Degree Overview: Associate’s (A.A.) Degree in Combination Welding Technology
Majors Overview November 19, 2013Students enrolled in combination welding technology programs have the opportunity to earn certificates, more than associate’s degrees, and gain knowledge in combination welding. Coursework in a general welding degree program is compiled of subjects and course topics that are similar to combination welding certificate programs.
A.A. Programs in Welding
Students enrolled in Associate Degree Programs, in Welding, learn the application of the basics of welding — including metals, fabrication, layouts, blueprint analysis and mathematics – to professional welding practices. Students can expect to gain specific professional skills, learn to create preliminary drawings through the use of computer-aided design software, make cost estimations, enact code requirements, and execute welding treatments in keeping with industry-wide quality control standards.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria, related to an associate degree program in welding, typically require applicants to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma. Interested candidates may also be required to have completed high school courses in basic mathematics. Visual communication skills, good vision, and manual dexterity are desirable attributes of prospective students seeking enrollment.
Coursework
Coursework related to Welding degree programs is usually a combination of practical and theoretical instruction delivered in labs and classroom settings. Pipe welding, tungsten inert gas welding, metal inert gas welding, plasma cutting, oxy-fuel cutting, and arc welding are among the different types of welding covered in the coursework. While students learn to join metals by combining the use of various types of welding, they also receive instruction in repair techniques, grinding and cutting. Coursework commonly includes topic areas such as:
•Rigging
•Tool and die welding
•Manufacturing and repair
•Structural welding
•Precision machining
•Welding safety
Career Choices
Those who successfully complete these degree programs can seek entry-level occupations in various industries after they receive specialized training. Such training could involve the performance of welding in dangerous environments, such as below a bridge over a raging river, deep underwater in an ocean, or on a skyscraper above a city. They may seek jobs with various employers including:
•Highway construction crews
•Marine vessel fabricators
•Automobile manufacturers
•Building contractors
Certification and Continuing Education Choices
Volunteering for professional certification would boost the career prospects of some welders. Earning and maintaining certification is mandatory for employment in some work settings, such as in the defense industry. Students can use Associate degree programs in welding as a preparatory mode for obtaining certification, offered by the American Welding Society.
Continued education in the field would also help boost the career prospects of welders, who could seek enrollment into a Bachelor’s degree program in welding engineering technology. Schools sometimes combine these programs with courses in fabrication technology.
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