FAQs - Potential Students

The Architectural Engineering program will focus heavily on building design. In contrast, Civil Engineering is a more general field with more breadth. The Civil Engineering curriculum includes design of all large municipal infrastructure components. Students in both programs will take courses in structural analysis and design (i.e. how to determine forces in structures and size their members, connections, etc.). Architectural Engineering students will also take courses on building science and systems, such as HVAC, in the place of courses that Civil Engineering students take on transportation networks, water distribution systems, geotechnical engineering and more. Architectural Engineering students will be able to work for design consulting firms specializing in the design, construction, renovation and rehabilitation of buildings. Civil Engineers are more likely to get jobs with municipalities, provincial highway authorities and construction companies. There is certainly some overlap between these programs. However, the Architectural Engineering program has been developed to address highly specified issues particular to building construction.

The main differences between Civil and Architectural Engineering in terms of learning style, are the studio streams in Architectural Engineering. Students will take a “studio” course every term, which will involve projects, model building and synthesis of knowledge from the previous and concurrent courses. The Architectural Engineering students will have a desk in a studio, which will be their home for the entire term. This is similar to what Architecture students currently have. Architectural Engineering students will also do their 3A and 3B terms at the School of Architecture in Cambridge, where they will interact and eventually work on collaborative projects with Architecture students. In other respects, the program is very much an engineering undergraduate program. It is different from Architecture in all the same ways as any other engineering program.

If you are strong in math and science, interested in the technical aspects of building performance and design, but relatively weaker in terms of artistic and creative abilities, you would potentially be more suited for the Architectural Engineering program.

The skills required by students in these two programs would actually be similar. We expect it would primarily be interest and future career preferences, which would drive you in one direction or the other. In both cases, we want to bring in students who have a passion for the program and field of expertise to which they have been admitted. We would eventually like to use a portfolio to assess this passion level for the Architectural Engineering students, including their creativity and interest in design.

There is a societal need and industry demand for experts who can design better buildings and can more effectively manage our existing, aging buildings. Much of the required expertise falls in the area of building science, which is often treated as an area of secondary importance in the existing Architecture and Civil Engineering programs. The students coming out of this program will also have the ability to address a communication problem in the building construction industry currently, as they will have some expertise and ability to speak the language of both architects, as well as engineers. We expect that Architectural Engineering graduates will become leaders in this industry, with a unique skill set that is well-suited for managing and overseeing building construction, renovation and rehabilitation projects.

• 1A - AutoCAD
• 1B - Rhino
• 2A - Revit

• 1A
  • hand-sketching basics and isometric drawings
  • physical model building
  • exposure to the design process
  • technical report writing
• 1B
  • hand and computer drafting
  • working drawings and contract documentation
  • load paths and basic analysis of statically determinate structures
  • common structural systems in buildings

The Architectural Engineering plan has two specializations recognized by the Faculty of Engineering - Building Structures, and Building Systems.

Architectural Engineering students will be particularly well-suited to work in building design consulting firms, of all sizes, that house the various specialists the currently undertake building design under the same roof (i.e. interior designers, architects, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers). However, they could also work for government public works departments, school boards and hospital authorities responsible for overseeing public building construction and maintenance, private building infrastructure owners (e.g. airport authorities), building construction firms, developers, and more.

Architectural Engineering and Civil Engineering are both Canadian Engineering Accrediation Board (CEAB) accredited programs that allow you to apply for your P.Eng.

Yes you can. Please note you would have to apply using two choices on your OUAC application form to do this.

If you are looking to apply for Civil Engineering and Architectural Engineering, you are able to apply for one on your primary OUAC application and list the other as an alternate choice on your Admissions Information Form (AIF). We recommend you apply for your first choice on OUAC and your second choice on your AIF.

If you are interested in changing your program choice on your OUAC form and applying to the Architectural Engineering program, you may amend your OUAC application as long as the deadline has not passed. If you have already submitted your Admission Information Form and would like to make changes to it, simply log into your QUEST account and make those changes by the AIF deadline.