Your Guide to Welding Programs at Ferris State University

Two paths define Ferris State University's welding programs: become a production-ready welder through the A.A.S. in Welding Technology, or pursue the B.S. in Welding Engineering Technology. The Big Rapids, Michigan campus supports both with hands-on lab time and a curriculum focused on industry welding procedures and code standards.

The practical tradeoff is time. An associate degree readies students for certification and shop floor work, while the bachelor's adds process design, metallurgy, and supervision. Manufacturers need both, so students often use the A.A.S. as the first step toward the B.S. rather than separate tracks.

Ferris State University Welding Degree Options

The core decision is timing and career direction: enter the workforce sooner as a hands-on welder, or invest more time in an engineering technology path. Ferris State University offers two Big Rapids, Michigan welding degree options, and the right fit depends on whether you want to weld on the floor or design and test welded products. The two options differ mainly in time and career focus.

A.A.S. in Welding Technology

The A.A.S. in Welding Technology is the shorter, lab-focused route. It centers on welding processes, metallurgy, mechanical testing, inspection, and fabrication of weldments. Ferris frames it as preparation for entry-level welding jobs. The credential is an Associate of Applied Science. The degree is delivered on the Big Rapids campus, though select courses may be online or mixed format. A fully online or separately designated hybrid A.A.S. is not published, and Ferris does not list a separate welding certificate or diploma.

B.S. in Welding Engineering Technology

The B.S. in Welding Engineering Technology requires 129 credits and prepares students for concept, design, engineering, manufacturing, and testing of welded products. Coursework covers welding process design, automation, quality control, and engineering technology roles. The program is Big Rapids-based and accredited by ETAC-ABET. Select courses may be online or mixed format, but Ferris does not offer a complete online B.S.

If you want to start welding in a shop quickly, the A.A.S. fits. If you want to move toward process design, quality, or automation, the B.S. is the longer term investment. Both programs share the Big Rapids campus. For both degrees, the primary delivery is on campus.

A.A.S. vs B.S. Welding Engineering Technology: Which Fits You?

Ferris State University offers both an Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering Technology. The comparison below is based on Ferris's published program pages and transfer guides, but not every detail, such as exact semester length, delivery format, or certification prep, is stated in the current 2026 materials. Where details are unavailable, the table says so plainly.

A.A.S.-to-B.S. Pathway: Transferring From Welding Technology to Engineering Technology

Ferris State's Welding Engineering Technology B.S. is designed as a transfer completion pathway, not direct entry. Applicants must already hold the Welding Technology A.A.S., meet a 3.00 GPA, and complete prerequisite courses before beginning the bachelor's. Credit transfer varies by sending institution; some articulation guides identify about 40 applicable credits, and full-time students transferring that amount may need roughly 6-8 additional semesters depending on course sequencing and availability.

Ferris State Welding Program Cost: Tuition, Fees, and Supplies

Finding a true all-in welding school cost for Ferris State's programs requires checking several official sources, because the university publishes general tuition and fee schedules rather than one program-specific sticker price.

Start with the official tuition and fee page

Begin on Ferris State University's 2026-2027 tuition and fees page and the academic catalog. For U.S./Canadian resident undergraduates, Ferris lists $534 per credit and $14,952 annual tuition at the freshman/sophomore level, and $582 per credit and $16,296 annual tuition at the junior/senior level, based on 14 credit hours per semester. International rates are higher. These are baseline tuition figures; they do not confirm every mandatory university fee or a welding-specific rate.

Cross-check the cost of attendance page. Ferris estimates $16,070 for tuition and fees, $922 for books, course materials, supplies, and equipment, and a $32,222 total cost of attendance for U.S./Canadian resident undergraduates in 2026-2027. The $922 is a general figure, not an itemized welding kit or personal protective equipment budget.

Get a program-specific cost breakdown

The Welding Technology associate program page and the Welding Engineering Technology department page do not publish a separate total program cost. Ask the welding program director or academic advisor for a written breakdown that separates tuition, mandatory fees, and any program-specific course, lab, or materials fees. The university bookstore and a local welding supply retailer can quote required tools, welding hoods, gloves, jackets, boots, and consumables, but confirm with the program which items are required and which are recommended.

Checklist before you enroll

• Lab and materials fees: Are they charged per semester or per welding course?
• Tools and PPE: Are tools, safety glasses, welding hood, gloves, and protective clothing included in tuition or billed separately?
• Written breakdown: Can the advisor provide a semester-by-semester cost sheet for the A.A.S. and B.S. programs?
• Fee changes: Which fees are fixed, and which may change annually?

Also contact the Ferris State Financial Aid Office to confirm federal, state, and institutional aid eligibility. Check the American Welding Society (AWS) for scholarships, certification fees, and industry cost benchmarks. For return on investment, use BLS.gov to look up welder wages by state or region, then compare projected earnings with the confirmed Ferris cost. Verify all figures with the university because tuition and fee schedules change yearly.

