AutoCAD Certificates CT

Since 1982, Autodesk AutoCAD has set the standard in computer-aided design software. As the first CAD application for personal computers, AutoCAD rapidly became a must-have in the drafting world. Though AutoCAD was first developed for DOS, the subscription-based software is now available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, a factor in its continued popularity today.

While AutoCAD is not without its competitors in the 21st century, it continues to be the number 1 CAD software in the architectural world and a top choice across many other industries for designing and drafting purposes. Interior Designers, Landscapers, and Civil Engineers are among the careers that rely on AutoCAD, including Drafters and designers in various sectors. With its powerful capabilities spanning both 2D and 3D, AutoCAD caters to an increasingly diverse range of professionals, including Web Designers, Graphic Designers, and others who create models for the digital world.

Why Become Certified in AutoCAD?

Earning an AutoCAD certificate or certification is an excellent way to launch a career in drafting or design or expand your opportunities in your current career in a related area. Attending an AutoCAD certificate program will ensure you have a strong proficiency in the popular computer-aided design software, a key skill needed to land an entry-level job as a Designer or Drafter in many fields. The certificate you earn by completing this program will verify your dedication to professional growth along with your AutoCAD skills, making it an excellent qualification to list on your resume when job hunting.

An AutoCAD certification is another way to verify your proficiency in the application, whether you’ve learned to operate the software in an educational program, through self-training, or on the job. AutoCAD certifications include Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User (ACU) and Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP) in AutoCAD for Design and Drafting. By passing the exam associated with either of these certifications, you will earn a qualification that can help you find new opportunities in your field or grow with your current employer.

What You’ll Learn While Becoming AutoCAD Certified

As a student in an AutoCAD certificate program, you will learn all the ins and outs of the application's extensive menu of features. These include drawing and editing commands, working with layers, objects and blocks, annotating and dimensioning, and creating tables, among many other tools available in the program to help you make professional drawings in your future career.

Drawing and Editing Commands

Once AutoCAD certificate program students have an understanding of the application’s interface, they will be eager to learn the program’s foundational drawing and editing commands. Students will be able to begin on their first simple drawings with basic commands like Line, Arc, and Erase. As they eventually learn AutoCAD’s full menu of drawing and editing commands, students will be able to use more complex tools such as Chamfer, Fillet, and Polyline to bring their designs to life with precision and ease.

Working with Layers

You’ll also learn how to work with AutoCAD’s helpful system of layers in your certificate program. Layers allow users of the program to organize the features of their drawings and segregate them to manage their plotting and control the visibility of groups of objects, colors, and other features of their drawings. Students will discover how to use this system of unlimited layers, including AutoCAD’s undeletable layer 0, the foundational layer of every drawing created in the application.

Objects and Blocks

AutoCAD certificate programs will introduce students to critical components of all AutoCAD drawings, known as objects. Graphic features such as lines and arcs are AutoCAD objects, as are organizational features like layers, style settings like linetypes, and even the drawing itself is known as an object within the world of AutoCAD. Blocks are groups of objects that save an AutoCAD user time by allowing them to easily insert premade content from a library or replicate a group of features with ease and consistency.

Annotating and Dimensioning

Annotating is an essential step for adding meaning to a drawing in AutoCAD. In an AutoCAD certificate program, you will learn how to create annotation objects featuring text, symbols, dimensions, and any additional information you may need to embed within your designs. Dimensioning is a subtype of AutoCAD annotations that allows you to add vital information regarding angles, sizes, and distances between objects. AutoCAD certificate programs will teach you the application’s various dimensioning commands, including some automation features that will empower you to create drawings with accurate numbers every time.

Creating Tables

AutoCAD certificate programs will teach students how to take advantage of the application’s features that allow users to create tables from scratch. Students will also learn how to import information from Excel to build a table within their AutoCAD projects. A table allows extensive data not easily recorded in a drawing or annotations to be directly stored within projects in the application, increasing the functionality and convenience of the computer-aided design software.

AutoCAD Industries in Connecticut

The architecture industry is one of several where AutoCAD experts may build a career in Connecticut. An AutoCAD certificate can prepare an individual for a career as an Architectural Drafter or even eventually as an Architect. According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the architecture and engineering occupational group may anticipate a growth of 15% in the state between 2018 and 2028.

