2026-2028 Catalog

Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus

Cal Poly's Department of Architectural Engineering's (ARCE) curriculum focuses on the structural engineering of buildings. By focusing on building design students are able to take many more structural engineering courses than is possible in a traditional civil engineering program. Beyond structural engineering courses, students take several architecture and construction management courses and studios, giving them an appreciation for these disciplines.

Laptop Requirement - The department has a requirement that all students have a laptop computer. Computing is an integral component in today's engineering environment. Many Architectural Engineering classes emphasize cooperative projects / assignments, and a laptop computer provides the required mobility to facilitate collaboration. Financial aid may be available to help cover the cost of the computer laptop (see the Financial Aid website for more information).  Refer to department website for additional information.

Program Learning Objectives

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:

  • 40 units of upper-division courses
  • 2.0 GPA
  • Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
  • U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)

Note: No Major or Support courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.

MAJOR COURSES
ARCE 1110Introduction to Architectural Engineering2
ARCE 1121Structural Principles I3
ARCE 2211Structural Principles II3
ARCE 2212Structural Principles II Laboratory1
ARCE 2222Structural Systems Laboratory2
ARCE 2223Structural Drawings2
ARCE 3311Structural Analysis3
ARCE 3312Structural Analysis Laboratory1
ARCE 3331Timber Design2
ARCE 3332Timber Design and Constructability Laboratory2
ARCE 3341Steel Design2
ARCE 3353Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design4
ARCE 4411Structural Dynamics3
ARCE 4412Structural Dynamics Computing Laboratory1
ARCE 4413Seismic Analysis and Design3
ARCE 4421Architectural Engineering Building Systems2
ARCE 4442Steel Structures Design Laboratory2
ARCE 4461Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Design4
ARCE 4462Senior Project - Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Laboratory2
ARCE Electives
Select any 3000-5000 level ARCE course3
SUPPORT COURSES
ARCH 1101
& ARCH 1131		Architectural Design I
and Architectural Representation I		6
Select from the following: (3A) 13
ARCH 2221
History of World Architecture I: Prehistory to 17th Century
ARCH 2222
History of World Architecture II: 17th Century to the Present
ARCE 2280
History of Structures
CHEM 1120Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A & 5C) 14
CM 1115Fundamentals of Construction Management4
CSC 1031Programming for Engineers2
MATH 1261Calculus I (2) 14
MATH 1262Calculus II4
MATH 2341Linear Analysis4
PHYS 1141General Physics I4
PHYS 1143General Physics II4
STAT 3210Engineering Statistics (Upper-Division 2/5 ) 13
CAED Interdisciplinary Electives
Select from the following:2-3
ARCE 4484
Interdisciplinary Project
ARCE 4486
Collaborative Design Laboratory
Select any 3000-5000-level ARCH, CM, CRP, or LA course up to 3 units
FE/PE Surveying Elective
Select from the following:2-3
BRAE 1239
Engineering Surveying
BRAE 2237
Introduction to Engineering Surveying
CM 2239
Construction Surveying
FE Technical Electives
Select from the following:5-6
GEOL 2240
Physical Geology
GEOL 3305
Seismology and Earth Structure
IME 2315
Financial Decision Making for Engineers
MATH 2263
Calculus III
ME 2212
Engineering Dynamics
GENERAL EDUCATION (GE)
(See GE program requirements below)30
FREE ELECTIVES
Free Electives0
Total Units128-131
1

Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.

 

General Education (GE) Requirements 

General Education (GE) Requirements

  • 43 units required, 13 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
  • If any of the remaining 30 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
  • See the complete GE course listing.
  • A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning). 
Lower-Division General Education
Area 1English Communication and Critical Thinking
1AWritten Communication3
1BCritical Thinking3
1COral Communication3
Area 2Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
2Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 10
Area 3Arts and Humanities
3AArts (3 units in Support) 10
3BHumanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English 3
Area 4Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.)
4AAmerican Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement)3
4BSocial and Behavioral Sciences3
Area 5Physical and Life Sciences
5APhysical Sciences (3 units in Support) 10
5BLife Sciences3
5CLaboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) (1 units in Support) 10
Area 6 Ethnic Studies
6 Ethnic Studies3
Upper-Division General Education
Upper-Division 2/5Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units in Support) 10
Upper-Division 3Arts and Humanities3
Upper-Division 4Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.)3
Total Units30
1

Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.

Architectural Engineering

Suggested Four-Year Flowcharts are planning guides and do not represent a required course sequence. 
Courses may be completed in a different order, provided requisite requirements are satisfied.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Term 1Units
ARCE 1110 Introduction to Architectural Engineering 2
ARCH 1101
& ARCH 1131		 Architectural Design I
and Architectural Representation I		 6
MATH 1261 Calculus I (2) 1 4
PHYS 1141 General Physics I 4
 Units16
Term 2
ARCE 1121 Structural Principles I 3
MATH 1262 Calculus II 4
PHYS 1143 General Physics II 4
General Education Requirement (1A) 3
General Education Requirement (1C) 3
 Units17
Second Year
Term 1
ARCE 2211 Structural Principles II 3
ARCE 2212 Structural Principles II Laboratory 1
CM 1115 Fundamentals of Construction Management 4
CSC 1031 Programming for Engineers 2
MATH 2341 Linear Analysis 4
General Education Requirement (1B) 3
 Units17
Term 2
ARCE 2222 Structural Systems Laboratory 2
ARCE 2223 Structural Drawings 2
ARCH 2221
or ARCH 2222
or ARCE 2280
 History of World Architecture I: Prehistory to 17th Century (3A) 1
or History of World Architecture II: 17th Century to the Present
or History of Structures
 3
FE Technical Elective 2-3
General Education Requirement 3
General Education Requirement 3
 Units15-16
Third Year
Term 1
ARCE 3311 Structural Analysis 3
ARCE 3312 Structural Analysis Laboratory 1
ARCE 3331 Timber Design 2
ARCE 3353 Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design 4
CHEM 1120 Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A & 5C) 1 4
General Education Requirement 3
 Units17
Term 2
ARCE 3332 Timber Design and Constructability Laboratory 2
ARCE 3341 Steel Design 2
ARCE 4411 Structural Dynamics 3
ARCE 4412 Structural Dynamics Computing Laboratory 1
General Education Requirement 3
General Education Requirement 3
General Education Requirement 3
 Units17
Fourth Year
Term 1
ARCE 4413 Seismic Analysis and Design 3
ARCE 4442 Steel Structures Design Laboratory 2
ARCE 4461 Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Design 4
FE/PE Surveying Elective 2-3
FE Technical Elective 3
 Units14-15
Term 2
ARCE 4421 Architectural Engineering Building Systems 2
ARCE 4462 Senior Project - Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Laboratory 2
STAT 3210 Engineering Statistics (Upper-Division 2/5) 1 3
ARCE Elective 3
CAED Interdisciplinary Elective 2-3
General Education Requirement 3
 Units15-16
 Total Units128-131
1

Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.