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Associate of Science Degree
Welding Technology

The courses required in this degree compiles a comprehensive list of job related skills needed to acquire advanced welding skills. The skills acquired during class will prepare an individual to take and pass the City of Los Angeles Certified Welder Exam, which also aligns with American Welding Society (AWS) standards.

Please contact the Student Success Team for this program if you have any questions.

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Sample Education Plan

This sample education plan for the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway through the program. Each university (UC, CSU, private, and others) has their own transfer requirements; please see a counselor to create an education plan that is customized to meet your needs. Additional course descriptions may be found in the College Catalog.
Select sample path/map:
CourseUnitsTypically Offered
1st Semester
WELD 040 - Introduction to Welding ProcessesM2.0
WELD 040 - Introduction to Welding Processes (2.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.

This is an introductory class designed to familiarize the student with several welding processes that are currently used in the welding and metal fabrication industry. This course offers an overview and basic introduction to the theory and practice of a variety of welding and metal cutting methods. This course will emphasize safety, theory, procedure, and practical skill development.

TCED 090 - Blueprint Reading for IndustryM2.0
TCED 090 - Blueprint Reading for Industry (2.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.

This course is for all students interested in pursuing certificates, degrees and careers related to manufacturing, welding, and drafting technologies. The course presents an introduction to the use of engineering documents or blueprints as used in industrial applications and focuses on interpreting and visualizing technical drawings in order to read and understand “The Language of Industry.” Principles of reading drawings, specifications, projection principles, working drawings, details, assemblies, and pictorial representations are examined and discussed. The course is also helpful for apprentices and employees in all areas of technology including planning, purchasing, machine trades, welding/fabrication, future engineers, and inspection.

ENGL 101 - College Composition and Research (RHC GE 1b and 8a)GE3.5
ENGL 101 - College Composition and Research (3.5 units)

Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or eligibility for college composition.
Transfers to:UC, CSU

This composition course enables students to generate logical, coherent essays that incorporate sources necessary for academic and professional success. Students become proficient in researching, evaluating, and incorporating sources, and in learning critical reading and thinking skills through expository and persuasive reading selections before applying these skills to creating original documented essays. The writing workshop component of the course is designed to assist students with improving and refining their writing and language skills: Students complete writing workshop activities that enhance their ability to compose logical, well-supported arguments that exhibit grammatical fluency and correct citation styles. Students meet with composition instructors through individual or small group conferences that address students’ specific writing concerns. This course is designed for students who wish to fulfill the General Education requirement for Written Communication.

RHC GE 6 - Social and Behavioral ScienceGE3.0

Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite.

Select one:
AJ 101
ANTH 102, 102H, 103, 104, 110, 115, 125;
CD 106, 208;
CHST 101, 146, 148, 148H, 150;
ECON 101, 101H, 102, 102H, 106, 135;
EGSS 110, 120, 130;
GEOG 102, 103;
HIST 101, 102, 122, 131, 143, 143H, 144, 144H, 156, 157, 158, 159, 159H, 167, 170;
HUM 110, 111, 125, 125H, 130;
KIN 170, 190, 195
MSCM 103, 128;
PHIL 128, 128H, 135;
POLS 110, 110H, 115, 125, 128, 128H, 130, 135,140,150;
PSY 101, 101H, 112, 114, 180, 200;
SOC 101, 101H, 102, 105, 110, 114, 116, 120, 127, 130;
SPCH 150

RHC GE 7a - Fine ArtsGE3.0

Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite.

Select one:
ARCH 103
ART 101, 104, 105, 105H, 106, 106H, 107, 108, 109, 110, 112, 113, 115, 117, 120, 130, 135, 140;
DANC 179, 179H, 199, 199H;
GDSN 110:
MUS 101, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136;
MUST 151, 152;
PHTO 110, 130;
THTR 101, 105, 105H, 110, 150

Total Semester Units:13.5 
2nd Semester
WELD 041 - Elementary MetallurgyM2.0
WELD 041 - Elementary Metallurgy (2.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.

This is an elementary course in the basic principles of metallurgy. The course is designed for welding majors, but is suitable for all students interested in materials, manufacturing and design. Topics include steel and alloy production, properties of metals, heat treatment, and the effects of heat on production.

