Professional Welder
Duration: 7 Months
Campus Availability:Tulsa, OKJacksonville, FLHouston, TX
TWS is the right choice
Over 35,000¹
Graduates
91%³
Overall Employment Rate
Across All TWS Campus Locations
Over $9.5 Million
In Scholarships Available
Available scholarship amounts are estimated for the period of 1/1/2022 through 12/31/2022 for the Tulsa, Jacksonville & Houston campuses combined.
The Professional Welder program starts by helping students learn what it’s really like to be a welder: in interactive workshop courses and welding booths. In as little as seven months, you’ll be trained in structural welding, fluxcore welding and pipe welding. You’ll also be prepared to excel in job interviews and weld tests for various welding certifications.
The Professional Welder program trains you in the skills you need to work as a welder worldwide:
- Aerospace and aviation
- Automotive shops
- Shipbuilding
- Construction
- The military
- Manufacturing
Wherever metal needs adhering, a welder is needed. Are you ready to start training for career opportunities that can last a lifetime?
TWS is the Right Choice for Welding Training
We offer our welding classes with flexible scheduling: morning, afternoon and evening classes are available at our Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jacksonville, Florida, and Houston, Texas, campuses. Our classes will train you in the fundamentals of welding processes you’ll need to know as a professional welder on the job market:
- Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
- Metal Inert gas (MIG) welding
- Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding
- High-frequency TIG welding
- Flux-cored arc welding
- Structural welding
- Pipe welding
- Aircraft welding
- Thin alloy welding
- Pipeline welding
Employment is Expected to Grow for Welding in the US to 434,900 Jobs by 2031!i
Flexible Class Schedules
Whether you’re just graduating from high school, changing your career or transitioning from military to civilian life, TWS offers flexible class schedules. We’ll help you find the right program and the right schedule to set you up for success. Contact us for more information on upcoming class times and start dates for the Professional Welder program.
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Take a Virtual TourVirtual Tour
Take a virtual tour of our campuses! Explore the classrooms, labs and shop floor with our unique interactive experience.
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Employer Partnerships
TWS has partnerships with major employers across the United States and even internationally. Our dedicated Career Services team will be there to support you every step of the way after graduation.
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The Right Tools for the Job
When you begin your education at TWS, we provide you with an extensive gear package. You get the high quality professional tools you need to succeed. Ask your Admissions Representative for more information about the gear package for your program.
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Learn MoreScholarship Opportunities
Learn more about what scholarship opportunities are available and how you might qualify for one. Start the process of applying for a scholarship today!
Upcoming Class Start Dates
| Class | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Welding Classes Start | Tulsa, OK & Jacksonville, FL & Houston, TX & Dallas, TX | 06/06/2023 |
| Welding Classes Start | Tulsa, OK & Jacksonville, FL & Houston, TX & Dallas, TX | 07/10/2023 |
Class Schedules
| Morning (M-F) | Afternoon (M-F) | Evening (M-F) |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-12:30pm | 1:00pm-6:00pm | 6:30pm-11:30pm |
Weekend Schedule, All Campuses
| Tue/Thu (Classroom) | Sat/Sun (Lab Days) |
| 6:30pm-9:00pm | 8:00am-6:00pm |
4/18 Start Schedule
| Mon – Thu |
| 9:00am – 5:00pm |
ALL New Welding Students Get an Oculus Quest 2 loaded with OcuWeld Training Software!
TWS is excited to launch OcuWeld utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) to enhance your welding training. OcuWeld is a new and innovative Virtual Reality (VR) welding simulator designed by expert welding instructors for our welding students.
You can access OcuWeld anytime, anywhere – with or without WIFI. It enables you to practice your welding skills as part of our program here at TWS and the Oculus Quest 2 is yours to keep!
Learn MoreProgram Courses
Welding Fundamentals
Train in the fundamentals of welding and begin learning the critical skills you’ll need for a welding career. Learn plasma cutting and carbon arc gouging procedures, arc welding processes, the basic layout of construction drawings and how to correctly read and interpret welding symbols. Learn how set up welding equipment, the components of an arc welding machine, and the various types of electrodes used in arc welding procedures. Using an E7018 electrode, students will also practice basic SMAW welding processes and techniques.
WLD101
- 4 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 2 Outside Prep Hours
GMAW/FCAW Processes
In this course, students learn how to set up and operate GMAW/FCAW welding equipment, as well as how to prepare pipe for GMAW/FCAW welding processes. GMAW, or MIG, uses a torch designed to provide a shielding gas for the weld and an automatic wire feed system that provides a constant feed of the filler metal. FCAW, or Fluxcore, uses a similar torch but uses a powdered flux to shield the weld. Students learn about isometric drawings and their importance as a three- dimensional picture of an object.
