Current Student FAQs
Students can drop a course up to the tenth-week of the semester on the myCUinfo portal. It is strongly recommended to check in with the IDE academic advisor before dropping any classes.
Also check out our Academic Support & Tutoring resources. We all need help sometimes!
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Yes. All undergraduates in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences are eligible to enroll in the IDE degree program. If your current major (i.e. Electrical) has an equivalent emphasis in IDE (i.e. Electrical), you may pursue that emphasis so long as you are in good academic standing when you leave your current major (i.e. not dismissed/discontinued).
No. If you have been dismissed from your current major (i.e. Aerospace), you may not pursue the equivalent emphasis (i.e. Aerospace) in the IDE program. You may, however, pursue a different emphasis (i.e. Civil) through IDE.
Generally, yes. The College of Engineering and Applied Science looks for a technical writing course, so AP credit will not satisfy the writing requirement.
Learn more about Writing Requirements, including how to search for classes that meet these requirements.
If a student has completed AP/IB exams, they should check how their AP and IB scores may earn them college credit.
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The lists prerequisites with the course descriptions.
Prerequisites are generally enforced in all courses. If a student enrolls in a course in which the prerequisite has not been met, they will be dropped from the course at the beginning of the next term.
An exception is that If you are an IDE student interested in Teaching Design (GEEN 4400) education prerequisites can be waived. Contact Dr. Zarske with questions or to enroll.
Speak with the IDE academic advisor for additional information on prerequisites.
Yes! Learn more about Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements, including how to search for classes that meet these requirements.
Always double-check your H&SS elective selections in your degree audit after enrolling – if they do not show up in the HSS area of the audit, contact your advisor.
Per the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences repeated courses policy, you may not enroll more than three times in a course that applies towards degree requirements. Furthermore, after your third attempt, you may not substitute an equivalent course.
This means that a student has a maximum of three opportunities to show sufficient mastery of particular content, whether the course is from CU-Boulder or through another collegiate institution. Furthermore, the most recent occurrence of the subject/course is the grade which is applied to meet a grade required for a prerequisite course.
All IDE students take engineering core coursework. Course titles within an IDE Emphasis may vary, so check your selected Emphasis for specific engineering core courses.
All engineering core courses require a minimum grade of C- in each course.
If you are beginning the program as a first-year student, it’s perfectly okay to be undecided about an emphasis and/or concentration.
We ask that students have a firm stance on an emphasis by April of their first-year, when they begin to register for sophomore year. Depending on the chosen concentration, students start their sophomore or junior year.
In order to stay on pace for graduation, the earlier an emphasis and concentration are declared, the better.
If you are a transfer student, your timing may look different.
Speak with your IDE academic advisor for additional information and insight.
- Emphasis: by the end of your first year.
- Concentration: typically by the end of your second year.
If you are a transfer student, your timing may be different.
Work closely with your advisor to create an academic plan that maximizes your opportunities and interests.
No. At this time, there are no additional emphasis options. IDE students must complete one of our six disciplinary emphases:
Yes! Students with specific interests that do not match a pre-existing concentration may elect to create their own customized concentration.
- Students can enroll in up to 17 credit hours during their first term at CU Boulder.
- After the first term, the maximum is up to 19 credit hours as an engineering student.
More information can be found under the
Taking courses at a community college over the summer should be discussed with your IDE academic advisor. To see if credits from a community college class will transfer to CU Boulder, use .
Keep in mind the last 45 credit hours of an IDE degree have to be completed at the CU Boulder campus.
Yes! All students are required to take the FE Exam prior to graduation. You must take the FE exam in order to graduate and get your degree. Find more information about exam registration and preparation on our FE exam page.
- Major in Integrated Design Engineering
- Emphasis in (selected area of engineering)
- Concentration in (selected area of interest)
Yes! There are many job opportunities for Integrated Design Engineering graduates. Graduates of IDE pursue a variety of jobs in industry, teaching, business and more.
Many students go onto graduate school and professional programs post-graduation such as law school and med school.
With the program focus on leadership, collaboration and communication, students are equipped with skills to lead in a broad range of opportunities.
IDE has been through several name changes. GEEN comes from our original name as General Engineering. Our prefix will be changing to IDEN in Fall of 2023. Because many folks use our courses, we are giving our partners time to update their catalogs and language.
Our previous name was Engineering Plus. The program's content was not changed as a result of the name change.
Read about our decision to rename to Integrated Design Engineering.