Drafting and CAD Technology Program Map

Award type:

AS Degree
Certificate of Achievement

The Drafting and CAD Technology program is designed to prepare students to meet the drafting requirements of industry. The diversity of the program allows students to pursue a career with a variety of companies that employ drafters. The program can be arranged to earn either a Certificate of Achievement or an AS degree. In CAD and solids modeling, students will discover real-world connections for their interests in math and science, and through hands-on activities improve their skills and become more confident. A year or more of high school drafting is very beneficial. Students need to be neat, methodical, and have an aptitude for spatial thinking. Students who are still enrolled in high school and who are considering a career as a drafter are encouraged to take courses in trigonometry, physical science, and computer science. Students who complete this program will be able to prepare drawings for individuals and companies in the architectural, civil engineering, construction, and manufacturing technology fields. Students will gain extensive experience using computer aided drafting (CAD) techniques. Students will also have experience reading construction drawings and interpreting specifications.

Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Community of interest: ITAG Industrial Technologies & Agriculture
Award: AS Degree
Program code: 01324.00AS
Department: Drafting/CAD
CIP code: 15.1301: Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General.
TOP code: 0953.00 - Drafting Technology*

Map Class Schedule

Program Schedule Report Meet with a counselor

Drafting and CAD Technology

AS Degree

The Associate of Science is typically awarded for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum that gives you a broad base of knowledge, and an academic program where you specialize.

About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.

See the 2025-26 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

15–16 units

CSCI 2

Business and Computer Information Systems

3 units

This course is an examination of information technologies and information systems used in business. It focuses on information systems, database management systems, networking, ethics and security, computer hardware, and software applications and development. It applies these concepts and methods through hands-on projects developing computer-based solutions to business problems. (C-ID ITIS 120).

DFT 2

Engineering Graphics I

3 units

This is a computer-based engineering graphics course that introduces students to graphical design and problem solving using freehand sketching and a solid modeling application. Topics include sketching and modeling using extrudes, sweeps, and lofts. Additional topics include assemblies development and detail drawing output. Graphics standards including American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Y14.5 and international standards application will be introduced and practiced.

MATH 20

Trigonometry

3 units

This course covers the theory and applications of trigonometry. The topics include definitions of circular and right triangle trigonometric functions, graphs, identities, equations, solutions of right and oblique triangles, vectors, polar coordinates, and complex numbers.

Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra or equivalent

Select one:

Required

3 units

Choose one of 2 choices

DFT 4
Print Reading for Construction and Architecture
3 units
course details
Students will learn to read and interpret drawings and specifications used in construction and architectural applications. Topics include line types, views, dimensions, symbols, sketching, materials, specifications, and estimating. Students will use construction prints, drawings and specifications including residential and non-residential applications.
+−
DFT 16
Print Reading for Industry and Manufacturing
3 units
course details
This course introduces students to drawings, symbols and standards used in manufacturing and industrial applications. Topics include line types, views, dimensions, symbols, sketching, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, version and revision systems and specialty drawings by manufacturing process. Manufacturing prints, drawings and specifications from both manufacturing and industrial applications will be used in the course.
+−

General Education: Area 1A

English Composition

Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.

Term 2

Class Schedules

15–20 units

DFT 8

Engineering Graphics II

3 units

In this computer-based engineering graphics course students who have already completed the learning objectives of DFT-2: Engineering Graphics I will be introduced to the use of a solid modeling application for simulation of parts and assemblies using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methodology. Students will model parts and assemblies and will test them using simulation and engineering analysis. Topics include static, frequency, thermal, vibration and drop test analysis methods. The use of simulation to generate engineering reports will be introduced and reports will be generated.

