Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Into College of Engineering & Applied Science Bachelor's Degree Programs

Important Changes for Fall 2025

The College of Engineering and Applied Science is making two changes to IUT admission requirements, effective for fall 2025 admission:

  1. the minimum grade for IUT technical coursework is changing from a C to a C-
  2. students will need to be in Good Academic Standing (meaning, minimum CU GPA of 2.0)

All other admissions requirements remain the same.

Are you a current CU Boulder student and want to study engineering? The Intra-University Transfer (IUT) process allows you to transfer to the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) from another college or school on the Boulder campus, or add an engineering major to your current degree program.

  • IUT Change: Switch your current major for a major in the College of Engineering and Applied Science
  • IUT Add: Keep your current major and add an engineering major

The Engineering IUT process is non-competitive; meaning, if a student meets criteria, admission is guaranteed.

Application Dates

  • Spring Admission: Apply between September 15 - December 20 at 11:59pm MT

    • Priority Consideration Deadline: October 1 at 11:59pm MT

  • Summer Admission: Apply between February 15 - May 10 at 11:59pm MT

    • Priority Consideration Deadline: March 1 at 11:59pm MT

  • Fall Admission: Apply between May 15 - August 10 at 11:59pm MT

Start the IUT Application

If you experience any issues with the button above, please see the main IUT website for a link to the application.

Application will take less than 10 minutes to complete.

IUT Requirements

Required Courses

Students must complete the following courses on the CU Boulder campus with a C or better. (Starting with the fall 2025 application, the minimum grade is C- or better.)

  1. APPM 1350 or MATH 1300 or APPM 1340+1345
  2. APPM 1360 or MATH 2300

If you have prior transfer/AP/IB credit for the courses above, consult the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Guide for approved substitutions.

Choose from the following list of approved courses:

  • PHYS 1110, PHYS 1115, PHYS 1120, PHYS 1125
  • CHEM 1113, CHEM 1400, CHEN 1201*, CHEN 1211*, CHEM 1133
  • CSCI 1200, CSCI 1300**, CSCI 2270, CSCI 2275, APPM 1650, CHEN 1310*, ECEN 1310*, ATLS 1300*, ATLS 2270*, MCEN 1030*, ASEN 1030**

Consult the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Guide for course recommendations by intended major.

* Must request enrollment by completing a Course Request Form.

** For Aerospace-interested students: CSCI 1300, ASEN 1030, or an equivalent programming course should be taken in your first year, as it is a required prerequisite for sophomore level Aerospace courses.

Minimum Grade in Technical Coursework

Students must earn a C or better in Technical Coursework. (Starting with the fall 2025 application, the minimum grade is C- or better.)

Includes all CEAS courses (ATLS, AREN, ASEN, BIEN, BMEN, CHEN, COEN, CSCI, CVEN, ECEN, EHON, ENLP, EMEN, ENES, EVEN, GEEN, MCEN, MSEN 2000) + all courses from APPM, BCHM, CHEM, EBIO, MATH, MCDB, PHYS.

Courses not included in Technical GPA for IUT admission: Preparatory courses to calculus and college chemistry. APPM 1235 Pre-Calculus for Engineers, any MATH course with number lower than MATH 1300, GEEN 2010 Engineering Tools and Analysis, or any CHEM course with number lower than CHEM 1113.

2.700 Overall Technical GPA

Students must have a minimum CU Boulder Technical GPA of 2.700 for admission.

You may repeat a course to meet this requirement, but the most recent attempt must be a C or better (starting with the fall 2025 application, the minimum grade is C- or better). All course attempts will be included in the technical GPA calculation unless approved for grade replacement under the campus policy.

Note: 2.700 GPA represents overall average grades of B-; you cannot have all C or C- grades and be admitted, as that will not meet the 2.700 GPA minimum.

A Technical GPA is calculated for Engineering IUT admissions purposes only and is based on grades earned in select CU Boulder “technical courses”. This includes all CEAS courses (ATLS, AREN, ASEN, BIEN, BMEN, CHEN, COEN, CSCI, CVEN, ECEN, EHON, ENLP, EMEN, ENES, EVEN, GEEN, MCEN, MSEN 2000) + all courses from APPM, BCHM, CHEM, EBIO, MATH, MCDB, PHYS.

To check your Technical GPA, first access the Degree Audit system from your Buff Portal and choose "Select a Different Program." Then, set “Engr ApSci” for the College and select "Other - IUT" as the Degree. Next, set the Catalog Year as the semester you anticipate beginning in an Engineering degree program. Then, click the "Run Different Program" button at the bottom of the screen.

3 Attempts Limit in Technical Coursework

If a student has taken a CU Boulder technical course three (3) times and has not achieved a C grade or higher (starting with the fall 2025 application, the minimum grade is C-), they are no longer eligible for an IUT into the College of Engineering and Applied Science. This does not include withdrawn courses with "W" grade.

Visit the Office of Undergraduate Education IUT webpage for more information about the IUT Repeat Policy.

45 Credit Hour Residency Requirement

The last 45 credit hours of an engineering degree must be earned with CU Boulder coursework only, after the point of admission into the CEAS.

Students are responsible for calculating credits needed for their intended engineering degree. Students can do this by running a "What-If" Degree Audit for their intended engineering degree program.

Good Academic Standing

Starting with the Fall 2025 application, students must be in Good Academic Standing per university policy to be admitted into the College of Engineering and Applied Science.  For students who are not in Good Academic Standing when they apply, applications will be set to “Deferred” status and will be reviewed again once final grades post for the current semester.

