BS Arch & BS Civil Engineering

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Texas Tech University

Program Overview

Texas Tech University’s BS Architecture & BS Civil Engineering (Dual) combines architectural design with civil engineering in a 188-credit, five-year program with summer sessions, preparing students to approach buildings and infrastructure from both design and engineering perspectives. Students study architectural design, building technology, BIM, structural systems, transportation, water resources, environmental engineering, and engineering sciences, making the program particularly suited to students who want an integrated understanding of the built environment.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the foundation for both disciplines through courses such as ARCH 1311 – Design, Environment, and Society and ARCH 2311 – History of World Architecture I, alongside mathematics, physics, writing, and introductory engineering preparation. The architecture component introduces environmental and societal contexts of design, while the engineering foundation develops the mathematics and science skills needed for later civil engineering coursework.

Year 2: Students move into more developed architectural and engineering applications, including Architectural Design III/IV, Building Information Technology, structural mechanics, surveying, statistics, and fluid mechanics. This stage connects architectural design and technical documentation with civil engineering analysis and the physical behavior of structures and infrastructure.

Year 3: Students undertake advanced architectural and civil engineering subjects, including ARCH 3602 – Architectural Design VI, CE 3305 – Mechanics of Fluids, CONE 2302 – Surveying, and engineering statistics. Architectural design becomes more complex while students simultaneously develop capabilities in fluid systems, measurement, quantitative analysis, and engineering applications.

Year 4: The program brings the two disciplines together through ARCH 4601 – Architectural Design VII, CE 3341 – Principles of Structural Design, CE 3354 – Engineering Hydrology, and CE 3309 – Environmental Engineering. Students work with advanced architectural design while studying structural systems, water behavior, and environmental engineering, including laboratory-based learning through CE 3171 – Environmental Engineering Laboratory I.

Year 5: The final stage concentrates on civil engineering systems through CE 4330 – Design of Engineering Systems, CE 3302 – Dynamics, and CE 4361 – Transportation Engineering, with an engineering economics or thermodynamics option. This completes the dual-degree curriculum by strengthening students’ ability to understand and design interconnected engineering systems alongside their architectural education.

Focus areas: Architectural design, building technology, BIM, structural design, environmental engineering, hydrology, water systems, transportation engineering, engineering systems, sustainable design, computation, and the integration of architecture with civil engineering.

Learning outcomes: Graduates develop the ability to integrate architectural and engineering knowledge, address complex design and engineering problems, apply mathematics and science, communicate technical information, work collaboratively, analyze data and experiments, and develop design solutions that consider environmental, social, economic, safety, and public-welfare factors.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Civil Engineering: ABET-accredited through the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, with the current accreditation period listed as 2023–24 through 2029–30. Architecture: the BS Architecture is a nonprofessional degree and is not NAAB-accredited; Texas Tech’s NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree is the Master of Architecture, which follows the preprofessional BS Architecture.

Reputation (employability rankings): Texas Tech University: the university reported that the 2026 QS World University Rankings placed Texas Tech at #731–740 worldwide, while the 2025 CWUR ranking placed Texas Tech #562 globally for alumni employment; these are university-wide measures rather than rankings specifically for the BS Architecture/Civil Engineering dual degree.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Texas Tech University’s BS Architecture & BS Civil Engineering dual degree gain practical experience across both architectural design and civil engineering, combining studio-based architectural work with engineering analysis, design, and laboratory applications. The five-year program is offered jointly by the Huckabee College of Architecture and the Whitacre College of Engineering, with students completing the requirements of both degrees; architecture students have dedicated studios and fabrication facilities, while civil engineering students have access to specialized laboratories and research areas in structures, geotechnical engineering, transportation, and environmental engineering. The program also emphasizes professional exposure through studio site visits, internships, study abroad, firm visits, guest lectures, and career-development activities:

