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. |