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.
Minimum Academic Standards for Admission to the School of Engineering
To be considered for admission to the School of Engineering, beginning 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.
Minimum Academic Standards for Direct Admission into Degree Program for incoming Freshmen
Students with a 26+ Math ACT (600+ Math SAT) or meet eligibility requirements for MATH 125 (Calculus I) may be admitted directly into their chosen major, with the exception of those seeking admission into the Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Computing (EECS) majors. For EECS program admission, students 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 28+ (or math SAT score of 660+), or
- Achieving a ‘C’ or better in a high school calculus course; or
- Earning credit via IB or AP credit for the above-mentioned course in accordance with KU placement credit requirements; or
- Achieving at minimum a qualifying score for MATH 125 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam.
Students who are not admissible to their desired major are admitted to the School of Engineering as undecided engineering undergraduate students.
Exploring Engineering
Students not admitted directly to the School of Engineering or their major but who are admissible to the university may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an Undecided student. They can later re-apply to the School of Engineering during the semester they are completing the admission requirements for transfer students.
Transfer Admission Standards
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 have a cumulative college transferable grade-point average of 2.5+ to be considered. In addition, students must have grades of "C" or better in those courses in math (must include MATH 125 Calculus I or equivalent), science, and engineering applicable to the engineering degree.
Current KU Students admitted to other academic units may apply to the School of Engineering by completing a Change of School form.
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 |
September 15 | Priority deadline for current KU students to apply for spring admission to Engineering. | |
November 1 | Final deadline for scholarship consideration for incoming freshmen planning to enter in fall or summer semesters. | |
December 1 | Final deadline to apply for the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program for incoming freshmen | |
February 1 | Final deadline for scholarship consideration for transfer students planning to enter in fall or summer semesters. Applications available for the Engineering Learning Community | |
February 15 | Priority deadline for current KU students to apply for summer or fall admission to Engineering. | |
May 1 | Enrollment Deposit due. | |
Architectural Engineering 4-Year Graduation Plan
The following are recommended enrollments:
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 (GE 1.2) | 4 |
MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
MATH 127 | Calculus III | 4 |
MATH 220 | Applied Differential Equations | 3 |
MATH 290 | Elementary Linear Algebra | 2 |
MATH 526 | Applied Mathematical Statistics I | 3 |
or CE 625 | Applied Probability and Statistics |
CHEM 150 | Chemistry for Engineers | 5 |
PHSX 210 | General Physics I for Engineers | 3 |
PHSX 216 | General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
PHSX 212 | General Physics II | 3 |
PHSX 236 | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
ENGL 101 | Composition (GE 2.1) | 3 |
ENGL 102 | Critical Reading and Writing (GE 2.1) | 3 |
ARCH 540 | Global History of Architecture I: Origins to Industrial Revolution (3500 BCE-1700 CE) (GE 3H) | 3 |
ARCH 541 | Global History of Architecture II: From Industrial Revolution to Present (1700 CE-Present) (AE 4.2) | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
ARCE 217 | Computer-Assisted Building Design | 3 |
ARCE 315 | Electric Circuits and Machines | 3 |
ARCE 350 | Building Materials Science | 3 |
ARCE 660 | Building Thermal Science | 3 |
CE 260 | Statics and Dynamics | 5 |
CE 310 | Strength of Materials | 4 |
CE 330 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
or ME 510 | Fluid Mechanics |
CE 461 | Structural Analysis | 4 |
CMGT 457 | Construction Project Management | 3 |
ME 212 | Basic Engineering Thermodynamics | 3 |
ARCE 101 | Introduction to Architectural Engineering | 2 |
ARCE 640 | Power Systems Engineering I | 3 |
ARCE 650 | Illumination Engineering | 3 |
ARCE 661 | HVAC&R Systems Design | 3 |
ARCE 698 | Comprehensive Design Project | 3 |
CE 562 | Design of Steel Structures (AE 6.1) | 3 |
CE 563 | Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures | 3 |
CMGT 500 | Construction Engineering | 3 |
| 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 | 128 |
Credit for ROTC Courses. KU ROTC courses that have been approved as KU core courses may count toward the degree.