 5 MATH&151 Calculus 5 MATH&152 Calculus II 5 AMATH170 Engineering Foundational Mathematics 5 MATH&107 Math in Society 5 Note: See a Career Advisor prior to choosing courses that meet general education requirements.
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Welder I Certificate of Training (30 Credits)
Description: 2 quarter Certificate of TrainingWelder I Certificate of Training (30 Credits)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits WELD101 Safety Principles 2 WELD104 Oxyacetylene Cutting 3 WELD105 Introduction to Shielded Metal Arc Welding 5 WELD108 Full Penetration Welds - Flat/Horizontal 5 WELD109 Full Penetration Welds - Vertical/Overhead 5 WELD117 Welding Symbols 5 WELD110 Full Penetration Welds - Open Root 5 -
Welder II Certificate of Training (28 Credits)
Description: 2 quarter Certificate of TrainingWelder II Certificate of Training (28 Credits)
Course Code Course Title Course Credits WELD111 Introduction to Gas Metal Arc Welding 3 WELD112 Gas Metal Arc Welding - Full Penetration 4 WELD113 Gas Metal Arc Welding - Aluminum 5 WELD114 Introduction to Flux Core Arc Welding 4 WELD115 Flux Core Arc Welding - Full Penetration 5 WELD101 Safety Principles 2 WELD207 Welding Certification Testing - Flux Core 5
No eligibility requirements have been provided.
At Bates, our tuition is affordable and there are options to help make it even easier to gain an education. Federal aid is available for many of our students. Scholarships are also available through the Bates Foundation.
See if you qualify for other funding through our special funding programs with the Workforce Education office.
- National Median Salary: $42,490
- National Potential Annual Job Openings: 43,400
This information is based on data from O*Net, captured on June 2021.
No accreditation or related information have been provided.
To come.
No forms have been provided.