Welding
28 courses · Butte College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Winter 2027 · Spring 2027
WLD 18 Beginning Industrial Welding
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 34 hours activity, 51 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this course, students will be introduced to welding and cutting processes applicable to the heavy equipment industry. The course includes oxyacetylene cutting (OFC-A), plasma arc cutting (PAC), air carbon arc cutting and gouging (CAC-A), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) processes, and flux cored arc welding (FCAW) processes, in the flat, horizontal and vertical positions on various joint details. It will also include safety procedures, electrode identification, joint fit-up and alignment, base metal preparation, weld quality, beads and fillet welds, with focus on theory and practice. All welds will be based on the American Welding Society (AWS) standards. Pass/No Pass.
WLD 20 Beginning Welding
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 153 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes oxyacetylene welding (OAW), oxyacetylene cutting (OFC-A) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) processes, in the flat and horizontal positions on various joint details. It will also include safety procedures, electrode identification, joint fit-up and alignment, base metal preparation, weld quality, beads and fillet welds, with focus on theory and practice. All welds will meet the American Welding Society (AWS) qualification standards.
WLD 21 Intermediate Welding
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 153 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 20
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this course students will perform welds in positions other than flat and horizontal. The content will enhance the ability of the students to perform welds out of position. The course includes welding safety, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), plasma arc cutting (PAC), air carbon arc cutting and gouging (CAC-A) welding and cutting processes. These welds will be performed in the flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions. It will also include base metal, shielded metal arc welding electrodes, joint fit-up and alignment, groove welds with backing, and open V-groove welds. All welds will meet the American Welding Society (AWS) qualification standards.
WLD 22 Oxyacetylene Welding and Flame Cutting
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level I Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes the techniques used for oxyacetylene welding (OAW) in all positions (flat, vertical, horizontal and overhead) and uses a variety of freehand and automatic burning equipment on different metals.
WLD 24 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Stick Electrode)
- Units
- 8
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture, 306 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level Welding I Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes pre-employment training for welding technicians. Emphasis on developing manipulative proficiency in the use of shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and flux core arc welding (FCAW), in the flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions. These welding processes will be applied to light and heavy gauge plate steel for light construction. Part of the Level Two welder qualification for American Welding Society (AWS).
WLD 25 Fabrication Practicums
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level I Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course will instruct students on theory, proper operation, and applications of manual and CNC equipment, tools, fasteners, and processes used in welding and fabrication industries. Emphasis is placed on hands-on applications.
WLD 26 Symbol Reading, Blue Print Interpretation and Computations
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level I Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes an introduction to blueprint reading and welding symbols interpretation as applied to measurement and computations of metal and pipe layouts. Included within the course are layout and marking tool techniques used in the welding industry. Techniques of fabrication, structured materials listing and assembly methods will be emphasized.
WLD 28 Mig and Tig Arc Welding
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes the gas metal arc welding (GMAW)/metal inert gas (MIG), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)/tungsten inert gas (TIG) and flux cored arc welding (FCAW) processes, in the flat, vertical, horizontal, and overhead positions. It will also include safety procedures, electrode identification, joint fit-up and alignment, base metal preparation, weld quality, and beads, with a focus on theory and practice.
WLD 30 Heavy Plate Welding
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course includes the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) processes and the flux cored arc welding (FCAW) Process, in the flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead positions on heavy plate (3/4" to 3" thick). It will also include safety procedures, electrode identification, joint fit-up and alignment, base metal preparation, weld quality, and beads, with focus on theory and practice.
WLD 32 Integrated Welding Applications
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this course, students will learn proper use of manual / CNC fabrication equipment. Perform layout, fitting, and welding of fabrication projects. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), and flux cored arc welding (FCAW) processes will be utilized. Shop fabrication and field erection are simulated. Working from fabrication drawings will be emphasized.
