Programs at South Texas College
Welding
- 3-Semester program
- 41 total credit hours
- Capstone required
- Four welding processes taught
- AWS qualification test eligibility
- Combination covers open groove and pipe
- Structural certificate: two semesters
- Blueprint reading and metallurgy
- Layout and fabrication skills
- Industry advisory committee
- Prepares for entry-level welding jobs
South Texas College Welding Programs at a Glance
South Texas College offers welding programs at several credential levels, from an occupational skills award to an associate degree. Program length and credit hour details vary by credential, and the college lists delivery as in person for all welding options. Some associate degree details are not included in the available program materials, so those cells are marked as not published.
| Credential | Length | Credit Hours | Delivery Format | Career Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding (Occupational Skills Award) | Not published | Not published | In-person | Prepares students to seek an entry-level welding position; potential AWS D1.1 certification from WLDG 1428 |
| Combination Welding (Certificate) | Three semesters | 41 credit hours | In-person | Prepares students for entry-level positions using four welding processes: Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and Flux Core Arc Welding; includes advanced open-groove and pipe welding skills |
| Structural Welding (Certificate) | Two semesters | 29 credit hours | In-person | Prepares students for entry-level positions using four welding processes: Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and Flux Core Arc Welding; does not include advanced open-groove and pipe level covered by the combination certificate |
| Welding (Associate of Applied Science) | Not published | Not published | In-person | Not published |
South Texas College operates an AWS Accredited Testing Facility, which lets welding students earn industry-recognized certifications without leaving campus. This accreditation gives graduates a clear hiring advantage because employers know STC test results reflect the same standards used across the welding trade.
From Entry-Level Certificates to the Associate Degree: Choosing Your Welding Path
Which welding credential at South Texas College , one of the welding schools in Texas , should you start with, and when does it make sense to move up to the certificate or associate degree?
Start with the Occupational Skills Award (OSA)
The occupational skills award is the shortest entry point. STC's sequence introduces shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) before moving into flux cored arc welding (FCAW). You will also cover basic blueprint reading, welding safety, and oxy-fuel cutting. This path suits someone who wants to start production or helper work quickly and return later to stack more credentials. Because completed courses can apply to the next credential, you do not lose time. Many students start this award during a regular semester or evening session, and the schedule mirrors STC's entry-level welding courses.
Build into the Combination Welding Certificate
The combination welding certificate adds more process-specific plate welding and stacks FCAW alongside SMAW and GMAW. Students get additional booth time on groove welds, fillet welds, and weld inspection. This is a strong fit for entry-level production welders and fabricators who need several common processes on a shop floor. Before enrolling in advanced courses, students typically complete introductory welding and blueprint reading courses or have equivalent experience. The certificate can often be completed after the OSA courses transfer in, so the combination path may feel more like an add-on than a restart.
Move to the Structural Welding Certificate
For students targeting structural steel, pipe supports, code-governed work, or shipyard welding jobs in Texas, the structural welding certificate emphasizes SMAW and FCAW in all positions. Coursework typically includes advanced blueprint reading, layout, and fit-up, with an eye toward passing welder qualification tests. Choose this route if you want to work as a structural welder or prepare for welding certification exams. Employers hiring structural welders often look for all-position plate skills, and this certificate is built around that expectation.
Finish with the Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
STC's AAS degree adds general education courses to the welding core and introduces gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) for stainless and thin-gauge applications. This is the option for students who want broader career mobility, leadership roles, or a foundation for inspection, supervision, or how to start a welding business. It also provides a complete academic record for employers who prefer an associate degree. Because the AAS includes general education, it can also transfer some credits toward a bachelor's degree later, which is useful if you plan to move into welding education or engineering technology.
Which path fits you?
- Entry-level production welder: Start with the OSA or combination certificate and enter shops running GMAW and FCAW.
- Structural welder: Move through the structural certificate for SMAW and FCAW all-position training and qualification practice.
- Advanced certification or supervision: Finish the AAS to include GTAW, general education, and a broader route to inspection or management.
Welding Credential Ladder at STC: Your Step-By-Step Pathway
South Texas College lets you stack welding credentials from a short entry-level award to a full associate degree. Each step adds skills and counts toward the next, so you can enter the workforce or continue without losing credit.
Admissions Requirements and How to Apply for STC Welding
South Texas College (STC) welding admission is handled through the college's regular application, not a separate welding department application. Students apply online and then submit official transcripts from the last high school attended, or college transcripts if they have prior coursework.
Who Can Apply
Applicants may qualify as high school graduates, GED or CHSE holders, or individuals age 18 and older. Students age 18 and over who do not meet the high school or GED path still need to submit Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment placement results. Applicants with prior college-level coursework need a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, unless an exception is approved by the Dean for Math, Science & Bachelor Programs.
Placement Testing by Credential
- Level One Basic Certificate and Level One Advanced Certificate: TSI exempt. - Level 2 Certificate and A.A.S. degree: must meet all TSI requirements. Students who do not meet TSI are encouraged to take developmental courses before entering college-level work.
Application Steps and Deadlines
1. Complete the online application for admission to STC. 2. Submit official transcripts to the Office of Admissions and Records by email or mail. 3. Review TSI placement results or confirm a TSI exemption based on the selected credential. 4. Complete any college-wide orientation or advising steps assigned after admission. 5. After satisfying all program requirements, file a formal application for graduation to receive the award.
STC publishes general admissions deadlines for fall, spring, and summer starts, but the welding program pages do not list a separate welding-only cutoff. Check the college's current admissions calendar for term dates.
Certification Testing and AWS Accreditation at South Texas College
There are two ways to pursue AWS welder certifications: some welders find a one-day open test session, while others complete a sequence of courses that finish with the certification exam as the capstone. South Texas College leans toward the second model, with exams tied directly to its welding coursework.
