Associate in Science
Computer Aided Drafting
Start full-time or part-time.
Choose a concentration. Launch a career.
Both concentrations can equip you with the versatile range of skills to pursue a wide range of drafting and design opportunities.
Architectural Engineering Technology
“My job is designing metal panel layouts for buildings, so learning building design and software procedures at PTC was crucial for my career success.”
Bret C., 2016 Architectural CAD graduate, Detailer, Corporate Sales, Centria
The future is yours to design.
In the world of design, versatility is a strength. With a concentration in Architectural Engineering Technology, you’ll be in a position to launch a successful career creating detailed drawings of a building’s exterior and interior components in only 18 months. Think of yourself as an instrument of the architect; a building’s “empty shell” is handed off to various firms, then those firms design the components, working with engineers and project coordinators.
You’ll build a skill set that prepares you for positions across all industries—including the fast- growing renewable energy sector (solar, wind, and hydro). Along with traditional AutoCAD® and MicroStation®, you’ll use software that focuses on designing in the 3D space—including Autodesk®, Revit® Architecture, Revit® MEP, Revit® Structure, Civil 3D®, Plant 3D®, and Navisworks®.
You’re working in an internship after one year of classroom and lab instruction.
To meet employer demand for our CAD students and graduates, you’ll earn your associate degree after only one year of on-ground education and six months of on-site employment experience at your internship.
This is when you apply what you’ve learned and get a taste of the real world—and the opportunity— waiting for you with employers including architectural and engineering firms, construction companies, and civil and environmental companies.
The civil industry track, also part of Architectural Engineering, includes land development and surveying. These professionals choose a career that could mean spending a lot of time on the road, traveling from site to site.
Program Courses
Versatility. Adaptability. Employability.
Why do employers seek out our students starting as early as their second quarter? It starts with how we shape our students’ skill sets to help them work in a broad array of design positions and industries.
For course descriptions, visit our catalog.
ON-GROUND COURSES (ONE YEAR)
| QTR | TITLE |
|---|---|
| 1 | MICROSTATION ENGINEERING GRAPHICS AUTOCAD COLLEGE MATHEMATICS CRITICAL THINKING STEPS TO CAREER SUCCESS 1 |
| 2 | ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING 1 ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATION SOFTWARE 1 MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS INDUSTRIAL PIPE DESIGN COLLEGE ALGEBRA |
| 3 | BUILDING AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS 2 STRUCTURAL DRAFTING STATICS & STRENGTHS OF MATERIALS ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1 |
| 4 | CIVIL/TOPOGRAPHICAL DRAFTING CIVIL APPLICATION SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURAL CAPSTONE ENGLISH COMPOSITION 2 CAREER DEVELOPMENT |
OFF-SITE INTERNSHIP & ONLINE CLASSES
| QTR | TITLE |
|---|---|
| 5 | EFFECTIVE SPEECH PERSONAL FINANCE INTERNSHIP |
| 6 | LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES INTERNSHIP |
Internships
Add a dimension to your learning
There’s nothing like real-world learning, and that’s what our Architectural Engineering Technology students get by participating in internships including:
Cadnetics
CENTRIA
McKim & Creed
Michael Baker International
Hatch
Precision Electrical Contractors, Inc.
Eddy Homes, Inc.
Keystone Consultants, Inc.
Mechanical Engineering Technology
PTC prepared me for some of the most unexpected designs, concepts, and events to come out of my career so far, really giving me an analytical approach to any problem that lands on my desk.
James P., 2016 CAD graduate, Mechanical Drafting concentration. Drafter, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Division, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc.
Get ready to launch your career in only 18 months.
There’s a world of opportunity to apply what you learn in our Mechanical Engineering Technology program, and you’ll be ready to take advantage of them. Mechanical designers design machinery, tools, and other mechanical products, and they work for companies that create a specific part or for companies that produce larger designs with potentially hundreds of parts.
You’re in an internship after only one year of classroom and lab instruction.
We’ve revised our curriculum in response to employers in our region who are seeking PTC interns and graduates, and fast. Your in-field internship now lasts two quarters, and begins after only one year of classroom and lab instruction. During your internship, you’ll also take three online courses. This is when you apply what you’ve learned and get a taste of the real world—and the opportunity— waiting for you with employers in fields ranging from aerospace to energy to manufacturing.
