Architectural Engineering
The award winning BEng/MEng Hons Architectural Engineering has been designed for innovative individuals with an interest how buildings work. The programme aims to meet the increasing demand for skilled graduates with the expertise and knowledge to deliver energy conscious and environmentally sustainable solutions for buildings.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
4 years.
Attendance
The BEng/MEng (Hons) degree with Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) is a sandwich course of 4 years duration. Years 1, 2, 4 & 5 each are comprised of modules totalling 120 credit points studied over 2 semesters. Year 3 is spent in a 48 week long supervised industrial placement carrying 60 credit points.
All sessions are compulsory, the programme is usually taught over 2-3 days a week, with the remainder of the week for personal study linked to the work covered in the face to face sessions.
One credit point involves 10 hours of learning including directed and independent study.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
112 UCAS Tariff Points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher Level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher Level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level. This course also requires you to achieve H3 in two subjects from Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Physics and Chemistry, Applied Science, Geography, Construction Studies, Engineering or Environmental Technology.
If Mathematics is not passed at H3, you will be required to achieve a minimum of H6 if studied at Higher Level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level in addition to two of the subjects above.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
• AECOM
• ARUP
• Cundal
• Semple & McKillop
• Harvey Group
• Health Trusts
• Mott MacDonald
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
• Design Consultant
• Design Engineer
• M&E Engineer
• Project Engineer
• R&D Engineer
• Energy Manager
• Facility Manager
Career options
Embarking upon a career in Architectural Engineering can open a wide variety of career choices. You will be involved in the design of various building systems associated with industrial, commercial and residential buildings such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, refrigeration, lighting, water service, drainage, plumbing, security and alarms, lifts, escalators, gas, electricity, and communication. You will work with architects, structural engineers, civil engineers and quantity surveyors in the design and construction of buildings. You will also have a growing role in the deployment of renewable energy systems and, sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings. You will be playing a key role in delivering the low carbon environment which will aid in combating climate change, fossil fuel depletion and reductions to fuel poverty.
The career development depends on the choice of specialisation and professional qualifications gained from appropriate professional body. Opportunities also exist to continue studies through the PhD research programmes in energy, infrastructure and sustainability issues.
You will be employed in the following areas:
• General and specialist contracting, offering multi-disciplinary or specific industrial services
• Design consulting practices (including architectural practices)
• Governmental and public authorities
• Facilities Management
• Energy advice and training bodies
• Education
• Self-employment
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Zero carbon/low energy engineering to create sustainable, safe, healthy and comfortable internal building environments.
Summary
The award winning BEng/MEng Hons Architectural Engineering has been designed for innovative individuals with an interest how buildings work.
The programme aims to meet the increasing demand for skilled graduates with the expertise and knowledge to deliver energy conscious and environmentally sustainable solutions for buildings.
Pioneering research shapes our teaching. Throughout the course you will explore a number of themes including energy, building services, engineering principles, sustainability and management.
Employability is embedded within the programme structure to ensure that what you study is relevant in a real-world context. The degree offers a route to professional status with excellent employment opportunities.
Our graduates have been successful in a number of roles from design engineer to energy manager.
About
Architectural Engineering at Ulster will equip you with the professional skills and knowledge for this thriving industry.
The programme is split into a number of vertical and horizontal themes. Across each year you will cover themes encompassing:
• Science and Maths
• Engineering Analysis
• Design and Innovation
• The Engineer and Society
• Engineering Practice
• Sustainability
• Health and Safety
• Design
There will be specific threads pertaining to:
• building energy use
• building services – heating, ventilation, air-conditioning
• electrical
• building thermal modelling
• zero carbon / energy buildings
Within each year we have a horizontal theme.
In Year 1 the theme is Engineering Science. We introduce you to the world of engineering, energy and sustainability. You will study the movement of air, fluids and electricity, the chemistry of energy, heating and ventilating buildings, how we generate electricity, mathematics and digital communication.
Year 2builds on year 1 and applies the science as Engineering Technology and Analysis. You will investigate bioenergy and solar energy systems, heating and cooling of buildings, electrical installations in buildings, the movement, transfer and transforming of energy, acoustics, lighting and building computer modelling.
Year 3 is placement in industry. This is a full calendar year and you get the opportunity to explore the working environment, team working, meeting deadlines and see how your knowledge and skills will be invaluable to you as a graduate engineer.
Year 4 is where we explore Engineering Design and Futures. You will undertake a year-long research project and an individual practical design project. Alongside these you will have groupwork, act as a design consultant, study energy economics and management, construction management and green buildings.
At this point students may graduate with a BEng degree. For students with the correct academic profile, they may proceed onto the MEng.
Year 5 is the MEng year where the focus is on Engineering in the societal context. You will engage with diverse subjects such as sustainable development and health and well-being in buildings, alongside modules on project management, and a choice of either demand side management or electrical energy storage. In parallel to the class based modules you will undertake a group-based design project, in which you will be embedded into the Architecture design studio and work with students across both the BA and MArch programmes to realise solutions to design briefs.
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has recognised the changing role of the building services engineer. New entrants in the field need to have a greater awareness of the total building concept through an integrated design approach. As a result, emerging specialist areas like building information modelling (BIM), design and simulation tools, façade engineering or green building design have opened up new potential employment opportunities.
Our graduates have progressed to highly successful careers in various areas such as contracting, consulting, governmental and public authorities, facilities management, energy advice, education and many are successful entrepreneurs.
Opportunities also exist to continue your studies through the PhD research programmes in energy, infrastructure and sustainability issues.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Energy and Environmental Systems
Mathematics - BEng
Building Services
Digital Construction and Communication
Science for Engineers
Engineering Fundamentals - Electrical and Fluid Mechanics
Year 2
Building Environmental Design
Electrical Distribution Systems
Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer
Solar energy systems and storage integration
Mechanical Services Design
Bio-Energy & Biofuels
Year 3
Professional Practice - Architectural Engineering and Energy
Year 4
Construction Management
Design Evaluation
Energy Economics and Management
Green Building Design
Design
HVAC Systems
Dissertation A
Dissertation B
Year 5
Project Management
Integrated Architectural Engineering Design
Thermal Storage and Heat Networks
Health and Wellbeing in Buildings
Integrated Design & Engineering
Sustainable Development
Distributed Energy Resources - Optional
Electricity Storage and Electricity Networks - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
Professional recognition
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
Energy Institute (EI)
MEng - Accredited by the Energy Institute on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer
Energy Institute (EI)
BEng (Hons) - Accredited by the Energy Institute on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for the registration of Chartered Engineer.
Work placement / study abroad
Industrial Placement is a compulsory part of the programmes and shall normally consist of a minimum of 48 weeks of full-time work experience undertaken in Year 3. Industrial placement, for full-time students only, is regarded as an important component of the programme of study. Such experience sets the context of the final year studies and greatly enhances employment prospects.
Successful completion of the placement year leads to award of Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) or Diploma in Professional Practice (International) (DPP(I)).
Please note that there is no opportunity on this programme to substitute Study Abroad for Work Placement.
Ulster University,
2-24 York Street,
Belfast
BT15 1AP
T: 02870 123 456