Graduate Programs in Building Engineering
Building Engineering at Carleton offers advanced interdisciplinary training on building systems and concepts including mechanical and electrical systems, fire safety, energy and comfort performance, envelopes, controls and operations, structures, and heritage and existing building retrofit and rehabilitation.
Graduate degree programs leading to M.Eng. (coursework with a project option), M.A.Sc. (thesis-based), and Ph.D. in Building Engineering are offered in three different concentration areas:
- Building performance: This concentration area is focused on improving all states of the building life cycle (design, construction, operations, retrofit/demolition) with regards to energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and occupant comfort. Students will develop thorough understanding of both passive and active building systems, energy, comfort, building performance modelling and simulation, indoor environmental quality, advanced data analysis, and in-situ/field measurement approaches.
- Heritage conservation: This concentration area is focused on studying, measuring, analyzing existing and historic buildings – with the objective to conserve them through technical recommendations without compromising their authenticity and integrity. Key areas include advanced techniques for in-situ measurement (e.g., 3D scanning, photogrammetry, non-destructive techniques, material sampling and analysis), digital modelling of existing buildings, seismic assessment, structural health monitoring, advanced computational modeling of historic structures, and restoration/retrofit analysis.
- Fire safety engineering: This concentration area encompasses structural fire engineering, materials’ reaction to fire, combustion and fire dynamics, smoke management, fire modelling, fire detection and suppression, and behaviour of people in fires. Graduate students in this concentration area will employ both computer modelling and experimental approaches and require a strong background in heat transfer and fluid dynamics.
Admission
Application process and requirements
The requirements for admission for the MEng and MASc programs will be to hold an undergraduate degree from an engineering or related program (deemed acceptable by the Director and supervisor(s)) with at least a B+ average. The requirements for admission for the PhD program will be to hold a master’s degree from an engineering program with at least an A- average.
In the event that the Director deems applicants’ educational background inadequate, students may be admitted on the condition that they take one or more courses to complete their Building Engineering degree program. The following courses (or equivalents, as evaluated by the Director) are required for admission into any of the programs (example Carleton course codes provided):
- Calculus I (MATH 1004)
- Linear Algebra I (MATH 1104)
- Thermodynamics and/or heat transfer (MAAE 2400)
- General or applied physics (e.g., statics or dynamics) (PHYS 1004))
- A course with a substantial technical computer and/or hand-drawing element (ECOR 1054, CIVE2004, CIVE3209)
- A course with at least an element of basic computer programming or demonstration of programming skills (ECOR 1051, ECOR1606, ECOR2606)
An exception to the general admission procedure for the PhD program will be the fast-tracking from MASc to PhD. Students enrolled in the MASc in Building Engineering program at Carleton University may be permitted to transfer into the PhD program without completing the master’s program provided they meet the following conditions:
- Completion of 2.5 credits of master’s courses with a minimum average of A-;
- Demonstration of exceptional research potential;
- Formal application for admission to the PhD program no later than the fourth semester of initial registration in the MASc program;
- Permission from the Director of the Building Engineering Programs.
The online application for Building Engineering can be found here.
Applicants for Master’s of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Building Engineering must have a thesis supervisor. Depending on concentration area and ongoing research projects, each professor may have different standards for admission. M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. applicants are recommended contacting professors that are most suitable to their research experience and interests before submitting a formal application.
