Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Texas Austin

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin combines engineering fundamentals with architectural design to prepare students to create structurally resilient, energy-efficient, healthy, and sustainable buildings. It suits students interested in the technical side of the built environment, with study spanning structural systems, building energy and environments, construction, materials, project management, and integrated building design.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their engineering foundation through ARE 102: Introduction to Architectural Engineering, M 408C: Differential and Integral Calculus, and CH 301: Principles of Chemistry I, alongside Engineering Physics and architectural history. The year introduces students to the profession while developing the mathematics, science, and technical knowledge needed for later architectural engineering coursework.

Year 2: Students move into engineering analysis and digital design with C E 311K: Introduction to Computer Methods, E M 306: Statics, and ARE 217: Computer-Aided Design and Graphics. They also study mechanics of solids, fluid mechanics, probability and statistics, and engineering communication, building the analytical and computer-based skills required for building design.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes increasingly focused on building systems and design through ARE 320K: Introduction to Design I, ARE 335: Materials and Methods of Building Construction, and ARE 346N: Building Environmental Systems. Students also study structural analysis, geotechnical engineering, engineering materials, thermodynamics, and ARE 320L: Introduction to Design II, connecting structural, construction, and environmental considerations.

Year 4: Students develop professional-level expertise through ARE 323K: Project Management and Economics, ARE 346P: HVAC Design or ARE 371: Energy Simulation in Building Design, and ARE 465: Integrated Design Project. The final year also includes ARE 366: Contracts, Liability, and Ethics and technical electives, allowing students to develop a concentration in areas such as structural engineering, building energy and environments, or construction and infrastructure materials.

Focus Areas:

Structural engineering, building energy and environments, construction and infrastructure materials engineering, sustainable building design, HVAC systems, energy analysis, construction management, project management, and integrated architectural engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Engineering problem-solving, sustainable engineering design, experimentation and data analysis, effective communication, multidisciplinary teamwork, ethical professional judgment, application of modern engineering tools, and lifelong learning.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

ABET accreditation: The Architectural Engineering bachelor's degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, providing an established professional engineering education framework and preparing graduates for professional engineering practice, subject to individual state licensure requirements.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

Cockrell School of Engineering: UT Austin's engineering school is ranked #11 nationally for undergraduate engineering in the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings and #1 in Texas; the university does not list a separate current U.S. News ranking specifically for its Architectural Engineering undergraduate program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin combines engineering analysis with architectural design, giving students opportunities to apply classroom concepts through design projects, computer-aided design, building information modeling, environmental systems, and an integrated senior project. Students have access to specialized computing, design, collaboration, fabrication, and research facilities that support the program's architectural-engineering coursework:

Computer-Aided Design: The Thomas Taylor Design Studio provides 38 high-end CAD workstations and printers specifically for ARE courses including ARE 217 Computer-Aided Design and Graphics, ARE 320K/L Introduction to Design I/II, ARE 465 Integrated Design Project, and ARE 376 Building Information Modeling Capital Projects.
Design software: Students using the Design Studio have access to AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, Recap, Rhinoceros, SketchUp Pro, RISA 3D, Trane TRACE 3D, MATLAB, and Microsoft Project, giving them experience with digital design, BIM, structural analysis, visualization, and building-performance workflows.
Integrated design projects: ARE 465 Integrated Design Project provides a culminating design experience in which students bring together the architectural-engineering knowledge developed throughout the degree. The curriculum also includes ARE 320K/L Introduction to Design I and II, building progressively toward advanced project work.
Building information modeling: Students can take ARE 376 Building Information Modeling for Capital Projects, with the course specifically supported by the Thomas Taylor Design Studio's BIM software environment.
Collaborative learning: The Student Collaborative Hub gives Architectural Engineering students a dedicated environment for working together on projects, solving problems collaboratively, and learning from peers. It includes a document scanner and large-format plotter.
Engineering research computing: The Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory Computer Lab provides access to structural-engineering software including SAP2000, Abaqus, ANSYS, Atena, LS-DYNA, VecTor, LabVIEW, and MATLAB, supporting advanced structural analysis and research activities.
Architectural fabrication: UT Austin's School of Architecture Technology Lab provides digital fabrication resources including laser cutters, CNC equipment, 3D printers, LiDAR, photogrammetry, UAV mapping and modeling, while its Robotics Lab uses KUKA robotic arms for advanced digital fabrication workflows.
Materials exploration: The School of Architecture's Materials Lab provides a collection of more than 28,000 material samples and supports material investigation through workshops, exhibitions, field trips, and in-house research.
Building-performance research: The Thermal Lab provides a full-scale room simulation environment for experiments involving light control, ventilation, and direct and indirect solar energy, connecting building science with practical investigation.
Engineering laboratories: Students also complete laboratory-based physics coursework, including PHY 105M and PHY 105N, alongside engineering subjects such as structural analysis, building environmental systems, HVAC design, materials, fluids, and geotechnical engineering.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin prepares graduates for professional careers designing, constructing and maintaining resilient, energy-efficient and healthy buildings, with students specializing in areas such as structural systems, HVAC systems, energy analysis, or construction/project management. Graduates can move into roles across architecture, engineering and construction, and the program's ABET accreditation provides an established foundation for professional engineering licensure.

Typical career roles: Architectural Engineer, Structural Engineer, Building Systems Engineer, Construction/Project Engineer.

Career progression and opportunities include:

Career services: The Engineering Career Assistance Center (ECAC) provides individual career counseling, recruitment workshops, networking opportunities, employer interviews, career fairs and the 12twenty@Texas job board. More than 1,500 employers recruit Texas Engineering students each year.
Internships and co-ops: Students can gain paid industry experience through internships or the Cooperative Engineering Education Program; co-op students complete at least one summer and one long semester of full-time employment with the same employer.
Externships: The ECAC's Externship Program provides one-day job-shadowing experiences with engineering employers, including company projects, workplace tours, leadership panels and discussions about engineering career paths.
Employment outcomes: More than 90% of Cockrell School B.S. graduates receive a job offer or attend graduate school upon graduation, while 90% of undergraduate engineering students intern or conduct research during their degree.
Salary: The Cockrell School reports an average starting salary of $73,434 for Architectural Engineering B.S. graduates. The reported average starting monthly internship salary for the combined Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering category is $3,758.
University–industry connections: Cockrell's Engineering Expo and other career fairs connect students with employers recruiting for full-time, internship and co-op positions; the Engineering Expo attracts an average of 2,500 students and alumni per day and provides access to employers across engineering disciplines.
Professional accreditation: The Architectural Engineering B.S. is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, with accreditation recorded from October 1, 1938 to the present. ABET accreditation provides an important professional foundation for graduates pursuing engineering careers and licensure.
Professional pathway: UT Austin notes that Architectural Engineering graduates typically become licensed professional engineers, while the curriculum develops expertise directly applicable to resilient structures, sustainable buildings, building systems and construction.
Graduation progression: In 2024–25, 49 Architectural Engineering bachelor's degrees were awarded at Cockrell School. Students can also continue into advanced study or combine Architectural Engineering with Architecture through UT Austin's six-year Architectural Engineering/Architecture dual-degree program.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.S., students can pursue graduate engineering study or combine their undergraduate Architectural Engineering education with a Bachelor of Architecture through UT Austin's Architectural Engineering/Architecture dual-degree pathway, which takes six years and requires admission to both Cockrell School and the School of Architecture.