AA/AS in Architectural Sciences and Technology

Grand Rapids Community College offers this associate degree for students who want to work on the drawing side of the building trades. Graduates learn to produce the plans, elevations, sections and perspective views that architects and builders rely on to turn an idea into a finished structure. The program belongs to the college's art, architecture and mechanical design pathway and is housed with the mechanical and architectural design department. Coursework covers how buildings are put together, including common materials, codes and written specifications. Students practice hand and computer drafting, produce rendered presentations, and read and prepare full sets of construction documents. They also study how mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are laid out and work with building information modeling software. The result is a practical skill set suited to drafting and design support roles in architecture and construction firms.