MS in Architectural Engineering

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

Illinois Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Architectural Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology is designed for students who want advanced expertise in the design, construction, and operation of building systems, with emphasis on building science, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability. The program suits students from engineering as well as related backgrounds and offers both coursework-based and thesis-based pathways, preparing graduates for professional practice, research, or further doctoral study.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build advanced technical knowledge through CAE 513 Building Science, CAE 526 Energy Conservation in Buildings, and CAE 523 Statistical Analysis of Engineering Data, developing a strong foundation in building performance, energy, and engineering data analysis. Students then customize their studies through Architectural Engineering electives such as CAE 517 HVAC Systems Design, CAE 515 Building Information Modeling Applications for Building Performance, CAE 550 Applied Building Energy Modeling, or CAE 552 Introduction to Sustainable Building Design.

Year 2: Not applicable for the stated one-year program format. The official Illinois Tech curriculum specifies 30 credit hours for the M.S.; students choosing the thesis pathway complete CAE 591 Research and Thesis for M.S. Degree, while coursework-based students complete additional approved electives.

Focus areas: Building science, HVAC systems, building energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, building envelopes, electrical and lighting systems, computational fluid dynamics, BIM, sustainable building design, net-zero energy buildings, building commissioning, and environmental sustainability.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to analyze and improve building performance, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, building systems, and sustainable design, while gaining advanced skills applicable to engineering practice or research. Thesis students additionally develop research expertise through mentored investigation and an oral thesis defense.

Professional alignment: The M.S. in Architectural Engineering is a graduate degree, while Illinois Tech's B.S. in Architectural Engineering is the program specifically identified by the university as ABET-accredited. Illinois Tech's NAAB accreditation applies to its professional B.Arch. and M.Arch. programs, not the M.S. in Architectural Engineering.

Reputation: Illinois Tech reports #1 in Illinois and #22 in the U.S. for Best Salaries of Graduates in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 rankings, while its 2025 graduate outcomes show 85.6% employed full-time six months after graduation. The university also reports #1 in Illinois for highest eight-year median graduate earnings, with a median of $77,282, supporting the institution's strong career and earnings profile.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Architectural Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology combines building-science coursework with research and engineering applications focused on building systems, energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and sustainability. Students can pursue a thesis-based pathway involving mentored research and an oral thesis defense, while Illinois Tech’s CAEE research environment provides access to specialized laboratories, computer-aided engineering and design facilities, and industry-standard technologies used for modeling, surveying, construction, and building performance.

Students gain practical and research experience through the following Illinois Tech facilities, technologies, and activities:

Trimble Technology Lab: Students have access to professional Trimble technologies for 3D modeling, structural analysis, surveying, construction layout, augmented reality, virtual reality, construction-site measurement, and laser scanning, connecting academic work with tools used in the AEC industry.
Building Energy & Environmental Research: CAEE maintains laboratories focused on building energy and environmental systems as well as indoor and outdoor air-quality monitoring, directly supporting the program’s emphasis on building performance, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability.
iConsense Laboratory: The Advanced Computing, Informatics, Sensing, and Semantics Technologies for Civil and Construction Engineering Laboratory supports collaborative research involving information technology and the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Facility Management (AEC/FM) sectors.
Computer-Aided Engineering and Design Labs: Students have access to dedicated computer-aided engineering and design laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software for engineering and design applications.
Building Information Modeling: The curriculum includes Introduction to Building Information Modeling (CAE 474) and Building Information Modeling Applications for Building Performance (CAE 515), giving students direct academic exposure to BIM and building-performance workflows.
Computational Modeling: Students can develop computational skills through courses such as Applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Engineering (CAE 505) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (MMAE 517), supporting analysis of airflow and building environmental performance.
Fabrication Center: Illinois Tech’s 14,000-square-foot Fabrication Center provides professional fabrication resources including laser cutters, CNC machinery, 3D printing, woodworking, metalworking, and plastics fabrication, offering a valuable making and prototyping environment within the broader architecture and design community.
Thesis Research: Students choosing the thesis option complete CAE 591 Research and Thesis for M.S. Degree, conducting mentored research and completing a master's thesis followed by an oral thesis defense.
Interdisciplinary AEC environment: The CAEE department maintains relationships with industry, academic, and government organizations, while Chicago provides direct exposure to a major architecture, engineering, and construction ecosystem.
Argonne National Laboratory access: CAEE notes that faculty and graduate students have access to regional research facilities including Argonne National Laboratory, expanding the research environment beyond campus.
School of Architecture resources: The broader Illinois Tech architecture community includes Crown Hall, Tech North, the Fabrication Center, faculty offices, seminar rooms, and research spaces in Tech Central, creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary interaction with architecture and design.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MS in Architectural Engineering prepares graduates for careers combining building engineering, building science, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable building systems. Illinois Tech specifically identifies architectural engineer, architectural and engineering manager, and mechanical/HVAC/design engineer among the career opportunities for graduates.

Typical job roles: Architectural Engineer, Architectural & Engineering Manager, Mechanical/HVAC Engineer, Mechanical Design Engineer.

Career support and industry access:

Career Services: Students receive career coaching, résumé and interview support, career workshops, networking opportunities, access to Handshake, and connections to internships, co-ops and full-time positions. Illinois Tech also holds career fairs during the fall and spring semesters.
Experiential learning: Illinois Tech’s Elevate initiative provides students with access to hands-on experiences, including internships, research, competitions and other professional-development opportunities.
Industry connections: Illinois Tech’s Career Services works with employers through career fairs, on-campus interviews, employer spotlights, networking events and experiential-learning opportunities. Its IL Tech Career Network provides internships, co-ops and experiential-learning opportunities with Illinois Tech partner organizations.
Architecture and engineering employers: Illinois Tech’s official employer records include organizations such as Gensler, DLR Group, Jacobs/Ryan Associates, Ramboll US Corporation, Stantec, The Walsh Group, Wight & Company, Intertek, FM Global and UL Solutions, providing evidence of employer engagement with Illinois Tech graduates.

Employment stats and salary: Illinois Tech reports that it ranks #1 in Illinois for best salaries of graduates in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 ranking. However, the university does not publish a program-specific employment rate or salary figure for the MS in Architectural Engineering on its official program page, so a specific graduate salary or employment percentage is not stated.

Professional accreditation value: The MS in Architectural Engineering itself is not identified by Illinois Tech as an ABET-accredited program; the university states that its Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The MS nevertheless provides advanced preparation in building science, engineering practice and research, while the university’s undergraduate Architectural Engineering program explicitly emphasizes continued professional development and professional licensure.

Graduation outcomes: Graduates can move into architectural engineering, mechanical/HVAC and engineering-management positions, while the thesis-based MS also provides a foundation for doctoral study. Illinois Tech describes the program as preparation for both engineering practice and research, making it suitable for students who want either an industry career or a research-oriented pathway.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates interested in advanced research can progress from the MS into a PhD, as Illinois Tech specifically states that the program serves as a foundation for students intending to pursue doctoral study. The research/thesis pathway is particularly suited to students seeking deeper expertise in building science, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, sustainability, and building-system research.