Civil and environmental engineering is another industry where you can find drafting jobs using AutoCAD. Civil Drafters most commonly focus on creating drawings for structural, construction, transportation, and geotechnical designs, while Environmental Drafters work on designs for green energy, site remediation, and bettering air and water quality. However, the industries of civil and environmental engineering often cross paths, working together on projects related to weather and climate, natural hazards, and water-sourcing issues. The renewable energy industry is thriving in Connecticut, creating many jobs for AutoCAD-certified individuals in this area.

AutoCAD certificate holders can also extend their job search into the advanced manufacturing industry. A key sector in Connecticut, advanced manufacturing employs 156,000 in the state, several of which are designers and drafters who use AutoCAD to perform their daily duties. With over 4,400 manufacturing establishments in the state, Product Designers who are proficient users of AutoCAD will have no problem finding a job in this thriving Connecticut sector.

AutoCAD Careers in Connecticut

Earning an AutoCAD certificate is an excellent way to launch your career as a Drafter or CAD Drafter in Connecticut. While many earn an associate's or bachelor’s degree to become a Drafter, an AutoCAD certificate is an alternative route that may be paired with an internship or apprenticeship as an entryway into the career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 1,000 Architectural and Civil Drafters called Connecticut home in 2022. Indeed reports salaries for Drafters ranging from $54,000 to $89,000.

Connecticut’s Advanced Manufacturing industry offers opportunities for individuals interested in working as a CAD Designer for various products ranging from airplanes to medical devices. Indeed’s numbers show that CAD Designers in Connecticut can expect a base salary between $64,000 and $108,000.

Should You Pursue a Certificate or Certification

An AutoCAD certificate or an AutoCAD certification can both be helpful qualifications for your drafting or design career. Understanding the difference between the two can help you decide the best option for you. You can earn an AutoCAD certificate by attending an AutoCAD certificate program, bootcamp, or other training program that specifies that it awards a certificate to students at the completion of the program. Like a diploma or college degree, an AutoCAD certificate verifies that you completed a specific educational program and never expires. On the other hand, AutoCAD certifications are not attached to any school or training organization. Instead, Autodesk issues these to individuals who complete exams that verify their knowledge of the application, no matter how they might have gained it.

AutoCAD certificate programs are typically the best option for beginners to drafting, design, or, at least, the application. They provide thorough training in how to use the program along with a certificate, which is a valuable qualification to list on your resume and social media profiles when looking for a job. An AutoCAD certification may be more beneficial for mid-career designers and drafters who would like to turn their AutoCAD expertise into a verified qualification to open doors in their current career. An AutoCAD certificate program may be redundant for professionals who are already experienced users of the software. However, both beginners and experts may use an AutoCAD certificate program or a certification-prep program to ensure they have the knowledge to pass a certification exam.

Top AutoCAD Certificate Programs in Connecticut

AutoCAD certificate programs are an effective way to learn how to use the popular computer-aided design software in your future drafting or design career. These programs also provide the benefit of awarding students with a certificate that they can include on their social media profiles and resumes as verification that they completed the program and are now skilled users of AutoCAD.

AutoCAD Bootcamp

NYC-based design and coding school Noble Desktop has been offering high-quality tech education since 1990. They offer an AutoCAD Bootcamp in-person in Manhattan and live online for students in Connecticut and around the world. The cost of this AutoCAD certificate program is $949, and this fee includes 30 hours of engaging instruction, all curricula and supplemental materials, a free retake option good for one year, and a verified digital certificate of completion. Students must be comfortable using a computer, but no experience is required to attend this beginner-friendly program.

Noble’s AutoCAD Bootcamp features two modules, AutoCAD Level I and AutoCAD Level II, which may be taken as a full-time student over five weekdays or as a part-time student attending weeknight classes over the course of five weeks. As a student in AutoCAD Level I, you’ll explore the program’s interface and its drawing and editing tools. You’ll also learn about working with blocks, various object types, layers, and annotations. You’ll also discover how to print your complete drawings. In the second module of this AutoCAD certificate program, you’ll build on what you learned in the first course, exploring how to work with external references and data tables, as well as how to use construction lines and tracking points.

