Coursework
Master of Architectural Engineering
- CRICOS Code: 089660F
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What will I study?
Overview
All students are granted 100 points of advanced standing (appropriate for their background), and then must complete a further 350 points:
- 100 points core in the first year, and
- 250 points in the second and third year, including 25 points Capstone Project.
Students entering with an undergraduate major in architecture will initially complete an 8 subject sequence in Engineering (100 points core, pathway for architecture graduates). Students entering from an engineering major will complete an 8 subject sequence in architecture (100 points core pathway for engineering graduates). At the completion of your first year, all students commence a shared second-year sequence.
Sample course plan
View some sample course plans to help you select subjects that will meet the requirements for this degree.
Sample course plan - Year 1 Arch graduates
KEY
- Core
Students entering via an undergraduate major in architecture will initially complete an 8 subject sequence in Engineering (100 credit points core).
Year 1
Total
100 Points
Semester 1
50 Points
- Core
ENGR20004 Engineering Mechanics
12.5 Points
- Core
ENGR30002 Fluid Mechanics
12.5 Points
- Core
ENGR90021 Critical Communication for Engineers
12.5 Points
- Core
MAST20029 Engineering Mathematics
12.5 Points
- Core
Semester 2
50 Points
- Core
ENEN20002 Earth Processes for Engineering
12.5 Points
- Core
ENGR20003 Engineering Materials
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN30009 Structural Theory and Design
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN30010 Systems Modelling and Design
12.5 Points
- Core
Sample course plan - Year 1 Eng graduates
KEY
- Core
Students entering via an undergraduate major in engineering will initially complete an 6 subject sequence in Architecture (100 credit points core).
Year 1
Total
100 Points
Semester 1
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90284 Master of Architecture Studio A
25 Points
- Core
ABPL90286 Construction Methods A
12.5 Points
- Core
ABPL90288 Architectural Cultures 1: Modernism
12.5 Points
- Core
Semester 2
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90285 Master of Architecture Studio B
25 Points
- Core
ABPL90287 Architectural Technology
12.5 Points
- Core
ABPL90289 Architectural Cultures 2:After Modernism
12.5 Points
- Core
Sample course plan - Year 2 and 3 core
KEY
- Core
- Capstone
Common second and third years. All students must complete the following subjects (250 credit points).
Year 2 and 3 (a)
Total
100 Points
Semester 1
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90142 Master of Architecture Studio C
25 Points
- Core
ABPL90118 Applied Architectural Technology
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90049 Structural Theory and Design 2
12.5 Points
- Core
Semester 2
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90143 Master of Architecture Studio D
25 Points
- Core
CVEN90045 Engineering Project Implementation
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90051 Civil Hydraulics
12.5 Points
- Core
Year 2 and 3 (b)
Total
100 Points
Semester 1
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90140 Architectural Practice
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90044 Engineering Site Characterisation
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90043 Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90050 Geotechnical Engineering
12.5 Points
- Core
Semester 2
50 Points
- Core
ABPL90115 Master of Architecture Studio E
25 Points
- Core
ABPL90117 Twenty-first Century Architecture
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90058 Construction Engineering
12.5 Points
- Core
Year 2 and 3 (c)
Total
50 Points
Semester 1
50 Points
- Capstone
ABPL90390 Architectural Engineering Thesis
25 Points
- Core
ABPL90120 Building Sustainability
12.5 Points
- Core
CVEN90059 Integrated Design - Infrastructure
12.5 Points
- Capstone
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this degree.
- 12.5 pts
The aim of this subject is to provide an introduction to modelling the stresses and deformations that occur when axial, torsional and flexural loads are applied to a body in static equilibrium, as well as the translational and rotational motions that eventuate in a body subject to different load applications. This material will be complemented with laboratory and project based approaches to learning.
