COM1

COMBINATION WELDER I PROGRAM – 12 weeks/480 hours

Program Course
Course Length:
12 weeks (480 clock hours)

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Course Objective: Prepares students for entry-level employment in manufacturing, structural steel, and pipe welding.  The student will obtain the ability to read and understand fabrication fundamentals, welding drawings, and layouts. In addition, students will be able to demonstrate and gain essential workforce skills: solving problems effectively, managing time, receiving feedback constructively, and develop target resumes.  All classroom time is the same in both Combination Welder I and II Programs.

Course Description: The welding disciplines covered in this course are 5 weeks (200 hours) of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)/Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW), 6 weeks (240 hours) of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) on plate and pipe welding, and 1 week (40 hours) of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).  Other areas of study include safety, basic trade math, equipment maintenance, fabrication fundamentals, thermal cutting and quality control and inspection.

Upon successful completion of the course the student should be:

  • Able to understand the different wires, shielding gasses and transfer modes associated with GMAW and FCAW
  • Able to understand welding symbols, blueprints and pipe layouts
  • Able to understand the different electrodes and the applications associated with SMAW
  • Equipped with the skills to perform plate weld qualifications in GMAW, FCAW & SMAW processes to the America Welding Society (AWS) D1.1/D1.1M current standards
  • Equipped with the skills to perform pipe weld qualification in SMAW processes to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) current standards
  • Additional Essential Workforce Skills
    • Demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate issues with welding equipment to implement effective solutions.
    • Exhibit self-awareness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation to effectively oversee one’s own well-being, ensuring personal growth and the attainment of individual objectives.
    • Identify and address improvements in their skills to better achieve personal goals by actively listening to feedback
    • Demonstrate ability to pursue, attract, and secure career opportunities aligned to personal interests and qualifications.

*For Tuition Assistance through the Department of Defense tuition rate is $28.90 per hour.

Program Course
Course Length:
12 weeks (480 clock hours)
Fargo • Bismarck • Ramsey
Tuition: $12,450.00
Shop Lab Fee: $2,125.00
Course Materials: $525.00
Safety Gear Package: $750.00
Total Cost: $15,850.00 ($15,100.00 without Safety Gear Package)