WELD 050 - Semi-Automatic Welding ProcessesM4.0
WELD 050 - Semi-Automatic Welding Processes (4.0 units)

Prerequisite: WELD 040

This course is intended for students who want to progress to an intermediate level of welding processes and further their skills in wire-fed, semi-automatic welding methods and techniques. This course emphasizes skills in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux cored arc welding (FCAW). The course also focuses on safety, theory, characteristics and settings for power supplies and wire feeding units, electric current settings, electrode identification and selection, welding positions, and welding of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Special emphasis is placed on developing proficiency and speed for high-volume production applications.

WELD 055 - Manual Electric Arc Welding ProcessesM4.0
WELD 055 - Manual Electric Arc Welding Processes (4.0 units)

Prerequisite:WELD 040

This course is intended for the student who wants to progress to an intermediate level of welding processes and further their skills in manual electric arc welding methods and techniques. This course emphasizes skills in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). The course also focuses on safety, theory, characteristics and settings for power supplies and welding units, electric current settings, electrode identification and selection, welding positions, and welding of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Special emphasis will be placed on developing proficiency and speed for high volume production applications.

Select one: MATH 150 / FIN 101 (RHC GE 2)GE3.0
Notes:
While the above course(s) are recommended, students may take any of the following courses to fulfill this requirement:  FIN 101, MATH 060, MATH 073, MATH 130/H, MATH 140, MATH 150, MATH 160, MATH 170, MATH 175, MATH 180, MATH 190/H, PSY 190.

MATH 150 - Survey of Mathematics (3.0 units)

Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an intermediate algebra course.
Transfers to: CSU, UC

In this course students will learn to read and understand quantitative information, solve practical problems, and make sound decisions using numbers. Topics include consumer applications, logic, probability, statistics, algebra, and geometry. This course is for students who need a quantitative reasoning course for graduation or transfer.

FIN 101 - Introduction to Financial Planning (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts.
Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an elementary algebra course.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of financial planning, and is designed to provide students with tools needed to achieve their personal financial goals. Students learn to make informed decisions related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing by applying quantitative reasoning concepts. Course topics include the financial planning process, budgeting, cash flow, debt consolidation, investing, and retirement planning.

Total Semester Units:13.0 
Summer 1
RHC GE 8b - Communication/Analytical ThinkingGE3.0
Notes:
If they complete transferable math they don't need to complete an additional COMM/ANALYTIC just elect.

Notes:
All honors courses have a prerequisite.
† some classes may have higher units.

Select one:
CIT 101, 125, 135;
ENGL 125, 201, 201H;
FIN 101;
GIS 120;
MATH 130, 130H, 140, 150, 160, 170, 175, 180, 190, 190H, 191, 250, 251, 260, 270;
PHIL 110, 110H, 112, 112H, 115;
PSY 190;
SPCH 100, 100H, 101, 101H, 120, 140;
READ 101;
VOCB 101

RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE1.0

Select one: KINA or DANC activity course.
Students who have completed a Fire, Police, Wildland Fire, or Corrections Academy from an accredited institution are automatically waived from this requirement, as are students with a DD214 on file. Exemption may be granted to those students physically unable to complete this requirement. Exemption forms are available in Student Health & Psychological Services.

Total Semester Units:4.0 
3rd Semester
WELD 045 - Basic Electric Arc WeldingM2.0
WELD 045 - Basic Electric Arc Welding (2.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.

This course is intended for the student who wants to progress to a basic level of welding processes and further their skills in manual and semi-automatic electric arc welding methods and techniques. This course emphasizes skills in Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). The course also focuses on safety, theory, characteristics and settings for power supplies and welding units, electric current settings, electrode identification and selection, welding positions, and welding of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Special emphasis will be placed on developing proficiency and speed for high volume production applications.

WELD 075 - Certification Welding IM4.0
WELD 075 - Certification Welding I (4.0 units)

Prerequisite: WELD 055

This course is an advanced course offering specialized instruction necessary for passing the City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) certified welder performance examinations. Emphasis will be placed on building skills in Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) as applicable to acquire LADBS certified welder classifications in structural steel, light gage steel, and structural aluminum. Safety, welding codes, welding procedures and techniques, inspection requirements, nondestructive testing, and destructive testing will be covered. This course may be repeated once for certification or licensure standards, only by permit from the division.

