Welcome to the Department of Environmental Design

We are thrilled to have you join us as part of our incoming class. During New Student Orientation, you will learn more about our resources, faculty and staff, your coursework, and the pathway to your individual degree completion.

The information on this page will serve as a primary resource for you from orientation through your first year as a design student. We look forward to connecting with you more during your first year. 

Getting Started

Orientation

Orientation is a comprehensive, multi-month experience designed to help you jump right into the Department of Environmental Design.

Once you have confirmed your offer of admission, New Student & Family Programs will begin your CU onboarding process. During this time, you will be asked to complete the Online Experience Course through Canvas. 

Once the online experience ends, CMDI hosts a College Welcome Day each semester for both our fall and spring incoming students. As you prepare for these festivities, please note the following information:

  • Complete your Online Orientation Course  
  • Connect with your advisor from late May to early June. Information can be found on Buff Portal Advising
  • Review your to-do Items in Buff Portal weekly throughout the summer
  • Register for Classes in June/July during a New Student (NSO) experience
  • Attend your fall College Welcome Day in late August
  • Complete your Online Orientation Course
  • Set up a meeting with your advisor from late November to early December
  • Review your to-do items in Buff Portal weekly throughout the Fall semester
  • Register for classes in January
  • Attend your spring College Welcome Day in mid-January
Familiarize Yourself with ENVD

Complete your Online Experience
The New Student & Family Programs office will be your guide to starting your undergraduate experience at CU Boulder. Be sure to complete your online experience by the required deadline.

 

Preparing for Your First Semester

Register for Your Classes
Before the semester begins and we host you at College Orientation Day, you will be asked to enroll in your classes through the Buff Portal. Prior to your registration date, you will be provided with the courses you will need to enroll in.

Please be sure to monitor your email and meet with your advisor prior to your registration window. Once you have completed your registration, check out the design faculty who will be part of your first semester. 

Supplies & Equipment
Environmental Design requires a specific set of studio supplies as you move through your design studio experience. 

All incoming Environmental Design students are required to have a personal laptop computer loaded with essential software for studios and classes. Review our supply list and technology recommendations to ensure that you start your first day with the appropriate computer and software.

Time to Engage

First-Year Experience Program
All first-year students will participate in our in-house, two-semester First-Year Experience Program. During this experience, students will create meaningful connections with their cohort, engage in social and academic events, and develop a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and allyship.

Living Learning Community
The Environmental Design Living Learning Community (LLC), housed in Willard Hall, is a residential community for first-year ENVD students to engage in regular programming that will supplement the academic rigor of their design education. 

Join a Student Organization
Environmental Design student groups are a great way to get involved, meet new people and network with professionals in your field of interest.

ENVD First Year Experience Program

As a first-year ENVD student, you are automatically enrolled in the Environmental Design First-Year Experience Program and required to live in our Living Learning Community. This program is designed to bridge experiences in the classroom to opportunities for further intellectual, social and cultural enhancement as a design student and community member of the CU Boulder campus. 

You will take part in co-curricular programming that promotes active engagement in your academics, community organization through student groups and DEI & allyship events that promote growth in understanding the diverse talent that exists in design spaces today. As you prepare for key pathways within our program, we offer ways to engage early in what it means to be a part of the Environmental Design community, as well as within your major. 

Our mission is to provide academic and social engagement between faculty, staff and students to ensure you find the right community and experience to be successful here as a design student.

Learn More about the ENVD LLC 

 

How it Works

Each month, you will find programming linked to key assignments and skills every design student needs to know on your studio drafting desk. For each event you attend, you will earn three points. The more events you attend the more points you will accumulate. 

At the end of your first academic year, you can submit your points to be eligible for one of our First-Year Engagement Scholarships.

Monitor Your Progress

Requirements for Scholarship

  • Achieve 60 points (attend 20 events) 
  • Hold a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher 
  • Maintain full-time enrollment, 12 credits or more each semester

 
  • Achieve 30 points (attend 10 events) 
  • Hold a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher 
  • Maintain full-time enrollment, 12 credits or more each semester 
  • Be enrolled & complete required summer coursework

First-Year FAQs

I have classes that look to be at the same time, why is that?

Great question! For the first three semesters, you will see that you are required to complete two studios per semester. Our studios run for eight weeks long, which means that halfway through the semester you will complete one studio, receive a grade, and then begin the other.

We keep your studio time consistent throughout the entire semester to offer maximum flexibility in your schedule. When your second studio begins halfway through the semester, it will remain at the same time as the studio you just completed.

All students will declare their major in the fall of their second year. You are allowed to make changes after that, but your major will dictate your coursework for the spring semester of your second year.

Work with your faculty & advisors if you have any questions about the majors we offer.

It is best to address this with your advisor before you register for your first semester of classes. We will ask you to complete a writing & math placement exam, but completing these courses can vary between students and will depend on any credit you have coming in.

Please reach out to your advisor for your specific questions.

We have some great resources to help you out. Follow this link to add a class. Follow this link to drop a class.

Yes, you can add a minor or certificate. Please talk with your advisor about options to consider.

Studios are small-class environments where students learn through hands-on projects, both individually and in groups. Lectures are traditional classroom environments where students learn through faculty lectures and homework assignments. 

No, you should have a sketchbook, pencils, and tracing paper to start, but everything else can be bought as needed.

Yes, all incoming Environmental Design students are required to have a personal laptop computer loaded with essential software for studios and classes. Review our supply list and technology recommendations to ensure that you start your first day with the appropriate computer and software.

During Your First Year

Our First Year Mentor team is a great place to start. They will be present at a variety of first-year events throughout your first year and you can request a one-on-one mentor to help you with more specific questions.

We love hearing you want to get involved! ENVD has a variety of student organizations ready for first-year and transfer students to engage as soon as classes begin. Your first-year experience program will be promoting all of their opening events so you know how to connect. If you are not sure, ask one of the first-year mentors or advisors. We are all here to help.

You can access your advisor through Buff Portal Advising. Sign in and click on their photo under the student success team. That will populate their calendar and you can select any open appointment. If you cannot find an open slot, be sure to look at the following weeks or send an email directly to your advisor. 

Absolutely! Take a look at all the different programs we offer. Talk to your advisor about the best time to pursue a study abroad experience during your degree plan. 

As a first-year student, time management is a key component of student success. Studio assignments are set up so that a first-year student can get all work done with an average of 6-10 hours of homework each week, depending on the time of the semester. No late nights are expected of first-year students.

Studios and lectures are equally important, and students should plan to allocate the same amount of homework time for both types of classes each week.

Recitation sections are classroom sessions that augment regular lectures to address homework assignments and student questions.