Use AutoCAD to transform concepts into detailed 2D drawings and 3D models, learning professional drafting and documentation techniques.
Join our AutoCAD Bootcamp and learn the fundamentals of technical drawing and develop advanced skills in creating 2D drawings using AutoCAD. This program is open to beginners and covers everything from basic AutoCAD functionalities and skills to advanced drafting techniques.
Learn beginner, intermediate, and advanced AutoCAD skills in this comprehensive course.
Learn how to use AutoCAD to create drawings for real mechanical and architectural objects, starting with basic tools and moving on to more advanced skills. This course will cover topics such as creating and editing drawings, using object snaps and tracking, organizing drawings with layers, and inserting blocks.
Take your AutoCAD skills to the next level with our intermediate course, where you will learn advanced layering, styling, and blocking techniques to create quality templates and layouts for printing. Develop your technique and precision in using the AutoCAD interface to complete more complex projects.
Learn advanced AutoCAD skills: from annotation to customization. This course aims to help enhance productivity and improve your AutoCAD proficency.
Learn to develop professional construction documents by creating titleblocks, floor plans, and building elevations. This course covers advanced techniques for integrating files, managing layers, and organizing deliverable sheets for residential projects.
Build on AutoCAD skills by creating detailed construction documents for a large residential project. This course focuses on advanced drafting techniques, integrating referenced files, and ensuring compliance with National CAD Standards.
Master advanced Civil 3D techniques used in professional surveying, transportation design, and land development projects. In this hands-on bootcamp, you'll gain practical experience with tools like alignments, profiles, parcels, corridors, grading groups, and pipe networks, all essential for producing construction-ready documentation. Taught by industry experts, this course is available in NYC or live online.
Learn basic through advanced AutoCAD skills and become an Autodesk Certificated Professional in this program.
Learn 2D drafting skills with AutoCAD and enhance your design capabilities with specialized tools like Revit and SketchUp. This program prepares you for a successful career in construction design, with real-world applications and project-based learning.
Build expertise in both AutoCAD and Revit to excel in drafting and building information modeling (BIM). This program prepares you for a dynamic career in the construction and design industries through hands-on, real-world projects.
AutoCAD originated in 1982 and was the first app designed and released by Autodesk. As the first digital design software on the market, AutoCAD quickly took over the field and, in spite of heavy competition, remains a relevant and important tool for drafters, auto designers, graphic artists, and architects. Taking AutoCAD courses in Phoenix can help you advance your career into amazing realms and ensure that you get the long-term career support you deserve.
The best thing you can do with AutoCAD training is start a rewarding career that uses your innate creativity and design skills to make really good money. Since that topic is covered in more depth later, it’s important to know now how you can use AutoCAD in your daily life. For example, if you’re an amateur Web Designer, you can use it to create a simple online portfolio. You might even use it to produce a floor plan for a home upgrade or renovation in your house.
However, AutoCAD is diverse enough to be used in many other fun ways. For example, you could integrate animation (AutoCAD has a robust suite for this purpose) for your work presentations, your child’s school work, and much more. Though AutoCAD is a little high-powered for such simple projects, it works incredibly well for them. That makes it a great investment if you’re looking for smart, all-purpose design software for use at work or at home.
For each section, include the name of the skill you’ll learn and then write a paragraph explaining what that skill is and why it is applicable to AutoCAD. Most of the focus should be on technical skills you’ll learn (for subjects like animation, graphic design, or data science, these should be things like After Effects, Photoshop, SQL, etc.), but at least one skill mentioned should be a ‘soft skill’ (programming teaches you logic, Photoshop teaches you composition).
The first thing you’ll study in your class is AutoCAD’s unique interface. It’s not necessarily user-friendly (though Autodesk has streamlined it in recent years), so much of your class will focus on how to use this software smoothly and efficiently. Beyond basic control techniques (such as drawing lines and creating shapes), you’ll practice with more advanced concepts. For example, things like animation are trickier to handle and require special training.
The art of creating technical drawings (drafting) is greatly streamlined using AutoCAD and other design software. While some people still do basic hand-based drawing, most drafting these days is digital. During your course, you should learn more about how to draft…including how to integrate AutoCAD tools into your design process. Though you might need more advanced drafting knowledge to find a job (depending on your field), your AutoCAD class can still help.
Your AutoCAD designs will likely use layers that let you highlight certain information and create attractive and in-depth styles. Mastering layer management helps you handle them properly without running into problems…such as parts of your floor plan disappearing under other layers. Thankfully, your course should cover how to set different layers, change their settings, and integrate them throughout your floor plans in simple and effective ways that make sense.
Creating detailed schematics in AutoCAD can help you work in many careers, depending on your interests. For example, you can focus on wire design, pipe layouts, HVAC systems, and much more. Your Phoenix class should teach you all you need to know about creating schematics for your projects. With in-depth and hands-on training, you can master these tools and create fascinating designs you can use for your personal- or work-related projects.
