Top 6 Recommended SolidProfessor Courses for Students in Automotive Design and Engineering


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How Can You Use SolidProfessor to Prepare for a Career in Automotive and Transportation?

In the fast-paced automotive industry, engineers must master cutting-edge tools to design innovative vehicles and components while meeting strict safety and performance standards. With labor shortages and high demand for skilled professionals, students need to develop expertise in industry-standard software like SOLIDWORKS and CATIA to stand out. SolidProfessor offers targeted courses in CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), and simulation, empowering students to build the skills needed for rewarding careers in automotive design and engineering.

Top 6 Courses in SolidProfessor for Automotive Design and Engineering Students

For students aiming to excel in automotive design and engineering, and for educators seeking tools to support their success, here are the top six SolidProfessor courses and learning paths:

  1. SOLIDWORKS Essentials for Part Design
    This course lays the foundation for using SOLIDWORKS, a staple in automotive suppliers for designing smaller parts, assemblies, and components. It covers sketching, reference geometry, patterns, part modeling, editing, and design table configurations. With 86 video lessons and over 5 hours of content, students earn a certificate in SOLIDWORKS Essentials for Part Design upon completion, boosting their resumes for roles in component design.
  2. Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) Learning Path
    The CSWA learning path prepares students for the globally recognized Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate exam. It covers essential skills for creating parts, assemblies, and drawings, which are critical for automotive suppliers designing manufacturable components like sheet metal parts or injection-molded pieces. This path ensures students are job-ready with industry-standard CAD proficiency.
  3. SOLIDWORKS Surfacing – Practice Exam (Automotive Hood)
    Tailored for automotive design, this course hones surfacing skills by guiding students through creating a model of an automotive hood. Surfacing is vital for designing complex, aerodynamic shapes like car body panels. This practice exam, which you can take in under two hours, prepares students for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Advanced Surfacing (CSWPA) exam, a key differentiator in vehicle design roles.
  4. CATIA Surfacing (Generative Shape Design)
    CATIA is widely used by automotive OEMs for its advanced surfacing capabilities and ability to handle large, complex assemblies like car side panels. This course teaches students to create intricate geometries essential for vehicle aesthetics and aerodynamics. Part of the 12-hour CATIA learning path, it equips students to work with OEMs or suppliers mandated to use CATIA.
  5. SOLIDWORKS Simulation Learning Path
    Simulation is crucial for testing automotive designs under real-world conditions like vibrations, crashes, and aerodynamics. This 14-hour learning path includes courses like SimulationXpress, Simulation Standard, Simulation Professional, and Flow Simulation, enabling students to validate designs for safety and performance. The Flow Simulation: Electronics Cooling Module is particularly relevant for electric vehicle component design.
  6. Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) Learning Path
    The CSWP learning path builds on CSWA skills, diving deeper into advanced modeling, assemblies, and configurations. This certification is highly valued by automotive employers for roles involving complex component design and validation. Completing this path demonstrates a student’s readiness to tackle professional engineering challenges in the automotive industry.

In addition to these resources, you’ll find even more interesting content on SolidProfessor to help you on your way like Daniel Granger’s real-world path from engineering student at the University of Columbia to lead engineer at automotive company, Speed UTV.

Looking for your next engineering gig in automotive? Head over to SolidCareers, the job engine built for engineers.


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