Do you enjoy drawing, both freehand and on the computer? CADD is a vital part of every field where design activities occur and technical drawings are required. It is used extensively in mechanical, electrical, industrial, architectural and civil applications. Our CADD lab has state-of-the-art workstations and our program is ADDA (American Design Drafting Association) accredited. Our graduates work in manufacturing and electronics fabrication where attention to detail, common sense, and a strong mechanical ability are keys to their success.

The Field
Computer aided drafting and design (CADD) is a vital part of every field where design activities occur and where technical drawings are required. It is used extensively in mechanical, electrical, industrial, architectural, and civil applications, and in many subsets of these such as landscape design, automotive design, fashion design, etc. In the past 15 years, CADD has revolutionized industry's methods of doing design work and producing technical documentation.

The Instructional Program

The Computer Aided Drafting and Design program offers two associate's degree options: the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) and the Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.). The technical CADD content of each is identical, and both are equally effective in securing employment. The A.A.S. option has a few more liberal arts and science courses and is appropriate for students who plan on transferring to a four-year school. The first semester of each option is identical so that students can enter either and then switch if desired after the first semester. Both degree options emphasize mechanical drafting and design during the first year, and electronic drafting and design during the second. The focus of the CADD courses is on the production of industry-quality technical designs and drawings.

Two one-year certificate programs are also available: CAD Mechanical and CAD Electronic. Essentially, they are the first and second years of the A.O.S. degree option, and a student who completes a certificate can use all of the credits toward the A.O.S. degree.

Entrance Requirements

Students from a wide range of backgrounds have been successful in these degree programs. The mathematics requirements are flexible and can be geared to the needs of the individual. It is not necessary to have had drafting courses in high school, but it is helpful. The minimum entrance requirement is high school graduation, but successful completion of courses in mathematics, drafting, and keyboarding increase a student's chance of success. A mechanical or graphics aptitude and a willingness to work are probably the best predictors of success. Students who plan to transfer to a four-year Engineering Technology program should take as much mathematics and science as possible in high school. Students from CADD programs at BOCES are usually well equipped to enter the program and may take advantage of the articulation program described below.

High School Articulation

The CADD program at SUNY Delhi has been a statewide leader in developing Tech-Prep CADD articulation agreements with high school technology programs and BOCES centers. It is possible for a high school student to earn up to 15 college credits towards the CADD associate's degree while still in high school. The credits are granted after a student successfully completes the first semester of the CADD program at Delhi. These agreements are advantageous to students in that they eliminate redundant coursework and make the transition to college more efficient. Students interested in this program should contact their high school Technology Department or their BOCES CADD instructor.

Advanced Placement

Advanced placement means that a student bypasses the first year of the CADD program and enters directly into the second. This is often appropriate for students from BOCES CADD programs (two years) and others who have had industrial experience equivalent to the first year of the program. BOCES students with 15 hours of articulated credit (see above) often take this route and may earn an associate's degree in only three semesters.

Career Options

The growth of this technology has produced a corresponding need for designers/drafters who know both CADD software and the technical design factors of a particular field. The role of these designers/drafters is to translate the ideas and concepts of inventors and engineers into graphical designs required for the production of an end product.

A graduate of SUNY Delhi's CADD program has a number of career options. One is employment as a CADD designer/drafter, a career that can be rewarding in itself, or as a stepping stone to other technical and managerial positions. A second option is transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree program in one of the Engineering Technologies. A third option is transfer to a bachelor's degree program in Industrial or Technical Education in preparation for a career as a technical teacher in public schools.

CADD graduates possess very saleable skills after two years of college, and these skills can be used as the basis for a number of different careers related to computer graphics.