<p>I think that Architectural Engineering sounds interesting; a combination of building and design. Civil Engineering (of course I am not sure about this) sounds more like constructing infrastructure, which doesn not appeal to me as much. </p>
<p>However, I had never heard of Arch. Engineering until a few days ago.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any more information about the use of an Arch. Eng. degreee? Does it have any drawbacks or perks?</p>
<p>If anyone can tell me more, I would much appreciate it! Thank you :D</p>
<p>So, from what you (as in all of you here) know, an Architectural Engineering degree is sort of a watered-down version of structural? Seems time for a what-if question: what if someone gets an Arch. Eng. degree with an emphasis in structural? Or a Civil Eng. degree with an emphasis in "building science"? Are those still insufficient, even if they are both ABET accredited?</p>
<p>Well, architectural engineering is sort of watered-down structural, with a twist. As a structural engineering graduate, I wouldn't design things like architectural cladding or windows or heating/ventilation/air conditioning sorts of things. Those things are typically left to architects, but from the programs I've seen, that'd be included in an architectural engineering degree program, too. </p>
<p>It sort of seems like architectural engineering takes all the mundane things from architecture (since you don't get to actually <em>design</em> the really cool buildings...) and then takes structural engineering (but removes all of the challenging and lucrative elements...) and combines them.</p>
<p>A civil engineering degree with a structural specialization, tweaking your electives such that you're getting more steel design and concrete design courses, along with any sorts of building technology courses that whatever college you attend offers, would probably suit you best. If you'd like, you can also take electives in the architectural department.</p>
<p>A civil engineering degree is something that you can tweak to fit more or less whatever you'd like to do... But I'm biased. Scout out some architects and some building engineers and ask them about their professions--what they like, what they dislike. Talking to professionals is probably the best way to figure out what field you might like best.</p>
<p>From what I've seen, though, I don't think that architectural engineering is the "best of both worlds" that it claims to be.</p>
<p>Depends upon what sort of life you'd like to give those designs.</p>
<p>Do you want to be an architect? Do you want to draw the art? Do you want to imagine the shapes, get the inspiration, draw the elevations and make presentations to your clients?</p>
<p>Or, would you rather be a structural engineer? Do you want to take those outlandish designs and figure out how to usher those shapes into the physical world? Do you want to design their skeletons so that they'll stand strong and tall, withstand all of nature's forces, and to be the magician who takes the amazing ideas and helps them to appear?</p>
<p>I liked the second idea a lot more. I liked the intellectual challenge that it offered, so I took it. Now I'm looking at job offers where I'd be designing some of the most amazing buildings in the world: sports arenas with huge, retractable roofs, futuristic fortresses to protect the nation's monetary assets, and multi-million dollar high-rises with incredibly famous owners and developers. That's incredible to me. The possibilities are incredible.</p>
<p>Rice's civil engineering department is small, and it's kind of a sinking ship. It's really sad. There are a lot of good points... Not many people major in civil engineering at Rice, so you get to know your professors extremely well. They're incredible professors. They're very reputable within the field. You've got the top practitioners in the field coming in and teaching full courses. They have incredible graduate placement. But...</p>
<p>The administrative crud is definitely getting frustrating. A few years ago, the environmental department usurped the civil department (it was called a merger... really wasn't, though) and since then, they've merged the funding for the two departments as well, but guess who more of the money's going to... =</p>
<p>It was a good program for me. The Rice undergraduate experience is second to none. I'm just a bit disappointed to see what's happened to the civil engineering department over the six years that I've been associated with Rice. I wouldn't <em>discourage</em> someone from going there, because obviously I walked away with an excellent education that's really taken me (and my colleagues) to some amazing places, but I couldn't in good faith claim that it's the <em>best</em> department out there, if you know from the start that you want to go into civ.</p>