BS in Architectural Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Program Overview

The BS in Architectural Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln combines engineering principles with the design and performance of building systems, preparing students to work across structural, mechanical/acoustical, and lighting/electrical aspects of the built environment. The four-year, 128-credit BSAE provides broad exposure to building systems before students develop deeper expertise in a chosen specialization, with the university also offering a one-year MAE pathway that follows the bachelor’s degree.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their engineering foundation through Introduction to Architectural Engineering, Calculus I, General Chemistry I, and General Physics 1-Calculus Level, while also beginning programming through Introduction to Programming Using Practical Scripting. The introductory architectural engineering course exposes students to building materials and systems, a construction-site visit, and interaction with industry mentors.

Year 2: The second year moves into core engineering analysis and architectural-engineering design through AE Design & Simulation Studio I, AE Design & Simulation Studio II, Engineering Thermodynamics, and Mechanics of Materials Lab. Students begin working with building information technology (BIM), building systems, and the relationship between engineering concepts and architectural design.

Year 3: Students develop broad knowledge across the major building-system disciplines through Lighting I: Fundamentals for Design, Building Acoustics Fundamentals, Electrical Systems for Buildings I, HVAC Fundamentals, and AE Design & Simulation Studio III. This stage deliberately exposes students to structural, mechanical/acoustical, and lighting/electrical systems before specialization.

Year 4: Students move into specialized study while strengthening professional engineering knowledge through Engineering Economics, Technical Writing in Engineering, and advanced options such as Lighting II: Theory, Design & Application, HVAC Design, Advanced Noise Control, Advanced Structural Analysis, or Structural Design and Planning. The final year provides greater depth in the selected structural, mechanical/acoustics, or lighting/electrical pathway.

Program Structure Note: UNL describes the BSAE itself as a four-year, 128-credit program, followed by an optional one-year Master of Architectural Engineering; the university’s current program page therefore presents the overall accelerated pathway as 4+1, rather than a four-year bachelor’s-plus-master’s program.

Focus Areas

Structural Systems, Mechanical Systems and Acoustics, Lighting and Electrical Systems.

Learning Outcomes

Complex engineering problem solving, engineering design, effective communication, professional and ethical judgment, teamwork and leadership, experimentation and data analysis, and the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

ABET: The Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under its General Criteria and Program Criteria for Architectural and Similarly Named Engineering Programs; UNL specifically states that the accreditation is attached to the one-year MAE rather than the four-year BSAE.

Reputation (Employability)

UNL College of Engineering: The university reports that 88% of College of Engineering graduates are employed or continuing their education six months after graduation, while the Architectural Engineering program page reports that 80% of students receive a job offer before graduation. These figures are university-reported program/college statistics rather than an external Architectural Engineering-specific ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the BS in Architectural Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln gain practical experience by combining engineering principles with building design, systems, construction, and emerging technologies. The program is delivered at the Peter Kiewit Institute on Scott Campus in Omaha, where students work with building systems and technologies in a living-learning environment and gain experience through design studios, actual building projects, construction-site visits, industry mentoring, internships, and national design competitions. Students can specialize in structural systems, mechanical systems, or lighting and electrical systems:

