Architecture vs Architectural Engineering

Hello, I would be very grateful for some much needed advice and clarification.
I'm in my final year of A-levels and need to submit my application tonight, my A-level subjects include psychology, sociology and biology. I want to go into architectural engineering but as I am worried about the degree of maths involved. I would appreciate some clarification about the extent of mathematical skills needed and also on the main difference between post graduation prospectus of the two degrees.

Thank you so much!

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Architectural engineering is an engineering degree - you need to do as much maths as a mechanical engineer, civil engineer etc (really it's kind of a subfield of civil engineering tbh). So you would be doing calculus and solving differential equations all day long, every day. So A-level Maths and beyond every day of the degree.

Architecture is not a mathematical subject inherently, it's a creative design subject. A few courses (e.g. Bath and Strathclyde) emphasise the more technical side of things but most do not (e.g. notable "arty" architecture courses at UCL, Cambridge etc). The maths you'd need generally would be GCSE level, some might teach you a little beyond that but it's fairly basic.

The job prospects are completely different because they're totally different degrees preparing you for two completely separate professions. An architecture degree is the first step to qualifying as an architect - and thereafter your prospects are that of the field of architecture in the UK generally. An architectural engineering degree is preparing you to work as an engineer and so it's pretty much the same as e.g. a civil engineering degree.

Note that to qualify as an architect after the first degree in archictecture you need to do further postgraduate study and professional portfolio development. This is not required to work as an engineer (although you can do similar things to obtain CEng status, this isn't essential - also the the postgraduate study is shorter and you can achieve it by doing an MEng rather than BEng).

Despite the similar names they really are completely separate things - it's like comparing a nursing degree with a radiography degree. They're separate professions preparing students for separate roles in broadly the same sector.