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Why You Should Take Advantage of UTI’s Advanced Placement Opportunities

Oct 17, 2023 ·

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Have you taken any vocational courses in high school? Or any skills-based courses that focus on skills that would be found in the trades? You might be eligible to gain credit for those courses at Universal Technical Institute!

As a nationwide leader in technical education, our Welding Technology program is recognized by top brands around the country.1 One of the unique benefits of this program is the advanced placement opportunities (APO) available to high school students who have taken related vocational courses.

Here’s what you need to know about how APO can benefit you!

What exactly are advanced placement opportunities?

Exactly what it sounds like! This is an opportunity for students to “test out” of some courses and show comprehension of their vocational welding knowledge from classes that they have previously taken in an accredited high school. If successful, students can reap the benefits by earning credit for those courses before the program begins and moving ahead to subsequent courses.

What are the benefits of passing the advanced placement tests?

We’re so glad you asked! There are TWO major benefits for UTI students who are training to become welders:

1. You can shorten your program length  

That’s right! Our 36-week welding program is made up of 12 courses that must be passed in order to complete the program. However, if you’ve taken vocational welding courses in high school, you may be eligible to test out of up to six of those courses. You’re allowed to take the advanced placement test for these and demonstrate your competency. That means you could shorten your program length down to as much as half the time! This can give you a head start on preparing for a welding career more quickly.1

2. Receive a tuition reduction

 If you get credit for a course but decide you would still like to take the course as a refresher or to gain more hands-on knowledge in that topic, you may be eligible for a tuition reduction known as the Technical Education Institution Grant. This can save you thousands of dollars in tuition fees. It is important to note that not all high school welding courses may qualify for the grant.

What are the requirements for testing?

In order to be eligible to take the APO tests and demonstrate comprehension, students must supply specific curriculum information to be reviewed and approved by UTI’s Education Department. Once approved, students are allowed to test and/or demonstrate proficiency for the corresponding UTI courses out of the following:

●     INTRODUCTION TO WELDING, SAFETY AND CAREERS (WELD 101)

●     PRINCIPLES OF WELDING (WELD 102)

●     GAS METAL ARC WELDING I (WELD 103)

●     SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING I (WELD 104)

●     ENGINEERING AND FABRICATION (WELD 105)

●     GAS METAL ARC WELDING II (GMAW-2) (WELD 123)

●     SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING II (SMAW-2) (WELD 124)

●     FLUX-CORED ARC WELDING (FCAW) (WELD 125)

●     GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW) (WELD 126)

●     PIPE WELDING (WELD 130)

A maximum of six eligible courses are allowed. Unless otherwise noted, students take the end-of-course survey as the exam  for each course they would like to earn credit for.

To benefit from the grant program, students who pass the APO exam and/or demonstrate their skills can then use the grant. They must start their training at UTI no later than December 31st of the year following the year of high school graduation.

Any student who doesn’t earn a passing grade on an APO test will be required to take the corresponding course at UTI at the full tuition price.

Where is APO offered?

At all UTI campuses that offer the welding program! Refer to this page to see which campuses offer the welding program.

If you’re considering training for a career in welding and you’re curious to know if you qualify for the advanced placement opportunities, contact an Admissions Rep today! 

 

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1) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.

2) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.

Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

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