B.S. in Architectural Engineering Program
Students in the B.S. in architectural engineering (ARCE) program are admitted by and must fulfill the graduation requirements of the School of Engineering. The program is administered by the School of Engineering's Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE).
In KU's ARCE program students learn to analyze and design the engineered systems that make buildings perform their intended functions. At KU the ARCE areas of emphasis are
- Structural design and analysis,
- Building mechanical and energy systems,
- Illumination and power systems,
- Construction management, and
- A hybrid such as sustainability, acoustics, or fire protection.
To use this knowledge, the graduate must have a good foundation in engineering science and design as these relate to building engineered systems and construction, as well as an appreciation for architectural design and history.
B.S. ARCE Mission Statement
Graduates who pursue a career in Architectural Engineering will be successfully engaged in professional engineering practice or graduate study in the analysis, design, construction, and operation of building engineered systems.
Accreditation
The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Careers
Professional Registration and Licensing
Architectural engineers are involved in building projects that directly affect the production, comfort, health and safety of the public. Graduates are strongly encouraged to become registered professional engineers as soon as possible after graduation. In Kansas, and many other states with similar registration laws, this involves completing an ABET-accredited B.S. degree in architectural engineering, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Professional Engineering (PE) examinations, and obtaining four years of satisfactory engineering experience under the supervision of a professional engineer. Students in architectural engineering must take the FE examination before graduation. Architectural engineering graduates can also practice as architects after completing an NAAB-accredited professional undergraduate or graduate architecture degree program and becoming registered architects. Students with this interest should consider the available tracks leading to a Master of Architecture degree in addition to their B.S. in architectural engineering.
Professional Opportunities
Architectural engineering focuses on building engineered systems analysis and design, including structural, mechanical and energy systems, illumination, power, and construction methods applied to buildings. Increasingly, architectural engineers are interested in specializations such as energy efficient buildings, acoustics, and fire protection. Architectural engineers center their attention on the performance, safety, sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and construction of these systems. They typically work for engineering consulting firms, construction companies, or government agencies.
Undergraduate Admission to the School of Engineering
Admission to the KU School of Engineering and its degree programs is selective. Students may be admitted to an engineering or computer science degree program as freshmen (first-year) students, but all admissions, for both in-state and out-of-state students, are selective. Applications are judged on several factors, such as high school record, scores on national tests, academic record at college or university level, and trend of grades and more. High school transcripts are required.
Freshman Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
To be considered for admission to the School of Engineering, beginning freshmen (first-year) students must meet or exceed the following minimum standards:
- Must be admissible to the University of Kansas by assured admissions or individual review, AND
- Have a 3.0+ high school GPA, AND
- Demonstrate mathematics preparedness by:
- Obtaining a mathematics ACT score of 22+ (or math SAT score of 540+), OR
- Achieving a B or better in college algebra or a more advanced mathematics course, OR
- Achieving a C or better in a high school calculus course; OR
- Earning credit via IB or AP credit for the above-mentioned courses in accordance with KU placement credit requirements; OR
- Achieving at minimum a qualifying score for MATH 104 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam.
Pre-Engineering
Students not admitted directly to the School of Engineering and their department but who are admissible to the university may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an pre-engineering student. They can later re-apply to the School of Engineering during the semester they are completing the admission requirements for transfer students.
Transfer Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Applications from all transfer students, whether from other institutions or from other academic schools at the University of Kansas, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Transfer students must:
- Be admissible to KU, AND
- Earn a cumulative college transferable grade-point average of 2.5+, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in MATH 125 (Calculus I, or its direct equivalent), AND
- Earn grades of C or better in math, science, and engineering courses applicable to the engineering degree.
Students must also complete their last 30 hours of credit at KU.
Current Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Students who are currently enrolled at KU, need to meet the following:
- Earn a 2.5+ KU GPA, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in MATH 125 or its direct equivalent, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in all math, science, and engineering courses.
Current KU Students admitted to other academic units may apply to the School of Engineering by completing a Change of School form. Contact the engineering recruitment team if you have any questions. Per University Registrar deadlines for processing, Change of School applications for the fall semester will be accepted until the last Friday in October of each school year; Change of School applications for the spring semester will be accepted until the last Friday in March of each school year.
Already Applied to KU, But Not Engineering?
Don't worry. It's not too late to change your mind if you’ve already applied to KU and selected a major outside the School of Engineering. If you think one of the 12 engineering or computer science majors is a better fit for your talents, you can still change your requested major — preferably before May 1 — and be considered for admission to the School of Engineering and all the benefits that go with it.
To update your application, visit Undergraduate Admissions and click on “Change application term, major, mailing address, and/or email address.”
Please contact a member of our recruitment team, 785-864-3881, if you have any difficulty.
