Computer Aided Drafting and Design

The Computer Aided Drafting and Design program is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in engineering drafting fields. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers as mechanical, architectural, piping, structural, machine, or civil drafters.

Design the plans that get things built. Learn to create the technical drawings and 3D models used to design buildings, machines and industrial systems. Earn your Associate in Specialized Technology (AST) degree in just 18 months, including 15 months of classroom and hands-on training followed by a 3-month externship. No drafting experience needed.

Every building, machine part and piping system starts as a set of drawings. Drafters turn the ideas of engineers and architects into detailed plans and 3D models that builders, fabricators and manufacturers can work from. In Penn Commercial’s CADD program, you’ll start with the basics of AutoCAD and build up to architectural, structural, MEP, mechanical, civil and pipe drafting, using industry software such as AutoCAD, Revit and SOLIDWORKS.

A laptop is included in your books and fees. Every CADD student receives a laptop, which is included in the program’s books and fees. Required software is installed on your laptop at Penn Commercial during the program.

Learn from people who’ve done the work. Learn from instructors with real-world industry experience who help connect classroom training with practical drafting and design applications.

Get real experience before you graduate. A required 360-hour externship in your final quarter puts your skills to work in a professional drafting environment. Penn Commercial helps coordinate it: our Career Services Department and CADD instructional team work with you to identify an approved site.

Train on current industry software. You’ll work in the 2027 versions of AutoCAD, Revit (including Revit M.E.P.), Civil 3D, Inventor, Plant 3D and SOLIDWORKS. You’ll also get hands-on exposure to 3D printing using the program’s 3D printer.

Penn Commercial welcomes prospective students interested in its training programs. Prior to signing an enrollment agreement, all applicants are required to review the comprehensive School Catalog and consumer disclosure information. Admission to any of Penn Commercial’s programs requires a high school diploma or GED certificate, and you’ll be asked to sign a release form to obtain your official transcripts so we can confirm that this has been achieved.

Applicants may sign an enrollment agreement and receive conditional acceptance prior to submitting all required documentation. However, enrollment is not complete, and classes cannot commence until all admission requirements, including proof of high school graduation or equivalency, have been fulfilled. High school seniors who submit applications prior to graduation and meet all other admission criteria will be conditionally accepted.

CADD classes are held during the day, Monday through Thursday, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., in person on our Washington, PA campus. Your externship takes place in the sixth and final quarter, and some externship sites may require Friday hours.

The next start date is January 4, 2027 (18-month programs start quarterly).

2026 tuition and fees. The school’s 2026 Tuition and Fees Schedule lists the following for this program (program total $32,898.50):

• Tuition: $25,967.50
• Books / supplies (includes laptop): $5,720
• Lab fee: $1,000
• Professional liability insurance: $26
• Graduation fee: $75
• Application fee: $25
• Registration fee: $85

What the fees cover. The application fee includes the cost of the entrance exam and the administrative fee to process applications; the registration fee includes the key fob, photo ID badge, high school transcript charges and overall matriculation; the lab fee/consumables covers lab supplies, equipment and maintenance, electronic library system, software licensing, campus internet and technology, and clinical rotation fees; the graduation fee includes degree/diploma preparation and the ceremony.

Financial aid. Penn Commercial is an eligible institution approved by the United States Department of Education for participation in various Title IV programs. Students who want to apply for federal aid (and state aid, if applicable) must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year at studentaid.gov; Penn Commercial’s FAFSA school code is 004902. Various types of aid for the eligible student may include: PA State Grant, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Pennsylvania Targeted Industry Program Grant, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and other agency funding, Department of Public Assistance, Trade Assistance Act Benefits, Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, private loans, institutional payment plans, employer reimbursement and scholarships.

Veterans. Penn Commercial is approved for the training of veterans and will not impose any penalty on a covered individual because of the delayed disbursement of funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

Scholarships. The Stanley S. Bazant Scholarship may be awarded for students entering a technical program of study (deadline May 1). The GED Scholarship (deadline December 15) and the STAR Scholarship (deadline March 31) may be awarded to students who enroll in a specialized associate degree program. Each amounts to 25% of tuition per quarter.

Payment. For current students who make monthly payments, tuition is due by the second of every month; a twenty ($20) dollar late fee is applied to payments received after the due date. Tuition and fees may be subject to increase with 60-days written notice.

Living expenses. The school’s cost-of-attendance chart lists, per 9-month period (minimum): room and board $4,500 for a student living with a parent or $9,000 for a student not living with a parent; personal expenses $1,800; transportation $2,700. Program costs need to be added to these figures to calculate the cost of attendance.

The CADD program prepares you for entry-level positions in drafting and design. Drafters work in many settings, including engineering firms, architecture firms, landscape architecture firms and manufacturing companies.

• Architectural drafter
• Structural drafter
• Revit MEP technician
• Civil drafter
• Topographical drafter
• Mechanical drafter
• Machine drafter
• Piping drafter
• CADD technician / drafting and design technician
• Drafting designer
• CADD operator

Student achievement rates. As reported by Penn Commercial to ACCSC in the school’s 2025 Annual Report, for the Computer Aided Drafting and Design cohort (1/2022 - 12/2022): graduation rate 75% (3 of 4); employment rate 67% (2 of 3).

Who hires our grads. Alliance Consulting, Aquatech, Atwell, Bloom Engineering, Civil and Environmental Consultants, Gateway Engineering, Hitachi Rail, PennDOT, Peoples Natural Gas, Tindall Corp., Vulcraft and many more. Employment after graduation is not guaranteed.

Schedule. The 18-month AST degree (110.5 quarter credits, 1,850 hours) is taught in person; classes can be scheduled any time Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, and externship sites may require attendance on Fridays as well. The final quarter is a 360-hour CADD Externship, preceded by a 190-hour Final Project. Core courses must be passed with a grade of C or better, and the curriculum uses AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Civil 3D, Inventor and Plant 3D, and SolidWorks.

Orientation. All incoming students, and returning students who have been absent for six months or more, are required to attend orientation before classes start. During orientation you become acquainted with the campus, meet key administrative staff, instructors and fellow students, and learn about important policies and procedures. If you cannot attend the scheduled orientation, your admission representative can arrange an alternative date/time before classes start.

Attendance. All students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, including clinical and externship rotations, in a regular and punctual manner. Attendance is recorded in fifteen-minute increments and becomes part of the student's permanent academic record, and there is no distinction between an excused and an unexcused absence. Students who exceed attendance thresholds may be placed on attendance warning and probation, and a student is withdrawn after fourteen consecutive calendar days of non-attendance.

Class size. Class sizes vary by program. Lecture/lab classes typically maintain a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, and laboratory/shop classes provide hands-on training using industry-standard equipment.

Dress code and ID. Strict adherence to the dress code is mandatory in all classrooms, laboratories and clinical settings; each program's specific dress code is communicated during enrollment. Students must display their photo identification badge at all times on campus and at externship or clinical sites, and every student receives a personalized key fob to enter and exit the building.

Graduation. To graduate, students must complete all required coursework with a passing grade, accumulate the credits or clock hours required for their program, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, complete 100% of any required externship or clinical hours, fulfill all financial obligations, complete the exit interview process if applicable, and adhere to their program's attendance policies.

Externship. The externship is a culminating, supervised experience that integrates academic theory with practical, career-oriented skills. The Director of Career Services works with Lead Instructors to prepare students for their externship three months in advance, with orientation sessions on expectations, documentation, professional conduct, attendance, confidentiality, supervision and evaluation. Externships are a mandatory part of the graduation requirements and are typically unpaid; afterwards each student has an exit interview with the Director of Career Services.