School of Architecture and Planning

MEMO

Date: 10/26/06 (revised 3/30/07 and 6/4/09)

To: Students considering registering as B.S.Arch/B.C.E joint degree candidates

From: Barry Yatt, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies

RE: The joint undergraduate architecture-engineering degree program

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I understand that you are considering applying, or already have applied, to our school or the school of engineering for admission as a joint degree student. First, let me congratulate you on your choice. It's ambitious but very fulfilling for the right student. Which brings me to the second point: the program is fairly rigorous.

I'd like to review a few factors with you to help confirm that you are making the right choice for the right reasons. The difference between the curricula of either the regular B.S.Arch program (Bachelor of Science in Architecture) or the regular B.C.E (Bachelor of Civil Engineering), and the joint degree program is sufficiently different that it is difficult to change once you have started, and the longer you are in any of these programs, the harder it is to switch. Please consider the following ideas.

What it is and isn't

The joint degree program teaches both pre-architecture and civil engineering. I say pre-architecture because the B.S.Arch program is not a professional degree program. In order to qualify for licensure as an architect, graduates will need to follow this by completing a professional degree program. About half of the accredited schools call this a B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture, very different from the B.S.Arch), about half call it an M.Arch (Master), and one, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, calls it a D.Arch (Doctor). All have exactly the same professional status, and require just about the same number of credits as most Masters degree programs in other fields (for example, the B.Arch is about 175 to 180 credits at most schools that offer it). It's very confusing, I know.

At our school, the professional degree is a M. Arch program, adding three or four semesters on top of the B.S.Arch program. For engineering, the bachelor's degree, the B.C.E, is the professional degree program. Its graduates are immediately qualified to take the FE exam and become Engineers In Training. Joint degree majors interested in architectural licensure are encouraged to follow their joint degree with one more year (fall, spring, and summer semesters) to complete the M.Arch so that they have one pre-professional and two professional degrees.

The Architecture program includes the study of formal design (aesthetics and urban design, etc.) and technical design (code interpretation, site analysis, construction detailing, materials selection, etc.). Architects decide the building forms that are most likely to fulfill the functional, social, psychological, and physiological needs of the building's occupants and others affected by it. They learn to make buildings inspiring and useful, but also safe, warm, and dry.

The civil engineering program includes the study of building engineering and of construction management. Let's look at the two separately.

Building engineering, like architecture, is a design discipline, meaning it is done before construction starts. For that reason, graduates generally pick one or the other for their careers, not both. That said, the understanding of both disciplines makes them better designers of whichever focus they choose. Building engineers design the beams, columns, plumbing systems, electrical systems, and air handling systems used in buildings. One might say, relatively speaking, that their craft considers mechanical needs, where the craft of architects considers behavioral needs.

Construction management, on the other hand, is not a design discipline. Rather than deciding what to build, construction managers decide the best way to implement or execute the design decisions made by architects and building engineers. They consider logistics: the assignment and scheduling of work crews, selection of construction tools and equipment, cash flow management-in short, how to get it done. People who first design buildings and then implement the design as construction managers are called design-builders. Design-Build, as an approach to getting buildings done, is growing enormously in popularity, and harkens back to the traditional "master builder" model of practice.

Why do the joint degree program?

Pursue this joint degree program because you see design as a wide-ranging discipline. Or because you love all three disciplines (architecture, building engineering, and construction management) and can't choose.

Considering the incredibly fast growth of design-build construction, where one company both designs and builds its projects, architects who know construction are very likely to be more valuable and able to design more sophisticated projects. Considering the equally fast growth of technical complexity in new construction, the same conclusion is true.

Will understanding all three disciplines make you a better designer or a better engineer? Perhaps, but you can learn enough about them (depending on which electives you take) in either single degree program to do well.

What you will get is two degrees for the investment in time and money of one and a half. One degree qualifies you for the first stage of licensure, the other gets you most of the way there. That's a pretty good deal.

Why avoid it?

It's hard work. It requires commitment. You have to be ready to put in the time and effort. Don't do it just because it seems like a good idea.

Don't do it from an expectation that the architecture-engineering-construction combination will advance your career, since you probably won't be doing them all in any given employment setting. Employers will want you either to be an architect or an engineer - there isn't a huge demand for hybrids. But as noted above, you'll be better at either. And as for the architecture-construction management combination, the opportunities are almost unlimited.

Are there any alternatives that bridge the disciplines?

The curriculum described above is simultaneous-students pursue architecture and engineering degrees at the same time. But students can also pursue their degrees sequentially-architecture first (with engineering electives), then engineering.

Both programs take a total of six years. With the simultaneous program, they graduate with two bachelors degrees (B.S.Arch and B.C.E) and one masters degree (M.Arch). With the sequential program they graduate with one Bachelors degree (B.S.Arch) and two Masters degrees (M.Arch, M.S.E or M.C.E.).

For students interested in the sequential alternative, be aware of the following:

· To avoid adding extra semesters, students enrolled in the undergraduate architecture program must take their engineering and math courses according to the engineering school curriculum instead of the architecture school curriculum. This is definitely possible, but leaves fewer electives, and is best done right from the first semester of freshman year.

· Students who do not feel the need to become licensed architects or engineers can skip the M.Arch degree and just complete the B.S.Arch and M.S.E or M.C.E. degrees. (Oddly, the Masters of Engineering degrees do not qualify for engineering licensure although the Bachelor's degree does.)

· The M.S.E. (Master of Science in Engineering) and M.C.E. (Master of Civil Engineering) programs are both 30 credits and take two semesters. They differ in that the M.C.E. degree requires completion of a thesis, but qualifies the graduate to continue on to a PhD program. M.S.E. students take additional courses instead of a thesis.

Interested in further exploration?

Talk to architects and engineers in your region. Ask their opinion. They'll admire your attitude and become the first names for your future professional network. Also feel free to contact me (202-319-6038, yatt@cua.edu), the chair of the department of civil engineering, Poul Lade (202-319-5164, lade@cua.edu), or the director of our construction management program, Gunnar Lucko (202-319-4381, lucko@cua.edu).

Again, congratulations on your decision. The faculties of architecture and engineering both look forward to having you in our programs.