Explore Ivy Tech Community College Welding Programs

Can you get hired as a welder in Indiana without a four-year degree? Yes. Ivy Tech Community College built its welding programs around that path, a route many welding trade schools take. Indiana welders earn a median annual wage near $50,000, and many employers hire by process, not degree title.

Ivy Tech offers stackable credentials: the Structural Welding Certificate, the Welding Technology Technical Certificate, and an associate degree option. Costs, schedules, and admissions steps differ by campus, and AWS or OSHA certifications can shape job offers.

In 2026, Indiana's Workforce Ready Grant can cover tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying welding credentials, but eligibility varies.

Which Ivy Tech Welding Credential Fits Your Timeline?

Ivy Tech publishes credit totals for two short-term welding credentials: the Structural Welding Certificate and the Welding Technology Technical Certificate. A longer associate degree pathway is referenced in program materials, but its exact current credit requirements were not published in the catalog pages reviewed. This comparison focuses on the two stackable options with published figures.

Program Length, Schedules, and Delivery Formats

Welding training at Ivy Tech is organized as short, stackable credentials, a structure that matches how many employers now hire for welding jobs by specific process rather than by a single degree title. The published timelines below reflect the 2026-2027 academic year.

Credential Timelines

• Welding Technology Technical Certificate: 34 credits, listed at 3 semesters and available at about 20 Indiana locations.
• Structural Welding Certificate: 21 credits, listed at 2 semesters in one source and 6 to 12 months on a campus-specific page.
• AWS process credentials: GMAW/MIG, GTAW/TIG, and SMAW/Stick each require 9 credits and are listed at under 6 months.
• Individual process credentials: Pipe Welding I and II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding I and II, Gas Metal Arc Welding I and II, and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding I and II each require 6 credits and are listed at 1 semester.

Delivery Format

Ivy Tech's college-wide program page lists in-person, online, and hybrid as possible delivery modes. For welding specifically, the credential pages do not assign a format to each credential, and none of the available pages describe evening-only scheduling. Because welding coursework includes extensive hands-on lab time, students should confirm with the campus how lecture, lab, and any online components are actually scheduled for the credential they want.

Part-Time and Pace

The catalog timelines are best understood as full-time estimates of welding school duration. The shorter credentials under 6 months and the one-semester process courses may fit a more compact schedule, but no source labels any Ivy Tech welding credential as part-time. Students planning to attend part-time should ask an advisor how splitting terms could extend completion, especially for the 3-semester Welding Technology Technical Certificate, which is the longest option in this set.

Financial Aid and Next Level Jobs Grants for Welding Students

For many welding students, the biggest question is how to pay for training. Ivy Tech Community College welding programs are eligible for Indiana's Workforce Ready Grant, also called Next Level Jobs, which can cover tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying students. Federal aid, state aid, and Ivy Tech financial aid round out the picture.

What the Workforce Ready Grant Covers

For 2026, the Workforce Ready Grant may fully cover tuition and mandatory fees for eligible Ivy Tech welding credentials. The Welding Technology technical certificate is eligible for Indiana's Next Level Jobs grant and may be free through the grant. The grant does not cover tools, books, supplies, or living costs. It is not income-based, and awards can last up to two years, but only qualifying program credits are covered; students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.¹

Who Qualifies for Welding

• Indiana resident with a high school diploma, GED, or HSE
• No college degree; some Ivy Tech pages also require no prior certificate in an eligible program and no associate degree or higher
• FAFSA on file using Ivy Tech school code 009917
• For 2026-2027, first-time dependent students are not eligible; independent and continuing dependent students may qualify

How to Apply

1. Choose an eligible welding program, such as the Structural Welding short-term certificate or Welding Technology technical certificate. 2. Apply to Ivy Tech and meet with an admissions counselor. 3. Complete the FAFSA and any additional Ivy Tech financial aid steps.

AWS skills certifications in GMAW, FCAW, and SMAW may also be available through skills training pathways for qualifying students.

