Degree Requirements

This page outlines degree requirements to graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder. Questions about graduation requirements can be directed to an academic advisor. Please fill out the enrollment help form for quick assistance if you have issues enrolling in an MCEN course.

These PDF flowcharts provide a semester-by-semester guideline that students can follow to complete the course requirements. Both blue & green flowcharts contain identical course requirements, with a few variations in sequencing. These are rough guidelines and most students follow personalized degree plans, based on timing and various ways students can customize their degree.

Students can start the curriculum by taking both Calculus and Physics in their first semester and complete their Humanities & Social Sciences courses toward the end of the program, as mapped out on the   Blue Degree Plan .

Students can also choose to take Chemistry in their first semester and prioritize Humanities & Social Sciences courses at the beginning of their degree program, as mapped out on the   Green Degree Plan .

Review the course content for all   MCEN Core Courses  of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum.

The minimum passing grade for a prerequisite or co-requisite course within the mechanical engineering curriculum is a C-. This includes courses completed outside the department (APPM, PHYS, etc.). The minimum passing grade for standalone classes (humanities & social sciences, math/science foundations) is a D-. Per the College's Academic Expectations and Policies, if the minimum required grade in a prerequisite course is not achieved, the student is required to repeat the course until the minimum acceptable grade has been earned (maximum of 3 graded attempts total to master the subject content at the required level). If a student takes the advanced (post-requisite) course, it does not remove the obligation to meet the prerequisite course minimum grade requirement, even if the grade earned in the advanced course is acceptable.

Additionally, students need to have a cumulative and major GPA of at least 2.00 in order to graduate from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.