Welding

To learn more, visit: https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/programs/welding/

Program Number: 31-442-1
Technical Diploma (1 year)
Campus: Fond du Lac, Jackson Regional Center
This program is eligible for financial aid

Do you love working with your hands and technology? Make your mark—and a few sparks—with a career in welding through Moraine Park Technical College’s 1-year Welding technical diploma.

About the Program

Want to become a welder? Get the training you need to gain entry-level employment (in less than a year!) in Moraine Park’s Welding technical diploma program.

Moraine Park’s Welding technical diploma program teaches individuals the welding and fabrication skills needed in today’s industries. Through hands-on experience in a welding laboratory, students gain skills in all welding positions.

What You'll Learn

Upon completion, students will know how to interpret welding drawings, operate metal fabricating equipment, perform thermal cutting, produce gas metal arc welds (GMAW), produce gas tungsten arc welds (GTAW), produce shielded metal arc welds (SMAW), produce flux cored arc welds (FCAW) and demonstrate safety practices.

Earn Two Diplomas at Once

With an additional 10 credits completed in the summer, students can earn both the Welding technical diploma and the Metal Fabrication technical diploma in just three semesters!

Transfer Opportunities

Your academic journey can continue at a four-year college or university. Earn your associate degree at Moraine Park and then apply those credits toward a bachelor’s degree. Starting at MPTC makes completing a bachelor’s degree affordableaccessible and convenient. You can go anywhere as MPTC has transfer agreements with colleges and universities both in Wisconsin and throughout the country.

Visit the Transfer to a Four-Year College page for more information on credit transfer agreements between Moraine Park and four-year colleges, both public and private.
 

Additional Information

A student project may incur additional fees.

Students must purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tools for this program. The supply list is available from the Academic Advisor.

 

Admission Process

Standard Admissions steps details

Credit for Prior Learning

Transform the skills and abilities developed through previous experience into college credit through MPTC’s Credit for Prior Learning process. 

  • Transfer credit from other colleges/universities
  • Earn college credit for your military training and experience
  • Earn college credit via Advance Placement, CLEP, DANTES/DSST or MPTC Challenge Exams
  • Earn college credit from previous/current work and life experiences

Visit MPTC’s Credit for Prior Learning page for more information.

Approximate Costs

Tuition

Occupational

  • $149.50 per credit (resident)
  • $224.25 per credit (out-of-state resident)

Associate of Arts/Associate of Science

  • $188.90 per credit (resident)
  • $283.35 per credit (out-of-state resident)

Online students are not charged out-of-state fees.

Student Fees

  • $5.00 minimum per course Material Fee
  • $12.50 per-credit Supplemental Fee for Undergraduate courses
  • $4.50 per term mandatory Student Accident Insurance Fee

Please refer to Tuition & Fee Information for additional enrollment fee information.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid is available for associate degree and technical diploma programs (those that are 2 semesters in length and typically with 28 credits or more). Processing can take 4-5 weeks after a student's completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received. Visit the Financial Aid page to learn more.

While attending Moraine Park during the 2024-25 school year, your estimated cost of attendance for one full year includes tuition of $4,462 (15 credits for fall and spring semester), fees of $338, food and housing of $3,008 (if living with parents, $9,147 if living on your own), books and supplies of $1,465, personal expenses of $3,608, and transportation of $4,017 for a total of $17,002. Your direct costs (those costs paid directly to the college) include tuition & fees. The indirect costs (costs not paid to the college) can vary from individual to individual and your own personal needs.

Course Requirements 

Plan of Study Grid
Semester 1Credits
103-159 Computer Literacy - Microsoft Office 1
442-331 Welding Print Reading 2
442-338 Cutting Processes 1
442-356 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) 2
442-357 Gas Metal Arc Welding 1 (GMAW) 2
442-358 Gas Metal Arc Welding 2 (GMAW) 2
457-347 Metallurgy for Welding 1
804-360 Occupational Mathematics 1 2
890-101 College 101 2
 Credits15
Semester 2
442-359 Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW) 2
442-370 Introduction to Robotic Welding 2
442-386 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 1 (GTAW) 2
442-387 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 2 (GTAW) 2
442-392 Advanced Welding and Metals 2
457-345 Metal Fabrication 4
 Credits14
 Total Credits29

Program Outcomes

  • Demonstrate industry-recognized safety practices
  • Interpret welding drawings
  • Produce gas metal arc welds (GMAW)
  • Produce shielded metal arc welds (SMAW)
  • Produce flux core arc welds (FCAW)
  • Produce gas tungsten arc welds (GTAW)
  • Perform cutting operations

Pathways 

Earn certificates and two technical diplomas along this pathway. Start with some courses for entry-level employment, and continue with additional courses for higher wages and job advancement.

Career Opportunities

  • Production Welder
  • Pre-Apprentice/Apprentice
  • Welder/Fitter
  • Finish Welder
  • Welder/Fabricator
  • Robotic Welding Operator

Statewide Median Salary for Recent Graduates

$50,956