Master of Architectural Engineering

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Program Overview

The Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a professional graduate degree designed for students who already hold a B.S. in Architectural Engineering and want to deepen their expertise in building systems while gaining professional-practice experience. Students develop advanced knowledge in structural systems, mechanical and acoustical systems, or lighting and electrical systems, while completing a graduate project and an interdisciplinary building-design project developed with industry professionals.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build advanced technical depth in their selected architectural-engineering specialization while developing professional skills relevant to building design and construction. The curriculum includes the two-semester Graduate Project sequence (AE 8010 and AE 8020), through which students demonstrate mastery of a technical topic and produce a written MAE report.

Year 2: Not applicable to the current official MAE structure. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln describes the MAE as a one-year/fifth-year professional master's degree for students progressing from its B.S. in Architectural Engineering, rather than a two-year standalone master's program. Its key applied component is AE 8090: AE Interdisciplinary Team Design Project, where student teams develop the structural, mechanical/acoustical, or lighting/electrical systems for an actual building from programming through construction documents, with mentoring from industry design professionals.

Focus areas: Building structural systems, building mechanical and acoustical systems, building lighting and electrical systems, interdisciplinary building systems design, and professional practice.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to apply advanced engineering knowledge, conduct and analyze technical work, communicate effectively, work within multidisciplinary teams, address ethical and professional responsibilities, and integrate building systems into complete architectural-engineering solutions. The program also develops practical expertise through interdisciplinary design work that progresses from programming to construction documents.

Professional alignment: 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. This professional accreditation provides strong long-term value for graduates pursuing architectural-engineering practice and professional engineering pathways.

Reputation: The Durham School has a strong industry-connected profile, with its AE Interdisciplinary Team Design Project engaging more than 60 industry mentors and evaluators each year and earning the NCEES Engineering Education Award Grand Prize in 2025, the school's fourth Grand Prize since 2009. The school also reports a career fair that typically attracts around 100 local and national employers, while official UNL sources do not state a program-specific QS, Guardian, or employability ranking for the MAE.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Science in Architectural Engineering (M.S.A.E.) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is research-oriented, giving students opportunities to develop specialized expertise in building acoustical, electrical, lighting, mechanical, structural systems, systems integration, and smart buildings. Students can apply this knowledge through the Durham School’s dedicated research and teaching laboratories, advanced computing environments, collaborative workspaces, and the industry-connected facilities of the Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) in Omaha.

The program’s practical and research environment includes:

Acoustic Sound Booth: The architectural engineering program’s sound booth at PKI is used for experiments involving everyday acoustics, supporting research in building acoustical systems.
Environmental Testing Chambers: Students and researchers can investigate building equipment and human responses under controlled conditions, with temperature settings from -20°F to 130°F and relative humidity from 5% to 95%.
Lighting and Electrical Lab: This specialized laboratory contains more than 300 lighting options and banks of electrical equipment for hands-on investigation of lighting and electrical systems.
HVAC Systems Laboratory: The facility provides a dedicated environment for studying and testing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, directly supporting the program’s mechanical-systems emphasis.
Structural Testing Lab: Students working in structural engineering can use a dedicated testing environment where structural and construction materials and components can be investigated under industry-related testing conditions.
MAE Collaboration Space: The PKI provides high-performance computers, a rendering machine, workstations and whiteboards for collaborative architectural-engineering work; the space is specifically identified for MAE students.
Durham School Technology Lab: Students have access to high-speed computers, a rendering machine and collaborative work areas for technical and digital work.
Kiewit Modeling, Simulation & Visualization Laboratory: The Lincoln campus facility provides 15 specialized student workstations and a 15-panel visualization wall for detailed computer models, Building Information Modeling work, teaching and research.
Rasmussen Educational Laboratory: This 24/7 computer laboratory provides powerful PCs, dual HD displays and software for applications including estimating, scheduling and Building Information Modeling, alongside large-screen workstations for group collaboration.
Industry-connected learning: The Durham School maintains strong links with AEC firms through its Industry Fellows Program, Industry Advisory Boards and industry-connected research projects, giving graduate students an environment closely connected to professional practice and current building-industry challenges.
Peter Kiewit Institute: PKI functions as a living-learning laboratory, with specialized facilities covering lighting, heating and cooling, computer-aided manufacturing, imaging and animation, robotics and construction.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln develops advanced technical expertise in building structural systems, mechanical/acoustical systems, or lighting/electrical systems, while also introducing students to professional practice. Graduates can progress into specialized roles across architectural engineering and the wider built environment, with the program’s industry connections providing opportunities to engage directly with practicing professionals.

Typical career roles include: Architectural Engineer, Building Systems Engineer, Structural Engineer, Building Performance Engineer.

Career development and employment opportunities:

Career services: The Durham School hosts an annual career fair attracting approximately 80–100 companies, while Engineering Career Services provides resume reviews, career coaching, mock interviews, Handshake employer information and career-fair preparation. The 2026 Durham School Career Fair is scheduled to bring around 100 engineering and construction employers together with students seeking internships and full-time opportunities.
Industry partnerships: The Architectural Engineering Industry Advisory Committee (AEIAC) maintains an ongoing connection between the academic program and professional practice. Current members include senior professionals from HDR, HGA, DLR Group, SmithGroup, Olsson, Lutron Electronics, Southland Industries, Morrissey Engineering and Tenor Engineering Group.
Professional exposure: The Durham School states that its career fair connects students with employers for paid internships and jobs, while its industry-connected research and professional events provide additional opportunities to interact with the AEC sector.
Employment statistics and salary: The university's published career information does not state a current employment rate or salary figure specifically for the two-year MAE. Therefore, no unrelated or historical salary figure is presented as a current program outcome.
Long-term accreditation value: The university clearly distinguishes the Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE) from its research-oriented M.S. The MAE is the ABET-accredited professional degree, while the M.S. is intended for students who did not earn their B.S.A.E. at Nebraska; therefore, the MAE provides the stronger direct professional-accreditation pathway.
Graduation outcomes: The Durham School reports that its graduates work across the AEC sector as design and construction engineers, building commissioners, entrepreneurs, professors, building-operations professionals, product-sales specialists, and in construction or patent law.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Master of Architectural Engineering, students can continue into the Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for advanced research in areas such as structural, mechanical/acoustical, lighting/electrical systems, systems integration, and smart buildings. The university's graduate structure also allows students to pursue thesis-based research through the M.S. pathway before progressing toward doctoral-level architectural-engineering research.