Creative Technology & Design Undergraduate Programs

Creative Technology & Design (CTD) is an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree that combines computing, digital and physical design, and art to explore new technologies and innovate experiences. Students learn through hands-on, project-based courses while exploring areas such as human-computer interaction, robotics, UX/UI, physical computing, AR/VR, product design and more. As part of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, CTD emphasizes both technical depth and creative problem solving. 

Students who want to supplement another major with engineering and design skills can choose from the Creative Technology & Design minor or two different certificates. 

Yes! Creative Technology & Design (CTD) is a Bachelor of Science degree offered through the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) at CU Boulder. CTD students complete CEAS core curriculum while gaining hands-on experience applying engineering, computing and design principles to real-world projects. 

Unlike traditional engineering degrees, CTD combines technical rigor with creativity and human-centered design. Through interdisciplinary, project-based learning, students create products, websites, apps, games, interactive installations and more while learning to think critically about the role technology plays in society. 

Creative Technology & Design (CTD) and Computer Science have a lot in common. Both programs develop strong technical skills in programming and computing. But CTD takes a “yes, and” approach by pairing those technical foundations with design, creativity and human-centered problem-solving through interdisciplinary, project-based coursework. With smaller classes and studio-style learning, students have the opportunity to collaborate closely, explore their interests and build physical and digital technologies. 

The Creative Technology & Design (CTD) degree blends the technical rigor of engineering education with the flexibility to pursue your creative interests. During your first two years, you’ll complete College of Engineering and Applied Science core curriculum in math, science and engineering alongside CTD courses in design, computation and creative technology. 

CTD specific curriculum is designed to give you a broad foundation before you specialize. You’ll begin with foundational classes in design, programming and media theory, then build technical and creative skills through courses on image making, web development, graphic design, multimaterial fabrication, audio engineering and physical computing. Later in the program, you’ll customize your degree with focus electives aligned with your interests, and apply everything you’ve learned in a year-long Senior Capstone project. 

Creative Technology & Design (CTD) alumni work at companies ranging from local startups to international organizations like Adobe, IBM, Disney and Northrop Grumman. CTD students build skills that span engineering, computing, design and creative problem-solving. Graduates pursue careers in UX/UI design, product design, software engineering, game development, AR/VR, robotics, physical computing, web development, multimedia production and many other emerging fields.