Program in Architecture and Engineering

Information and Departmental Plan of Study

The Program in Architecture and Engineering enables students to work at the intersection of engineering and architecture.  It is a framework for interdisciplinary study to tackle problems that cannot be addressed by one discipline.  The certificate is an opportunity to respond dynamically to evolving global challenges, where elegant and effective solutions lead to more resilient and sustainable communities.

Admission to the Program

The Program in Architecture and Engineering is open to all undergraduate students, regardless of discipline. A student planning to enroll in the program should consult with one of the co-directors of the program, who will assign a special adviser to help plan a curriculum. 

Program of Study

In addition to course requirements, the student must identify a global challenge theme, and incorporate theme in senior thesis as described below.

• Identify a Global Challenge Theme: Examples of current challenges are consequences of increasing population densities, limited water supplies, limited natural resources, climate change, ageing infrastructure, and natural and man-made hazards.  Within this framework, students in the program will be asked to identify a global challenge to inform their program of study. This question will be posed to students in the application process for entering the program.  We expect the program to be adaptive to emerging new challenges that the existing degree structure cannot respond to immediately.
• Incorporate Theme in Senior Thesis: The Senior Thesis should address a cross-disciplinary theme that can be a global challenge.  The student must also contribute to a thesis colloquium in Sept/Oct of senior year, currently envisioned as ~10 minute discussions per student with the committee presenting the thesis topic and having an opportunity to discuss and match faculty advisers.  This process will create an awareness of how the topic crosses disciplines, and how it addresses a relevant global challenge​.

Course Requirements

Six courses total are required to obtain the certificate the Program in Architecture and Engineering, four of which must be selected within a field of expertise chosen by the student. No more than two courses from the six may double count towards the major and certificate.  Students may use no more than one course taken on a pass/D/fail basis to satisfy program requirements. All courses combined should illustrate a coherent program of study that addresses a global theme or challenge.  

The following two design courses are required for all students:

• ARC 203 Introduction to Architectural Thinking
• ARC 204 Introduction to Architectural Design (Studio Class) or ARC 205 Interdisciplinary Design Studio

One course is required within a “field of expertise” chosen by the student:

• Structures: CEE 262 (A or B) Structures and the Urban Environment
• Computation: ARC 311 Building Science & Tech: Building Systems
• Environment: ARC 208/ENE 202 Designing Sustainable Systems

(Note: With approval of the committee, the student may construct their own “field of expertise” that demonstrates a coherent program of study addressing a global challenge theme).

Three additional courses are selected from a list of approved electives in each field of expertise. The preapproved courses within each field of expertise are listed below:

Structures

ARC 204 or ARC 205

ARC 206 Geometry and Architectural Representation

ARC 311 Building Science and Technology: Building Systems

ARC 374 Computational Design

ARC 350 Junior Studio

ARC 351 Junior Studio II

CEE 205 Mechanics of Solids

CEE 312 Statics of Structures

CEE 361 Matrix Structural Analysis and Introduction to Finite Elements

CEE 364 Materials in Civil Engineering

CEE 366 Design of Reinforced concrete structures

CEE 463 A Social and Multi-Dimensional Exploration of Structures

EGR 251 or EGR 351 or EGR 451 Community Project Studios 

MSE 301 Materials Science and Engineering OR MAE 324 Structure and Properties of Materials

MSE 302 Laboratory Techniques in Materials Science and Engineering

Computation

ARC 204 or ARC 205

ARC 206 Geometry and Architectural Representation

ARC 374 Computational Design

ARC 596 Embodied Computation

CEE 546 Form Finding of Structural Surfaces

COS 126 General Computer Science

COS 217 Introduction to Programming Systems

COS 226 Algorithms and Data Structures

COS 324 Introduction to Machine Learning

COS 424 Fundamentals of Machine Learning

ELE 206 (COS 306) Contemporary Logic Design

ELE 364 Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analysis

Environment

ARC 204 or ARC 205

EGR 251 or EGR 351 or EGR 451 Community Project Studios 

ARC 382 Environmental Challenges and Urban Solutions

ART 250 Architecture, Globalization, Environment

ARC 406 Energy and Form

ARC 519 Climate Change, Adaptation and Urban Design

ARC 509 Integrated Building Systems

CEE 207 Intro to Environmental Engineering

CEE 304 Environmental Engineering and Energy

CEE 311 Global Air Pollution

CEE 477 Engineering Design for Sustainable Development

MAE 221 Thermodynamics

MAE 228 Energy Technologies in the 21st Century

MAE 328 Energy for Greenhouse-Constrained World

MSE 301 Materials Science and Engineering OR MAE 324 Structure and Properties of Materials

MSE 302 Laboratory Techniques in Materials Science and Engineering

Certificate of Proficiency

Students who fulfill the program requirements will receive a certificate of proficiency upon graduation.