Architectural Engineering

Architectural engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with the planning, analysis, design, construction, and operation of engineered systems for commercial, industrial, institutional, and large residential facilities. Engineered systems include electric power, communications, and control; lighting and acoustics; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); fire and life safety; structural systems; and green buildings and sustainability.

Students pursuing the Master of Science (MS) degree in architectural engineering can specialize in any of the following areas of architectural engineering:

• Building power systems
• Building mechanical systems
• Building illumination and lighting systems
• Building energy efficiency and energy management
• Building acoustical systems
• Construction management

Students who wish to specialize in structural engineering generally pursue the MS degree in civil engineering rather than architectural engineering. The MS degree program in architectural engineering is open to full-time and part-time graduate students.  Students may start their graduate studies in the fall, spring or summer semester.   A bachelor’s degree in a field of engineering is required for admission to the MS degree program in architectural engineering. 

A minimum of 3.0 GPA is required for admission into the architectural engineering graduate degree program.

Students in the MS in architectural engineering degree program have 2 options. Option A requires 30 credit-hours including 6 hours for preparing a thesis (via ARCE 899) and a final oral examination including defense of the thesis. Option B requires 30 hours including a 3-hour special problem investigation in the student's area of specialization (via ARCE 895) and a final oral examination. Option B requires a project report instead of a thesis. Additionally, a design option is also avalaible with an emphais in design to be completed in one academic year.

The MS degree in architectural engineering is intentionally flexible in its course requirements because graduate study in architectural engineering requires specialization in one of many areas of professional practice. Each student works with his or her committee to select appropriate graduate courses that support the research project and the student's career goals. Students can pursue specializations in, for example, building mechanical, energy, electrical, lighting, or structural systems, or construction engineering. Emerging or hybrid specializations such as sustainability, acoustics, or fire safety are also encouraged.

Courses to be applied toward the M.S. degree must be listed on a Plan of Study form approved by the student’s major professor and examining committee and the departmental graduate advisor. All graduate students must have an approved Paln of Study on file by the beginning of their second semester of study. Graduate courses offered by the CEAE department are identified by the prefixes CE, ARCE and CMGT and are numbered 700 and above.  No more than 9 hours of courses from other departments or more than 6 hours of courses numbered below 700 (of which only 3 hours may be within the department) may be applied toward the degree without approval of the department’s graduate advisor.  No more than 4 hours of special-problem credit may be applied toward the degree without approval of the department’s graduate advisor.

The MS Design Option provides the opportunity for you to complete as master’s degree in architectural engineering, with a design emphasis, in one academic year. The degree requires 30 credit-hours of graduate work, and the overall requirements are identical to those offered under the MS Option B. The Design Option requires 27 credit-hours of graduate coursework, a three credit-hour design project resulting in a written report, and a final presentation.

Students in the MS Design Option can take five courses in their first (fall or spring) semester, and four more courses plus ARCE 895 – Master’s Project for three credit-hours in their second semester. If desired, students may take one of the courses and/or the ARCE 895– Master’s Project in the summer.

Students in the MS ARCE Design Option are advised by a professor in an area of mutual technical interest. The topic of the design project in ARCE 895 is agreed upon by the student and the academic advisor. The final presentation is made to the student’s committee, composed of the advisor and two other faculty members