Thesis Reflection

ABET Outcome Survey

The architectural engineering senior thesis is an opportunity given to each of the senior architectural engineering students that is unlike any other by other graduating seniors. It is a chance to not only learn many valuable lessons and skills that will help them throughout their career, but also it allows each student to showcase the preparation that the Penn State program has given them to successfully enter their field of study. During the yearlong research and application process each student is asked to gain an understanding of all aspects of the construction process. The far more challenging phase of the senior thesis project is the second half, where every student must apply all of the knowledge they have gained from the architectural engineering program and effectively apply it in an unstructured way. Not only must each student pull from the wealth of knowledge they have received through the course of their five years of study, but also must apply concrete time management skills and personal discipline. This course effectively enforces the encompassing knowledge that a student has gained in the construction field, and gives them the opportunity to make the last academic step towards a well-rounded and flourishing professional career.    

The Capstone E-Portfolio is a very unique aspect to the architectural engineering senior thesis. It provides every student a way to showcase their yearlong work to industry members and anyone else that is interested. It is a huge learning experience for many students because of the unfamiliarity with web design, but rewarding in the end.