I have not read any responses so this might be redundant.
I taught Engineering Design courses (tech) for 40 years for a local community college. Since the 1980s, those courses were all CAD based. We used AutoCAD, Inventor, and Microstation. Very often I would counsel students who only wanted to learn the software by telling them CAD software is analogous to a shovel; it’s just a tool. Then, I tried to encourage them to complete our entire degree program.
I would recommend that you investigate local/regional community colleges and see if they have programs similar to the one below.
For what its worth, a number of my former students reported having incomes of > $100,000 a year - not bad for a 2 year degree.
Engineering Design/Tech Prep Program
(69 semester credit hours)
An Associate of Applied Science degree program offered by the Technology and Business Division.
The program in engineering design is a four-semester course of study leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree. Specialized learning experiences include the implementation of computer-aided design software in various design disciplines. Instruction emphasizes the development of technical knowledge and drafting skills that are essential to the successful entrance in the job market as a design technician.
Former students have been employed as pipe designers, architectural designers, tool designers, civil designers, structural detail designers, electrical designers, and job estimators.
The Engineering Design program provides work-place experiences recommended by the U.S. Department of Labor Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS).
Some upper level universities will allow you to transfer anywhere from 24-44 hours of your technical credit toward a Bachelor of Applied Arts or Science degree. Contact your transfer university for information.
| Course | Course Title | Sem. Hours |
|---|
| First Year, First Semester:* | | |
| DFTG 14051 & 2 | Technical Drafting | 4 |
| DFTG 14091 & 2 | Basic Computer-Aided Drafting | 4 |
| DFTG 1410 | Specialized Basic Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) | 4 |
| MATH 1314 | College Algebra | 3 |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| | 18 sem. hrs | |
| First Year, Second Semester: | | |
| MATH 1316 | Trigonometry | 3 |
| DFTG 1417 | Architectural Drafting, Residential | 4 |
| DFTG 2419 | Intermediate Computer-Aided Drafting | 4 |
| DFTG 2440 | Solid Modeling/Design | 4 |
| | 15 sem. hrs | |
| Second Year, First Semester: | | |
| DFTG 2407 | Electrical Drafting | 4 |
| DFTG 1493 | Special Topics in Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD | 4 |
| DFTG 2406 | Machine Design | 4 |
| DFTG 2436 | Computer-Aided Drafting Programming | 4 |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II | 3 |
| | 19 sem. hrs | |
| Second Year, Second Semester: | | |
| DFTG 23383 | Final Project – Advanced Drafting (Capstone Course) | 3 |
| DFTG 2423 | Pipe Drafting | 4 |
| DFTG 2432 | Advanced Computer-Aided Drafting | 4 |
| Social Science | Elective from AAS General Education Course list | 3 |
| Humanities or Performing/Visual Arts | Elective from AAS General Education Course list | 3 |
| | 17 sem. hrs | |
