Architectural Engineering Professional MS Degree
The AREN Professional MS program focuses on three disciplinary areas (subplans): building systems engineering (BSE), intelligent building systems (IBS), and construction engineering and management (CEM). Students are expected to complete 30 credit hours to meet the requirements of the MS degree. Typically, students can successfully complete the degree requirements within 12 - 18 months. Specifically, The AREN Professional MS curriculum comprises of a common core of required courses plus a set of elective courses that can be selected from three different subplans. Finally, a two-semester cooperative/internship is required to interact with professionals and gain real experience. For more information, please consult the Architectural Engineering Professional MS Degree Guide.
Program Pre-requisites
It is expected that AREN graduate students will have a solid background in Engineering. Students with an MS degree in Engineering are considered to meet our prerequisites. Students without an MS degree in Engineering should meet the following undergraduate pre-requisite courses:
- Ordinary Differential Equations
- Physics I or Physics II
- Thermodynamics
- Any other pre-requisite courses identified by the academic advisor
All deficiencies must be completed before a graduate degree is awarded.
The make-up courses taken at CU to address deficiencies will not count toward the credit requirement for your MS degree. Up to two courses (6 credit hours) at the 3000 level and above can be taken for graduate credit by doing extra work and by enrolling in them as independent studies. However, this can only be done with the agreement of the course instructor. Note that you are allowed a maximum of 6 credit hours of "independent study" in your degree.
Core Courses
Students enrolled in the Professional MS program are required to take the following two core courses:
- AREN 5001 Building Energy Systems I
- AREN 5002 Building Energy Systems II
All AREN MS students are expected to have a fundamental understanding of building energy systems, construction engineering, and sustainable building design. Students who lack sufficient exposure to the engineering of building mechanical and electrical systems, including lighting engineering, will be required to take the leveling courses Building Energy Systems I and II, which are prerequisite courses for several AREN courses (and thus often suggested for the first semester).
​Electives Courses
In addition to the core courses, students enrolled in the Professional MS program are required to take elective courses in each of the three subplans:
Building Systems Engineering Subplan:
In this subplan, students can take elective courses related to designing and operating sustainable building systems. In particular, students can learn to design and evaluate energy systems, including construction materials, and mechanical, lighting, and electrical systems for the built environment. There are a range of elective courses that students can select from depending on their interest and career plan.
Intelligent Building Systems Subplan:
In this subplan, students take required and elective courses related to designing and managing information and operational technologies for intelligent building systems. Students will learn the broad range of concepts including HVAC system design and control, building automation systems and protocols, data communication fundamentals, data science for building operations, fundamentals of cybersecurity, integration and functionality of diverse building systems, and the application of Building Internet of Things (BIoT) technologies.
Construction Engineering and Management Subplan:
This subplan is for those students interested in specializing in building Construction Engineering and Management (CEM).