Design & Simulation Studios: AREN 103 Design and Simulation Studio I uses Building Information Modeling (BIM), iterative design, and technical problem-solving with Autodesk Revit, FormIt, Dynamo, and Trimble SketchUp.
Building Systems Projects: AREN 203 Design and Simulation Studio II explores building systems, construction assemblies, materials, fabrication, and tectonic design through BIM processes.
Real Building Design: AREN 415 HVAC Design involves designing the mechanical system for an actual building, from programming through final construction documents.
Lighting Laboratory Work: Lighting II includes photometric measurements and computer applications, giving students practical experience in lighting-system analysis and design.
Building Systems Laboratory: The Peter Kiewit Institute includes specialized laboratories for heating, cooling, lighting, and other building systems, allowing students to investigate how building systems operate.
Structural Research: The Durham School provides access to a Structural Research Laboratory with more than 5,000 square feet of floor space for structural testing and hands-on investigation.
Lighting & Electrical Laboratory: Students can gain hands-on experience with electrical panels and lighting control boards in the Lighting and Electrical Systems Laboratory.
Digital Fabrication: Engineering design spaces include CNC machines, 3D printers, woodworking and machining equipment, and welding facilities, supporting physical prototyping and project development.
Industry Mentoring: Architectural Engineering students enter a mentoring program from their first semester, connecting them with upper-level students and local industry mentors through the Durham School’s channel system.
Construction-Site Visits: Students participate in construction site visits and interact with industry professionals to connect classroom engineering concepts with active projects.
Internships: Documented internship opportunities include roles in structural engineering, lighting design, mechanical engineering, acoustics, electrical engineering, and commissioning with firms such as Olsson Associates, HGA, EYP, Threshold Acoustics, HDR, and LEO A DALY.
Design Competitions: Students can join Durham School teams competing nationally in architectural engineering, lighting design, and building systems, gaining collaborative problem-solving, presentation, and leadership experience.
Industry Collaboration: The Durham School maintains relationships with AEC firms through its Industry Fellows Program, with industry professionals actively engaging with faculty, students, and academic programs.
Engineering Design Space: Kiewit Hall’s Design Space provides a 20,000-square-foot, two-level area designed to replicate industry-style working environments, including collaborative spaces and fabrication equipment.
Engineering Software: Engineering students have access to MATLAB, Autodesk products, LabVIEW, Adobe Creative Cloud, ArcGIS, Tableau, and other software resources, while the Architectural Engineering curriculum specifically identifies Revit, FormIt, Dynamo, and SketchUp.
Living-Learning Facility: The Peter Kiewit Institute itself functions as a living-learning laboratory, with building systems intentionally exposed and explained so students can investigate how the facility operates.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BS in Architectural Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln prepares students for careers in building design, engineering, and the built environment, with specialization options in structural systems, mechanical systems and acoustics, or lighting and electrical systems. Graduates have entered roles such as structural designer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, lighting designer/engineer, acoustics specialist, and energy analyst, with UNL reporting that 80% of students receive a job offer before graduation.

Job Roles: Structural Designer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Lighting Designer/Engineer, Energy Analyst, Acoustics and Technology Specialist.

Career Services: Engineering Career Services helps students connect with employers through engineering career fairs, including the Durham School Career Fair, which specifically focuses on architectural engineering and construction majors. Students can also access Handshake and Career Connections for internship, co-op, and employment opportunities.
Employment Outcomes: UNL College of Engineering reports 88% of graduates secured employment or continued education within six months of graduation, including 71% who accepted employment and 16% who committed to further education.
Salary: UNL reports an overall average full-time starting salary of $75,780 for College of Engineering graduates, based on 232 reported salaries. UNL's 2024–25 data specifically lists Architectural Engineering as “not enough information reported,” so a program-specific salary figure is not stated.
Internship Employers: Recent Architectural Engineering internships have included Olsson Associates, HGA, EYP, Threshold Acoustics, HDR, and LEO A DALY, covering structural engineering, lighting design, mechanical engineering, acoustics, electrical engineering, and commissioning.
Industry Connections: The Durham School maintains strong industry connections, and students work with industry mentors from their introductory architectural engineering experience. The program also provides opportunities to compete on nationally recognized architectural engineering, lighting design, and building systems teams.
Professional Accreditation: The Architectural Engineering MAE is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under its Architectural and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria. This accreditation is attached to the one-year master's component rather than the standalone bachelor's degree.
Professional Engineering Path: UNL's program educational objectives state that Architectural Engineering graduates are expected to become licensed professional engineers a few years after graduation and work in occupations related to the built environment.
Graduation Outcomes: Recent graduates have progressed into positions including Electrical Engineer at SmithGroupJJR, Structural Designer at DLR Group, Mechanical Engineer at HDR, Lighting Designer/Engineer at HGA, Acoustics and Technology Specialist at Henderson Engineers, and Energy Analyst at Energy Studio.

Further Academic Progression:
Students can continue directly into UNL's one-year Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE) after the bachelor's component. The combined pathway is structured as a 4+1 program, allowing students to develop advanced expertise in their chosen specialization and complete a major interdisciplinary building-design project involving student teams, faculty, and industry consultants. The MAE is also the degree carrying ABET accreditation for Architectural Engineering at UNL.