Sample Courses - M.S. in Architectural Engineering:

Acoustics

AREN 430/830 - Advanced Noise Control
Topics include characterization of acoustic sources; use and measurement of sound power and intensity; sound-structure interaction; acoustic enclosures and barriers; muffling devices; vibration control; and active noise control. Prerequisites: AE 3300 or equivalent.

AREN 833 - Advanced Architectural Acoustics
This course involves the advanced study of the behavior of sound in rooms; design of acoustical spaces; measurement techniques; physical and computational modeling; and introduction to sound reinforcement in rooms. Prerequisites: AE 3300 or equivalent.

AREN 835 - Electroacoustics
This course covers electrical-mechanical-acoustical circuit analogies; transducers, including loudspeakers, microphones, and accelerometers; directivity; calibration techniques; and sound reinforcement systems in rooms. Prerequisites: AE 3300 or equivalent.

AREN 930 - Research Topics in Architectural Acoustics
A review of current research in architectural acoustics. Topics may include objective versus subjective measures in performance spaces, electronic enhancement of rooms, advanced computational modeling techniques, and auralization. Prerequisites: AREN 833 Advanced Architectural Acoustics.

Thermal Systems

AREN 815 - Building Energy Simulation and Performance Contracting
Demand-side energy optimization is a vital contributor to the reduction of resource depletion and environmental impact of the building sector. This course will introduce the integrated approach to deliver energy improvement retrofit projects that pay off economically and ecologically. Proficiency in a modern dynamic building simulation tool (EnergyPlus or DOE-2.1e) as well as in retrofit cost estimation will be attained and integrated into a discounted cash-flow analysis. The concepts will be applied in a course project to an actual commercial building, the results of which will be presented to the building owner and other stakeholders.

AREN 414/814 - Building Energy III: Advanced Systems  
Design and analysis of primary energy systems-vapor compression chillers, absorption chillers, central cooling plants, boilers systems and heating plants, cooling storage systems and plants, and cogeneration systems and plants. Prerequisite: AREN 410, MECH 300 or permission.

AREN 810 - Solar Energy Systems
Fundamental of solar energy system modeling analysis and design: solar radiation modeling, surface properties of opaque and glazing materials, flat-plate collector design, solar energy storage, solar system thermal calculation, system application and design.

AREN 817 - Theory and Application of Thermal Systems Measurement
Analysis, theory, and methods of instrumentation for thermal system energy consumption measurement and scientific research testing. Emphasis placed on sensors, traducers, and error analysis.

AREN 916 - Building Secondary Energy Systems Modeling, Control, and Optimization
Modeling, Operation, Control and Optimization of the secondary building energy systems: building envelope, room comfort zones, air handling units, cooling and heating water loops. Prerequisite: AREN 410, AREN 812 or permission.

AREN 917 - Building Primary Energy Systems Modeling, Control, and Optimization
Modeling, Control and Optimization of the primary building energy systems: central distribution systems, chiller systems, boiler systems, central cooling plants, central heating plants, and thermal storage systems. Prerequisite: AREN 414/814, AREN 812 or permission

Building Control Systems

AREN 812 - Building Control and Automation Systems
This course provides a systematic treatment of modern building automation and management systems by first disaggregating the overall system into functional levels (field, automation, management, and administration level) with subsequent integration through communication networks. Proprietary as well as open communication standards and bus systems including BACnet, LonTalk, EIB, Profibus will be discussed along with the growing significance of systems integration and interoperability. Prerequisite: ELEC 878 Microprocessor Hardware, Software and Interfacing; Recommended: ELEC 862 Communication Systems.

AREN 823 - HVAC Systems Control and Optimization
Introduce the modeling methods for building mechanical, control devices, and thermal environments. Develop general approaches of optimal system design and control logics. Present the process of the implementation of the optimal control.

AREN 913 - Dynamic Programming and Optimal Control
This course will introduce the concepts of, motivation for, and implementation of dynamic programming for optimal and adaptive control. Topics include deterministic shortest path applications and continuous-time optimal control, inventory control, problems with perfect and imperfect state information, suboptimal and adaptive control, discounted infinite horizon and stochastic shortest-path problems including Q-Learning. Prerequisites: IMSE 828 Principles of Operations Research, ELEC 945 Optimal Control Theory.