AutoCAD—Combo (Essentials & Advanced) Course

Certstaffix Training offers an AutoCAD—Combo (Essentials & Advanced) Course designed to prepare students to ace their AutoCAD certification exam. Tuition for this bundle of Certstaffix Training’s AutoCAD Essentials and AutoCAD Advanced classes is $3,150. Students in this full-time live online course will attend six days of classes on the Windows version of AutoCAD and earn a certificate upon completing the program. A working knowledge of basic drafting and design is a prerequisite for this course bundle.

In Certstaffix Training’s AutoCAD Essentials class, students will learn how to create and modify their own 2D drawings using the application’s drawing and editing tools, as well as how to work with blocks and layers. Students will also practice adding text, dimensions, and hatching to their work. In the AutoCAD Advanced class, students will deepen their knowledge of the application’s tools, including tables, text objects, dynamic blocks and attributes, and collaboration and automation tools.

AutoCAD Certification Training (Voucher Included)

Tunxis Community College provides an asynchronous online AutoCAD Certification Training program for $2,995. Financing is available through Affirm. Students will have six months to complete the 140-hour AutoCAD program. By the end of the program, students will be ready to pass the Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User (ACU) exam, which they can pay for using the voucher included in the tuition of this training. No experience is required to attend this AutoCAD certification-prep program.

In this self-paced program, students will gain a comprehensive knowledge of AutoCAD, beginning with the interface and basic drawing and editing commands. By the end of the training, students will gain intermediate proficiency in AutoCAD by creating a portfolio of professional-quality construction documents.

AutoCAD Certification Training (Voucher Included)

Mitchell Hub at Mitchell College’s self-paced online AutoCAD Certification Training includes a voucher for the Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User (ACU) exam. By the end of this program, students will be prepared for this exam as well as the Autodesk AutoCAD Certified Professional (ACP) in AutoCAD for Design and Drafting exam. Tuition for this program is $3,895, with financing available via Affirm. This 140-hour program is beginner-friendly, and students need no experience prior to enrolling. The Mitchell Hub provides students with six months to complete the program.

Students in this AutoCAD Certification Training program will learn all of the steps and tools used in the professional workflows of AutoCAD. The optional hands-on projects allow students to practice the skills they learn in the program so they have a thorough comprehension of AutoCAD’s drawing and editing commands, objects, blocks, layers, and other essentials of the application is complete by the time they finish the program. If students complete the projects included in this AutoCAD Certification Training, they will graduate from the training with a portfolio of construction documents under their belt, as well.

AutoCAD: Beginner to Advanced Training Course

Individuals looking for a rapid-paced comprehensive program for students with no experience with the application will want to check out NobleProg’s AutoCAD: Beginner to Advanced Training Course. NobleProg offers classes in several different formats at different price points, including onsite, online, and in their classrooms throughout the U.S. Their Connecticut locations include Hartford, East Berlin, Shelton, and Stamford. Prices for individual students range from $1,916 for live online courses to $3,866 for an in-person experience. This AutoCAD program is 21 hours, typically taught over three days. Some understanding of 2D modeling is a prerequisite to attending this course.

Through interactive lectures, discussion, and hands-on exercises, students will master 2D design in AutoCAD in NobleProg’s AutoCAD course. Participants will also have the opportunity to practice what they learn in the program in a live-lab environment. While students will learn how to create AutoCAD drawings, plans, and layouts for various projects, this program is focused on individuals who plan to use AutoCAD in a web design career. By the end of this AutoCAD program, students will be ready to take the Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User exam.

Computer Aided Drafting and Design

Porter and Chester Institute’s Computer Aided Drafting and Design program is a self-paced online diploma program offered to students in Connecticut through their Waterbury location. Students will need to budget approximately 25 to 30 hours per week to complete this program in 12 months. Tuition, including student fees, is $20,995. Financial aid is available.

Porter and Chester Institute students will learn 2D and 3D modeling skills in AutoCAD, Revit, and SolidWorks. They will learn how to apply these skills in both the architectural and manufacturing industries, as well as how to interact with industry professionals. Students will also learn the fundamentals of the manufacturing and construction processes, ensuring they are career-ready upon graduating from the program.

Self-guided AutoCAD Programs

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.

AutoCAD Certificate Program

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.

AutoCAD Fundamentals

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.

AutoCAD Professional

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.