How to Become a Professional Model Builder

There are many hobbyists who might consider the work of model builders to be their ideal employment, but they would be surprised at the requirements needed to obtain a job within the industry. There are many talented people who have a passion for building to scale, but few realize people with advanced degrees are often those who do the work. This set of professionals has their own standards, and most of them have degrees in engineering or the industrial arts.

Earning a degree in engineering is generally done at a four year college or university, and standards are high for accredited schools. Mathematics is a large part of what these engineers must master, and materials knowledge is also a part of their program. There are volumes of knowledge they must internalize in order to pass their classes, and they must also be able to function in a hands on environment to secure employment.

There are many colleges and universities that offer degrees in the industrial arts area, and students are now encouraged to study this trade. It used to be considered more of a blue collar career, and it was taught in schools originally as shop classes. The knowledge needed in the modern world has transformed this into a degree program with formalize classes and testing requirements. There are only a few companies that will hire someone based on only an industrial arts degree, but model building is one of them.

For people who truly love to build scale models, there are some options they can find instead of sitting in classrooms to earn a degree. Master carpenters spend years on the job before they pass their apprentice, journey and masters tests. While it would appear they only work with wood, many of them have taken the time to learn how to shape other materials to make them eligible for this interesting and demanding profession.