Harper College

Welding Fabrication Certificate

Spark a path forward to a career in welding

Program facts Manufacturing and Construction icon


  • Credit hours: 33
  • Stackable to degree: Yes
  • Potential job outcomes: Welder, fabricator

Gain entry-level skills in welding fabrication with this 33-credit-hour certificate program. This program focuses on advanced welding theory, extensive practice in the major arc welding process and out-of- position and multi-pass arc welding including GMAW, SMAW and GTAW. You’ll work directly from blueprints and develop the welding skills necessary to construct quality fabricated metal weldments.

Take classes in prints and schematics, basic technical mathematics, welding, advanced blueprint reading, cutting processes and welding fabrication. All classes are taught by knowledgeable instructors who are highly skilled in the welding fabrication field.

Credit earned for this program can be applied to the Welding Technology AAS Degree.

Certificate program requirements

This 33 credit-hour certificate program is designed to give students entry-level skills in welding fabrication. The program of study will emphasize advanced welding theory, extensive practice in the major arc welding process, and out-of-position and multi-pass arc welding including GMAW, SMAW and GTAW. Students will work from blueprints and develop the welding skills necessary to construct quality fabricated metal weldments.

All WLD courses are offered in an 8-week scheduling format.

Program Requirements

Number Course Title Credits
Required
MFT 1343

Description: Provides students in the machine trades the basic skills required for visualizing and interpreting industrial prints. Emphasizes orthographic projection techniques of top, front, side, and section views, tolerancing, geometric dimensioning and the impact of computer drafting as related to the machine trades.

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 1

Contact Hours: 4

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

MTH 100 13

Description: Reviews arithmetic, introduces basic algebraic and right triangle trigonometric techniques. Includes arithmetic, elementary algebra, geometry, ratio and proportions, measurements, right triangle trigonometry and their application to solve a variety of career and technical problems. Draws practical problems from the student’s career area, including emergency services, graphic communications, building trades, culinary arts and information technology. Intended for students pursuing Harper degrees and certificates in career program fields. This mathematics course is intended for AAS degree students only.

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

Contact Hours: 3

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 1103

Description: Covers fundamentals of oxyacetylene welding theory and practices, and beginning electric welding. Includes arc welding and gas welding, brazing and cutting in the horizontal position.

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 5

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2103

Description: Covers advanced welding theory and practice in arc welding. Provides experience in MIG and TIG (Heliarc) techniques. Includes an introduction to strength of weld testing. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 110 with a grade of C or better, or consent of instructor.

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 5

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2114

Description: Covers advanced welding theory and extensive practice in major arc welding process. Provides experience in advanced GMAW (gas metal arc welding), FCAW (flux cored arc welding), GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding), and other arc welding techniques. Includes plasma arc and air carbon arc cutting. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 210 with a grade of C or better, or consent of coordinator.

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 6

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2124

Description: Covers advanced out-of-position and multi-pass arc welding including GMAW (gas metal arc welding), SMAW (shielded metal arc welding), and GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding). Emphasizes working from blueprints and development of welding skills necessary to pass welder qualification tests. Students must pass guided bend tests to become “certified welders” in accordance with AWS (American Welding Society) D1.1 Structural Welding Code. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 211 with a grade of C or better, or consent of coordinator.

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 6

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2252

Description: Teaches the student to become proficient in reading more complex welding blueprints. The student will learn the symbols specific to welding blueprints. Emphasizes developing the ability to transfer the two-dimensional print to the actual three-dimensional object. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: MFT 134 and WLD 210 with grades of C or better.

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 2

Contact Hours: 3

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2403

Description: Allows the student an opportunity to gain proficiency in all major industrial arc, oxy-fuel, and mechanical cutting processes-manual, semi-automatic and automatic. Processes include Plasma Arc, Air Carbon Arc, Shielded Metal Arc, Exothermic, and Oxy-Fuel cutting; optical tracers; and CNC controls. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 210 with a grade of C or better.

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 5

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2454

Description: Provides hands-on experience constructing welding projects employing arc, oxy-acetylene, gas metal arc (mig), gas tungsten arc (tig), or a combination of these welding processes using a welding blueprint as a guide. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 211 and WLD 240 with grades of C or better.

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 6

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

WLD 2504

Description: Prepares the students to construct welding projects employing arc, oxyacetylene, gas metal arc (MIG), gas tungsten arc (TIG), or any combination of these welding processes using a welding blueprint as a guide. Covers advanced fabrication techniques including rolling, forming and bending. NOTE: The prerequisite will be waived for Fall 2020. Prerequisite: WLD 211 and WLD 245 with grades of C or better.

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 4

Contact Hours: 6

Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025

Total Hours33
1

Students may take MTH 100, MTH 101, MTH 103 or higher.

Related programs

Students interested in welding technology may also be interested in:

Next steps

For more information about welding training at Harper College, contact Admission Outreach at 847.925.6700, or submit a request information form. You can also apply online.

Last Updated: 4/3/25