Overview

The M.S. Architectural Engineering program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville provides advanced training to students and professionals in the design and construction of commercial buildings.  The program is offered online and face-to-face.  Architectural engineering is an interdisciplinary field that combines civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering with architecture and construction management.

Through completion of core courses, students gain a broad basis for practice in the architectural engineering field.  The remaining coursework can be selected to enhance career objective in structural engineering or building systems engineering.

Educational Objectives

After completing the M.S. in Architectural Engineering degree, master’s graduates will demonstrate the following skills above and beyond that expected of a baccalaureate recipient:

• Design increasingly complex systems in both structural engineering and building services engineering.
• Incorporate advanced topics (lighting and energy auditing) into building designs.
• Formulate solutions to advanced problems and conduct research in the architectural engineering field.
• Communicate professionally.

Admission Requirements

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree in architectural engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or a closely related field.  Graduate students with baccalaureate degrees from other fields may be asked to complete preparatory undergraduate coursework.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.6 on a 4.0 scale.
• English proficiency (for more information, see Graduate Admissions link).
• Students not satisfying qualifications for full admission may be admitted with stipulations on a case by case basis.

Degree Requirements

For all M.S. Architectural Engineering students, no more than 3 graduate-level courses (9 SCH) from outside Architectural may be applied to degree.  The first three graduate-level courses (9 SCH) must be architectural engineering courses.  Construction management courses taught as civil engineering courses are exempt from these two rules.

Thesis Track 30 credit hours total.  Students must complete 8 graduate-level courses (24 SCH) and successfully defend a thesis proposal and thesis (CEEN 5306, 6 SCH).

Course-Only Track 30 credit hours total.  Students must complete 10 graduate-level courses (30 SCH) and successfully pass a comprehensive exam.  The comprehensive exam will include topics in structural engineering, systems integration, energy integration, and heat transfer.  

All students must complete the following core courses:

• AEEN 5301 (Systems Integration and Modeling)
• AEEN 5302 (Energy Statistics and Data Analysis)
• Either MEEN 5345 (Conduction and Convection Heat Transfer) or AEEN 5304 (Heat Transfer in Buildings)
• Either AEEN 5311 (Adv. Reinforced Concrete Design) or AEEN 5361 (Adv. Structural Steel Design)

Other courses may be applied to meet the core course requirements, upon approval of the chair and graduate coordinator.