Students who began at CU Boulder prior to Fall 2022 may choose to be admitted under earlier criteria, if desired:

Pre-Fall 2022 IUT criteria for B.S. degree  Pre-Fall 2022 IUT criteria for B.A. degree 

Additional Policies

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit (including AP or IB credit) does not apply to Engineering IUT admission requirements; however, if transferred as a CU Boulder equivalent course, may still be applicable to your intended engineering degree.

If you have taken coursework at UCD or UCCS, your grades from those courses will factor into your CU Boulder GPA but will not factor into Engineering IUT admission, as IUT admission is based on CU Boulder coursework only.

If you have transfer credit for one or more math courses, please see this website for guidance on selecting the best math course for your first semester at CU Boulder.  

With the exception of coursework taken at CU Boulder in Spring 2020, if a technical course allows a student to choose their grading basis (e.g. Letter Grade versus Pass/Fail), students may not choose the Pass/Fail option if they intend to IUT to CEAS. If the grading option is only Pass/Fail (e.g., APPM 1351), that is permissible for purposes of IUT.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science honors the CU Grade Replacement Policy. All course attempts will be included in the technical GPA calculation, unless approved for grade replacement under the campus policy.

Students with an "IUT On-Track" status: please refer to the "IUT On Track" section above.

All other students can visit the CEAS Departmental Course Request webpage to request enrollment in a restricted engineering course, but will only be enrolled in that course if space is available. While students can request select courses from engineering departments, requests do not guarantee actual course enrollment. It is also important to note that the IUT process can affect a student's overall time-to-degree if they are not able to enroll in certain engineering courses.

The CEAS course request forms are managed by the individual departments and not by the Engineering IUT Coordinator. Feel free to reach out to the department directly with questions about the form or for updates on your specific request.

IUT On Track

To be considered “IUT On Track” status, students must:
  • Apply by the Registration Access (Priority Consideration) Deadlines listed below.
  • Have one required math and one required science course completed and are completing their second required math course.
  • Meet all other IUT requirements:
    • Technical GPA: 2.700.
    • All technical courses completed with a C grade or higher. (Starting with the fall 2025 application, the minimum grade is C- or better.)
    • No more than three attempts at a technical course.
    • Have 45 credits remaining in degree after being admitted into the college.
    • Be in Good Academic Standing at the time of application.
Register for Restricted Engineering Courses

Once granted "On Track” status, students will be eligible to register for some restricted engineering courses during the regular registration period for the upcoming term.

Students can only enroll in courses listed below for the specific CEAS major selected on the IUT application. 

  • AREN 1027, 2050, 2110, 2120
  • ASEN 1030, 2401, 2402, 2403, 2501, 2502
  • ATLS 1100, 1300, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2270, 2300
  • BIEN 2810
  • BMEN 1000, 2010, 2100
  • CHEM 1221
  • CHEN 1201, 1203, 1310, 2120, 2810
  • CSCI 2400, 2820, 2824
  • CVEN 1027, 2012, 2017, 2121
  • ECEN 1310, 2250, 2260, 2270, 2350, 2370
  • GEEN 1017, 2400, 2851
  • MCEN 2000, 2023, 2024

Students will need to submit a CEAS Course Request Form for any restricted engineering courses they would like to take outside of the major selected on the IUT application or any additional courses not on the list above. Only 1000- and 2000-level courses may be requested.

Note: be aware of pre-requisites and that students may be taking only one or two courses in their intended major this upcoming semester. 

IUT Resources

Start Planning

Prospective IUT students should work through the following steps:  

  • Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your plan to IUT to Engineering.
  • Review a “what-if” degree audit for the engineering degree program(s) you are considering.
  • Utilize the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Guide to help draft a semester-by-semester graduation plan.
  • Refer to the Sample Degree Plan for your desired degree program.   
  • The Class Search website can provide a general guide of when classes have previously been offered (spring, fall, summer). 
Academic Planning Resources

Learn more with the IUT Canvas Guide

  • Academic Planning Tools
  • How to find your technical GPA
  • Choosing the right Math and Science courses
  • Academic support resources
  • Deciding on Computer Science B.A. or B.S.

IUT Canvas Guide

Questions? Contact IUT Advising: EngineeringIUT@colorado.edu

How to meet with a different advisor

CEAS IUT Advising Options

IUT Drop-in Advising (all majors)

  • Facilitated by Engineering Peer Advisors. No registration required.
  • Drop-in advising hours are intended to address questions students have about IUT into the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
  • Click on the Meet with Different Advisor tile in Buff Portal Advising for availability.

IUT Advising Appointments (all majors)

  • Facilitated by an Engineering Academic Advisor.
  • Click on the Meet with Different Advisor tile in Buff Portal Advising for availability.

Questions? Please reach out to EngineeringIUT@colorado.edu and the IUT team will get back to you shortly.

Key Dates & Deadlines

Spring IUT Admission

Sep. 15, 12 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for spring admission.

Oct. 1, 11:59 p.m. MT: Deadline to submit application to be considered for IUT On Track status. If you meet (or will meet) the IUT Requirements by the end of the fall term, it is highly recommended for you to apply by this priority date.

Jan. 5, 11:59 p.m. MT: Final deadline to submit application for spring admission.

Summer IUT Admission

Feb. 15, 12 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for summer admission.

Mar. 1, 11:59 p.m. MT: Deadline to submit application to be considered for IUT On Track status. If you meet (or will meet) the IUT Requirements by the end of the spring term, it is highly recommended for you to apply by this priority date.

May 10, 11:59 p.m. MT: Final deadline to submit application for summer admission.

Fall IUT Admission

May 15, 12 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for fall admission.

Aug 10, 11:59 p.m. MT: Final deadline to submit application for fall admission.