Development of a New Architectural Engineering Program at Texas AM University-Kingsville

摘要

This paper presents an overview of the development and implementation of a new degree program in architectural engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The development component of the program included preparing a proposal to appropriate state agencies for approval and development of curriculum requirements; the proposal was approved in July of 2005. After the approval of the program, the implementation component included securing space for the laboratory facilities, recruiting faculty and students, starting the preparation for accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), and begin offering courses. The first course in the degree plan is being offered in the fall semester of 2005, Computer Based Graphics and Design. Current enrollment figures indicate that the program will be very successful in attracting students; even before it was approved in July several students had enrolled in other engineering disciplines in anticipation of the program being approved. The first cohort of students entails fifteen. The program will be a traditional four-year engineering degree program requiring 131 semester credit hours of coursework sufficient to satisfy all the accreditation requirements of ABET. The curriculum includes coursework in communications, social science and humanities, mathematics and science, engineering fundamentals, and the three basic curriculum areas of architectural engineering: structures, building mechanical and electrical systems, and construction/construction management.