Carpentry

Overview

Carpentry programs prepare people to build, maintain, and repair structures.

Carpentry programs prepare people to read blueprints, choose materials, and use tools to build and repair structures. Students study building codes and learn to estimate costs.

In carpentry programs students learn to:

Read blueprints
Choose materials
Use hand and power tools
Follow building codes
Estimate costs

Many carpentry programs include paid apprenticeships. As an apprentice, students learn skills of the trade while working with experienced workers.

Schools

Some career and technical schools offer certificate programs in carpentry. Many community colleges offer certificate and associate degree programs in carpentry. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program at a community college usually takes two years to complete.

An apprenticeship program may require one to four additional years of on-the-job training.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program of study by getting your high school diploma or GED.

Apprenticeship requirements vary by area and local committee. Most committees require that apprentices be at least 18. Some will take younger apprentices who have permission from their parents or high school principal.

Some training programs require that applicants take aptitude and physical activity tests. They may also require related work or volunteer experience.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Applied Math
Blueprint Reading
Carpentry
Construction
Construction Trades Work Experience
Drafting
Equipment Maintenance and Repair
Exploration of Construction Careers
Fitness and Conditioning Activities
Framing Carpentry
General Industrial Arts
Geometry
Industrial Safety and First Aid
Introduction to Business
Trigonometry
Woodworking

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

In this program, you typically take courses such as the following:

Basic Construction Systems
Basic Surveying
Blueprint Reading
Building Codes and Laws
Carpentry Techniques
Carpentry Theory
Ceiling and Roof Framing
Construction Materials and Parts
Cost Estimating
Doors and Door Hardware
Drafting
Exterior and Interior Finishing
First Aid and Safety
Floor Framing
Hand and Power Tools Application
Math
Scaffold and Cornice Work
Site Layouts, Footings, and Foundations
Steel Rigging and Reinforcing
Wall Framing

Some programs offer a cooperative education program. This means that you are required to work in the carpentry field as part of your program's curriculum. In some cases, a cooperative education allows you to complete an apprenticeship and this program of study at the same time. In other cases, it gives you a "pre-apprenticeship" that prepares you for your apprenticeship.

Other programs may not require cooperative education. But instead, they may offer "labs" or an on-site "practicum." These are opportunities to work with your classmates on building a structure such as a house or mock-ups of parts of a structure.

In all of these situations, you benefit from the guidance and direct supervision of an experienced carpenter.

Things to Know

Most programs require that students purchase their own tools, safety equipment, and work clothes.

Employers and unions prefer applicants who have already done some work in the construction trades. An apprenticeship fulfills this preference.

Upon completion of an apprenticeship program, students can get trade certification or licensing.

For information about apprenticeships and other training opportunities in your area, call or visit local contractors, union offices, apprenticeship agencies, or your nearest employment service office.