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Woodworking Classes in California with Program Descriptions

There are around 20 schools in California that have woodworking classes. Read an overview of the ten largest schools' programs, requirements and tuition info and find out which school is the right one for you.

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Woodworking Classes in California

A number of California schools offer classes and education programs for students interested in woodworking as a career or as a hobby. Read on to find out more about the ten largest schools offering woodworking programs and courses.

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield College in Bakersfield enrolls over 17,000 for-credit students and offers classes, certificate and degrees in woodworking. Students in these programs work with a variety of machines and types of wood, developing their aesthetic and design skills as they craft original furniture and cabinetry. Woodworking courses, many of which are transferable to California State University, cover topics like finishing, lathe turning, joining, clamping and assembly. Students can earn a Job Skills Certificate in Woodworking/Cabinetmaking by taking six credits of coursework or a Certificate of Achievement in Cabinetmaking by taking 33 credits of woodworking, construction and industrial design courses. For students interested a degree program, the AS in Industrial Technology has a woodworking and cabinetmaking option, which includes courses in woodworking, as well as forestry and construction.

California State University - San Bernardino

Located in San Bernardino, CSU San Bernardino serves over 17,000 credit students and was ranked the 17th top public school in the West by US News and World Report in 2013. CSU San Bernardino's woodworking and furniture design program is an option within its BA in Studio Art degree program. The art degree requires courses in the liberal arts and in various artistic media. Students in the woodworking program are encouraged to express themselves artistically through their woodworking and learn how to design and construct furniture and wood art. Woodworking classes, which are five credits, include introductory and advanced woodworking and furniture design.

Cerritos College

Cerritos College in Norwalk serves over 21,000 credit students each year with certificate and degree programs for recent high school graduates and adult learners. Cerritos College Woodworking has 20 instructors, offers over 40 classes and is equipped with over 100 woodworking machines. Students can take non-credit woodworking classes offered by the Community Education Department or pursue certificates and associate degrees in woodworking. Two-year certificates are offered in cabinetmaking, furniture making and a combination of the two. Students take classes on topics such as wood finishing, mill work, hand tools, carving and lathe turning. Students can earn an associate degree upon completion of both the certificate requirements and the college's general education requirements.

El Camino College

El Camino College enrolls over 24,000 credit students and is located in Torrance. Its Industry and Technology Division offers woodworking courses through the construction technology program, which has five faculty. Students can earn a certificate of achievement or an AS in construction technology with a cabinet and fine woodworking option. Both programs require 24-26 units of courses within the major, though the associate degree requires additional courses in general education. Students can take a two-credit, introductory cabinet and furniture making course, which covers design, construction and installation, or a one-credit advanced cabinet making lab, which covers jigs, fixtures and other production and fastening techniques. Other courses woodworking students might take include an independent study, a cooperative work experience and a course about contract law, as well as courses covering related construction techniques, such as rough framing.

Laney College

Laney College is located in Oakland, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has an enrollment of around 12,000 students. The Wood Technology Department has eight faculty, a variety of woodworking machinery and equipment, including a lathe, and offers woodworking courses, certificates of completion, degrees and apprenticeships. Woodworking courses cover a range of topics, including furniture making, artisan woodworking and traditional Japanese hand tools and joinery. Students can earn a one-year certificate or an associate degree in wood technology or two-year certificates in furniture design and construction or computer-aided design and machinery (CAD/CAM) for woodworking. The Mill and Cabinet Maker Apprenticeship program is a four-year program that combines evening classes with full-time work, leading to Journeyman status as a cabinetmaker. Laney College also offers courses and an associate degree in carpentry.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Los Angeles Trade Technical College serves over 15,500 credit students from its downtown Los Angeles location. The Construction, Design and Manufacturing Department offers certificates and associate degrees in cabinetmaking and millwork. One of the cabinetmaking and millwork programs is designed for students without previous experience in the field and is completed through daytime classes on a full-time basis. The college also offers a construction technology program in cabinetmaking and mill-work that is designed for working professionals, since classes occur in the evening and students are expected to gain hands-on experience in their place of employment. Students can earn a certificate of completion from either of these programs or, upon completion of general education requirements, an associate degree. Students can also pursue an associate degree in carpentry, which includes some coursework in woodworking, though it's primary focus is on building construction.

MiraCosta College

Located in suburban Oceanside, about 40 miles north of San Diego, MiraCosta College enrolls over 14,000 credit students. Students interested in woodworking can take courses through the Art Department, which has seven faculty. The department offers a three-credit woodworking and furniture design course that teaches students how to use power and hand tools while creating contemporary and traditional work with wood. The course covers shaping, joining and hard and soft woods. Students interested in a degree in art can take courses in woodworking and create other artwork out of wood through a sculpture specialization. The woodworking course can be repeated up to three times by degree-seeking students.

Palomar College

Palomar Community College in San Marcos, about 35 miles north of San Diego, serves over 20,000 tudents annually with certificate and degree programs, as well as life-long learning classes for personal enrichment. Offering over 50 classes to 2,000 students each year, the Cabinetmaking and Furniture Technology Department has four full-time and 21 part-time instructors and 11 teaching assistants. As of Fall 2013, woodworking students will have access to a newly remodeled woodworking facility equipped with three machine rooms, three bench rooms, a saw mill and a finish room. The Furniture Making Certificate of Achievement requires 32-46 credits, the Cabinetmaking and Millwork Certificate of Achievement requires 27 credits and the Cabinetmaking and Furniture Design Certificate of Achievement requires 32-46 credits. Woodworking classes cover various topics, such as machines and tools, studio furniture design, veneering and hand joinery. Students in the three certificate programs can earn an associate degree by completing the college's curriculum of general education courses in addition to certificate requirements.

