| The course sequence of AE 481W and AE
482 comprise what is more commonly known
as AE Senior Thesis. This year long capstone
design project is one of the major highlights
of the five year professional degree BAE
program. It is required of all undergraduate
students in the Department of Architectural
Engineering at Penn State.
Senior Thesis consists of obtaining an
outside sponsor who provides the student
with an actual building that will be used
as the model for a variety of technical
and management tasks throughout the year.
Based on the building or project model,
students will investigate the project,
perform technical analysis, develop project
criteria and eventually prepare a written
proposal for more advanced design work.
This is followed up by a semester of intense
effort to complete the goals of the proposal.
A formal written final report is required
as is a verbal presentation to a faculty
jury.
A number of students, selected by the
AE faculty from the first presentations,
will represent their class and compete
for numerous awards by presenting a second
time. This second presentation will be
to an invited jury of about 50 visiting
practitioners from all over the country.
It is important to note that students
are required to include work in their
primary discipline area of AE as well
as to demonstrate breath capabilities
in several other architectural engineering
areas.
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