Welding Technical Diploma

Program Overview

Program Overview

The Welding program at Madison College prepares students for valuable work as a welder in various industries. Students develop welding skills using common manual and semi-automatic arc welding processes, gain skills and knowledge in industrial safety, blueprint reading, metallurgy, basic metal fabrication, and career exploration/employability. They prepare for all welding positions using a variety of plate and sheet metal, including pipe welding, and complete welding projects following American Welding Society (AWS) codes and procedures.

Program Details

• Program Number:
• Degree: Technical Diploma
• Area of Study: Construction, Manufacturing and Maintenance
• Delivery Method: 100% In Person
• Estimated Time to Complete: 29 Credits | Finish diploma in 1 year
• Financial Aid Available: Yes
• Estimated Program Cost: $6,489.82
• Tuition and Fees: Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your tuition costs.

Admission

• Application Dates:
  • Fall 2025: Application open, Application completion deadline is August 15, 2025
  • Fall 2026: Application available on September 15, 2025, Application completion deadline is August 31, 2026
• Admission Requirements:
  • Admission Application
  • Education Completion: Submit official transcripts from the institutions you attended that indicate one of the following:
    • High school completion (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
    • GED/HSED completion
    • College transcript or Madison College experience showing:
      • Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
      • At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
• Residency Requirement - beginning Fall 2026:
  • Out-of-state residents (except Minnesota residents*) are not eligible for admission consideration to this program
  • Non-district state residents:
    • May only be considered after January 1 for the upcoming fall term
    • *Minnesota residents are considered non-district state residents for admission purposes

Curriculum and Experience

• First Semester:
  • Interpreting Engineering Drawings (2 credits)
  • Oxy Fuel Welding and Thermal Cutting (2 credits)
  • Arc Welding Theory (2 credits)
  • Basic Arc (SMAW) (2 credits)
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 1 (GTAW/TIG) (2 credits)
  • Basic Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG) (2 credits)
  • Fabrication 1 (2 credits)
  • Math For Metal Fabrication (1 credit)
• Second Semester:
  • Safety for Industry (1 credit)
  • Welding Occupational Development (1 credit)
  • Arc Welding (SMAW) Vertical (2 credits)
  • Advanced Welding Techniques (2 credits)
  • Flux Cored & Advanced Gas Metal Arc Welding (FCAW/GMAW) (2 credits)
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 2 (GTAW/TIG) (2 credits)
  • Fundamentals of Metallurgy (2 credits)
  • Fabrication 2 (2 credits)

Career Outcomes

• Safety Awareness: Apply and demonstrate safe working practices and techniques that comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, local requirements and established industry safety practices.
• Employability Skills and Practices: Demonstrate abilities that contribute to employment by displaying flexibility, self-motivation, time efficiency, effective written and oral communication, and contributing to work team success.
• Career Advancement Skills and Personal Initiative: Demonstrate career advancement skills by engaging in problem solving, time management and shop management practices.
• Technical Welding Skills: Demonstrate knowledge, set-up and correct operation of commonly used welding equipment.
• Basic Metallurgy and Properties/Identification of Metals: Understand and apply metallurgy concepts and principals to common welding and metal fabrication processes.
• Technical Metal Fabrication Skills: Understand and demonstrate basic metal fabrication functions.

Graduate Summary

• Number of Program Graduates: 41 (2022), 34 (2023), 42 (2024)
• Number of Surveys Sent: 41 (2022), 34 (2023), 42 (2024)
• Number of Surveys Returned: 30 (2022), 19 (2023), 20 (2024)
• Percent of Surveys Returned: 73.2% (2022), 55.9% (2023), 47.6% (2024)
• Available for Employment: 26 (2022), 15 (2023), 14 (2024)
• Percent Available for Employment: 86.7% (2022), 78.9% (2023), 70.0% (2024)

Graduate Employers

• Badger Diversified Metals: Welder
• Custom Metal, Inc: Metal Fabricator/Welder
• DRM Industries: Welder
• Food Process Systems: Tig Welder/Fabricator
• Graber Manufacturing: Welder
• Integrated Process Engineers & Constructors: Welder
• Middleton Machining and Welding: Fabricator
• Space Saver Company: Welder
• Trachte Building Systems Inc: Welder
• United Alloy: Welder

Related Programs

• Metal Fabrication
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

Program Outline

Outline:

• Students will develop welding skills using common manual and semi-automatic arc welding processes.
• Students will gain skills and knowledge in industrial safety, blueprint reading, metallurgy, basic metal fabrication and career exploration/employability.
• Students will prepare for all welding positions using a variety of plate and sheet metal, including pipe welding.

Careers:

• Maintenance Welder
• Qualified Welder
• Structural Welder
• Welder/Fabricator
• Production Welder
• Ironworker Apprentice
• Steamfitter Apprentice
With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find employment as:
• Welding Apprentice
• Welding Foreman
• Welding Inspector
• Welding Supervisor
• Metal Fabrication