Financial Aid and Welding Scholarships at Ferris State

Welding students at public universities now have more aid pathways than a single Pell Grant decision used to allow, but timing and FAFSA filing still decide most awards. At Ferris State University, the first step is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using school code 002260. Filing opens federal Pell Grants and loans, and Ferris also coordinates Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) eligibility.

Institutional Welding Scholarships

Admitted students apply through Scholarship Universe. Several endowed awards target full-time undergraduates in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering Technology. The Steven and Abigail Hart Welding Engineering Technology Endowed Scholarship requires a 3.00 GPA and considers need, with a Cheboygan County preference. The Joel Lloyd Memorial Endowed Scholarship asks for a 3.0 high school GPA and 1040 SAT for incoming freshmen, or a 2.75 Ferris GPA for continuing students. The Jeffrey and Jodi Carney and Eric S. Young awards use similar 2.75 continuing GPA or 3.00 high school GPA thresholds. The College of Engineering Technology lists February 28 as the application deadline for the next academic year; welding-specific endowed awards do not show separate dates, so treat that as the key cutoff unless the aid office confirms otherwise.

Work-Study, Internships, and Outside Awards

Students who complete the FAFSA and indicate job interest can be considered for work-study. Welding students may also pursue paid internships through employer contacts, though Ferris does not publish a separate welding internship aid program. Outside options include American Welding Society district and national scholarships, Precision Metalforming Association, SME Education Foundation, and community foundation awards; AWS requires membership, and deadlines change annually.¹

Getting a Current Aid Package

Because endowed amounts vary year to year, contact Ferris State's financial aid office for current packaging, state grant deadlines, and any TIP documentation requirements.

Accreditation: Is Ferris State's Welding Program Accredited?

Ferris State University holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The university's 2025-2026 Fact Book identifies HLC as the institutional accreditor for Ferris State's academic programs, meaning the university meets broad standards for degree-granting institutions.

Program-Level Accreditation for Welding Engineering Technology

The B.S. in Welding Engineering Technology is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, commonly referred to as ETAC-ABET. This accreditation applies specifically to the Welding Engineering Technology program, not to the university as a whole. Ferris's published materials note that ABET accredits programs rather than individual degrees, departments, colleges, or entire institutions. The program is listed under ABET's General Criteria. Earlier Ferris materials describe the program receiving TAC-ABET accreditation in August 2008, an older term that corresponds to today's ETAC-ABET designation.

AWS and Other Approvals

Current Ferris accreditation materials do not identify a separate AWS program accreditation or AWS educational-facility approval for the Welding Engineering Technology program. The cited program-level accreditation is ETAC-ABET. That does not speak to individual instructor certifications, lab authorizations, or graduate certifications, which are separate matters.

Why Accreditation Matters

For students comparing accredited welding schools, ETAC-ABET accreditation signals that the welding engineering technology curriculum meets established engineering technology standards and can support employer recognition, credit transfer, and pathways toward professional credentialing, a milestone covered in How to Become a Welder. HLC accreditation provides the institutional foundation for federal financial aid eligibility and broad acceptance of a Ferris State degree.

Ferris State Welding Admissions Requirements and Application Steps

• First-year A.A.S. admissions

  Ferris is test-optional overall, but the welding department lists thresholds when scores are considered: high school GPA 2.75 (2.50–2.74 may be admitted under college approval), ACT 19 composite / SAT 990, ACT Math 19 / SAT Math 500, ACT English 14 / SAT EBRW 450, plus placement into MATH 115.
• Transfer A.A.S. admissions

  Transfer students entering the A.A.S. in Welding Technology should plan for a 3.00 college GPA and prerequisite coursework including MATH 110 and ENGL 074 with grades of B or higher. Additional transfer requirements may apply.
• Transfer B.S. admissions

  The B.S. in Welding Engineering Technology requires an Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology, a 3.00 college GPA, placement into MATH 130, and prerequisite courses PHYS 211, ETEC 140, and MATL 240 or equivalents. Transfer guidance also lists the NOCTI Welding Job Readiness Assessment (Test Code 4172) with a minimum score of 70.
• Application steps

  Submit the Ferris State online application and pay the application fee. First-year applicants send official high school transcripts or GED; transfer applicants send official transcripts from all colleges attended, plus high school transcripts. Submit ACT/SAT scores only if required for your review path.
• Application deadlines

  First-year admission closes 30 days before the first day of the semester. For transfer students at Big Rapids, deadlines are July 1 for fall, December 1 for spring, and April 1 for summer. A separate Illinois Central College welding transfer pathway lists a January 15 fall deadline, so follow the deadline for your specific pathway.
• Program-specific or portfolio requirements

  No portfolio is listed. For B.S. entry, the program-specific requirement is verification of the welding A.A.S., prerequisite courses, math placement, and any required NOCTI score.

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