Welding
This guide records how articulated postsecondary credit from a high school welding career and technical education (CTE) program of study will be accepted at the colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).
Credit for Prior Learning Request
COLLEGE CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
To earn KCTCS credit for welding, a student must have accomplished the following:
- Completed their high school welding program with a grade of B or higher
- Had at least one accredited CWI or CWE instructor or a KY DOT approved instructor in their high school CTE program
- Earned one or more of the industry-recognized certifications below (the certification must be valid) and/or successful completion of the AWS Sense Level 1 Exam (see below)
- Submitted the necessary documentation, signed by a school personnel, indicating all requirements have been met (see next page of this document for signature page)
- Applied to a KCTCS college and enrolled within two years of graduating high school
- Met with the welding program coordinator (or their designee) at their home KCTCS college.
Upon successful completion of the requirements above, a student will be eligible to receive college credit for welding lab courses for the following valid certifications:
| End of Program Assessment/ Certification | Equivalent Lab Course(s) | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 3F (Fillet) or 4F KY DOT (Department of Transportation) | WLD 121 Shielded Metal Arc Welding Fillet Lab | 3 credit hours |
| Shielded Metal Arc Welding 3G (Groove) or 4G KY DOT certification |
WLD 121 and WLD 123 Shielded Metal Arc Welding Groove with Backing Lab |
6 credit hours |
| Flux Cored - 3G (Groove) or 4G KY DOT certification |
WLD 147 Flux Cored Arc Welding Lab and WLD 141 Gas Metal Arc Welding Fillet Lab |
4 credit hours |
| Flux Cored - 3G (Groove) and 4G KY DOT certification |
WLD 147 and WLD 141 and WLD 143 Gas Metal Arc Welding Groove Lab |
7 credit hours |
AWS Sense Level 1 Exam Credit for Prior Learning (for lecture courses):
If a student has passed the AWS Sense Level 1 Exam with a 90% in Module 2: Safety and Health of Welders and a minimum of 75% in modules with credit for prior learning equivalency (see table below), they can receive college credit for the following welding lecture courses.
| AWS Sense Level 1 Modules | Equivalent Lab Course(s) | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| *2 - Safety and Health of Welders (90%) | Must pass at this level to be eligible for credit below | |
| *3- Drawing and Welding Symbol Interpretation (75%) | WLD 170 Blueprint Reading for Welding | 2 credit hours |
| 4 – Shielded Metal Arc Welding (75%) | WLD 120 Shielded Metal Arc Welding | 2 credit hours |
| 5 – Gas Metal Arc Welding (75%) | WLD 140 Gas Metal Arc Welding | 2 credit hours |
| 6 – Flux Cored Arc Welding (75%) | WLD 140 Gas Metal Arc Welding | 2 credit hours |
| 7 – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (75%) | WLD 130 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding | 2 credit hours |
|
*8 - Thermal Cutting Processes (75%) (Have to complete all three cutting processes – Oxifuel, Plasma, and Aircarbon Arc) |
WLD 110 Cutting Processes |
2 credit hours |
Note: *Required modules. Modules 1 and 9 have no college credit level equivalency.
Note: Some welding courses are offered for dual credit at specific CTE centers and high schools throughout the state. If a student has already earned one or more of the courses through dual credit, then there is no need for articulation for the same course(s). Please discuss the best option with the program coordinator at your home KCTCS college.
This agreement will be in effect until changes are made to the KCTCS curriculum or the end of program assessment or industry-recognized credential. This is valid for students who graduate high school in 2022 and until the criteria for this CT2KCTCS guide are changed.
