Technical Certificate
Contact Information: Program Office 615-353-3475, E-mail CAD@nscc.edu

Computer-Aided Drafting is used in all technical fields with good pay and a high demand for those individuals with this skill. Nashville State offers a one-year Technical Certificate program in Computer-Aided Drafting, using AutoCAD and other software.

The Computer-Aided Drafting Technical Certificate is for students who want a technical career but who also want to enter the job market quickly. Students will choose the field in which they want to work — Architectural Engineering Technology, Civil and Construction Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, or Horticulture/Landscaping. Students take the courses listed below, including applied courses related to their chosen field. Very quickly students will be ready for Nashville State’s Career Employment Center to help them find jobs in their chosen field. There may even be part-time jobs available after a students’ first semester, allowing the student to enter the workforce even faster.

Most classes are available either day or evening, and students can choose to attend school, either full or part time.

Graduates of this program should be able to:

• Create new or edit existing drawings and print large multiple sheet projects as needed.
• Work with 2-D and 3-D projects using learned skills to produce accurate drawings quickly and efficiently.
• Work with multiple drafting disciplines if needed.
• Apply critical thinking skills to resolve challenges in the workplace.
• Create a full set of drawings as a portfolio to be presented at job interviews.

Career Opportunities

• Drafters work in many fields including but not limited to Architecture, Civil, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. Drafters will assist Engineers in the field and in the office to create and revise drawings.
• Mechanical Systems Developer.
• Design Technician.
• Surveying/Civil Engineering Cartographer.
• Architectural assistant.
• Technical Illustrator.

Transfer/Advising

This certificate is designed so that a student can apply all of the required courses toward a Nashville State A.A.S. degree in Architectural and Civil Engineering Technology or General Technology. A student who plans to apply the certificate toward an A.A.S. degree should consult his/her advisor about articulation options.

Certificate Requirements

Credit hours required vary by concentration. A minimum of 28 credit hours is required for graduation.