WELD 080 - Certification Welding IIM3.0
WELD 080 - Certification Welding II (3.0 units)

Prerequisite: WELD 055

This course is intended for the student who wants to progress to an advanced level of welding processes and certification. This course offers specialized training and instruction which are necessary to take and pass the written test portion of the City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) Certified Welder Examination. This course emphasizes specific skills in Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) as it applies to Certification in Structural Steel, Light Gage Steel, and Structural Aluminum. The course also focuses on safety, welding codes, test preparation, procedures, and destructive testing. Special emphasis will be placed on developing proficiency in order to successfully pass the LADBS exam. This course may be repeated once for certification or licensure standards, only by permit from the division.

RHC GE 4 - American InstitutionsGE3.0

Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite.

Select one:
POLS 110, 110H;
HIST 143, 143H, 144, 144H, 156, 157, 158, 159, 159H, 170

RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE1.0

Select one: KINA or DANC activity course.
Students who have completed a Fire, Police, Wildland Fire, or Corrections Academy from an accredited institution are automatically waived from this requirement, as are students with a DD214 on file. Exemption may be granted to those students physically unable to complete this requirement. Exemption forms are available in Student Health & Psychological Services.

RHC GE 7b - HumanitiesGE3.0†

Notes:
All honors courses have a prerequisite.
† some classes may have higher units. 

Select one:
ANTH 104;
ASL 101, 124, 201, 202;
CHIN 101, 102;
CHST 101, 146, 148, 148H, 150;
EGSS 130;
ENGL 126, 131;
FR 101, 102, 201, 202;
HIST 101, 102, 122, 131, 143, 143H, 144, 144H, 156, 157, 158, 159, 159H, 167, 170;
HUM 110, 111, 125, 125H, 130, 140, 145;
JAPN 101, 102;
KIN 199
LIT 102, 102H, 112A, 112AH, 112B, 112BH, 114, 114H, 117, 117H, 130, 130H,140, 140H, 141, 141H, 142, 142H, 144A, 144AH, 144B, 144BH, 145, 145H, 146A, 146AH, 146B, 146BH, 147, 147H, 148, 148H, 149, 149H;
MSCM 128;
PHIL 101, 101H, 102, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 128H, 135, 140;
POLS 128, 128H, 150;
SPAN 101, 101S, 102, 102S, 201, 201H, 202;
SPCH 130, 132

Total Semester Units:16.0† 
4th Semester
WELD 060 - Production Welding TechniquesM4.0
WELD 060 - Production Welding Techniques (4.0 units)

Advisory:WELD 045

This is an intermediate level course focused on welding techniques used in high-volume production manufacturing environments. Students gain proficiency using pulsed-arc & non-pulsed-arc GMAW and GTAW processes on carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum materials. Correct use of welding fixtures, positioners, and other auxiliary equipment are covered. Emphasis is placed on using shop safety in addition to developing proper working procedures.

WELD 070 - Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc WeldingM4.0
WELD 070 - Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (4.0 units)

Prerequisite: WELD 065

This course provides further advancement of knowledge and skills in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency in welding carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum weld joints in the vertical and overhead position. This course exposes students to using positioners, welding fixtures, and tooling commonly used in the workplace. Preparation for welding certification is covered.

WELD 065 - Introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc WeldingM4.0
WELD 065 - Introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (4.0 units)

Prerequisite: WELD 040

This course introduces the principles and practices of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), including setup/use of GTAW equipment and safe use of tools and equipment. Instruction and practice is provided for gaining proficiency welding carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum weld joints in the flat and horizontal positions. Fundamentals of the GTAW process, correct consumables, equipment, and pre-weld preparation will be covered.

RHC GE 5 - Natural Science with LabGE4.0

Note: All honors courses have a prerequisite.

Select one Natural Science with Lab:
ANTH 101, 101H & 101L;
ASTR 110, 110H & 112, 137;
BIOL 101, 105 & 105L, 111 & 111L, 112, 120 & 120L;
BIOT 100;
CHEM 110, 120, 130;
GEOG 101 & 101L;
GEOL 150 & 151, 152 & 152L;
PHY 120, 150, 160, 211, 212, 213

Total Semester Units:16.0 
Total Units for Welding Technology AS program 62.5† 
Notes:
AP exams and courses taken outside of Rio Hondo College may fulfill general education and/or major requirements. Please check with a counselor.
Legend:
Some classes may have higher units
M Major course; course may also meet a general education requirement
GEGeneral Education course
ELElective Course
Advising Sheet:
Click or tap here to open the program's advising sheet.

Program Learning Outcomes

About RHC

Rio Hondo College, serving the communities of El Monte, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, and Whittier for over 50 years.

Contact

Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601

Phone: (562) 692-0921
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