德克薩斯大學(xué)奧斯汀分校

Buildings are the domain of architectural engineers and endpoints of this important engineering discipline. Americans spend over 70 total years of an average lifetime inside of buildings. As such, an important role of architectural engineers is to design buildings that are structurally resilient and able to withstand the loads that act on their exterior and interior surfaces. Because of the amount of time people spend in them, it is also important that buildings be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to be healthy environments, free of airborne or surface contamination that can adversely affect occupants. Furthermore, buildings should also be comfortable environments that facilitate worker productivity and learning. In the United States, buildings account for nearly 40% of all energy use, over 70% of electricity use, and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. As such, architectural engineers strive to design, construct, and operate both energy efficient and healthy buildings, with an increasing focus on the use of appropriate green building materials and products.

The extensive technical requirements, coupled with courses in arts and sciences, provide the architectural engineering student with an opportunity to obtain a background that is ideally suited for careers and positions of responsibility with consulting engineering firms, general contractors, manufacturers, government agencies, and architecture firms. The curriculum also serves as an excellent springboard to graduate study in the areas of structural engineering, building energy and environments, construction engineering and project management, or infrastructure materials engineering.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the architectural engineering program are expected to have

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• An ability to communicate effectively
• The broad education necessary to understand what impact engineering solutions have in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
• Recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning
• Knowledge of contemporary issues
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the architectural engineering program should solve architectural engineering problems within a greater societal context. They should:

• Exhibit character and decision-making skills embodying professionalism and ethical behavior
• Apply knowledge, strong reasoning, and quantitative skills to design and implement creative and sustainable solutions
• Engage in lifelong learning to meet evolving engineering challenges facing society
• Exhibit strong communication, critical thinking, interpersonal, and management skills as leaders and contributors in the architectural engineering profession