The subject provides the basis for all the mechanical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in this subject are the most common type of calculations performed by professional mechanical engineers in all sectors of the industry.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics to be covered include free-body diagrams; equilibrium; force systems; stresses and strains; coordinate systems; statically indeterminate systems; flexure; bending under combine loads; torsion; power transmission; kinematics; relative motion; particle kinetics; impulse and momentum; vibration; rigid body motion; angular impulse and momentum; work and energy.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
This subject concerns the fundamental science of fluid flow relevant to a range of engineering applications, and is essential for specialisations relating to Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include - Fluid statics, manometry, derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance, friction losses in a straight pipe, Newton’s law of viscosity, treatment of pipe roughness, valves and fittings; simple pipe network problems; principles of open channel flow; compressible flow, propagation of pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps – pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head, head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, affinity laws and pump scale-up, introduction to positive displacement pumps; stirred tanks- radial, axial and tangential flow, type of agitators, vortex elimination, the standard tank configuration, power number and power curve, dynamic and geometric similarity in scale-up; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Multi-dimensional fluid flow-momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, Navier-Stokes equations, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow.
- 12.5 pts
Critical Communication for Engineers (CCE) addresses the skills vital for professional success. Problem analysis skills and being able to present solutions effectively to your engineering peers, leaders and the broader community are a powerful combination. These are the focus of CCE.
They are challenging skills to learn—and you will likely work to improve them throughout your career. Effective communication is not merely about how to write a report or to give a formal presentation. Developing a strong argument—having something insightful to communicate—is essential for capturing the attention of an audience. This requires developing good interpersonal skills for gathering information and testing ideas.
The subject is divided into four ‘topics’ presented in sequence through the semester. Each topic is self-contained and dedicated to a different engineering issue. There is an assessment for each topic, meaning that you will be able to apply what you have learned from one topic to the following topics. This way, you will have a lot of opportunities to practise and develop your analytical and communication skills.
- 12.5 pts
Systems Modelling and Design is a capstone subject including components from hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering. This subject contains a design project capsulising knowledge from all three areas. Students will be given briefings on related topics in hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering in lectures and tutorials; but the emphasis is on self-learning and problem-solving. Students will gain an understanding of the principles governing the flow of water through soil and its consequent impact on failure of soil structures such as what occurs in landslides. Computer models to investigate these areas and laboratory experiments illustrating these phenomena will also be conducted. Students will also learn how to use the systems approach to solve engineering design problems. The application of the systems approach is illustrated via the major design project and complemented with optimisation techniques.
To complete the capstone design project, students are required to apply their knowledge in hydrology, hydraulics and geotechnical engineering to solve a number of design problems while considering multiple and sometimes conflicting design criteria. Students are required to prepare a technical report that documents the designs, relevant data, and result analysis. Both the technical knowledge (e.g. catchment modelling, water distribution system design, and seepage and slope modelling) and transferable skills (e.g. systems approach for problem solving, optimisation, trade-off analysis, data management, communication) obtained through this subject will prepare them for employment in the industry, as well as future study or research.
This subject builds on knowledge gained in subjects such as Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics and Earth Processes for Engineering and assumes a familiarity with concepts of sustainability and engineering systems. This subject also delivers introductory material for engineering graduate coursework subjects including Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Hydraulics and Quantitative Environmental Modelling.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Stresses in soils, permeability and seepage, flow nets, the effect of seepage on stability, slope stability principles, surface runoff, landslides, design and remediation, trade-off analysis in engineering design, optimisation techniques, the use of computer simulation models to solve engineering design problems.
- 12.5 pts
This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.
Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
The subject aims to provide knowledge about construction materials, their properties, manufacturing processes and key issues associated with their applications in structural engineering. The subject also introduces the relationships between the structure of a material and its properties.