When learning any design skill (such as using AutoCAD), you’ll practice various creative techniques that can help you in many areas of your life. For example, designing things in AutoCAD can improve your problem-solving skills, which could be useful when working in many careers or when handling different elements of your life (such as planning a trip). The benefits of creativity are limitless, making it an important soft skill to nurture in any way you can.
Learning the basics of AutoCAD might not be too hard (a few days of regular practice should be all most people need to get started), but mastering this software is much more challenging. Mastery takes time, especially for professional-level work. So, you might be able to put together a few designs after a class or two, but creating work for your clients might not be achievable for some time. So don’t feel discouraged if you aren’t a pro right off the bat, but just get practicing.
Actually using AutoCAD’s interface isn’t the challenging part of mastering it. Instead, synthesizing drafting techniques, animation concepts, and expert-level design concepts. In other words, you might need outside education to use it for architectural or drafting jobs. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Taking those classes could prepare you for a high-earning career in an amazing job. Even if you don’t have that experience, learning AutoCAD can get you started.
Depending on your knowledge, it should take between one month to one year to master AutoCAD. Why such a broad range? Well, if you have no experience with drafting or design, it’s going to take you some time to master those skills. But if you already have a degree in a related field but simply haven’t used AutoCAD before, it might just take you a few weeks or months. Remember: mastery goes beyond usage and includes complete software comprehension.
Now, in-person Phoenix classes provide benefits such as real-world projects, hands-on time with your professor, socialization time with your peers, and included software and computers. They also mimic high school and college education but with far less pressure, which makes them easy to adapt to as learners. That said, it can be hard to find these classes in Phoenix (they’re available but not always open), and driving through this class can be rather annoying.
Online training provides two setups (asynchronous, with independent videos and study lessons you can take at your leisure, and live sessions with real-time education) that typically cost less than in-person training, give you access to far more classes, and include project-based learning. You won’t have to travel, thankfully, but can be limited by availability. For example, if your internet goes out, you won’t be able to attend your live class…which can set you behind.
There are always YouTube videos and free seminars on AutoCAD to try out if you want to improve your skills. Should you trust them to teach you everything you need to know about AutoCAD? No, and here’s why: they’re not comprehensive enough. Sure, they’re useful tools for improving your knowledge and getting some great tips and suggestions. But they’re simply not good enough to give you the complete knowledge you need to master AutoCAD for your career.
While you’re taking AutoCAD classes, it’s not a bad idea to try out graphic design, web design, UIX design, and even animation courses. You don’t necessarily have to take separate classes (your AutoCAD course might cover many of these skills) but may want to anyway. For example, if you go through UI (user interface) design programs, you can learn how to use this software to create user interfaces and other unique designs. Focus your learning based on your career.
Phoenix is easily Arizona’s largest economy and one of the biggest in the region. As a result, much of the southwest portion of the nation either travels to or works out of Phoenix in industries as diverse as web design, architecture, and much more. Many of these tech-based jobs use AutoCAD to design various tools and products. As one of the top 10 tech hubs in the nation, Phoenix has many industries that might appeal to people who learn AutoCAD.
Though Houston, Texas, is likely one of the biggest aviation and aerospace meccas in the nation, Phoenix has more companies of this ilk than you might think. Firms like Aerospace Solutions, Pinnacle Aerospace, Mesa Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace. Able Engineering, MedAire, AeroGuard, and GeoBlu Services all operate out of this city. They need AutoCAD experts to design aircraft and other tools and keep their products safe and stable.
The biomedical or biotech field needs AutoCAD experts to design various products, including safe containers and much more. In Phoenix, companies like Exploragen, OncoMyx Therapeutics, GenoSensor Corporation, Systems Oncology, Amnio Technology, Ordinatrix, and VisionGate may provide you with easy access to many job types. Make sure you carefully research each firm before committing to ensure that you start a career that you’ll love.
Phoenix is a large and modern city that includes multiple utility companies that might need AutoCAD specialists like you to handle various tasks. For example, an electric company may ask you to design wire schematics and layouts for their facilities or larger buildings in the community. Often, these jobs pay very well, particularly if you have real hands-on work in the field. A college degree doesn’t hurt either, especially if it’s in civil engineering.
Though you probably need an engineering degree beyond your AutoCAD training to join this industry, mastering this program can help you find great jobs that you enjoy. In Phoenix, companies like Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Belcan, Aerotek, and ASM provide engineering jobs for people who understand AutoCAD and other design programs. Often, they provide very competitive wages, which makes them even more appealing after your training.