Other Aid and Payment Options

Completing the FAFSA also determines welding school financial aid eligibility for federal grants such as the Pell Grant and other state aid. Applicants generally need to be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. Ivy Tech's financial aid office can help students identify scholarships and payment arrangements. No single statewide application deadline is published for 2026, so apply as early as possible after choosing a program.

Admissions Requirements and Enrollment Steps

Ivy Tech welding uses open admissions, but placement and advising steps are required before registration.

• High school diploma or GED/HSE

  Welding degree and certificate programs require a high school diploma or equivalent; the short Introduction to Welding course also requires age 18 or older.
• Complete the free application

  No application fee, GPA minimum, or entrance exam is required. Apply if you’ve never attended Ivy Tech or it’s been at least two years since your last enrollment.
• Complete course placement

  Students without qualifying test scores or college credit complete a free knowledge assessment in reading, writing, and math; results are valid up to four years.
• Meet program prerequisites and advising

  The Welding Technology certificate lists MATH 122 or higher and IVYT 113 or a first-year student success course. After applying, meet with an enrollment specialist and complete orientation steps before registering.

Accreditation and Approvals for Ivy Tech Welding

Ivy Tech Community College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and that status underpins credit transfer to four-year colleges as well as eligibility for federal financial aid.

Institutional Accreditation: What HLC Means

HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, so Ivy Tech welding students can apply for Pell Grants, federal student loans, and many state aid programs. Credits earned in an Ivy Tech welding program are also more likely to transfer if a graduate later pursues a bachelor's degree at another regionally accredited institution.

Program-Level Approval: ATMAE and AWS Standards

Within the college, the Industrial Technology program that houses welding is accredited by the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), a national professional accreditor for applied technology programs. Ivy Tech also reports that welding instruction is built around American Welding Society (AWS) standards, and the Industrial Technology program includes an AWS-certified testing location. Students may attempt AWS certification after completing welding coursework.

The welding certificate itself has no separate AWS SENSE accreditation. The documented program-level approval is the ATMAE-accredited Industrial Technology umbrella with AWS standards alignment and AWS certification opportunities. For welding students, this means the program carries a college-level institutional accreditation and a technology-focused program approval while still preparing them for industry-recognized AWS credentials.

Certification and Credentialing: AWS, OSHA, and On-Site Testing

Welding credentialing is becoming more digital: beginning January 15, 2026, AWS moved certification applications to the My AWS Portal, so Ivy Tech students should plan to submit and track certification paperwork online.¹

AWS Certifications Ivy Tech Students Can Earn

Ivy Tech lists four American Welding Society Welder Certifications for welding students²:

• AWS Pipe Welding II: 6 credits, typically completed after WELD 203 Pipe Welding I and WELD 204 Pipe Welding II.
• AWS Shielded Metal ARC Welding II: a Stick Welding credential tied to required WELD coursework.
• AWS Gas Metal MIG II: a wire-feed credential focused on gas metal arc welding.
• AWS Gas Tungsten Arc Welding II: a TIG credential that builds on WELD 208 and WELD 273.

Many Ivy Tech welding instructors hold AWS certification, and program pages describe the training as preparing students to attempt certification upon completion.

OSHA Safety Training

Ivy Tech's published welding pathways include the OSHA 10-Hour Welder Safety credential³, and some partner materials pair the Structural Welding Certificate with OSHA 10-Hour. The school's current listings point to the 10-hour course; a 30-hour OSHA option is not listed in the welding pathway materials reviewed.

On-Site Testing, Fees, and Pass Requirements

Ivy Tech says welding skills-training classes prepare students for certification and that students have an opportunity to attempt an AWS certification upon completion. Exact on-site testing arrangements vary by location and program. Ivy Tech is not necessarily an AWS test site at every campus; AWS certifications may also be taken at AWS Accredited Test Facilities, Educational Institution Members, and SENSE schools.¹

For program cost, Ivy Tech lists $1,070 for each AWS welding workforce certification, a 6-credit, one-semester option at 19 Indiana locations. That cost is for the program or course, not the separate AWS exam fee, which Ivy Tech's current pages do not publish. Students should ask their campus or testing facility for current exam fees.

