If you're pursuing a CU Boulder undergraduate degree, you have the option to declare a major, minor or certificate. If you're pursuing a graduate degree, you can often declare a certificate as well.
Learn more about intra-university transfer and change of major tuition changes.
Adding or Changing a Major or Minor
Outside Your Current College or School (Majors Only)
If you're a current CU Boulder student and you want to declare a major or pursue an additional degree within a different college, school or program than the one you're currently in, complete the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) process.
Within Your Current College or School
Before you submit a major-change request, contact your advisor to discuss potential impacts. Students in certain colleges can schedule an advising appointment through Buff Portal Advising, and any undergrad can take advantage of campuswide drop-in advising hours.
If you're currently enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences and wish to pursue another major or minor within Arts & Sciences, follow the steps outlined below depending on your year in school.
- First-year students should make an appointment with their first-year advisor through Buff Portal Advising.
- Sophomores, juniors and seniors should log in to Buff Portal Advising and use the "Meet with Different Advisor" link to request a major change through an online form, or meet with an advisor to discuss their situation in more detail.
If you're a current Arts & Sciences student and you have additional questions, please schedule an appointment with your advisor through Buff Portal Advising.
If you're not currently enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences and wish to add or drop an Arts & Sciences minor, log in to Buff Portal Advising and use the "Meet with Different Advisor" link to request a minor change.
Majors: If you want to change your area of emphasis (major) or add another emphasis, email your current advisor to request the change. If you who don’t know your advisor’s information, you may contact leedsug@colorado.edu for assistance.
Minors: Current Leeds students cannot add a business minor. Instead, if you want to declare a minor offered by another college or program, contact the college offering the minor for more information.
If you're a current education student who wants to change your major or minor, contact the School of Education at 303-492-6555 or edadvise@colorado.edu.
If you want to pursue an education licensure, contact the School of Education at 303-492-6555 or edadvise@colorado.edu.
- If you're a current engineering student who wants to change, add or remove an engineering major, meet with your current academic advisor to initiate the process.
- If you're a current student in any program who wants to add or remove an engineering minor, email the appropriate contact.
Advisors are available during the campus-wide Advising Open Hours.
If you're a current environmental design student who wants to change your specialization (major), log in to Buff Portal Advising and schedule an appointment with your current advisor.
If you want to declare a minor or change your minor within environmental design, contact the Program in Environmental Design at 303-492-8010 or ENVDoffice@colorado.edu.
If you're a current College of Media, Communication and Information student who wants to change to a different CMCI major or minor, log in to Buff Portal Advising and schedule an appointment with your advisor.
Current music students who want to change their specialization should contact their faculty instructor/advisor.
Adding or Changing a Certificate
If you're a degree-seeking CU Boulder student and you want to enroll in a certificate program, you must contact and get approval from the host department. That department will contact the Office of the Registrar to begin the declaration process.
If you've graduated from CU Boulder and want to pursue a new certificate as a nondegree student, contact the department hosting the certificate to see if that's a possibility. If it is, you'll be allowed to enroll in the program through Continuing Education.
If you don't want to continue your certificate program, contact the host department. That department will contact the Office of the Registrar to begin the discontinuation process.
When you've completed your certificate requirements, the department will notify the Office of the Registrar.
- If you're a degree-seeking student, due to federal financial aid regulations, the Office of the Registrar will only award your certificate after your degree has posted to your official transcript.
- If you're a nondegree student, your certificate may post to your record at the close of the term in which you complete the certificate requirements and the department notifies Continuing Education.
Certificates post to eligible students' transcripts approximately five days after degrees post in a given term. Students whose certificates post on or after Fall 2017 are issued a diploma-like document as well the option to download a CeCertificate. Please note that the diploma-like document will only be mailed if you've satisfied all of your financial obligations within one year of graduation.