BS in Creative Technology and Design
The Bachelor of Science in Creative Technology and Design is a degree for makers, tinkerers and builders—creatives with a passion for inventing, who learn best by doing.
Through project-based courses, you develop engineering, design and critical thinking skills, giving you the versatility and expertise to tackle complex projects that span multiple disciplines.
During freshman and sophomore years, you mainly concentrate on College of Engineering and CTD core courses; in junior and senior years, you'll focus on areas that you're passionate about.
“I decided to attend CU Boulder because of the uniqueness of the program that ATLAS offers. I was inspired by my instructors’ undying curiosity and true passion for the importance of interdisciplinary innovation. As an individual who has never fit into one box, I felt perfectly at home in the ATLAS Institute.”
Cassandra Goodby
Senior Design Technologist, Amazon
Creative Technology & Design alum (BS & MS)
Why Choose Creative Technology & Design?
Learn by Making
Project-based classes mean you’ll design, prototype and build from day one. You’ll develop a foundation in engineering, design, technology and leadership, then tailor your degree to your interests with electives from across the university.
Highest Retention Among Engineering Majors
If you make the choice to study Creative Technology and Design, you're likely to stick with it. The CTD major has the highest retention rate of any major in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder: Almost 90% of those who start the degree graduate from the program.
Be Creative and Technical
CTD allows you to be both technical and creative. You don't have to choose just one! By the time you graduate, you'll feel comfortable working with many kinds of technologies and, thanks to a strong background in design, you'll be able to implement them with sensitivity and finesse.
Find Your Community
Whether you’re spending time in the BTU, Audio Frequency Lab or B2, you’ll collaborate with classmates, faculty and researchers who share your curiosity. Plus, this program has the highest retention rate of any major in the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
Build a Portfolio
Every project is an opportunity to show what you can do. CTD is built around growing your technical and creative skills, so you’ll graduate with a portfolio that demonstrates your expertise to employers and collaborators.
Prepare for What’s Next
Technology changes, but the ability to learn, adapt and collaborate doesn’t. CTD prepares you with a flexible technical foundation, creative confidence and the ability to apply new tools—including AI—as industries evolve.
Student Capstone Projects
Kaleideo, by EO Rafelson
A unique planetarium light show using imagery generated by a physical kaleidoscope.
Dinner by Design, by Samia Juras
An interactive cooking app that provides step-by-step instructions and breaks down elements so users can mix and match.
TODOS Productivity Board by Jason Fontillas, Sydney Calcagno & Henry Waill
Smart habit tracking in a familiar, analog interface to make productivity more tactile.
Kaleideo, by EO Rafelson
A unique planetarium light show using imagery generated by a physical kaleidoscope.
Dinner by Design, by Samia Juras
An interactive cooking app that provides step-by-step instructions and breaks down elements so users can mix and match.
TODOS Productivity Board by Jason Fontillas, Sydney Calcagno & Henry Waill
TODOS combines smart habit tracking with a familiar, analog interface to make productivity a more tactile experience.
Where ATLAS Alumni Work
Careers
CTD prepares you for a wide range of careers in fast-growing and emerging fields.
Curriculum
During freshman and sophomore years, you complete the College of Engineering core curriculum alongside CTD core courses. During junior and senior years, your coursework consists of electives in your focus area. This might be user interface and user-experience (UI/UX), sound design, interactive computing, robotics, internet of things, physical computing, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), game design, or any other field where having technical knowledge and design skills gives you an edge. In your final year, your will participate in a two-semester Senior Capstone sequence which involves a culminating project that brings together the diverse skills learned during your undergraduate career.
As a CTD student, you will have access to regular professional development opportunities, workshops and guest speakers. Many students also secure internships with industry partners and/or work in research and student labs.
Note: A grade of C or better is required in all terminal Foundation, Core, and Capstone courses. A grade of C- or higher is required in all terminal Focus and CPT Electives. The minimum passing grade for a course that is considered a prerequisite for another course is C-.