Pass requirements are course-based: students must complete the required WELD courses for each workforce certification. Ivy Tech's introductory welding page says the credential is "earned with passed test," but no numeric AWS passing score or weld acceptance criteria is published. Ask instructors and testing proctors for the exact pass/fail standard before testing.

Ivy Tech Welding Campus Locations, Facilities, and Booth Time

The main tradeoff for welding students is geography versus fit. Ivy Tech Community College has welding offerings across Indiana, but not every campus delivers the same credential, schedule, or shop access.

Where Welding Is Offered

Ivy Tech offers Welding Technology as a technical certificate and Structural Welding as a certificate in Industrial Technology. Campuses listed for the Welding Technology technical certificate include: - Anderson - Bloomington - Columbus - Evansville - Fort Wayne - Indianapolis - Kokomo - Lafayette - South Bend/Elkhart - Terre Haute Lake County at East Chicago advertises two welding certificates and lists 18 total programs on the campus. Scottsburg is a satellite location that hosts welding classes only, so it may be a good option if you are near southern Indiana but need to confirm the current class lineup.

Program and Schedule Availability

Course and program availability varies by campus and semester. Some campuses may offer one credential, both credentials, or neither in a given term, so treat the campus list as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Because Ivy Tech operates as a statewide system, day, evening, hybrid, and weekend formats are not spelled out for most campuses in the public overview. Contact the campus industrial technology department for the current term's class days, times, and delivery format before you build your schedule.

Facilities and Booth Time

Booth time is the practical heart of welding training, so the lack of uniform published detail is something to plan around. Ivy Tech does not publish a uniform booth count, lab square footage, or equipment list for most welding campuses. Fort Wayne identifies welding instruction at Harshman Hall, but the public materials do not detail booth capacity. Lake County at East Chicago promotes its welding certificates, but the campus overview does not spell out welding booth counts or shop equipment. Because lab access, class size, and supervised practice time can vary, ask each campus directly about booth availability, open shop hours, and the ratio of students to booths before you enroll.

Salary Insight

Indiana welders earn a median annual wage near $50,000.

Common Questions About Ivy Tech Welding

Below are direct answers to common questions about Ivy Tech Community College's welding programs. Costs and availability vary by location and credential, so confirm current details with the campus or catalog before enrolling.

How much does the Ivy Tech welding certificate cost?

Indiana residents pay $178.38 per credit hour and out-of-state or international students pay $348.97 per credit hour under Fall 2025 through Summer 2027 rates. The 34-credit certificate totals about $6,065 in-state and $11,865 out-of-state for tuition only. Course fees, consumables, supplies, PPE, and textbooks are not included in welding school cost. A separate six-credit AWS workforce credential is listed at $1,070 and applies only to specific AWS credentials.

How many credits is the Ivy Tech welding certificate?

The Welding Technology Technical Certificate requires 34 credit hours and is built for two to three semesters. Separate AWS workforce credentials are listed at six credit hours and one semester. Those shorter credentials cover specific AWS areas and are not the same as the full certificate.

Which Ivy Tech campuses offer welding programs?

Welding Technology is listed at 20 locations among welding schools in Indiana, while shorter AWS credentials are listed at 19. Availability can vary by credential, so a campus may offer some welding options but not others. Kosciusko County (Warsaw) appears for some credentials even though it is not on the main 20-location list.

Does Ivy Tech offer AWS certification?

Ivy Tech offers AWS-aligned coursework, preparation classes, and weld-test opportunities. WELD 209 prepares students for SMAW, GTAW, and GMAW using AWS procedures. Completing the course does not automatically grant AWS certification; students still need to pass the applicable AWS test or credential. Ivy Tech lists credentials such as AWS Pipe Welding II, SMAW II, GMAW MIG II, and GTAW II.

What is the difference between the Ivy Tech welding certificate and associate degree?

The certificate is 34 credits and centers on hands-on welding in two to three semesters. The Industrial Technology Associate of Applied Science is 60 credits, with a 27-credit welding pathway plus general education and related coursework. The associate degree adds broader preparation such as blueprint reading, machine setup, multiple processes, and materials, and may include weld testing for AWS qualification.

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