Short answer: For a career changer entering 3D printing, you don't need a university degree. You need basic computer skills, a technical mindset, German at about a B1 level, and the patience to track an error down to its cause. The expertise in FDM, SLA, SLS, and CAD can be built up in 600 teaching units, which is about three months full-time.
No. You need an engineering degree if you want to calculate and design components or develop new materials. Daily work in additive manufacturing looks different: checking data, aligning the component, preparing the print, running the machine, post-processing the part, checking dimensions. That is skilled work and can be learned.
Our further training programs therefore have four prerequisites: no university degree required, basic PC skills, a sense for technology, and German at approximately B1 level. Whether this is enough for you is shown by the free aptitude test with which every registration begins.
Three traits, and none of them are on a reference letter.
Spatial reasoning. You rotate a part in your head and see where it needs supports and where it would break.
Tolerance for error. A print detaches from the bed at night. A resin part tears away from the supports. The question then is not who is to blame, but which of the four causes it was: material, machine, setting, or design. Whoever changes only one thing at a time and writes down the result will become good. Whoever turns five knobs at once remains a beginner.
Care in rework. A part is not finished when the printer beeps. Removing supports, washing and post-curing resin, depowdering SLS parts, checking dimensions: this is where the quality that a customer pays for is created. Liquid resin and fine powder also demand clean, safe working practices.
What you don't need: programming skills or advanced mathematics.
Almost every practical previous profession brings something to the table. The table is an orientation from our perspective, not a hard rule.
| You are from | You bring this along | Obvious direction |
|---|---|---|
| Metal, automotive, maintenance, production | Tolerances, process thinking, machine intuition | Manufacturing manager |
| Technical drawing, carpentry, model making, dental technology | Dimensional accuracy, eye for fits | Designer |
| Graphics, media, product design, jewelry, stage | sense of form, software routine | Product Designer |
| Employed and not looking to change jobs | concrete application in the company | IHK certificate course, 2 weeks |
All three advanced training courses comprise 600 teaching units over 60 days, with one module each for FDM, SLA, and SLS. In each module, you spend one week at our workshop in Altenholz near Kiel, and the rest takes place online. On a part-time basis, it takes about seven months.
In five steps. The first one costs nothing.
Our requirements do not specify an age limit. Professional experience from trade or production is an advantage in manufacturing, not a drawback.
A specific school-leaving qualification is not among our requirements. Basic PC knowledge, technical understanding, and German at approximately B1 level count.
No. It helps, but it is not a requirement. How you can prepare is explained in the guide. Learn 3D printing. You can find further answers in the FAQ.
A career transition into 3D printing does not fail due to a lack of a university degree. It succeeds with spatial awareness, patience for troubleshooting, and attention to detail, along with basic computer skills and a B1 level of German. The technical expertise is provided through 600 training units on real machines. Whether you meet the requirements will be revealed after the aptitude test.
Test suitability for free The test is the first step of any registration and costs nothing. Test suitability for free
Author: Editorial team of the Mach-3D Academy · Last updated: September 2026
A test for all three advanced training courses – free of charge, in just a few minutes. Afterwards, we will advise you personally on funding options.