WLD105
- Prerequisite Course(s): WLD101, WLD110, WLD115, WLD120
- 4 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 4 Outside Prep Hours
Structural Welding
The Structural Welding course introduces students to a number of different critical things:
- Basic destructive weld testing techniques
- The importance of quality welds to achieve maximum strength and integrity of the metal
- Basic principles of metallurgy
- Welding pipe
Students expand their knowledge about welding diagrams, drawings and the methods of coding various types of metal. Students will also learn the procedures for root pass, fill welds and SMAW processes.
WLD110
- Prerequisite Course(s): WLD101
- 4.5 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 7 Outside Prep Hours
Basic Pipe Welding
This course trains students in the fundamentals of basic pipe welding with two critical welding processes: SMAW and GTAW.
For GTAW welding, students practice with basic root welding on pipe coupons.
In Basic Pipe Welding, students practice uphill and other welding techniques simultaneously. They practice welding in multiple positions as they travel around the pipe to complete the weld.
WLD115
- Prerequisite Course(s): WLD101, WLD110
- 4 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 4 Outside Prep Hours
Advanced Pipe Welding
Students continue to practice their pipe welding skills, using the GTAW process to weld the root and complete the fill and cap portion of the weld using SMAW processes. Students also learn how to set up and safely operate portable welding units for structural and pipe welding operations, rig and balance pipe loads, use hand signal communication, and lift and place pipe in preparation for welding operations.
Electrical safety guidelines and the steps to prevent electrical shock are also taught.
WLD120
- Prerequisite Course(s): WLD101, WLD110, WLD115
- 4 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 4 Outside Prep Hours
Welding Capstone
The Welding Capstone course challenges students to apply the skills they learned in previous courses, preparing them to transition from the classroom to the field.
During this course, students learn how to prepare resumes, practice for interviews, learn proper work habits and appearances and complete employment applications.
WLD125
- Prerequisite Course(s): WLD101, WLD105, WLD110, WLD115, WLD120
- 4.5 Semester Credit Hours
- 25 Lecture Hours
- 100 Lab Hours
- 125 Total Contact Hours
- 7 Outside Prep Hours
Sound Interesting? Contact us for more information on this course and the Welding Training Program
No high school diploma or GED? No problem!
Talk to our Admissions Representatives about how to attend TWS and get your high school diploma!
Alumni Testimonials
wesley moman Professional Welder
A Great Experience
“I learned a skill that changed my life... Something that I'll be able to teach my sons, grandsons, little cousins and nephews. My instructors were the best they helped me when I needed it and kept me motivated to graduate.”
Jonathan Morace Professional Welder
Changed My Life Forever
“The skills I learned at Tulsa Welding School helped me raise my annual income from 20k a year to 60k-100k a year. It changed my life. Signing up for the school was easy. They walked me through it step by step and told me what I needed and what I…”
Justin scott Professional Welder
The program helped me become the man I am today
“This program isn’t for everyone but the instructors are hands on they will show you how to do things multiple times if you need it with tig I had a hard time learning how to do it but one of the greatest instructors at TWS Tulsa campus Christie Mann never…”
A Day in the Life of a Welder: Tulsa Welding School Graduates
Tulsa Welding School graduates come from many walks of life, but they all have one thing in common: they put in the time, work and sacrifice to change their lives and create a better future for themselves.
Watch the day in the life of a few Tulsa Welding School graduates to learn where they came from, why they enrolled in welding training, and what they’ve been doing since graduating from school and becoming skilled trades professionals.
You, too, could become a welder in the skilled trades. One decision could change your life, and it all starts with enrolling at Tulsa Welding School.
Jabari, Tulsa Welding School Graduate
Jabari was always interested in welding, and he knew college wasn't for him. When a friend told him about Tulsa Welding School, the path to the career he always wanted became clear. Jabari is now a welder for W International.
Allie, Tulsa Welding School Graduate
Allie loved welding from an early age, even starting her own company to apply her skills. After she graduated from Tulsa Welding School, she was able to find a job as a welder at W International, supporting her husband, daughter, and two pit bulls.
Interested in a Different Program? Select One Below:
iEmployment is expected to grow for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers(514121) in the US to 434,900 through 2031, in Oaklahoma to 11,300 through 2030, in Florida to 17,180 through 2030 and in Texas to 59,530 through 2030 https://www.careeronestop.org