Undergraduate Curriculum

Program Curriculum - 160 credits

First Semester - 15 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
^Chem 110 Chemistry 3
^Math 140 Calculus I 4
^^AE 124S Orientation (FYS) 1
Engl 15 Composition 3
Chem 111 1
Arch 100 (GA) or Econ 2, 4, 14 (GS) 3

Second Semester - 17 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
^Phys 211 Mechanics 4
^Math 141 Calculus II 4
EDSGN 130 Arch Graphics/CAD (or EDSGN 100) 3
Econ 2, 4, 14 Economics (GS) or Gen Ed (GH) 3
*ArtH 202 (GA) or Gen Ed (GH/GS) 3

Third Semester - 17 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*Arch 130A Basic Design 3
AE 202 Architectural Engineering Topics 3
*AE 222 Working Drawings 3
^Math 250 Differential Equations 3
Phys 213 Waves and Thermodynamics 2
E MCH 211 Statics 3

Fourth Semester - 16 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*Arch 130A  Basic Design 3
*AE 221 Architectural Building Materials 3
ME 201 Thermal Science (ME 23) 3
^Phys 212 Electricity and Magnetism  4
E MCH 213 Strength of Materials 3

Fifth Semester - 17 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
**AE 308  Structural Analysis 4
**AE 372  Introduction to Building Industry 3
EE 211 Circuits and Power 3
Math 220 Matrices 2
Math 231 Calculus III 2
[GH/GS] Gen Ed (GH/GS) or Arch 210 (GA) 3

Sixth Semester - 15 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 309 Architectural Acoustics 3
**AE 310 HVAC 3
**AE 311 Electrical/Illumination 3
E MCH 212 Dynamics 3
[GHA] Health and Activities or ArtH202 (GA) 3

Seventh Semester - 15 credits

All Options - 3 credits

All Options 
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*Arch 441 Design Analysis 3

Construction Option - 12 credits

Construction
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 475 Construction Engineering I [I] 3
MGMT 326 Organizational Behavior 3
Stat 401 Experimental Methods 3
AE 404 3

Lighting/Electrical Option - 12 credits

Lighting/Electrical
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 461 Building Illumination I  [I] 3
*AE 464 Advanced Arch illum Design [G] 3
*AE 454/AE 497F Advanced HVAC 3
*AE 404 3

Mechanical Option - 12 credits

Mechanical 
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 454 Advanced HVAC [G] 3
*AE 453 Load/Energy Sim - Dept. Elective 3
ME 320 Fluid Flow (ME 33) 3
*AE 404 3

Structural Option - 12 credits

Structural
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 401 Steel 3
*AE 402 Concrete 3
*AE 430 Indeterminate Analysis 3
CAS 100A/B Effective Speech 3

Eighth Semester - 15/16/17 credits

Construction Option - 17 credits

Construction
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 472 Building Construction Planning and Management [G] 3
*AE 476 Construction Engineering II [I] 3
***CE 336 Material Science for CE 3
CE 337 Civil Engineering Materials Lab 1
CAS 100 A/B Effective Speech 3
*AE 497 Geotechnical Elective 4

Lighting/Electrical Option - 15 credits

Lighting/Electrical
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 466 Computer Aided Lighting Design and Analysis 3
*AE 467 Advanced Building Elec System Design [I] 3
°*Arch 442 Design Analysis 3
CAS 100 A/B Effective Speech 3
Department Elective [AE 565 -IUG] 3

Mechanical Option - 15 credits

Mechanical
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 457 HVAC Controls [I] 3
ME 410 Heat Transfer {ME 412} 3
°*Arch 442 Design Analysis 3
*AE 467 Advanced Building Electrical System Design [I] 3
*AE 455 3

Structural Option - 16 credits

Structural
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 431  Advanced Concrete Design [G] 3
*AE 403 Advanced Steel Design  3
°*Arch 442 Design Analysis 3
Department Elective [AE 530 - IUG] 3
*AE 497 Geotechnical Elective 4

Ninth Semester - 16/17 credits

All Options - 8 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*AE 481W Senior Project 4
*Arch 443 Design Analysis Field Trip 1
Engl 202C Technical Writing 3

Construction Option - 8 credits

Construction
Course Number Course Name Credits
*AE 473 Building Construction Management and Control [G] 3
CE 209 Surveying 2
Department Elective [AE 570 IUG] 3

Lighting/Electrical Option - 9 credits

Lighting/Electrical
Course Number Course Name Credits
Stat 401 Experimental Methods 3
Department Elective 3
*AE 468 (497E) Advanced Electrical 3

Mechanical Option - 9 credits

Mechanical
Course Number Course Name Credits
Stat 401 Experimental Methods 3
*AE 458 Advanced Acoustics [G] 3
* Department Elective [AE 557 IUG] 3

Structural Option - 8 credits

Structural
Course Number Course Name Credits
* Department Elective [BE 462 IUG] 3
CE 209 Surveying 2
E MCH 315/316 Engineering Materials 3

Tenth Semester - 15/16 credits

All Options - 6 credits

All Options
Course Number Course Name Credits
Humanistic Elective (GH) 3
Social Science Elective (GS) 3

Construction Option - 9 credits

Construction
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*AE 482 Senior Project 4
Department Elective 2
Department Elective 3

Lighting/Electrical Option - 10 credits

Lighting/Electrical
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*AE 482 Senior Project 4
Department Elective 3
Department Elective 3

Mechanical Option - 10 credits

Mechanical
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*AE 482 Senior Project 4
Department Elective 3
CAS 100 A/B Effective Speech 3

Structural Option - 10 credits

Structural
Course Number Course Name Credits
°*AE 482 Senior Project 4
Stat 401 Experimental Methods 3
Department Elective [AE 432 - I] 3

Key

Bold: Entrance-to-major courses - must be completed by the end of the fourth semester

*: Course only offered in the semester listed 

**: A grade of C or better is required to graduate. 

***: CE 336 - Stat 401 prerequisite enforced

^: Course must be completed by the end of spring semester of a student's first year with at least a C average

°: Course sequence must begin in the fall semester - (Arch 130A/Arch 130A (6 credits), Arch 441/Arch 442 AE 481W/AE 482

[]: Courses shown in brackets are for the integrated B.A.E./M.A.E. program - [I] - IUG, [G] - GRC

□: Students must take 18 credits of GA/GS/GH and 3 credits of GHA. Arch 100 and ArtH 202 are required courses and also GAs. ArtH 202 is also a US/IL, which satisfies either US or IL. Another US or IL course is required. 

^^: A freshman seminar must be completed by the end of the first year

 
 

About

Globally recognized as a leading architectural engineering department, the mission of the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State is to advance the built environment through the development of world-class architectural engineers and research. The vision of the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State is to lead the world in innovative education and research to achieve high-performing built environments. Our program emphasizes the scientific and engineering aspects of planning, designing, and constructing buildings, providing our architectural engineering graduates with outstanding education and research opportunities. 

Department of Architectural Engineering

104 Engineering Unit A

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-6394