This subject must be taken early in the progression of training to be an engineer as it is a prerequisite of structural design subjects, and contributes valuable insights into the role of materials in other disciplines of engineering such as geotechnical engineering. It partners with ENGR20004 Engineering Mechanics to build a student's understanding of the way objects behave when load or deformations are applied to them.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The subject is divided into three components: materials science; construction materials; and, mechanics of materials. In the material science component; basic concepts on inter-atomic bonding, microstructure of solids and generic material properties related to density, deformation, yield, ductility, fracture, toughness, susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue are introduced. In the construction materials component; the engineering applications of structural and light-gauge steel, concrete, masonry, timber, glass, fibre-glass and composites are covered. In the mechanics component; the basic concepts of stress-strain compatibility, composite actions, the concept of shear stress flow, basic two-dimensional stress analysis, strength and ductility and arching actions are covered.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
In this subject students will be introduced to physical earth processes and their engineering applications and implications. In particular, the subject concentrates on engineering aspects of climate, water and soils and their interactions. Simplified modelling and relevant analytical techniques are introduced throughout the subject. The students will learn about fundamental material required for later year subjects such as CVEN30010 System Modelling and Design, CVEN90044 Engineering Site Characterisation and CVEN90050 Geotechnical Engineering.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Climate and seasonality; carbon cycle, global water cycle and catchment water cycle; rainfall, infiltration, runoff and evapotranspiration; catchment processes and stochastic rainfall modelling; soil identification; landscape forming processes; basic soil mechanics; earth engineering stability; revision.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
This subject introduces the basic methods of structural analysis and the design of simple structures which are built of reinforced concrete, steel, timber and masonry. A feature of this subject is the integration of the design and analytical skills in dealing with contemporary structures that have an effective blending of materials for achieving satisfactory performance and economy in construction.
This subject consolidates basic structural theory and design abilities that underpin further specialised studies in structural design in engineering masters programs. It also gives students some basic capabilities to seek work experience in the engineering profession.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include: stress analysis in beams, deflection calculations using direct integration and virtual work methods, structural analyses of beams and frames by the force method, structural design of reinforced concrete beams and columns, structural design of steel beams, columns and ties, design of timber joists and masonry squat walls.
- 25 pts
This subject is the culmination of each student's studies in the Master of Architectural Engineering. It will offer a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate an original approach to research and design synthesising, in architecture and engineering. The capstone thesis is co-taught between the faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and the Melbourne School of Engineering, providing an interdisciplinary environment for students. The subject is designed to provide students with an enriching experience that immerses them in a dual architectural-engineering research and design environment, fit for the double accreditation of their degree.
Students will be expected to demonstrate their aptitude to conduct research and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in architectural and engineering theory and practice.
The specific outputs of the thesis in terms of design and research will be determined on a case by case basis, with course coordinator approval.
- 12.5 pts
This subject provides an overview of a wide range of issues relating to infrastructure engineering, with a particular focus on the environmental, economic, and equity of projects. Students will gain an understanding of the complexities of decision-making, including the role of government and regulation, considerations of intergenerational and intragenerational equity, and assessment of economic and environmental impacts. Students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping a society, and the effects both short-term and long-term. Students will also learn to apply various analytical methods to evaluate infrastructure projects from a sustainability perspective. Lectures and workshops will be structured around case studies of infrastructure projects. Workshops will also provide students with opportunities to enhance oral and written communication skills.
This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects. Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for an infrastructure project. Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how a project relates to the broader social, economic, and environmental context. Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
Characterisation of sites is an important step in any engineering study or design. In order to devise a design for an engineering project a range of contextual factors need to be determined. These include intrinsic aspects of natural and anthropogenic history, such as geological context and former industrial use as well as it indigenous heritage. Extrinsic impacts on the site such as the risk of flood, fire, and earthquake also need to be well understood. Finally the relationship with the surrounding natural and social environment needs to be characterised to ensure cross boundary effects of the project implementation of post-commissioning use do not cause unpredicted adverse impacts. This subject will examine typical technical tools for characterising a site for infrastructure development, covering a range of the above aspects that are relevant to the site and development. In doing so students will learn the skills and an approach to conduct site assessments, including the ability to select the appropriate geo-environmental tools for site investigations.
This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project. Together they form the basis of further professional infrastructure engineering subjects. Students who have completed this subject will have valuable skills to gain engineering work experience.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Geotechnical site investigations, noise evaluation and mitigation, natural disaster characterisation (fire, wind, earthquakes), introduction to surveying and levelling, in situ testing (soil), geophysical testing and fieldwork, and exposure to laboratory testing (compaction and permeability).
