Machining programmes train the people who cut metal to a tolerance — on lathes, mills and grinders, and on the computer-controlled machines that have largely replaced turning handwheels by hand. ⚠ The trade is measured in thousandths, and the part is either in tolerance or it is scrap.
The degrees this program covers
Florida's framework is Machining Technologies, 1,500 hours across four occupational completion points — machinist helper, machinist operator, machinist setup operator, machinist — and the ladder inside it is the career: an OPERATOR runs a machine someone else set up, a SETUP operator prepares it, and a MACHINIST decides how the part will be made. ⚠ A separate 12-credit CNC Machinist/Fabricator college certificate exists for people adding computer control to existing skills. ⚠⚠ The whole programme is taught at only eleven Florida institutions — a small footprint for a trade this fundamental, and worth checking against where you live before you plan on it.
Careers this program leads to
Each one sets out the courses along the way, the licence or certification at the end,
and the sources behind it.
Neighbouring fields that share much of the same coursework, and often the same employers.
⚠ Read these before you commit to a major — which doors a neighbouring degree
keeps open is the part no catalog tells you, and it is far cheaper to change now than later.
18 institutions awarded a credential in this field in 2023,
at these levels: Certificate (1-2 years), Certificate (12 weeks-1 year), Certificate (2-4 years).
A school appears here if it awards anything in the field, however limited
its offering — a technical college teaching only practical nursing has a nursing
program. Listed alphabetically, not ranked.
Source: federal IPEDS completions data for 2023, first majors only —
the most recent year published. ⚠ It records what was awarded, which is
strong evidence of what is offered, but a program launched since 2023
will not appear here. Check the institution’s own catalog before applying.
Updated 21 September 2026.
⚠ Program pages describe a field of study, not one school’s degree — always
read the catalog of the institution you are applying to.