Degree requirements
M.Eng. in Building Engineering (Coursework) [5 credits]
Required Courses [1 credit]
- BLDG 5101: Introduction to Building Engineering
- BLDG 5102: Introduction to Research Methods
Building Engineering Courses [2 credits]
- Four Buildings Engineering Courses
- At least one course must be taken from each of the three of concentration areas (Performance; Heritage Conservation; Fire Safety)
Electives [2 credits]
- Four courses in the Faculty of Engineering and Design (Electives taken outside the program must be approved by the department. Please fill out a Course Approval Request and email it to CEEGradInfo@cunet.carleton.ca)
M.Eng. in Building Engineering (Project) [5 credits]
Project [1 credit]
Required Courses [1 credit]
- BLDG 5101: Introduction to Building Engineering
- BLDG 5102: Introduction to Research Methods
Building Engineering Courses [2 credits]
- Four Buildings Engineering courses
- At least one course must be taken from each of the three of concentration areas
Electives [1 credits]
- Two courses in the Faculty of Engineering and Design (Electives taken outside the program must be approved by the department. Please fill out a Course Approval Request and email it to CEEGradInfo@cunet.carleton.ca)
M.A.Sc. in Building Engineering [5 credits]
M.A.Sc. Thesis [2.5 credit]
Required Courses [0.5 credit]
- BLDG 5101: Introduction to Building Engineering
Building Engineering courses [1.5 credits]
Electives [0.5 credits]
- One course in the Faculty of Engineering and Design (Electives taken outside the program must be approved by the department. Please fill out a Course Approval Request and email it to CEEGradInfo@cunet.carleton.ca)
Ph.D. in Building Engineering [10 credits]
Ph.D. Thesis [8 credit]
Ph.D. Thesis Proposal [0.5 credit]
Required Courses [0.5 credit]
- BLDG 5101: Introduction to Building Engineering
Building Engineering courses [1 credit]
Summary Building Engineering Programs Structure
| Component/ | MEng | MEng | MASc | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity | coursework | project | thesis | thesis |
| Required courses 1,2 | 1.0 credits | 1.0 credits | 0.5 credits | 0.5 credits |
| Building Engineering courses 2,3 | 2.0 credits 4 | 2.0 credits | 1.5 credits | 1.0 credits |
| Elective courses | 2.0 credits | 1.0 credits | 0.5 credit | |
| Project credit | 1.0 credit | |||
| Thesis proposal (with integrated comprehensive exam) | 0.5 credit | |||
| Thesis | 2.5 credits | 8.0 credits | ||
| Total credits | 5.0 credits | 5.0 credits | 5.0 credits | 10.0 credits |
1 All students must take BLDG 5101: Introduction to Building Engineering; M.Eng. students must also take BLDG 5102: Introduction to Research Methods
2 If a student has already taken the offered courses, they will be permitted to take relevant courses with the thesis supervisor’s recommendation and the program Director’s permission.
3 The Building Engineering courses for their respective concentrations are listed in the Course Offerings table. Students with no concentration must take at least 50% of courses requirements as those listed among the concentrations in the Course Offerings table.
4 M.Eng. coursework students must take at least one course in each of the three concentrations
Financial support
M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students are offered a competitive funding package upon admission. These funds are comprised of scholarships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships.
The minimum funding for domestic Ph.D. students is $35,000/year. Domestic M.A.Sc. applicants with a CGPA greater than B+ will receive a minimum funding $19,500/year. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the exact level and the details of their funding package with potential supervisors as early as possible during the application process. Note that the actual funding level can be higher than the above-mentioned the minimum amount if the student receives external awards or higher Research Assistantship.
International Ph.D. students also receive International Doctoral Tuition Support, reducing their tuition to the amount paid by domestic Ph.D. students in the same program.
The main graduate scholarships are:
- NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships for M.A.Sc. students ($17,500 per year) and for Ph.D. students ($21,000 to $35,000 per year)
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship for M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students $15,000 per year.
- Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies for M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students $15,000 per year (available for Québec residents only).
Applications for all these must be submitted in late September, and the scholarships are awarded late March.
The funding offer of the fast-tracking MASc students shall be re-evaluated and considered to the same level of departmental financial support that normal PhD applicants will be eligible for. An undergraduate and/or graduate degree in engineering will ensure a solid foundation to meet discipline specific & knowledge-based learning outcomes (LOs 1 to 5). University level requirements for language requirements for international students and research proposal statement will ensure the applicants meet LO 6 (Synthesize and effectively communicate the state-of-the-art to peer researchers and/or stakeholders). Applicants who do not meet the normal requirements for admission will be required to complete additional courses, extra to the normal program requirements. These courses will be recommended by the Director in consultation with the core faculty.
