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 from another college or school on the Boulder campus, or add an engineering major to your current degree program.

THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA IS FOR ALL MAJORS EXCEPT THE B.A. IN COMPUTER SCIENCE. For more infromation on the BA in CS degree, see those requirements here.

*The College of Engineering and Applied Science reserves the right to revise the IUT application process or admission criteria as it finds necessary.

You must complete the following courses on the CU Boulder campus with a C or better.

  • Math (two courses): Choose two courses from the following:
    • APPM 1350 (or MATH 1300, or APPM 1340+1345)
    • APPM 1360 (or MATH 2300) 
    • APPM 2350 (or MATH 2400)
    • APPM 2360
  • Science (two courses):  ONE combination of the following is acceptable:
    • PHYS 1110 (or PHYS 1115) + CHEM 1113/1114 (or CHEM 1400)
    • PHYS 1110 (or PHYS 1115) + PHYS 1120 (or PHYS 1125)
    • CHEM 1113/1114 (OR CHEM 1400, OR CHEN 1201/1114) + CHEM 1133/1134

Additional notes:

  • Transfer credit (including AP/IB coursework) does not apply to IUT admission requirements.
  • If you have taken coursework, at UCD or UCCS, your grades from those courses will carry over to CU Boulder but will not factor into IUT admission GPA requirements; IUT admission is based on CU Boulder coursework only.
  • For Aerospace-interested students: CSCI 1300, ASEN 1320, or an equivalent programming course is required to begin the sophomore level ASEN courses.

  1. No more than 60 CU Boulder attempted credit hours with final grades posted to your transcript (W grades excluded). If you are beyond the credit hour maximum, you cannot apply.
    • AP/IB or transfer coursework is NOT included; only credits accumulated on the CU Boulder campus.
  2. Minimum CU Boulder cumulative GPA of a 3.000 required for admission.
  3. Minimum CU Boulder technical GPA of a 2.700 required for admission.
    • See UCB Technical GPA to know what courses are included as technical coursework.
    • All courses in the UCB Technical GPA must be a C or better.  You may repeat a course to meet this requirement, but the most recent attempt must be a C or better.
  4. All coursework is used in computing these GPAs (including repeated courses).

To track your progress and see both GPAs above, you can run the "GPA Calc for Engineering IUTs" degree audit on Buff Portal.  When you access your degree audit, choose "Select a Different Program," then choose "Engr ApSci" from the drop-down.  Next, select "Other - IUT" and choose the current catalog year.  Click "Run Different Program" and you will be able to see your IUT audit. 

NOTE: Credit hours from all course attempts (W's excluded) will count towards the 60 credit hour limit, including all attempts of repeated courses (this includes grade replacement).
e.g. CSCI 1300 (grade C- or lower) = 4 credit hours.  CSCI 1300 (grade C- or lower) + repeated CSCI 1300 (grade C or higher) = 8 credit hours

  1. To apply, you must have met all the criteria listed in the previous steps and you must have all final grades posted in Buff Portal Advising  (on your transcript); otherwise, your application will not be reviewed.
    • Note: Incomplete (“I”) grades are not considered final and will result in your application not being reviewed.
  2. If you meet all the criteria, you will be admitted to the major selected on your application.  This is NOT a competitive process, so if you have not met the requirements, you should not apply.
  3. Complete the online IUT application AFTER ALL IN-PROGRESS GRADES ARE FINAL and you know you have met the IUT requirements.

​THE IUT APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED.  PLEASE CHECK BACK IN DECEMBER, 2020 FOR THE SPRING APPLICATION.
Application Date: Wednesday, December 23rd
Decision Date: Monday, January 4th

EFFECTIVE FOR FALL 2020:
ALL IUT ADVISING WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY - 

Please make sure you have first met with your assigned academic advisor and read this website and the FAQs below carefully.  If you have questions that cannot be answered by your advisor, please click the link below to submit an IUT advising form and learn how to make an appointment with an Engineering IUT advisor.

Engineering IUT Advising Form

We expect IUT drop-in hours for the Fall 2020 semester to fill quickly, so please be patient and understanding if we are not able to meet with you right away.

Additional FAQs About the IUT Process - for B.S. Degrees in Engineering

Can students who want to Intra-University Transfer (IUT) into engineering take courses pass/fail?

Yes, please see the P/F grade policy below:

Engineering will allow "P+" grades for admission into any degree program.  If you receive a "P+" grade, we will allow that to satisfy any prerequisite of that course.  If you receive a "P" grade, this means your underlying grade was below a C- and we will not allow this for admission and it will also not satisfy prerequisite requirements for subsequent grades.   

