Architectural and Civil CAD Technology

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Architectural and Civil CAD Technology degree is designed to prepare students for careers in Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) including, but not limited to, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, or Civil Engineering offices; Landscape Architects or related fields. The goal of this program is to broaden design exposure and CAD technology skills. Students develop two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) drawings and models utilizing industry standard CAD and BIM software, and learn presentation methods and construction documentation conventions.

Details

Field of Interest
Applied Technology
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Architectural and Civil CAD Technology (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3503
Total credits required
60-67
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn
  • Apply current standards in dimensioning, symbology, linetypes, lineweights, drawing notes for working drawings, design related drawings to read, interpret, and produce construction documents and portfolio-quality working drawings.
  • Use the latest 2D, 3D, and 3D parametric modeling CAD software to develop technical drawings and solid models in a manner that is efficient and compliant with standard industry practices.
  • Utilize BIM concepts in project development.
  • Employ the principles and theory of construction processes.
  • Apply construction industry codes and standards.
  • Produce sketches, multi-view layouts, sections, details, working drawings, and building components schedules.
  • Utilize traditional modeling techniques and 3D printing for project conceptualization.
  • Communicate with others in verbal and in written form to collaboratively solve problems within the discipline.
  • Use a fundamental understanding of scientific inquiry to solve basic problems within the discipline of design.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
$91,640
Architectural and Civil Drafters
$60,080
Commercial and Industrial Designers
$105,580
Landscape Architects
$57,260

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Drafters, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
DFT106 or
MAT15+ or
MAT187		 Algebra and Graphs for Design Technology or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus Critical course None or MA or MA 3–6
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
CAD100 Fundamentals of 2D Autocad Critical course Gateway course 3
CAD101 Elements of CAD Graphics (AutoCAD) Critical course Gateway course 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108 or
ENG111		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL or Technical and Professional Writing FYC or FYC or L 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
DFT107 or
MAT182		 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry for Design Technology or Plane Trigonometry Critical course Take DFT107 if DFT106 was selected in Term 1
Take MAT182 if MAT15+ was selected in Term 1 		None or MA 0–3
CAD145 Design Principles for Industry Critical course 3
CAD201 Three-Dimensional (3D) Modeling and Advanced CAD Techniques Critical course 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PHY101 or
PHY111		 Introduction to Physics or General Physics I Critical course SQ or SQ 4
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
BLT263++ Any Building Codes course Critical course 3
DFT126 Building Trades Blueprint Reading 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CET211 Strength of Materials Critical course 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Specialization Option Specialization Option 3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CAD100 Fundamentals of 2D Autocad Critical course Gateway course 3
CAD101 Elements of CAD Graphics (AutoCAD) Critical course Gateway course 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CAD145 Design Principles for Industry Critical course 3
Specialization Option Specialization Option Critical course 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DFT106 or
MAT15+ or
MAT187		 Algebra and Graphs for Design Technology or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus Critical course None or MA or MA 3–6
Specialization Option Specialization Option Critical course 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
DFT107 or
MAT182		 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry for Design Technology or Plane Trigonometry Critical course Take DFT107 if DFT106 was selected in Term 3
Take MAT182 if MAT15+ was selected in Term 3 		None or MA 0–3
Specialization Option Specialization Option Critical course 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CAD201 Three-Dimensional (3D) Modeling and Advanced CAD Techniques Critical course 3
PHY101 or
PHY111		 Introduction to Physics or General Physics I Critical course SQ or SQ 4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
DFT126 or
CET211		 Building Trades Blueprint Reading or Strength of Materials 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108 or
ENG111		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL or Technical and Professional Writing FYC or FYC or L 3
CET211 or
RE		 Strength of Materials or Restricted Elective Critical course 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication SB or SB or L or SB 3
BLT263++ Any Building Codes course Critical course 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
RE or
DFT126		 Restricted Elective or Building Trades Blueprint Reading 3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 11

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 11
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
RE Restricted Elective 3

Restricted Electives

Students must select an additional nine (9) credit hours from the following course options. Selected courses will not apply to both Required Courses and Restricted Electives areas.
 
CAD105 Fundamentals of Revit Architecture
CAD106 Fundamentals of CivilD
CAD167 Architectural Drawings I (Revit): Residential CAD
CAD186 Site Development I
CAD235 Modeling, Rendering and Animation for Technical Presentations
CAD267 Architectural Drawings II (Revit): Commercial CAD
CAD286 Site Development II
CAD287 Advanced Revit Techniques
CAD292 Current Developments in CAD Technology (May repeat up to three times on different topics)
 
Courses selected from the following Restricted Electives options require prior approval by Department Advisor or Program Director:
CAD+++++ Any CAD Computer-Aided Drafting course(s) OR
CIS+++++ Any CIS Computer Information Systems course(s) OR
ECE+++++ Any ECE Engineering Science course(s)
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=188115).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Architectural and Civil CAD Technology