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
Soil and rock are among the most important civil engineering materials. They form the foundations of all structures, can be rearranged to provide a topography to suit particular needs like embankments for road and railways, can form a structure in its own right when used for levee banks or dam walls, or may need to be removed to allow access such as with tunnels and cuttings. Students completing this unit should understand how to make simplifications to complex soil conditions, how to establish strength/deformation characteristics of the soil and how to apply fundamental geomechanics knowledge learned in earlier units to solve problems involving the stability of an earth mass for these various situations. Graduates from this subject will be able to work under the guidance of a chartered engineer to design and supervise construction of a range of geotechnical structures such as foundations, roads, and retaining walls.
This subject builds directly on knowledge from a range of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in the areas of mathematics, statistics, earth processes, and fluid mechanics. It also draws on knowledge of sustainability and management to provide context for problems.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include a detailed review of pore-water pressures and effective stress, soil strength and compressibility (direct shear and triaxial testing, and others), consolidation, compaction and their applications to geotechnical design in selected areas, rigid and flexible earth retaining structures, reinforced soil walls, pavements, introduction to liquefaction, and introduction to geothermal energy.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
Project management provides an organization with powerful tools that improve its ability to plan, organize and manage resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. In undertaking this subject students will explore the principles and distinct technical skills of engineering management that are needed to implement a project. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in engineering project management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered. This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the a project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while project implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include key aspects of the management principles, project planning & scheduling, management systems & control and management practices to enable execution of the project in a timely and financially prudent manner.
Note: This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
Students that successfully completely this subject will have the skills to practice under a chartered engineer to analyse problems and propose designs in the field of civil and environmental hydraulic engineering. Analysis of water flow in natural and constructed channels is studied in the river hydraulics module. This gives students the fundamental tools to learn techniques such as flood prediction, the design of channels for water movement in irrigation, and the prediction of water levels in channels in environmental flow studies. The movement of water and sediment along coasts due to wave action and currents is the focus of the coastal hydraulics module. An understanding of wave processes in coastal and surf zones is an essential starting point for the design of coastal structures such as piers, groins and jetties. With impending sea level rise, this will be a significant area of civil engineering practice for the foreseeable future. In the third module, the focus will be on processes of sediment transport and geomorphological change in rivers and coastal waters. The ability to analyse these processes can lead to graduates working in the area of river engineering, where for example the erosion of sediment from bridge abutments must be controlled. It is also important in ecological modelling where the movement of sediments and entrainment in water can impact on the habitat of stream biota.
The subject will draw on students’ existing knowledge of fluid mechanics, systems modelling, statistics, engineering mathematics and geomorphology gained from undergraduate or other preparatory study.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- River Hydraulics: revision of basic concepts of steady-state open channel flow and extend this with applications in natural river channels, time dependent behaviour and flood hydraulics
- Coastal Hydraulics: basic wave theory and processes including in the surf zone
- Sediment Transport and Water Quality: mechanisms and models of particulate and solute transport in rivers and coastal environments.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
This subject introduces more advanced methods of structural analysis and design, and their applications to the engineering of reinforced concrete and structural steel in compliance with the standards. Students will be given the opportunity to integrate the use of different materials into the design of contemporary structures through design projects. This subject would typically be that final subject in the sequence of structural engineering subjects for civil engineering students who do not want to specialise in structural engineering.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include: structural analyses of beams and frames by the stiffness matrix method; computer analysis using SPACEGASS; virtual work and influence line diagram; design of thin walled sections, structural design of reinforced concrete beams, slabs and columns; structural design of steel beams, columns and connections.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
This subject involves students learning the integrated process between design and construction by developing a proposal for a design & build project. An objective of the project is to help students explore the close relationship between design, constructability and construction. Students will develop a simplified design for an infrastructure project that includes a range of civil works such as earthworks, foundations, drainage, on-site concrete construction and cranage, and then propose solutions for construction that may require iteration of the design. The proposed solution would also address OH&S, environmental, and social sustainability issues inherent in areas such waste minimisation, noise and dust control in an project environmental maagement plan.
- 12.5 pts
AIMS
This subject involves a major design project that concentrates on preparing a design proposal for a larger spatial scale infrastructure system such as a suburban precinct, a transport system for a small city, or a precinct level water and renewable energy supply system. The preparation of a feasibility study or conceptual design report will be the key deliverable for this subject. Students would work in small teams and receive guidance from experienced engineers in preparing the infrastructure design proposal, which would concentrate on scoping a design to meet societal needs.
