Welding

The Welding program consists of 960 hours of instruction (54 quarter credit hours) and is available in four schedules: Monday - Wednesday (days or evenings) and Thursday - Saturday (days and evenings). Both the Day and Evening sessions require ten months for completion on the basis of approximately 24 hours of instruction per week. The terms of the program are independent of each other, thus the sequence in which they are offered to the students may vary.

This program is taught in a Residential format (lecture and hands-on skills on-campus). Students may be required to submit lab documentation, homework assignments, and exams through the school’s Learning Management System (LMS). Students will use school-owned electrical devices during class time, as needed.

The Welding classrooms and labs are equipped with the same kinds of equipment currently in use by business and industry. This includes welding machines capable of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) processes, virtual welding simulators, plasma cutters, acetylene and oxygen torch kits, and protective gear.

Delivery at this campus. 100% on campus class and shop. Industry partnerships with Bridgeport Boat Works and Hornblower Marine.

If you’re a hands-on learner who can’t imagine being stuck behind a desk all day, here are just a few reasons to choose our Welding program:

Concrete Skills. Graduates of our Welding program will be capable of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). You’ll learn about safety principles including identifying at-risk behavior, creating a safety plan, and conducting safety training.

Hands-on Training. You can’t learn all this stuff from a book! That’s why we alternate in-person lecture with hands-on work where you get to use the same equipment and tools you’ll find out in the field. You’ll be familiar with a variety of welding machines, virtual welding simulators, plasma cutters, acetylene and oxygen torch kits, and protective gear.

Qualified Instructors. All our instructors are professionals from the welding industry. They know what to teach because they know what you might encounter out on the job!

Job Outlook. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 47,600 openings, nationwide, for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. The nation’s aging infrastructure will require the expertise of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to help rebuild bridges, highways, and buildings.

Soft Skills. In addition to the technical know-how you’ll need to perform your job, we’ll teach you the skills you need to be a good and safe employee in a real world setting.

Prior to enrollment at the Institute, an applicant must have graduated from high school or have acquired a state high school equivalency diploma or graduated from a college degree program. Instruction is only offered in English, requiring proficiency in written and spoken English.

Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. Students may begin classes in the Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter. Students are encouraged to make early application for admission, as some forms of financial aid give preference to early applicants; and whenever aid is limited, it is made available to the first applicants.

Students will need approximately 24 hours per week for on-campus instruction, activities, simulations and lab work, with an additional six hours per week for reading assignments and other homework activities. On-campus hours for this program are: 7:00AM-3:00PM or 5:30 PM-10:30PM Mon-Thurs. OR 7:00AM-3:00PM or 5:30PM-10:30PM (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).

Upcoming class starts published in the catalog's Program and Term Schedule are January 11, 2027; March 22, 2027; May 31, 2027; August 16, 2027; October 25, 2027; January 17, 2028; and March 27, 2028. If, in the opinion of the Institute, there is insufficient enrollment to make the class start of a program session or section feasible, the Institute reserves the right to cancel that class.

Tuition is $6,000 per term for 4 terms, for total tuition of $24,000. The Materials Fee is $3,320. Program fee by term: Term 1: $2,700; Terms 2–3 ($200 per term): $400; Term 4: $220.

Program fees may include materials, laboratory, technology, and graduation expenses. These fees are applied at various points throughout the student’s training, depending on the specific requirements of the program. All applicable fees are disclosed in the student’s Enrollment Agreement and are included as part of the overall cost of attendance. The Materials Fee covers all books, devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, supplies, and other materials that the students will receive from PCI during the course of their attendance in their program. Even if costs increase, students will never pay more than the fee specified in their Enrollment Agreement.

There are no additional charges for programs delivered via Distance Education (Hybrid or fully Online). After deducting all anticipated educational funding from the total charges for each term, any balance due to the Institute must be paid by the student out-of-pocket prior to the start of each term. Or, the student may request a monthly payment plan. The first payment on a monthly payment plan is due prior to the start of the first term.

Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Federal Title IV programs available to qualified students include Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). PCI also participates in the Imagine America scholarship program and offers institutional grants and awards to specific student populations.

FAFSA code: 010779 (all PCI campuses other than Hamden). Use the Porter and Chester Institute Net Price Calculator to estimate how much your total career training program will cost you.

Cost of Attendance (COA). For federal student aid purposes, postsecondary institutions must estimate a student’s total cost of attending the institution for a specified period of time, as established by law. The COA includes tuition and fees; room and board (or an allowance for housing and food); an allowance for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and dependent care (if applicable); disability related expenses, and some miscellaneous expenses as well. Below is Porter and Chester’s estimate of a student’s cost of attendance, including estimated living expenses.

• Tuition and Fees: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)
• Books and Equipment: Included in the Student Services Fee (student living with parents); Included in the Student Services Fee (student with dependents)
• Room and Board: $906/month (student living with parents); $1576/month (student with dependents)
• Personal Expenses: $231/month (student living with parents); $353/month (student with dependents)
• Transportation: $348/month (student living with parents); $348/month (student with dependents)
• Loan Fees (other): $25/month (student living with parents); $25/month (student with dependents)
• Disability Costs: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)

The program provides the student with the knowledge and skills required for competent performance as an entry level Welder. Graduates of the Welding program are usually hired for positions that carry titles such as MIG welder, TIG welder, fabricator/welder, sheet metal worker, steelworker, pipefitter, or auto body welder.

Licensing and certification. CT: There is no license or certification required for entry-level employment in Connecticut. Certain industry-recognized certifications can enhance employability.

Graduation and employment rates. From the 2025 ACCSC annual report, for the 1/2023-12/2023 start cohort at this campus, Welding reported a graduation rate of 78% and an employment rate of 77% (starting population 18, graduate population 14).

How these rates are calculated. Porter and Chester Institute calculates a Graduation Rate and an Employment Rate for each program using formulas specified by our accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The graduation rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period as the denominator, and as the numerator uses the number of students from that group who graduated within 150% of the program length. The employment rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period and proceeded to graduate as the denominator. Those of the cohort whose self-reported employment in their field of training, or a related field has been verified by the school, form the numerator. The rate is calculated for the cohort after 150% of the program length has elapsed for all students in the cohort, with an additional three month allowance for placement related activities.

Graduation rate for the student body. The graduation rate for first-time full-time students who began their studies at Porter Chester Institute in Fall 2019 (310 students) and graduated within 150% of their program length (178 students) is 57.4%.

The New London campus consists of approximately 20,000 square feet of space. All classrooms are air-conditioned and brightly illuminated. There is ample parking spaces on the premises. Each curriculum division operates its own reference library which contains appropriate resource materials and multimedia. All student workstations are equipped with the same kinds of tools, equipment and instrumentation in current use by industry. There is a student lounge area and administrative offices that support student services.

Each term, each campus holds a mandatory online or on-campus New Student Orientation, specifically for the incoming student body. Key staff are on hand to share important information.