AWS certification is not a single universal test; it is a set of position-specific exams, and STC's list includes several of the most common structural and pipe tests.
AWS Accredited Test Facility
South Texas College's welding department is an AWS Accredited Test Facility at Technology Campus in McAllen, located at 3700 W. Military Hwy., McAllen, TX 78503. That designation, held since 2020, means candidates can complete welding certification exams on campus instead of traveling to an outside testing center.
Exams, Fees, and Scheduling
The facility offers on-site tests for 1G SMAW, 3G + 4G SMAW, 3G + 4G FCAW, 6G SMAW, and 6G GTAW. These cover common structural and pipe welding positions, such as 6G Pipe Welding, so students can target the credential that matches their job focus. Testing is by appointment only; call 956-872-6152 to schedule. Online scheduling is not published for these welding exams, so the phone line is the most direct route.
Published 2025-2026 workforce program pricing lists $281.40 per test plus a $50 registration fee per successful student. Because fees can change and the AWS testing page does not list a separate exam price, confirm the current amount when you book your appointment.
Course Path to Each Certification
STC aligns its certification exams with four welding courses: WLDG 1428, WLDG 1457, WLDG 2406, and WLDG 2451. Students who complete these courses get lab time on the same skills the position-specific exams evaluate, such as 4G SMAW Certification. STC does not publish formal walk-in prerequisites, but taking the aligned course is the clearest route to a passing score. For welders who already have skills, the facility still allows appointment-based testing through the same on-site process.
Facilities, Equipment, and Class Schedules (Including Midnight Options)
For working adults, the practical question is often not just whether South Texas College has a welding program, but whether the class times and welding school duration line up with an existing job or family schedule. A lower tuition figure matters less if the available lab section conflicts with a full-time shift.
What the 2026 Schedule Shows
The clearest signal from STC's published Fall 2026 listings is day and evening delivery for welding-related courses. Intro to Welding (WLDG 1000.P01) meets Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., September 29 to December 10, 2026, with instructor R. Ingram. Intro SMAW (WELD 1028.P01) runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., September 28 to April 7, 2026, with instructor B. Garza.1 Both examples are evening sections, which suggests the schedule is built around students who work during the day.
What is not clear from current public listings is a confirmed midnight section. The college's materials list day and evening delivery for welding classes in 2026 but do not identify an overnight or 12 a.m. course in the available schedule excerpts.
Facilities and Lab Time
Welding activity is associated with Technology B-216 and Technology A-112 at the college. Because some sections list the room as "Tech TBA," students should confirm the exact lab location before the first meeting. The program office can be reached at 956-872-6191.
Lab time is built into the course structure. WLDG 1312, Introduction to Flux-Cored Arc Welding, carries 3 credit hours with 1 lecture hour and 6 lab hours per week.2 That balance suggests most scheduled hours are hands-on, and the catalog's SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, pipe, layout and fabrication, and capstone courses point to multiple process bays rather than a single-station setup. Prospective students should ask for a lab tour or speak with an instructor about how the welding booths and MIG Welding Equipment and Accessories support the process they want to train on.
Registration and Seat Availability
Current Fall 2026 listings do not show a waitlist count or closed-section flag, so there is no published indication of a formal waitlist for the cited welding sections. Seat counts can change each term. To confirm openings for an upcoming term, contact the welding program office directly or register through South Texas College's standard enrollment process and watch for room assignments and instructor updates before classes start. Students planning around a job should confirm the schedule before committing, because evening sections have fixed term dates and may not align with every employer's shift pattern.
Projected Job Growth for Welders in the Rio Grande Valley
The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics outlook projects 2% growth for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers nationwide from 2025 to 2035.
South Texas College offers midnight welding classes so working students can fit hands-on training into a late or rotating schedule. This flexibility sets STC apart for adult learners and shift workers who cannot attend standard daytime programs.
Campus Locations, Contacts, and Next Steps for Applying
South Texas College delivers its welding instruction primarily from the Technology Campus at 3700 W. Military Highway in McAllen, Texas 78503. That campus houses the welding booths, fabrication labs, and the AWS testing center used by certificate, occupational skills award, and associate degree students.
McAllen Campus Welding Contact
For welding program questions, call South Texas College's main line at 956-872-8311 and ask to be transferred to the welding department or the Advanced Manufacturing Technology division. Because direct program email addresses can change, the most reliable written contact is the college's online request-information form available on the South Texas College website. You can also visit the Technology Campus Student Services office during weekday business hours. If you need a printed program brochure or current tuition sheet, ask for one during the call or campus visit.
Application and Advising Steps
- Apply online: Complete the ApplyTexas application and list South Texas College as your college choice.
- Complete placement testing: Take the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment or submit qualifying SAT, ACT, STAAR, or prior college credit to satisfy the state's readiness requirement.
- Meet an advisor: After the admissions office issues your student ID, schedule an appointment. Tell the advisor you are interested in welding and which credential you are targeting: a welding certificate, the occupational skills award, or the Associate of Applied Science. Ask about credit options for any prior welding training if you have it.
- Register for classes: Your advisor will help you select first-semester welding and support courses. Midnight class sections have not been confirmed for entry-level welding courses, so ask about the day and evening schedule options if you work during the day.
Request a Tour or More Information
The fastest way to see the lab spaces and meet instructors is to call the Technology Campus and request a welding lab tour. Tours let you see the booth setup, cutting stations, and classroom areas before you commit to a program. Bring a list of questions about scheduling, tool costs, and welding school financial aid eligibility when you visit. If you are still comparing options, use the school-finder search at gowelding.org to review South Texas College alongside other welding trade schools in the Rio Grande Valley.