Graduate Degree Programs
LINDA M. HANAGAN, Graduate Program Officer
104 Engineering A
814-863-2084
lhanagan@psu.edu
Students may specialize in building construction, building illumination systems, building mechanical and energy systems, or building structural systems.
Scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are required for admission to the Ph.D. and M.S. programs.
Students with a 3.00 junior/senior grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale) and with appropriate course backgrounds will be considered for admission to the AE graduate programs. Students accepted into the Architectural Engineering program generally have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, architectural engineering, science, or architecture.
All degree candidates are required to provide a letter of intent outlining the student's intended area of study as well as three letters of recommendation. The best-qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students.
A limited number of undergraduate students in the B.A.E. program will be considered for admission to the integrated undergraduate/graduate program leading to the B.A.E. and the M.A.E. degrees. Students who are currently enrolled in the seventh semester of the B.A.E. degree program may be admitted to the integrated B.A.E./M.A.E. program, following a positive review of an application specific to this program, by the faculty committee on graduate admissions. Students must have maintained a GPA for classes taken in the third and fourth years of at least 3.00 and must have attained a grade of C or better in all classes listed as A E. Students admitted to the integrated program must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 in classes used toward the M.A.E. degree.
A thesis is required for the M.S. degree, which consists of 24 credits of courses and a 6-credit research thesis. A minimum of 12 of the course credits must be completed at the graduate (500) level. A student's program of courses in the M.S. program is developed in cooperation with the student's academic adviser.
For the Ph.D. degree, a dissertation that displays a student's ability to conduct high-quality original scholarly work is required of all Ph.D. students. Each student accepted into the Ph.D. degree program must pass the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, which requires students to display an understanding of basic material in all AE option areas, along with an in-depth understanding of material covered in the AE undergraduate courses within their area of focus. This examination must be taken no later than the beginning of the student's second year in the program. Each Ph.D. student must also pass an English Proficiency Examination that is administered by the department, typically during the first semester. The student's program of courses is developed in cooperation with the student's Ph.D. committee. It is recommended that this consist of approximately 30 credits of courses beyond the master's degree, although there is no established minimum or maximum. At the conclusion of the student's course work, the Ph.D. student must take a two-day written comprehensive examination that is developed by the student's Ph.D. committee. Following the comprehensive exam, continuous registration is required for all Ph.D. graduate students until the dissertation is approved. Each student presents a comprehensive thesis proposal to his/her committee prior to starting his/her dissertation research and must present the results of this research in a final oral examination.
The M.Eng. degree is a nonthesis professional master's degree. Candidates for the M.Eng. degree are required to complete 30 credits of course work. A minimum of 18 credits must be at the 500 level or above. Students must follow the approved program of courses for one of the four available specialty areas. Minor modifications to these programs are permitted, with approval of the Graduate Program Officer. Each student must also complete a capstone project/report, supervised by a member of the graduate faculty.
For the integrated B.A.E./M.A.E. degree program, 30 credits of the 172 total credits required to receive both degrees are applied toward the master's degree (a portion of these credits count toward both degrees). A minimum of 18 credits of graduate-level course work is required (500 and 800 level). Approved M.A.E. course sequences are available for each of the four undergraduate option areas. Each student must submit an M.A.E. course plan for approval when applying to this program and must request approval from the Graduate Program Officer of any proposed modifications to this plan following admission to the program.
All students in the M.Eng., M.S., and Ph.D. programs must also attend a minimum of 10 approved lectures during their degree program.
Graduate assistantships and other forms of student aid are described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin. A limited number of research and teaching assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships are available to M.S. and Ph.D. students in the Department of Architectural Engineering. The intent of these assistantships and awards is to support students conducting research under faculty supervision. For this reason, students in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs who receive these types of financial support are expected to complete their degree program, including the thesis or dissertation, and may not transfer to the Master of Engineering degree program.
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING (A E) course list
Last updated by Publications: 10/28/09