WLD 34 Pipe and Tube Welding
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 153 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course covers shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and flux core arc welding (FCAW) processes on several pipe systems. A variety of materials and configurations on sub critical pipe welding (pressure and power systems, cross-country transmission, pipeline welding and water transmission pipe welding) will be used. Special attention and performance standards for the qualifications will be used from the following codes: American Petroleum Institute (API), American Welding Society (AWS) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
WLD 36 Welder Qualification
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course prepares students for qualifications in several codes to meet the required standards for entry-level employment. Training in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and flux core arc welding (FCAW) to meet the American Welding Society (AWS), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and American Petroleum Institute (API), code standards. Skills and proficiency of all position qualification tests on plate and pipe are emphasized.
WLD 40 Welding Equipment Maintenance and Service
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level I Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is a study of the theory, application and practices for welding equipment. This will include the maintenance and service skills for the equipment used in the welding industry.
WLD 42 Introduction to Welding Inspection
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 34 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- WLD 50 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course instructs on the qualifications and knowledge requirements of a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). Methods of testing, various procedures, and techniques of inspection. familiarize students with the basic concepts of destructive and nondestructive evaluation processes. Emphasis of record keeping methods used by the American Welding Society (AWS), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Petroleum Institute (API), and American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
WLD 50 Pipe Fitting and Cutting
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 40, WLD 154 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course assists students in pipe fitting, measurements, patterns, marking and layout tools used in the pipe welding industry. Techniques of fitting and cutting various pipe joint designs will be practiced.
WLD 55 Power Generation and Petroleum Chemical Pipe & Tube Welding
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 17 hours lecture, 204 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 40, WLD 42 and WLD 50, WLD 56 and NCCER Level III Welding Qualification
- Corequisite
- WLD 158
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course teaches shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), oxyacetylene welding (OAW), and oxy-fuel cutting (OFC)processes on several piping systems. A variety of materials and configurations on sub-critical pipe welding to include pressure and power systems, cross-country transmission, water transmission and pipeline welding will be studied. Special attention and performance to the American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section IX code specifications for certification will be practiced. Intense training in pipe fitting, measurements, marking and layout tools used in the pipe welding industry will be stressed. Techniques of layout, cutting, fitting, and welding of various pipe joint designs will be performed.
WLD 56 Welding Industry Employment Preparation
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 51 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 40, WLD 50, WLD 154 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Corequisite
- WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 42, WLD 156
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course teaches job seeking skills demanded of welders in the industry today. Topics include a comparison of prospective employers within the welding industry, preparation for taking employment required skills tests, portfolio development, job-specific interview techniques and work place ethics and professionalism.
WLD 97 Special Problems-WLD
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 51-153 hours independent study
- Prerequisite
- Permission of instructor
- Transfers to
- CSU
Supervised study and practice in solving special problems in the student's career major. Any student interested in registering for a Special Problems course should contact a full-time instructor or chair/coordinator in the appropriate area no later than the last day of the tenth week of instruction. Students may not petition for a Special Problems course until they have completed satisfactorily 12 units of study at Butte College. 51-153 hours Independent Study. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 3.00 units.
WLD 99 Work Experience-WLD
- Units
- 0.5-8
- Hours
- 25.5-408 hours independent study
- Prerequisite
- Permission of Work Experience Education instructor and employment supervisor
- Transfers to
- CSU
Work experience is an experiential course where students apply what they have learned in the classroom to a work environment. The course offers students the opportunity to develop technical skills, explore possible career choices, build confidence, network with people in the field, and transition into the world of work. Work experience may include paid or unpaid employment. Students may earn one semester unit of college credit in this course for every fifty-one hours of work experience. Students may enroll in this course up to 8 unit(s) to complete the entire curriculum of the course. A maximum of sixteen units can be earned in work experience courses during a student’s enrollment with Butte College.