Working with faculty with practical experience, you’ll build a skill set that prepares you for design positions across all industries—including the fast-growing renewable energy sector. You’ll work with traditional AutoCAD and MicroStation, but here the focus is on the specific software that employers demand—including CREO, Inventor, SolidWorks, and Plant 3D. You’ll use today’s rapid prototyping technology to test and revise your designs. Your range of studies will include GD&T, a system for defining and communicating engineering tolerance.
Mechanical Technology Labs
PTC’s new mechanical technology labs offer the following equipment to students who are learning to design and manufacture products. Get a look inside the lab!
3D Printers: 3 different types of printers (6 total)
- Makerbot MethodX-ABS, Carbon Fiber ABS, SEBS 95A
- Makerbot Replicator Z18-PLA
- Stratasys Uprint-ABS PLUS
Laser Engraver: Uses many different materials to engrave and cut out personal designs using the software CorelDraw.
Tormach 440 mill: A CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) machine for metal blocks, plates and bars.
Tormach Slant Pro Lathe: A multipurpose CNC lathe.
CNC Drill Press: Efficiently and accurately controls the location and depth of holes.
Academia 50 3D Scanner: Scans objects to convert them into working models that can then be replicated on other equipment.
Roland MDX 50: CNC for wood and foam.
Phase Two Hardness Testers (2): Checks the hardness of a material.
Program Courses
For course descriptions, visit our catalog.
ON-GROUND COURSES (ONE YEAR)
| QTR | TITLE |
|---|---|
| 1 | ENGINEERING GRAPHICS AUTOCAD COLLEGE MATHEMATICS CRITICAL THINKING STEPS TO CAREER SUCCESS 1 INTRODUCTION TO MANUFACTURING |
| 2 | INDUSTRIAL PIPE DESIGN COLLEGE ALGEBRA INTRODUCTION TO PARAMETRIC MODELING INTRODUCTION TO MECHANICAL DESIGN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY |
| 3 | STRUCTURAL DRAFTING STATICS & STRENGTHS OF MATERIALS ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1 MECHANICAL APPLICATION SOFTWARE 1 MECHANICAL AND FABRICATION DESIGN |
| 4 | ENGLISH COMPOSITION 2 CAREER DEVELOPMENT MECHANICAL APPLICATIONS 2 GEOMETRIC TOLERANCE MECHANICAL CAPSTONE |
OFF-SITE INTERNSHIP & ONLINE CLASSES
| QTR | TITLE |
|---|---|
| 5 | EFFECTIVE SPEECH PERSONAL FINANCE INTERNSHIP |
| 6 | LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES INTERNSHIP |
Employers of PTC Graduates*
The skills employers want.
With hard skills in every area from reverse engineering to geometric dimensioning and tolerancing—and soft skills like adaptability, versatility, and teamwork—it’s no wonder employers seek out our students starting as early as their second quarter, including:
Penn State Applied Research Laboratory
Carnegie Robotics
Bettis Atomic Laboratories
Elliott Group
Crown Castle International
CJL Engineering Corporation
Galletta Engineering
Kennametal, Inc.
Scott Metals, Inc.
Aluma Actuators
Orbital Engineering, Inc.
Introducing part-time programs for full-time lives.
Earning your associate degree just got easier.
With life comes lots of responsibilities. And if you’re looking to upgrade your education, how do you make it all work? We’re here to help you with an easy-to-manage course load by focusing on one course at a time.
- Enroll as an associate degree or certificate student to opt in to our new bundled courses.
- Classes begin on October 11 and November 15. You’ll learn on campus during the evening.
- You can also apply for financial aid, and we offer merit scholarships and need-based grants up to $6,000 if you qualify.
Jump start your degree in CAD. Prepare for the opportunities.
In the field, you’ll be the bridge between engineers and project managers. Get the knowledge and know-how to land that all-important first job (and there are plenty of employers in our region and beyond who are hoping you’ll say “Yes!)
Engineering Graphics, 3 credits, on campus, (M/W), First 5 weeks
This course is an overview of the practice and techniques utilized within the drafting and engineering fields. Topics include: oblique perspective, isometric and orthographic sketching, sectioning, dimensioning practices, basic outline assemblies, and basic print reading.
AutoCAD, 3 credits, on campus, (M/W), Second 5 weeks
This course is an introduction to the unique language, command methods and application of the AutoCAD software. Topics included: display methods, view manipulation, drawing techniques, construction methods, manipulation methods, editing methods, dimensioning practices, and plotting techniques specific to this software.
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