Architecture Design Studios: Dedicated 24/7 studios give students space for design projects, drawing, model building, digital collaboration, and presentations, with large monitors installed in each studio section.
Digital Fabrication Lab: CAD/CAM, computational design, and rapid prototyping facilities allow students to translate digital architectural designs into physical models and prototypes.
3D Printing: 36 Prusa i3 MK3S+ 3D printers provide hands-on digital fabrication experience using computer-controlled additive manufacturing.
Laser Cutting: Boss LS3655 and HP5598 laser cutters can cut or engrave materials up to 48" × 96", supporting detailed architectural models and prototypes.
Robotic Fabrication: KUKA KR 10 R1100 Sixx robotic arm provides experience with programmable, computer-controlled fabrication processes.
Fabrication Software: VCarve software is available at Digital Fabrication Lab workstations for computer-controlled fabrication workflows.
Wood & Model Shop: ShopBot CNC router, table saws, workbenches, and model-making equipment support physical exploration of wood, metal, and other materials.
Civil Engineering Laboratories: Structures, materials science, geotechnical, and environmental laboratories provide opportunities for experimental engineering work and testing.
Geotechnical Laboratory: Soil characterization, compaction, consolidation, and shear-strength testing can be conducted at multiple laboratory test stations.
Transportation Research: TransTech Lab involves students in real-world transportation research using technologies such as roadside LiDAR, traffic-signal systems, and microscopic simulation models.
Transportation Field Research: Roadway and pavement research includes laboratory testing of asphalt mixtures and investigations of pavement performance, including graphene-modified asphalt.
Structural Engineering Research: Experimental and analytical structural research covers steel and concrete structures, bridges, natural hazards, performance-based engineering, and finite-element analysis.
Geotechnical Research: Foundation engineering, slopes, retaining structures, soil-structure interaction, ground improvement, and natural hazards are among the department’s active research areas.
Environmental Engineering Facilities: Approximately 12,000 square feet of laboratory space within the Maddox Engineering Research Center supports environmental engineering research, with analytical equipment including chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectrometry, and water-quality instrumentation.
Professional Exposure: Firm visits, guest lectures, career fairs, and professional-development workshops connect architecture students with practicing architects and design professionals.
Internships: Internships are specifically identified by Texas Tech as part of the experiential-learning opportunities available through the Architecture/Civil Engineering dual-degree program.
Site Visits: Studio site visits give students opportunities to connect architectural coursework with real sites and built environments.
Study Abroad: Study-abroad experiences provide opportunities to explore architectural and built-environment contexts beyond the Texas Tech campus.
Collaborative Learning: Architecture and civil engineering integration allows students to develop knowledge across design, structures, building technology, and engineering through the jointly offered five-year degree.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of Texas Tech University’s BS Architecture & BS Civil Engineering dual degree are prepared to work across architecture, civil engineering, building design, infrastructure, and construction-related fields because the five-year program combines both degrees. The BS Architecture also provides a pathway into Texas Tech’s professional Master of Architecture, while the Civil Engineering component is ABET-accredited, providing an established foundation for professional engineering progression.

Career roles: Architectural Designer, Project Engineer, Civil Engineer, Project Manager.

Career Services: Texas Tech’s University Career Center provides internship and full-time job resources, job boards, career appointments, employment data, resume/job-search support, and an internship placement program through College to Career.
Architecture employment data: Texas Tech reports an average estimated salary of $71,411 for Huckabee College of Architecture alumni from 2016–2025, with Architectural Designer, Designer, Project Manager, Senior Architectural Designer, and Project Coordinator among the most frequent job titles.
Civil Engineering employment data: Texas Tech reports a 98% job placement rate for its Civil Engineering program and typical starting salaries of $65,000–$75,000.
Engineering employers: Texas Tech’s employment data identifies Kimley-Horn, HALFF, Lockheed Martin, Texas Instruments, L3Harris Technologies, Exxon Mobil, Intel, and OXY among employers associated with Whitacre College of Engineering alumni; HALFF is specifically identified with Civil Engineering.
Architecture industry connections: The Design Leadership Alliance (DLA) connects the Huckabee College of Architecture with practicing professionals and provides opportunities for engagement among owners, architects, contractors, and fabricators.
Professional accreditation value: The BS Architecture itself is not NAAB-accredited; Texas Tech states that the degree is a non-professional architecture degree. However, it prepares students to continue into Texas Tech’s NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture, which is the professional degree pathway.
Civil Engineering accreditation: The BS Civil Engineering is ABET-accredited through the Engineering Accreditation Commission, with the current accreditation listed for 2023–24 through 2029–30.
Graduate outcomes: The dual degree gives graduates two undergraduate qualifications and combines architectural design knowledge with civil engineering principles, creating pathways into architecture, engineering, construction, infrastructure, and related building-industry roles.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the dual degree, students can continue into Texas Tech’s NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture to pursue the professional architecture degree pathway. Students interested in management can also pursue Texas Tech’s Master of Architecture/MBA, a 66-credit dual graduate program designed for careers in architecture, development, or construction.