Application Deadlines For New Freshman and Transfer Applicants
Graduate Admission Deadlines | Semester | Applicants | Deadline |
| November 1 | Priority scholarship deadline for incoming freshmen. | |
| December 1 | Deadline to apply for the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program for incoming freshmen. | |
| May 1 | Enrollment Deposit due. | |
| Last Friday in October | Deadline to submit Change of School applications for fall semester admission. | |
| Last Friday in March | Deadline to submit Change of School applications for spring semester admission. | |
Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering Degree Requirements
A total of 128 credit hours is required for the degree. Substitutions may be made only by submitting a petition to the academic advisor for the department's and school’s consideration. The student's design experience is developed throughout all four years of the undergraduate curriculum, beginning with the introductory course and continuing with required architectural, structural, illumination, power, HVAC, and construction management courses. Each student also takes an elective course in his or her selected emphasis; a list of elective courses is available on the CEAE website. In the fourth year, an ARCE capstone design course is required; it integrates the overall design experience for the student.
Students who want to earn a professional Master of Architecture degree in addition to the B.S. in architectural engineering should apply for the "Track III Professional" program via the School of Architecture and Design and discuss it each year with their ARCE advisor so that electives can be chosen carefully.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I (Core 34: Math & Statistics (SGE)) 030 | 4 |
| or MATH 145 | Calculus I, Honors |
or MATH 115
& MATH 116 | Calculus I
and Calculus II |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MATH 146 | Calculus II, Honors |
| MATH 127 | Calculus III | 4 |
| or MATH 147 | Calculus III, Honors |
| MATH 220 | Applied Differential Equations | 3 |
| or MATH 221 | Applied Differential Equations, Honors |
| CE 525 | Applied Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| CHEM 150 | Chemistry for Engineers | 5 |
or CHEM 130
& CHEM 149 | General Chemistry I
and Chemistry for Engineers Supplement |
or CHEM 130
& CHEM 135 | General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II |
or CHEM 170
& CHEM 175 | Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences I
and Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences II |
or CHEM 190
& CHEM 195 | Foundations of Chemistry I, Honors
and Foundations of Chemistry II, Honors |
| EPHX 210 | General Physics I for Engineers (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) 040 | 3 |
| or PHSX 211 | General Physics I |
| or PHSX 213 | General Physics I Honors |
or PHSX 114
& PHSX 201 | College Physics I
and Calculus Supplement to College Physics I |
| PHSX 216 | General Physics I Laboratory (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) 040 | 1 |
| or PHSX 213 | General Physics I Honors |
| PHSX 212 | General Physics II | 3 |
| or PHSX 214 | General Physics II Honors |
or PHSX 115
& PHSX 202 | College Physics II
and Calculus Supplement to College Physics II |
| ARCH 340 | Global History of Architecture I: Origins to Industrial Revolution (3500 BCE-1700 CE) (Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)) 060 | 3 |
| ECON 142 | Principles of Microeconomics (Core 34: Social and Behavioral Science (SGE)) 050 | 3 |
| or ECON 144 | Principles of Macroeconomics |
| or ECON 104 | Introductory Economics |
| ARCE 217 | Computer-Assisted Building Design | 3 |
| ARCE 315 | Electric Circuits and Machines | 3 |
| ARCE 350 | Building Materials Science | 3 |
| or ARCE 351 | Building Materials Science, Honors |
| ARCE 460 | Building Thermal Science | 3 |
| or ARCE 462 | Building Thermal Science, Honors |
| CE 260 | Statics and Dynamics | 5 |
or CE 201
& CE 250 | Statics
and Dynamics |
| CE 310 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
| or CE 312 | Strength of Materials, Honors |
| CE 330 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| or ME 510 | Fluid Mechanics |
| CE 461 | Structural Analysis | 3 |
| CE 501 | Engineering Ethics | 2 |
| CMGT 457 | Construction Project Management | 3 |
| ME 212 | Basic Engineering Thermodynamics | 3 |
| ARCE 101 | Introduction to Architectural Engineering | 2 |
| ARCE 540 | Power Systems Engineering I | 3 |
| ARCE 550 | Illumination Engineering | 3 |
| ARCE 560 | HVAC&R Systems Design | 3 |
| or ARCE 561 | HVAC&R Systems Design, Honors |
| ARCE 598 | Comprehensive Design Project | 3 |
| CE 563 | Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures | 3 |
| CMGT 500 | Construction Engineering | 3 |
| 3 |
| CE 562 | Design of Steel Structures | 3 |
| ARCH 100 | Architectural Foundations I | 4 |
| ARCH 101 | Architectural Foundations II | 4 |
| ARCH 626 | Building Technology I: Construction Systems and Assemblies | 3 |
| Total Hours | 107 |
Credit for ROTC Courses. KU ROTC courses that have been approved as KU core courses may count toward the degree.
The following are recommended enrollments:
Notes:
* - This course is a Required major course and is also part of Core 34: Systemwide General Education. If this course is not taken to fulfill the Core 34:SGE requirement, it must be taken in place of elective hours.
** - This course is a Recommended Core 34: Systemwide General Education course. This specific course is not required but is recommended by the program’s faculty.
*** - This course is a Required Core 34: Systemwide General Education course. This program is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents to require this specific Core 34:Systemwide General Education course. If a student did not take this course it must be taken in addition to other degree requirements.