Ready to transition to a high-earning career after finishing your AutoCAD training? Well, with the right education (and a college degree for higher-level jobs), you can do just that! Here are a few amazing positions you might qualify for after completing your AutoCAD training program.
As a CAD Designer, you’ll use AutoCAD (and other software) to create designs for various products such as automobiles, homes, and much more. Expect to earn about $67,000 on average at this position, with the possibility of making more depending on your location.
Your roles as a Design Director include curating the visual elements of products and projects such as video games, websites, magazines, movies, and more. Design directors make an average of $126,000 in the United States, with nearby jobs in LA making about $132,000.
An entry-level career as a Drafter can help you work your way up to higher-earning jobs. Depending on the job, you’ll likely use AutoCAD to handle engineering, architectural, and 3D modeling steps. People in this career make $67,000 on average nationally, give or take.
You can make pretty good money as a Digital Designer: about $94,000 nationally a year, give or take a few bucks. Your role includes creating digital products, like logos, page layouts, banners, and even digital databases utilizing AutoCAD and other unique and powerful design tools.
Phoenix provides multiple AutoCAD classes, both in-person and online, that might appeal to you. These include college classes and private institutions that can help you master this skill effectively. Check out your options below to find programs that fit your unique personal needs.
Available from The University of Arizona’s Continuing & Professional Education program, this self-paced class (costing just over $2,800) covers 2D computer-aided drafting (CAD) and design, as well as how to use AutoCAD. It’s a great non-credit program that earns you a completion certificate that you can share with your potential employers when finding jobs.
Available from Ledet Training in Phoenix, Autodesk AutoCAD 101—Beginner takes three days and costs $1,799. It covers the basic skills you need to handle AutoCAD, including creating and editing 2D designs. Based on hands-on projects and portfolios, this course immerses you in this software and can help you advance to more advanced subjects and begin your career.
If you’re interested in three-dimensional drafting for animation and more in-depth design, try this course from Certstaffix Training. This three-day class teaches you how to take 2D designing tools (some experience is necessary) and utilize those skills to produce 3D artwork. You’ll learn to use the 3D Modeling Workspace and User Coordinate System to improve your overall work.
Noble Desktop provides multiple tech-related courses that can help you advance your career. AutoCAD Bootcamp is a 30-hour, $949 course designed for beginners that will teach you the fundamental technical drawing skills you need to produce 2D drawings with AutoCAD. Designed to kickstart your learning, it can help you transition to more advanced classes with Noble.
Students who are looking to make a career out of using AutoCAD might also be interested in their options for career focused, self-guided classes. These courses allow students to learn at their own pace (with guidance and assistance from a professional mentor) and they provide students with career-focused training and job placement support. While many students find it desirable to learn from a live instructor, these self-paced classes are the perfect fit for self-motivated students looking to make a career out of their AutoCAD training.
The Visual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) offers an immersive AutoCAD certificate program that aims to help students become career ready within only a few weeks of training. This program provides students with hands-on, job-focused training in the use of AutoCAD and the course is designed with new students in mind, meaning that you’ll move from your first construction draft to a capstone project to add to your professional portfolio over the course of the certificate program. This program also offers students the opportunity to take up to 80 hours of electives to help them specialize in subjects including Revit, SketchUp and Civil 3D Pro. With this option for specialization and the focus on career development training, this certificate program is an ideal entry point for aspiring designers, architects and engineers looking to learn how to use AutoCAD in a professional capacity.
Students looking for an accelerated introduction to AutoCAD and computer-aided design generally may be interested in taking this introductory course offered by VDCI. Students will learn the basics of using AutoCAD and practical skills that they can bring back to their current jobs or use as the baseline for future CAD training (including some of the other advanced classes offered through VDCI). In this class, students will get live, hands-on instruction in the use of AutoCAD, including exercises in which they create drafting symbols, kitchens and bath fixtures, a floor plan, and deliverable file sheets. While you’ll need more training if you want to make a career out of your AutoCAD skills, this course is an excellent introduction to the kinds of projects that AutoCAD professionals will need to utilize.
If you have already taken the AutoCAD fundamentals program or you have experience with AutoCAD from another source, you may be interested in moving towards professional level training in this advanced AutoCAD program. In this program, students will learn how to create 2D designs for construction documents that meet all of the necessary and legal standards that they are expected to follow. This course offers practical skills training and is designed to ensure that experienced AutoCAD users are able to get the accelerated training that they need to start using the application in more complex professional capacities. This course is built to help students learn at their own pace and class scheduling is incredibly flexible for professionals looking to develop new skills while still working.
Trying to train your whole team to use AutoCAD? Noble Desktop provides corporate training with online learning that might appeal to you. With discount bulk vouchers, free setup, and other benefits, it’s a great option for your team. You can contact them by emailing their crew at corporate@nobledesktop.com to sign up for courses or simply inquire about what’s available.