WLD 150 Shop Practices for Beginning Welders
- Units
- 0.5-1
- Hours
- 25.5-51 hours lab
This is a supervised lab experience for beginning welding students. Students will practice skills in oxyacetylene welding (OAW), oxy-fuel cutting (OFC) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) processes, in the flat and horizontal positions on various joint details. All welds will meet the American Welding Society (AWS) qualification standards. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 1.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 152 Shop Practices for Intermediate Welders
- Units
- 0.5-1
- Hours
- 25.5-51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 20
This is a supervised lab experience for intermediate welding students. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), oxy-fuel cutting (OFC), plasma arc cutting (PAC),and air carbon arc cutting and gouging (CAC-A). Welding and cutting processes will be in the flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions on groove welds with backing and open V-groove welds. All welds will meet the American Welding Society (AWS) qualification standards. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 1.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 154 Shop Practices for Welders I
- Units
- 1-2
- Hours
- 51-102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 21 and NCCER Level I Welding Qualification
- Corequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 40
This is a supervised lab experience for first semester welding program students. Students will practice skills in oxyacetylene welding (OAW), oxy-fuel cutting (OFC), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and flux core arc welding (FCAW) in all positions (flat, vertical, horizontal and overhead). Students will also use a variety of freehand and automatic burning equipment including plasma arc cutting (PAC) units and air carbon arc cutting and gouging (CAC-A) units. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 2.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 156 Shop Practices for Welders II
- Units
- 1-2
- Hours
- 51-102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 40, WLD 50, WLD 154 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
- Corequisite
- WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 42, WLD 56
This is a supervised lab experience for second semester welding program students. Students will practice skills in gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) on a variety of materials in the flat, vertical, horizontal, and overhead positions. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 2.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 158 Shop Practices for Pipe and Tube Welders
- Units
- 0.5-1
- Hours
- 25.5-51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 40, WLD 42, WLD 50, WLD 56, WLD 154, WLD 156, WLD 160 and NCCER Level III Welding Qualification
- Corequisite
- WLD 55
This is a supervised lab experience for pipe and tube welders. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), oxyacetylene welding (OAW), and oxy-fuel cutting (OFC) processes on several piping systems. Performance standards will meet the American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section IX. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 1.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 159 Shop Practices for Advanced Pipe Welders
- Units
- 0.25-1
- Hours
- 12.75-51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 156 or WLD 158
This is a supervised lab experience for pipe and tube welders. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), oxyacetylene welding (OAW), and oxy-fuel cutting (OFC) processes on several piping systems. American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104, American Welding Society (AWS) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section IX will be practiced. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 1.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 160 Welding Certification Practices
- Units
- 1-2
- Hours
- 51-102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 42, WLD 56, WLD 156
This is a supervised lab experience to help prepare students to meet the required standard for qualification papers in welding codes using American Welding Society (AWS) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specifications. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core are welding (FCAW), and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), in all positions on plate and pipe, in preparation for weld performance tests with certified welding inspectors (CWI) or contractors. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 2.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 162 Pipe and Tube Welding Certification Practices
- Units
- 1-2
- Hours
- 51-102 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 55, WLD 158
This is a supervised lab experience to help prepare students to meet the required standard for qualification papers in welding codes using American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section IX. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), oxyacetylene welding (OAW), and oxy-fuel cutting (OFC) processes on several piping systems in preparation for weld performance tests with certified welding inspectors (CWI) or contractors. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 2.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.
WLD 164 Welding Recertification Practices
- Units
- 0.25-1
- Hours
- 12.75-51 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- WLD 160 or WLD 162
This is a supervised lab experience to help students recertify to meet the required standard for qualification papers in welding codes using American Welding Society (AWS), American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section IX. Students will practice skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), oxyacetylene welding (OAW) processes on plate and several piping systems in preparation for weld performance tests with certified welding inspectors (CWI) or contractors. This course may be repeated to a maximum of 1.00 units to complete the entire curriculum of the course. Pass/No Pass only. Open Entry/Open Exit.