
Degrees and Certificates
Why Choose This Program
A Computer-Aided Mechanical Design degree from SCTCC prepares graduates for a career of creating designs and graphics for products and machines. Mechanical designers help engineers with the design and development of new products and tools and updating present equipment.
Students in our program will be immersed in the product design process. This includes the selection of the manufacturing processes and materials, design and stress calculations, applying geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, finite element analysis, cost, and safety.
Graduates of our program will be ready to start their career after learning how to create designs using SCTCC’s state-of-the-art computer hardware, the latest 2D drawing/design, 3D modeling, and computer-aided-manufacturing software.
From Degree to Career
When you choose the Computer-Aided Mechanical Design program at SCTCC, you’ll gain skills that will directly transfer to the workplace. With your degree, you can build your career in medical equipment, plastics, heavy equipment, custom accessories for trucks, ATVs, and diesel and agriculture equipment, as well as many other career fields.
At SCTCC, we teach our students the skills needed for the workforce. Our students learn how to create parts, assemblies, and drawings for a variety of applications using 2D and 3D CADD software.
Graduates from our Computer-Aided Mechanical Design program can design a product from the early stages of the concept to a completed set of drawings ready for manufacturing. Students at SCTCC learn how to use industrial 3D printers to create design prototypes and create geometry that you will use to cut out or etch in different materials using a CO2 laser and a plasma cutter.
To ensure our graduates are prepared for their future employment opportunities, we teach students the basics of Computer-Aided Design Manufacturing (CADM) using Mastercam software and a CNC lathe and router to create real parts.
Quick Glance
- Create 2D and 3D parts, assemblies and drawings for a variety of different applications.
- Design a product from concept to a completed set of drawings ready for manufacturing.
- Learn how to use industrial 3D printers to create design prototypes.
- Create geometry that you will cut out or etch in different materials using a CO2 laser and a plasma cutter.
- CNC lathe and router with Mastercam software.
Graduates from our Computer-Aided Mechanical Design degree have a variety of future career opportunities. In the state of Minnesota, ATV and snowmobile design and manufacturing are very popular. However, that is just one of the various career options our students can pursue.
Students can also find potential job options designing and manufacturing medical equipment, plastics, heavy equipment, and custom accessories for trucks, ATVs, and diesel market.
You can even find SCTCC graduates working with after-market auto and truck equipment, sporting equipment (i.e. skateboards), and agriculture equipment, as well as many other career fields.
A day in the life of an SCTCC graduate from our Computer-Aided Mechanical Design program often consists of creating production drawings and designing products using 2D and 3D design software. They also find themselves working with engineers, machinists, welders, assemblers, and quality control in the manufacturing of products.
Quick Glance
Career fields such as ATV/snowmobile -design/manufacturing are two major players in MN. The list below is a sample of career fields you can find yourself working in.
- ATV/snowmobile design & manufacturing
- Medical equipment
- Plastics
- Heavy equipment
- Custom accessories for trucks, ATVs, diesel market
- After market auto/truck equipment
- Sporting equipment (for example: skateboards)
- Agriculture equipment
SCTCC not only prepares students for the workforce, but also for further academic goals. At SCTCC, we have an excellent 2+2 arrangement with Bemidji State University for a bachelor’s in Applied Engineering. Students in our Computer-Aided Mechanical Design are more than welcome to pursue this program.

Current Students
Current Computer-Aided Mechanical Design students - this is your place for information.
Dave Johnson
Phone: (320) 308-5044
Fax: (320) 308-5985
Email: djohnson@sctcc.edu
Our Computer-Aided Mechanical Design program has a student chapter of the American Design Drafting Association (ADDA), which is a professional organization that supports the drafting and design profession.
Club members meet on a monthly basis to organize the activities for the year, which include the following:
- Highway clean up/fall social
- Fundraising activities
- Donation of time/money to community organizations
- Spring manufacturing trip
- Spring social
The spring manufacturing trip is a fun and educational trip that is 4-6 days long and allows students to tour manufacturing facilities. This trip is planned by the club members, with oversite from the advisors. Past trips have been to companies like Polaris, Arctic Cat, and Caterpillar in Illinois, John Deere in Iowa, auto manufacturers in Michigan, Kentucky, and Ohio, and Harley Davidson and Milwaukee Forge in Wisconsin.
You May Also Like
- Center for Manufacturing and Applied Engineering
- CNC and Advanced Machining
- Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Certificate for Continuing Students
Good Stuff