Regardless of grades, we will still require the appropriate CU Boulder Cumulative and Technical GPAs, though we will not recalculate these GPAs, for any class taken Pass/Fail.  

This applies to courses taken in Spring 2020 ONLY.

Can I appeal my admission decision?

No.  There are no exceptions to the IUT process if a student does not meet the GPA, course, or grade requirements.  The IUT process is non-competitive, meaning, if a student meets criteria, admission is guaranteed.  Since it is not competitive, no exceptions (regardless of how close a grade or GPA may be) will be made and there is no appeal to this decision. 

Will Engineering honor the CU Grade Replacement Policy?

Yes, the College of Engineering will honor the CU Grade Replacement Policy, only if a student follows the proper procedures within this process and if the request is approved. 

To learn more about grade replacement, please see this website: https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/students/degree-planning/grade-replacement

High School Exception Criteria Details

The High School Exception Criteria applies to students who never previously applied to the College of Engineering and Applied Science and may apply for admission if the semester when they apply is within 18 months of their high school graduation date. 

To be eligible for the exception, students must meet the following:

  1. The student is within 18 months of their high school graduation and graduated from a U.S. high school.   
  2. The student’s high school academic record meets or exceeds the minimum criteria as follows:
    1. Rank in top 10% or GPA of 3.80 (U.S. high schools only)
    2. and SAT Critical Reading 610/ACT English 27 and SAT Math 670/ACT Math 30
  3. The CU-Boulder Cumulative GPA is at least 3.100, and
  4. No grades earned at CU-Boulder are below C. In addition, if a student has established a CU-Boulder Technical GPA, this GPA must be at least 2.700. All application deadlines as described in this advising guide apply.
What if I have transfer/AP/IB credit for the required IUT courses?

If you have transfer credit that comes in as equivalent to the IUT requirement courses, these classes may still count towards an engineering degree, but cannot be used for the IUT admission requirements.  In this case, you will take the next subsequent course(s) in either math, chemistry and physics.  

For example, if you have credit for Calculus 1 and Calculus 2, your IUT math courses will be Calculus 3 and Differential Equations/Linear Algebra.  If you have completed all math and science (physics and chemistry) with transfer credit, you may be asked to repeat coursework for IUT admission.  Please check with an IUT advisor if that is the case.

Can I register for restricted engineering courses?

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.  ​Students can visit the Departmental Course Request webpage to request an engineering course, but will only be enrolled in that course if space is available, as current engineering students have priority.

Humanities and Social Science Course List

For a list of H/SS electives applicable to all majors in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, please see the humanities and social science website.

Do MATH (1300, 2300, 2400) courses apply to engineering degrees?

Yes!  Both APPM and MATH versions of Calculus count the same toward any engineering degree.  

If I have a previous degree from CU am I still eligible for IUT?

Yes.  If you have a previous degree from CU Boulder (degree must be conferred), you will be held to all IUT requirements, EXCEPT the 60 credit hour maximum.  Any second-degree student will start their 60 credit hour requirement with coursework starting the semester after confirmation of their previous degree.  

45 Credit Hour Rule

Residency Requirement - The last 45 credit hours of the 128 required for the BS degree must be earned via CU Boulder coursework only and while rostered in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. 

If I meet all IUT criteria, am I guaranteed admission?

Yes.  If you meet all IUT criteria and apply by the posted deadline, you will be guaranteed admission to the major you enter on the application.  Since the IUT pathway is not competitive, this also means there are NO exceptions to the criteria.  

Since I register for classes before I can apply for IUT admission, do I have to wait to be admitted to enroll in engineering courses?

Yes.  Unless you are able to request a course through the engineering course request website (see previous FAQ for link) you must wait until you are fully admitted to register for any engineering-specific coursework in your intended major and there are no exceptions. 

While this does not always impact your time to graduation, it can, as even if admitted, the College of Engineering does not guarantee that you will be able to get the coursework that you need upon admission.  Careful planning of your courses and timely IUT transfer can lower the chances of extending the time to your degree.  

What if I am (or will be) over the 60 credit hour criteria?

If you are under 60 credit hours at the time of registration (meaning you will be over the credit limit with in-progress classes), you do not need to petition the College for an exception.  

If you are officially over the 60 credit hour limit and feel as though your circumstances may warrant an exception, please see an IUT advisor during drop-in hours.