- 12.5 pts
This subject provides a multi-disciplinary overview of the design of sustainable buildings and considers the design from an architectural, services engineering, facade engineering, environmental engineering and structural engineering, tenants and owners perspective. Topics include: ecological sustainable design, life cycle analysis, planning for sustainable buildings and cities, regulatory environment, barriers to green buildings, green building rating tools, material selection, embodied energy, operating energy, indoor environmental quality (noise, light and air), facade systems, ventilation systems, transportation, water treatment systems, water efficiency, building economics, and staff productivity.
A number of industry based case study examples will be introduced to complement the lectures.
- 25 pts
This studio emphasises how successful architectural designs express ideas based in well-grounded, critical thinking, and on values manifest in visions of desired futures. Through design projects and analysis of seminal works, students will develop both design ideas for projects and architectural expressions of those ideas. Autonomous studio options will cover a range of project types including housing, public institutions and urban design, taught with an emphasis on architecture as idea, materiality or program.
- 25 pts
This studio emphasises how successful architectural designs express ideas based in well-grounded, critical thinking, and on values manifest in visions of desired futures. Through design projects and analysis of seminal works, students will develop both design ideas for projects and architectural expressions of those ideas. Autonomous studio options will cover a range of project types including housing, public institutions and urban design, taught with an emphasis on architecture as idea, materiality or program. Students will be expected to choose a different emphasis and project type than for Studio C and to achieve a higher degree of design resolution, conceptual engagement and aesthetic expression. The studio will be vertically integrated with Architectural Design Studios C & E to ensure a wide range of choice and inter-level learning.
- 25 pts
This studio emphasises how successful architectural designs express ideas based in well-grounded, critical thinking, and on values manifest in visions of desired futures. Through design projects and analysis of seminal works, students will develop both design ideas for projects and architectural expressions of those ideas. Autonomous studio options will cover a range of project types including housing, public institutions and urban design, taught with an emphasis on architecture as idea, materiality or program. Students will be expected to choose a different emphasis and project type than for Studios C and D, and to demonstrate an advanced level of design resolution, conceptual engagement and aesthetic expression. The studio will be vertically integrated with Architectural Design Studios C & D to ensure a wide range of choice and inter-level learning.
- 12.5 pts
This subject offers a broad introduction to contemporary theories and methods used in the production and critique of architecture in the context of current practice.
Architectural concepts such as program, diagram, transparency, tectonics, materiality, and ornament will be explored along with the contemporary manifestations of landscape urbanism, digital technologies, ecological sustainability, and biomimicry in design. The subject provides a perspective within which contemporary architectural polemics and strategies can be understood so that students can approach their own practice with the knowledge of existing contemporary theories of design.
- 12.5 pts
This subject was formerly known as Applied Construction.
This subject focuses on design development of complex building types (e.g. highly bespoke high-rise, large commercial or institutional buildings), which generally are not studied in detail at undergraduate level.
In this subject, students will explore and translate their own complex design propositions into an architectural proposal that considers:- Economic feasibility;
- Programme-based technical requirements;
- Assembly of different construction systems;
- Environmental design;
- Building enclosure and materiality;
- Current industry practice;
- Innovation in architectural technology.
- 12.5 pts
The course is intended to introduce students to and cover the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (AACA) National Competency Standards for Architects (NCSA) related to Architectural Practice.
The NCSA covers a wide range of learning objectives related to Architectural Practice. This includes acquisition of Knowledge and Skills and the application of this knowledge and skills in the following NCSA units.
Unit 1: Design Project Briefing (Elements 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5); Unit 2: Design and Pre-Design (Elements 2.1, 2.2 & 2.3); Unit 3 Design: Conceptual Design (Elements 3.1, 3.4 & 3.6); Unit 4 Design: Schematic Design (Element 4.4); Unit 5 Documentation: Detailed Design (Element 5.3); Unit 6 Documentation: Documentation (Elements 6.2 & 6.4); Unit 7 Project Delivery: Procurement (Element 7.1); Unit 8 Project Delivery: Construction Stage (Element 8.1); Unit 9: Practice Management: (Element 9.1, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7 and 9.8).