Architectural Engineering

Here is the translation of the summary:

The five-year degree program trains professionals capable of integrating architectural, urban planning, and technical-engineering skills to design, redevelop, and regenerate the built environment. The focus is on both theoretical and practical knowledge, with a central emphasis on design, ranging from individual buildings to territorial planning.

The curriculum includes scientific, technical, and humanities courses, combined with laboratory activities to directly apply the acquired knowledge. Admission is competitive, requiring a test on logic, mathematics, science, and verbal comprehension.

Graduates can work as freelancers or hold responsible positions in public and private institutions, professional studios, and design firms, managing the planning, design, and execution of construction and urban projects, coordinating various specialists.

Main professions: architect and building and environmental engineer.


For more information, please refer to the original page in Italian.

A Master’s degree in Building Engineering and Architecture (Ing. E-A) equips graduates with the skills needed to work professionally in a variety of fields.

Work role:
Besides pursuing freelance work, graduates can assume leadership roles within public institutions, private enterprises, professional firms, and design studios engaged in the construction and redevelopment of urban and territorial spaces.

Key skills:
Graduates are able to design using architectural and civil engineering methods, fully understanding how to make projects feasible and how to manage construction, renovation, and changes to the built environment. They also have solid knowledge of design aesthetics, space planning, structural and technical details, project management, economics, and environmental issues, while staying aware of cultural shifts and modern societal needs.

Career prospects:
Graduates prepare project plans and oversee their execution, coordinating with other specialists and professionals in architecture, civil engineering, urban planning, historic restoration, and building maintenance as needed.

The Single-Cycle Master’s Degree program in Building Engineering and Architecture provides in-depth training in the scientific and disciplinary fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Graduates are expected to have a thorough understanding of architectural history, representation techniques, mathematics, and basic sciences, enabling them to analyze complex problems in architecture and civil engineering from an interdisciplinary perspective. They must also possess detailed knowledge of architecture, construction, urban planning, restoration, and environmental and territorial transformation.

The curriculum balances scientific, methodological, and practical skills, preparing students for advanced, innovative design and technical construction activities. Particular emphasis is placed on modern technologies, innovative materials, seismic issues, and the restoration of existing buildings. The program also covers business culture, professional ethics, and proficiency in at least one European language besides Italian, including technical and disciplinary vocabulary in both written and spoken forms.

Courses cover a broad range of topics, including history, surveying and representation, structural and technological design of buildings, technical-economic management of the construction process, architectural and urban design with special attention to conservation and reuse of existing heritage, and urban and territorial planning. Elective exams allow students to deepen their knowledge in specific areas.

Practical experience is enriched through design laboratories, while the final thesis is a critical component that requires originality and independent, effective work, demonstrating interdisciplinary expertise gained during the course.

The program is designed in compliance with European directives (85/384/EEC, updated by 2005/36/EC), taking into account disciplinary specifics and requiring at least 40 credits in applied and laboratory activities, ensuring a comprehensive and professionally oriented education.

For more information, please refer to the original page in Italian.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Single-Cycle Master’s Degree program in Building Engineering and Architecture, candidates must hold a secondary school diploma or an equivalent qualification obtained abroad and recognized as valid.

The program has a limited number of places available, in accordance with Article 1 of Law 264/99. Each year, the Ministry sets the number of students admitted, reserving a certain number of seats for international students.

Admission to the program requires passing an entrance exam covering general culture and logical reasoning, history, drawing and representation, mathematics, and physics. The exam’s format and content are defined by the relevant Ministerial Decree on the “methods and content of entrance tests for undergraduate and single-cycle master’s degree programs with limited access at the national level.” The decree also establishes a minimum passing score. No additional thresholds apply.

Admission Procedures

Applicants must possess a five-year secondary school diploma or an equivalent foreign qualification recognized under current regulations. Admission for international students follows the annual “Rules for the Admission of Foreign Students to University Courses” issued by the Ministry of Education, University and Research. These rules also specify how Italian language proficiency is assessed and conditions for exemption, if applicable.