Faculty members
Professors in Building Performance Engineering
Liam O’Brien
Email: liam.obrien@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/people/liam-obrien/
Scott Bucking
Email: scott.bucking@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/scott-bucking/
Burak Gunay
Email: burak.gunay@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/h-burak-gunay/
Elie Azar
Email: elie.azar@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/elie-azar/
Cara Lozinsky
Email: caralozinsky@cunet.carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/cara-lozinsky/
Professors in Heritage Conservation Engineering
Mario Santana
Email: mario.santana@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/mario-santana-quintero/
Bora Pulatsu
Email: bora.pulatsu@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/bora-pulatsu/
Professors in Fire Safety
Mohamed Beshir
Email: mohamedbeshir@cunet.carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/mohamed-beshir/
Hamzeh Hajiloo
Email: hamzeh.hajiloo@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/hajiloo-hamzeh/
Ehab Zalok
Email: ehab.zalok@carleton.ca
Webpage: https://carleton.ca/cee/profile/ehab-zalok/
Facilities and Research Centres
Building Performance Research Centre (BPRC)
Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
NSERC CREATE Heritage Engineering
Course offerings
Course descriptions are available at Carleton University Graduate Calendar
Concentration in Building Performance
BLDG 5301 (0.5 credit) Building Energy Management and Optimization
CIVE 5707F (0.5 credit) Energy Modelling for Existing Buildings
BLDG 5103 (0.5 credit) Advanced Research Methods in Building Engineering
ENVE 5104 (0.5 credit) Indoor Environmental Quality
BLDG 5302 (0.5 credit) Building Services Engineering
MECH 5205 (0.5 credit) Building Performance Simulation
Concentration in Heritage Conservation
BLDG 5201 (0.5 credit) Advanced Building Characterization, Conservation and Rehabilitation Heritage
BLDG 5202 (0.5 credit) Structural assessment of historical buildings
CDNS 5403 (0.5 credit) Heritage Conservation and Sustainability
ARCN 5100 (0.5 credit) Representation and Documentation in Architectural Conservation
ARCC 5401 (0.5 credit) Workshop: Technical Studies in Heritage Conservation
BLDG 5103 (0.5 credit) Advanced Research Methods in Building Engineering
Concentration in Fire Safety
CIVE 5609 (0.5 credit) Fundamentals of fire safety engineering
CIVE 5610 (0.5 credit) Fire Dynamics I
CIVE 5612 (0.5 credit) Fire Modelling
CIVE 5613 (0.5 credit) Fire Dynamics II
CIVE 5614 (0.5 credit) Design for Fire Resistance
CIVE 5615 (0.5 credit) Behaviour of Materials in Fire
International students
Building Engineering Programs receive a large number of applications each year from well-qualified visa students for a limited number of positions. Only students with background from a relevant engineering degree with high honours in their country (alternatively defined as 80% or above from universities with a percentage system, 3.0 on a 4 GPA system, 15 out of 20 on the 20 point system) and a high ranking in their graduating class should consider applying. In view of the limited financial resources available at the Institute, preference will be given to applicants who have obtained a scholarship external to Carleton University, which would support their proposed degree program.
The academic year starts in September and students generally first register in the Fall semester. For registration in September, in most cases the student’s file should be complete by March 1st. Other applicants will be processed but will have little prospect of receiving financial support. The universities and the individual professors generally make their decisions concerning financial support/aid by April 15th.
International students studying in Ontario need to cover the combined cost of tuition fees and living expenses. While the cost of living varies from one person to another, our best estimate living expenses (excluding tuition fees) is CAD $20,000/year. For more information about costs and fees, please visit: Carleton. International students admitted to the M.A.Sc. or Ph.D. program in Building Engineering may work as teaching and research assistants in addition to receiving additional scholarships. Your eligibility for teaching and research assistantships, and internally administered scholarships will be automatically assessed with application. International Ph.D. students also receive an International Doctoral Tuition Support, reducing their tuition to the amount paid by domestic Ph.D. students in the same program.
If you have further international admissions inquiries, please contact us at CEEGradInfo@cunet.carleton.ca