Curriculum Overview
Students who wish to earn and complete the AED minor are required to take 11 courses in total:
- 3 core design studio courses
- 3 design & analysis techniques electives
- 2 architectural history courses
- 3 non-credit courses from a professional development seminar series
Important Notes
- At least five courses must be unique to the minor and may not be used toward the 16-unit major program, or toward other minors or certificates.
- Courses with a grade lower than C cannot be applied to the minor.
- A GPA of 2.0 or above in courses required for this minor must be maintained.
- The required core design studio courses have a cap limit of 15 students. Students interested in the AED minor must register for the courses as soon as possible. Once the maximum capacity is reached, students can register on a waiting list for the course.
Course Requirements
Design Studio Courses (3 required units)
The core design studio courses are intended as a sequence and must be taken as such. It is strongly suggested to attend the sequence in the junior year.
- CIV_ENV 385-1 – Design Studio I – (fall quarter) covers the design of a single-family house
- CIV_ENV 385-2 – Design Studio II – (winter quarter) covers the design of a school
- CIV_ENV 385-3 – Design Studio III – (spring quarter) covers the design of a high-rise building
Design & Analysis Techniques Electives (3 units – choose within 1 focus area or mix courses across different areas)
Suggested to be taken during junior or senior year. Students must choose three of the following courses:
Building performance focus area
- CIV_ENV 386 – High-Performance Architectural Design (*)
- CIV_ENV 388-1 – Building Science 1: Theory for Sustainable Buildings
- CIV_ENV 388-2 – Building Science 2: Applications for Sustainable Buildings (*)
- CIV_ENV 395 – Indoor Air Quality
- CIV_ENV 395 – Building Enclosure Design
Sustainable solutions focus area
- CIV_ENV 353 – Energy Geostructures and Geosystems (*)
- CIV_ENV 368 – Sustainability: The City (*)
- CIV_ENV 387 – Design of Sustainable Urban Developments (*)
Structure focus area
- CIV_ENV 325 – Reinforced Concrete Design (**)
- CIV_ENV 323 – Structural Steel Design (**)
- CIV_ENV 352 – Foundation Engineering (**)
(*) Project-based courses.
(**) If chosen, only one course can be double-counted for CEE (Civil and Environmental Engineering) students.
Architecture History Courses (2 units –1 required and 1 chosen)
These courses can be attended starting your first year.
- CIV_ENV 220 – Structural Art (required)
Choose one additional unit from the following courses:
- ART_HIST 232 – Introduction to the History of Architecture and Design, 1400 to Present
- ART_HIST 370-1 – Modern Architecture Survey (will start to be offered in AY 2024-25)
- ART_HIST 370-2 – Contemporary Architecture Survey (will start to be offered in AY 2024-25)
- ART_HIST 378 – The Global City (NB: the focus city changes every year offered)
AED Professional Development Seminar (No Credit)
To complete the minor, students are required to attend the professional development seminar. It is recommended students take the seminar sequence during their senior year for optimal benefit.