Indoor Air Quality and Design

AREN 411/811 - Indoor Air Quality Engineering
The field of indoor air quality will be presented in the context of the life cycle of a building. The course will begin by presenting current codes, standards, and research relevant to indoor air quality, and the development of design goals will be discussed. The course will then cover selection of materials and mechanical equipment to meet these goals, followed by commissioning, operation and maintenance issues. Finally, the topics of investigation and remediation will be presented. Prerequisites: AE 3120 or permission.

AREN 818 - Indoor Air Quality Design
This course covers tools and methods in the emerging field of indoor air quality design. The student will develop proficiency with single zone and multizone network airflow methods to model indoor air flows, contaminant transfer, and building pressurization. These methods will be used to specify appropriate applications of innovative technologies including CO2 demand control and filtration systems.  Prerequisites: AE 3120, AREN 411/811 Indoor Air Quality Engineering or permission.

AREN 918 - Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Indoor Environments
The application of commercial and public domain computational fluid dynamics software for modeling indoor airflows, fires, and other building systems will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on efficient modeling techniques and on estimating or generating appropriate boundary conditions for building-related problems. Prerequisites: AREN 411/811 Indoor Air Quality Engineering, MECH 810.

Lighting

AREN 420/820 - Lighting II: Theory, Design & Application (3 Cr.)
Design and analysis of lighting systems; design criteria; lighting design procedures, calculations, and design tools; interreflections; lighting modes and subjective effects; power budgets; economic analysis. Prereq: AREN 320.

AREN 422/822 - Electrical Systems for Buildings II (3 Cr.)
Integration of electrical system components into functional, safe, and reliable power distribution systems for commercial and industrial facilities. Service entrance design, distribution system layout and reliability, emergency and standby power system design, lightning protection, and special equipment and occupancies. Prerequisite: AREN 322.

AREN 825 - Daylighting (3 Cr.)
A study of the use of natural light in building design. Solar position, sky luminance distribution models, daylighting equipment, calculation methods, designs concepts, and psychological impacts. Extensive use of computer modeling and scale models. Prerequisite: AREN 420/820.

AREN 821 - Lighting III: Advanced Design Practice (3 Cr.)
Design and analysis of lighting for outdoor, sports, floodlighting, and interior applications; economic analysis; modeling algorithms. Prerequisite: AREN 420/820.

AREN 823 - Light Sources (3 Cr.)
Fundamental science and principals of light generation in modern electric light sources; characteristics that influence applications for light sources. Prerequisite: AREN 320.

AREN 824 - Lighting Metrics (3 Cr.)
Critical survey and application of measures that have been developed to characterize the effects of lighting systems on human perception and performance. Topics covered will include: contrast; visibility and visual performance (Relative Visual Performance, Visibility Level); visual comfort probability; discomfort glare rating system; unified glare rating system. Prerequisite: AREN 420/820.

AE8940 - Special topics in AE - ADV ELECT - Applied Photovoltaics (3 Cr.)
Integration of renewable energy sources into an overall facility system design. The course will focus on Photvoltaic theory of operation and the design methodologies for stand-alone and utility interactive systems and their associated components.  

REN 920 - Color Theory (3 Cr.)
Theories of color vision; theoretical and mathematical basis for chromaticity, color temperature, color rendering metrics, color matching functions, and color spaces; spectral weighting functions; measurement of color.

AREN 921 - Current Research in Illumination Engineering (3 Cr.)
Examination of the most current research in illumination engineering. Study of experimental methodologies and research practices. Analysis of technical papers from current lighting journals.

AREN 922 - Behavioral Sciences for Lighting Research (3 Cr.)
Overview of experimental design methods and statistical analysis techniques, specifically as these are applied to the planning, execution, analysis, and description of lighting experiments.

AREN 923 - Psychological Aspects of Lighting (3 Cr.)
Review of research investigating the effects of light and color on human physiology, psychological processes, and human subjective response to lighting.

Master’s Thesis
AREN 899 - Master’s Thesis (6-10 cr)
Prereq: Admission to master’s degree program and permission of major adviser.