University of California - Davis

UC Davis is located in Davis, about 15 miles from the state capital, Sacramento. With an enrollment of over 30,000 students, UC Davis is the third largest University of California campus, after UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley, and is the largest school in California that offers woodworking classes. UC Davis does not offer any credit woodworking classes, but its Craft Center offers small, hands-on woodworking classes to community members and UC Davis students. These classes cover topics such as beginning woodworking, furniture construction and working with a router. Upon completion of a qualification course, students can pay to gain access to the Craft Center's wood studio, which is fully equipped with saws and sanders, a drill press, a lathe, a jointer, a plainer and a router table. Access to the wood studio for an academic quarter costs $70 for UC Davis students and Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) members or $115 for non-students and non-members.

Victor Valley College

Victor Valley College is located in Victorville, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. Enrolling over 12,000 credit students, the college offers programs in the arts, humanities and sciences, as well as in career-oriented areas such as technology, engineering, health and public safety. Students interested in woodworking can earn a 17-credit Basic Woodworking Certificate, which is offered through the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.) Division. The certificate program gives students a basic understanding of how to work with wood using hand tools, power tools and other equipment. Students take four classes in topics such as woodworking equipment and woodturning.

School Comparison Table

School Name School Type & Setting Woodworking Programs Offered Course Tuition (2012-2013)
Bakersfield College Two-year public; urban Job Skills Certificate in Woodworking/Cabinetmaking,
Certificate of Achievement in Cabinetmaking,
AS in Industrial Technology: Woodworking and Cabinetmaking Option 		$46 per unit for California residents, $266 per unit for nonresidents*
California State University at San Bernardino Four-year public; urban Woodworking and Furniture Design Program $1,058 per 0-6 units, additional $248 per unit for nonresidents*
Cerritos College Two-year public; urban Community Education Woodworking Classes,
Cabinetmaking Program,
Furniture Making Program,
Comprehensive Woodworking Program 		Community Education: $41-$405 per class; for-credit classes: $46 per unit for California residents, $261 per unit for nonresidents*
El Camino College Two-year public; suburban Certificate of Achievement in Cabinet and Fine Woodworking,
AS in Cabinet and Fine Woodworking 		$46 per unit for California residents, $257 per unit for nonresidents*
Laney College Two-year public; urban Wood Technology Courses,
Certificate of Completion in Wood Technology,
Certificate of Completion in CAD/CAM Techniques in the Woodworking Industry,
Certificate of Completion in Studio Furniture Design and Construction,
Mill and Cabinet Maker Apprenticeship Program 		$46 per unit for California residents, $259 per unit for nonresidents*
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Two-year public; urban Cabinetmaking and Mill-Work Certificate of Completion,
Cabinetmaking and Mill-Work Construction Technology Certificate of Completion,
AA in Cabinetmaking and Mill-Work Construction Technologies,
AS in Cabinetmaking and Mill-Work,
AS in Carpentry 		$46 per unit for California residents, $236 per unit for nonresidents*
MiraCosta College Two-year public; suburban Woodworking and Sculpture Courses $46 per unit for California residents, $231 per unit for nonresidents*
Palomar College Two-year public; urban Furniture Making Certificate,
Cabinet and Furniture Design Certificate,
Cabinetmaking and Millwork Certificate,
AA in Furniture Making,
AA in Cabinet and Furniture Design,
AA in Cabinetmaking and Millwork 		$46 per unit for California residents, $222 per unit for nonresidents*
University of California - Davis Four-year public; suburban Craft Center Woodworking Classes $25-$119 per class for members and UC Davis students, $35-177 for non-members and non-UC Davis students
Victor Valley College Two-year public; urban Basic Woodworking Certificate $46 per unit for California residents, $225 per unit for nonresidents*

Source: *Schools' Web sites.

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3 Popular Schools

National Schools:

  • Iowa State University

    School locations:
    • Ames
    Areas of study you may find at Iowa State University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
      • Construction Management and Trades
    » Research Iowa State University's Programs

  • New England Institute of Technology

    School locations:
    • Warwick
    Areas of study you may find at New England Institute of Technology include:
      • Non-Degree: Coursework
      • Undergraduate: Associate, Bachelor
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
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  • Texas Tech University

    School locations:
    • Lubbock
    Areas of study you may find at Texas Tech University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
      • Construction Management and Trades
    » Research Texas Tech University's Programs & Degrees

  • Northern Arizona University

    School locations:
    • Flagstaff
    Areas of study you may find at Northern Arizona University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, Master
      • Non-Degree: Certificate
      • Post Degree Certificate: Postbaccalaureate Certificate
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
      • Construction Management and Trades
        • Construction Mgmt, General
    » Research Northern Arizona University's Degree Programs

  • University of Washington

    School locations:
    • Seattle
    Areas of study you may find at University of Washington include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
      • Construction Management and Trades
        • Construction Mgmt, General
    » Research University of Washington's Degree Programs

  • Ferris State University

    School locations:
    • Big Rapids
    Areas of study you may find at Ferris State University include:
      • Graduate: First Professional Degree, Master
      • Non-Degree: Certificate, Coursework
      • Post Degree Certificate: Postbaccalaureate Certificate
      • Undergraduate: Associate, Bachelor
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      • Construction Management and Trades
        • Construction Mgmt, General
      • Electrical Repair and Maintenance
      • Heavy Equipment Maintenance
      • Precision Metal Working
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    » Research Ferris State University's Programs

  • Washington State University

    School locations:
    • Pullman
    Areas of study you may find at Washington State University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Non-Degree: Certificate, Coursework
      • Post Degree Certificate: Post Master's Certificate, Postbaccalaureate Certificate
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