The program is limited-access to ensure the quality of education in relation to available resources. The number of admitted students depends on national planning, available teaching staff, and educational facilities such as classrooms and laboratories.

The entrance exam tests candidates on: general culture and logical reasoning; history; drawing and representation; physics and mathematics. The details and minimum passing score are established annually by ministerial decree.

All relevant information, including the number of available places, exam dates, procedures, and content, is published in the official admission notice available on www.unibs.it.

For the academic year 2021-2022, following the provisions of Ministerial Decree 624/21 regulating access to this course, the entrance exam will be held locally. The test consists of forty (40) questions on the following topics:

• General culture and logical reasoning
• History
• Drawing and representation
• Physics and mathematics
  
  The University of Brescia has adopted the TEST-ARCHED, administered by CISIA (Interuniversity Consortium for Integrated Access Systems), in the @CASA (at-home) format.

Orientation for Incoming Students

The degree program actively participates in orientation initiatives for prospective students, organized both at the University level and within individual engineering macro-areas. Full details are available in the dedicated section of the University website, where students can also find information about specific activities offered by each macro-area. These initiatives are coordinated by a working group consisting of the Rector’s Delegate for Orientation, departmental delegates, and staff from the University Orientation Office (U.O.C. Orientation). The design and delivery of these activities are certified to UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standards.

Students can find up-to-date information on regular activities and upcoming events on the Orientation page.
 

Ongoing Support During the Program

Tutoring services are provided at the University level as part of an annual plan developed by the University Tutoring Committee and approved by the Academic Senate. The Tutoring Service supports students in progressing with their studies and helps identify and resolve issues that could affect student retention. The service is certified to UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standards and is managed by a dedicated unit within the University’s student support services.

Tutoring

Characteristics of the Final Examination

The final examination consists of the preparation, presentation, and defense before a designated committee of a comprehensive thesis, developed independently and in an original manner. During the preparation for the final examination, the student will be supervised by one or more advisors, with whom the thesis topic will be agreed upon. The student will also be required to take part in activities carried out within the relevant laboratory. If the student has undertaken an internship or placement, the final examination will normally focus on the activities carried out and the results achieved at the host organization (company, institution, or professional body).

The thesis work may be theoretical, experimental, or design-oriented. It represents an opportunity to apply and deepen, also in an interdisciplinary manner, the knowledge and skills acquired; to learn and use new techniques and tools for investigation and analysis; to acquire additional operational skills; and to independently develop frameworks and interpretative models.

The purpose of the final examination is to assess the student’s technical and scientific maturity, the competence and independent judgment acquired in relation to the chosen topic, any innovative contributions made, and the student’s communication skills and effectiveness.

Final Examination Procedures

The final examination is worth 15 ECTS credits. It consists of the preparation, presentation, and defense before a designated committee — established in accordance with the University Teaching Regulations — of a thesis developed independently and in an original manner, with significant personal contribution. If the student has completed an internship, the final examination may concern the activities performed and the results achieved at the host organization (public or private company, research center, university laboratory, institution, or professional body).

The thesis work will include the preparation of a written and/or design report, which may also be drafted in an official language of the European Union other than Italian. For the rules regarding the preparation and submission of the thesis title, the application for admission to the final examination, the submission of the thesis, and the assessment process, reference should be made to the “Regulations for the Master’s Degree Final Examination.”

It is also possible to undertake the thesis work abroad, under the supervision of a faculty advisor from the University of Brescia. In the case of thesis work carried out abroad, the advisor will submit to the Degree Program Board a proposal for the recognition of part of the final examination ECTS credits as being completed abroad. The number of credits awarded may range from 1 to 12 ECTS, depending on the student’s research program and duration of stay abroad. These credits will be recognized as acquired abroad without any formal grade.

Graduation sessions are held according to the calendar approved annually.