Co-Directors
Maria E. Garlock
Forrest M. Meggers
Executive Committee
Sigrid M. Adriaenssens, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jay Benziger, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Emily A. Carter, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Applied and Computational Mathematics, ex officio
Adam Finkelstein, Computer Science
Mario I. Gandelsonas, Architecture
Maria E. Garlock, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Branko Glisic, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Niraj Jha, Electrical Engineering
Axel Kilian, Architecture
Michael Koortbojian, Art and Archaeology
Naomi Leonard, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Paul Lewis, Architecture
Anirudhi Majumdar, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
V. Mitch McEwen, Architecture
Forrest M. Meggers, Architecture, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Guy J. Nordenson, Architecture
Monica Ponce de Leon, Architecture
Warren Powell, Operations Research and Financial Engineering
James A. Smith, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Alejandro Zaera-Polo, Architecture
The Program in Architecture and Engineering enables students to work at the intersection of engineering and architecture. It is a framework for interdisciplinary study to tackle problems that cannot be addressed by one discipline. The certificate is an opportunity to respond dynamically to evolving global challenges, where elegant and effective solutions lead to more resilient and sustainable communities.
Admission to the Program
The Program in Architecture and Engineering is open to all undergraduate students, regardless of discipline. A student planning to enroll in the program should fill out the online application form at arch-eng.princeton.edu, and then a special adviser will help plan a curriculum.
Program of Study
In addition to course requirements, the student must identify a global challenge theme, and incorporate the theme in their senior thesis as described below.
• Identify a Global Challenge Theme: Examples of current challenges are consequences of increasing population densities, limited water supplies, limited natural resources, climate change, ageing infrastructure, and natural and man-made hazards. Within this framework, students in the program will be asked to identify a global challenge to inform their program of study. This question will be posed to students in the application process for entering the program. We expect the program to be adaptive to emerging new challenges that the existing degree structure cannot respond to immediately.
• Identify a Global Challenge Theme: Examples of current challenges are consequences of increasing population densities, limited water supplies, limited natural resources, climate change, ageing infrastructure, and natural and man-made hazards. Within this framework, students in the program will be asked to identify a global challenge to inform their program of study. This question will be posed to students in the application process for entering the program. We expect the program to be adaptive to emerging new challenges that the existing degree structure cannot respond to immediately.
• Incorporate Theme in Senior Thesis: The Senior Thesis should address a cross-disciplinary theme that can be a global challenge. The student must also contribute to a thesis colloquium in September/October of senior year, currently envisioned as ~10-minute discussions per student with the committee presenting the thesis topic and having an opportunity to discuss and match faculty advisers. This process will create an awareness of how the topic crosses disciplines, and how it addresses a relevant global challenge.
Course Requirements
Six courses total are required to obtain the certificate, four of which must be selected within a field of expertise chosen by the student. No more than two courses from the six may double count towards the major and certificate. All courses combined should illustrate a coherent program of study that addresses a global theme or challenge.
The following two design courses are required for all students:
• ARC 203 Introduction to Architectural Thinking
• ARC 204 Introduction to Architectural Design (Studio Class)
One course is required within a “field of expertise” chosen by the student:
• Structures: CEE262(A or B) Structures and the Urban Environment
• Computation: ARC374 Computational Design
• Environment: ENE202 Designing Sustainable Systems
Note: With approval of the committee, the student may construct their own “field of expertise” that demonstrates a coherent program of study addressing a global challenge theme.
Three additional courses are selected from a list of approved electives in each field of expertise. A list of the preapproved courses within each field of expertise are available at ua.princeton.edu/academic-units/program-architecture-and-engineering or arch-eng.princeton.edu.
