Drexel University’s Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) Department announces its new doctoral program in Architectural Engineering (AE). Drexel is the only University in the United States where one Department holds all three doctoral degrees in Civil, Environmental, and now Architectural Engineering.
The doctoral degree in AE will elaborate upon the program’s recently approved Masters of Science degree in AE and well-established Bachelors of Science degree in AE. These advanced programs will be available to students starting in fall 2014.
James Mitchell, the Director of the Architectural Engineering program notes: “Modern society has reached a crossroads when it comes to its built environment. New buildings are rapidly being constructed while older buildings require renovation and modernization. Architectural Engineers are needed now more than ever to ensure that this development includes efficient and sustainable systems that are built to last. The Department’s expansion of the AE program will increase the output of highly trained engineers and researchers who are passionate about these developments.”
Students entering the masters or doctoral program in AE have the opportunity to select either the Building Energy Systems or Indoor Air Quality concentration. The goal is to produce graduates who have a solid understanding of the architectural engineering discipline as well as an understanding of the interrelationships between major sub-disciplines. The AE program is centered on the design, construction, and operation of the built environment. This program will produce graduates with expertise in one or more of the following fields:
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Building energy efficiency and alternative energy;
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Indoor environmental quality;
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Structural/material/envelope analysis (masters level); and
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Building information management (masters level).
Students will work under experienced faculty who are at the forefront of research in building energy efficiency, commercial and residential building systems, indoor environmental quality, and intelligent building to name a few. Current AE faculty James Mitchell, Jin Wen, and Michael Waring have been instrumental in developing the curricula for these newly introduced advanced programs.
“The AE undergraduate degree is a very popular degree in our program,” states Department Head Charles N. Haas. “It makes perfect sense to expand our offerings to students who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees in the discipline and the Department will benefit greatly from these new academic and research ventures.”