Welding Technician is a Diploma program offered by Fortis College in Birmingham, AL. The program takes 48 weeks to complete, with a total tuition of $22,024.
Program Overview
Welding technology is used across modern industry — infrastructure and building construction, shipbuilding, energy, and transportation. The Welding Technician program prepares students to seek entry-level employment or advance their careers in welding and industrial repair.
Welding draws on electrical, metallurgy, chemistry, physics, design, and mechanical skills. Students learn welding techniques, welding mathematics, and symbol interpretation across multiple processes — shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, flux-core arc, and gas tungsten arc welding — plus pipe welding and fabrication. The successful graduate is trained to enter the profession as an entry-level welder.
What sets this Program apart
- Earn a Welding Technician diploma in 48 weeks.
- Hands-on training across SMAW, GMAW, flux-core, and GTAW welding processes, plus pipe welding and fabrication.
- Covers blueprint and welding-symbol interpretation, welding mathematics, and inspection.
- Prepares students to take welding certification exams.
- Offered at an ABHES-accredited campus.
General Requirements
- A high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, with documentation. Foreign credentials must be translated into English and evaluated as equivalent or higher by a NACES-member service.
- You must be at least 17 years old when your program of study starts.
- Complete an applicant information form and interview with an admissions advisor or other administrative staff.
- Achieve the minimum required score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE). A passing score is valid for three years.
- Meet all financial obligations and complete the tuition payment requirements.
- Sign the Fortis enrollment agreement once accepted.
Application Process
- 1Speak to an admissions advisorEvery applicant is assigned an admissions advisor who explains the curriculum and policies and books the interviews you need.
- 2Submit your documentationProvide proof of high school completion and complete the applicant information form. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure Fortis receives every required document.
- 3Sit the Wonderlic SLETake the Scholastic Level Exam and reach this program’s published minimum. Accommodations must be requested under the catalog’s policy — campus staff cannot approve them.
- 4Financial aidFortis participates in federal student aid including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans and Federal Work-Study. File the FAFSA and meet the campus financial aid office.FAFSA Code for Fortis Institute in Birmingham: 030108Complete FAFSA Application
- 5Sign the enrollment agreementAdmission decisions weigh your fulfilment of the requirements, your previous educational records and your career interests.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited program means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
Fortis Institute in Birmingham holds institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Prepares students for welding certification exams.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Independently reviewed against published standards
- Recognised by employers in the field
Accreditations
Program Schedule
Classes are offered in two schedules: mornings 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or evenings 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
The program is 64 quarter credits (960 contact hours), completed in 48 weeks, delivered on-campus.
- September 21st, 2026
- November 02nd, 2026
- December 14th, 2026
Curriculum
| Course Code | Course Title | Clock Hours | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKW101 | Introduction to the Skilled Professions | 60 | 4 |
| MAT110 | Applied Mathematics | 60 | 4 |
| WLD101 | Principles of Welding Technology | 60 | 4 |
| WLD105 | Welding Symbol Interpretation and Inspection | 60 | 4 |
| WLD110 | Cutting Processes | 60 | 4 |
| WLD115 | Shielded Metal Arc-Welding | 60 | 4 |
| WLD120 | Shielded Metal Arc-Welding Fit and Alignment | 60 | 4 |
| WLD125 | Gas Metal Arc-Welding | 60 | 4 |
| WLD130 | Gas Metal Arc-Welding Fit and Alignment | 60 | 4 |
| WLD135 | Flux Core Arc-Welding | 60 | 4 |
| WLD140 | Flux Core Arc-Welding Applications | 60 | 4 |
| WLD145 | Gas Tungsten Arc-Welding | 60 | 4 |
| WLD150 | Gas Tungsten Arc-Welding Applications | 60 | 4 |
| WLD155 | Pipe Welding Techniques | 60 | 4 |
| WLD160 | Welding Fabrication Concepts | 60 | 4 |
| WLD165 | Welding Certification and Career Development | 60 | 4 |
| Total | 960 | 64 |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
The total program cost of $24,401 covers tuition plus the required fees and materials below:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $22,024 |
| Administrative & technology fee | $100 |
| Student kit | $599 |
| Textbooks & e-books | $737 |
| Laptop computer | $941 |
| Total program cost | $24,401 |
Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Fortis participates in federal student aid programs including Pell Grants, Federal Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans for parents, and Federal Work-Study. Complete the FAFSA and speak with the campus financial aid office to learn what you are eligible for.
Career Outcomes
Graduates are prepared to seek entry-level employment in positions such as aluminum welder, brazer, fabrication welder, fitter/welder, maintenance welder, MIG welder, solderer, arc operator, and welder-fabricator.
The program prepares students to take welding certification exams.
What to expect as a Fortis student
Fortis is a career-focused college. The Welding Technician program follows a set, sequenced schedule combining classroom instruction with extensive hands-on lab work across the major welding processes.
You will train on real equipment and prepare for industry welding certification exams before graduating.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited program means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
Fortis Institute in Birmingham holds institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Prepares students for welding certification exams.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Independently reviewed against published standards
- Recognised by employers in the field