Prerequisite: DFT 2

DFT 12

Beginning AutoCAD Drafting

3 units

This course introduces students to basic drafting concepts using both freehand sketching and AutoCAD, an industry-standard computer-aided drafting (CAD) application. It is intended for drafting majors, engineering majors, interior design majors and pre-architectural students. Topics include line and geometric shape development, freehand sketching, basic AutoCAD commands, text commands, file management, orthographic and pictorial projection, dimensioning, sectioning, auxiliaries, and architectural drawings using sketching and a two-dimensional (2D) drafting application. Document reproduction, printing and plotting will be introduced and practiced.

General Education: Area 2

Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

College-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning — the toolkit behind science, business, and informed citizenship.

General Education: Area 3

Arts and Humanities

How people and cultures, across time, respond to themselves and the world through artistic and cultural creative production. Visual and performing arts, art history, foreign languages, literature, philosophy, religion.

General Education: Area 5

Physical and Biological Sciences

The physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena — astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics — taught alongside the scientific method that makes them work.

Term 3

Class Schedules

15 units

DFT 24

Architectural Drafting Applications

3 units

This is a computer-based drafting course that introduces the student to architectural drafting applications. Building on basic drafting concepts learned previously, this course will introduce residential design concepts including floor plans, foundation plans and details, elevations, framing and section plans, mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans and engineering site plans. Students will also be introduced to three-dimensional (3D) architectural modeling. Students will prepare a plan set including coversheet, site plan, floor plan, electrical plan, elevations, building section and construction details using AutoCAD.

DFT 45

Building Information Modeling I

3 units

In this computer-based course students will be introduced to the latest in three-dimensional (3D) modeling for architecture and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Topics will cover architectural modeling and design with BIM tools for parametric design and documentation. The focus of the course is on residential architecture and covers the initiation of a design, the development of a design and production of a presentation and sheet set for a design.

Select one:

Required

3 units

Choose one of 2 choices

AET 26
Basic Surveying
3 units
course details
This is a basic surveying course. Topics will include selection, care and use of tapes and levels; field observations, note taking and office computations; use of surveying instruments and equipment for land measurement and mapping; practice in differential, profile, and contour leveling; building foundation layout; horizontal angles; cut and fill measurements and calculations for land grading. Laser and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology will be introduced at the basic level.
+−
ENGR 3
Plane Surveying I
3 units
course details
The course applies theory and principles of plane surveying: office computations and design; operation of surveying field equipment; and production of engineering plans/maps. Topics include distances, angles, and directions; differential leveling; traversing; property/boundary surveys; topographic surveys/mapping; volume/earthwork; horizontal and vertical curves; land description techniques; and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Extensive field work using tapes, levels, transits, theodolites, total stations, and GPS. (C-ID ENGR 180).
Prerequisite: MATH 20, MATH 28, MATH 28s or high school trigonometry
+−

General Education: Area 4

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The systematic study of people as members of society — cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology — and the methods these disciplines use to ask their questions.

General Education: Area 6

Ethnic Studies

The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.

Term 4

Class Schedules

15 units

DFT 46

Building Information Modeling II - Advanced Applications

3 units

In this computer-based Building Information Modeling (BIM) course, students who have already completed the learning objectives of DFT-45 Building Information Modeling I will be introduced to advanced techniques and concepts of BIM for architectural design applications. Topics will include design options, phasing of design, work sets, site, area analysis, creating in-place and advanced families, massing, and rendering. Students will complete a large scale project with activities spanning the entire course including project phases, project management, material costing and extensive modeling in 3D.

Prerequisite: DFT 45

General Education: Area 1B

Oral Communication and Critical Thinking

Baccalaureate-level oral communication and/or critical thinking — speaking with structure to a live audience, analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions.

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C1999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the 4-year pathway for this program.

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the graduate-school pathway for this program.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

No NCES/IPEDS CIP-to-SOC mapping was found for this program's CIP code.

Last generated 2026-06-12T23:19+00:00

Program Snapshot

Next Steps

2-Year Degree Paths

4-Year Degree Paths

Graduate School Paths

Source Notes