Current CU Students (IUT)

 

Already a CU student and thinking of becoming a CMCI major? We'd love to have you! Undergraduate students wishing to transfer to CMCI from another college or school on the Boulder campus must do so through the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) process.

View the requirements below to see how to qualify for intra-university transfer.


 

Application Requirements

Please note: Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission decisions are made on a space-available basis.

GPA and Credit Hour Requirements

24

A minimum of 24 credit hours completed or in process of completion during the term in which you submit your application.

2.5

An overall GPA of a 2.5 in at least 12 hours of completed CU coursework.

   Required Course

A GPA of at least 2.5 in prerequisite course(s) determined by the major. If a single course in the major is completed for the prerequisite, you must earn at least a B- (2.7 GPA) in the course.

Required Coursework

The prerequisite course for admission to the major must be completed or be in the process of completion during the term in which the application is submitted. View the course you will need to apply to the major of your choice. 

 

Prerequisite Courses

Select your preferred major to see the appropriate prerequisite course.

COMM 1210 (Perspectives on Human Communication)

JRNL 1000 (Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication)

MDST 1001 (Foundations of Media Studies) or MDST 1002 (Introduction to Social Media)

CMDP 1400 (Introduction to Contemporary Media Cultures)

INFO 1111, INFO 1121 or INFO 1701


In addition to the general IUT requirements, students applying to Strategic Communication (APRD) must also meet both requirements below to be eligible for admission:

  1. Students must have less than 60 total CU credits at the time of application to be eligible for admission into the Strategic Communication (APRD) major. Students with more than 60 CU credits at the time of application will not be considered for admission to the major. 
  2. Students must have their quantitative thinking requirement in the CMCI core completed or in progress when applying.

    As approved:

      How this will look on your degree audit. (Click to enlarge.)
    • APPM 1235, 1340, 1345, 1350 to 4998
    • AHUM 1825
    • EBIO 1010, 4410
    • ECEN 1500
    • ECON 1078, 1088
    • GEOG 3023
    • GEOL 3023
    • IPHY 2800, 3280
    • LING 4622
    • MATH 1001, 1011, 1012, 1021, 1071, 1081, 1112, 1130, 1150, 1212, 1300, 1310 to 4998
    • PHYS 1010,1020, 1220
    • PSCI 2075, 3105
    • SOCY 2061
    • INFO 1301
  3.  

Deadlines

Intra-University Transfer (IUT) dates and deadlines vary by term. The date you complete an IUT Change/Add/Drop application may impact your tuition and/or graduation timeline.


IUT Change/Add Deadlines

You should submit an  by the IUT Registration Access Deadline (Oct. 1, March 1 or June 1), for full IUT application consideration and the chance to enroll in restricted courses (when available). You are eligible to apply by the IUT registration access deadline, if you meet (or are on track to meet) all IUT Requirements by the end of the current term. Applications received after the registration access deadline are reviewed for admission on a space-available basis and admission is not guaranteed. View all upcoming dates and deadlines on the Undergraduate Advising IUT page.

IUT Requirement Repeat Policy

Students will have a maximum of three graded attempts to achieve the minimum grades for each IUT requirement, starting with the spring 2024 IUT application cycle. Please note that courses taken as pass/fail, will count as graded attempts. IUT requirement courses and minimum grades are set by each IUT college/school/program and are listed on their IUT webpage.

Each time a prospective IUT course is taken, it counts as one attempt toward fulfilling a specific IUT requirement. Therefore, students who have met or exceeded three attempts in an IUT requirement (not three attempts per course), without achieving the minimum grade, will have their IUT application denied and they will be ineligible to reapply to the same IUT college/school/program.

For example: If a student received failing grades in MATH 2510 twice and in SOCY 2061 once, they would be ineligible for an IUT into any major in Leeds and for the Strategic Communication major in CMCI.

Grade Replacement

The policy will include courses taken as part of Grade Replacement. Therefore, students will only be permitted to retake an IUT requirement two additional times after their initial enrollment. However, students are permitted to retake courses that also happen to be IUT requirements,  if they wish to improve their GPA or any other reason other than for consideration as part of their IUT application.

Exceptions

The following course attempts will not count as a graded attempt for an IUT requirement if changed by the deadlines listed on the CU Boulder Academic Calendar:

  • Dropped courses
  • Withdrawn (W) courses
  • Retroactive withdrawals
  • Transfer courses (taken outside of CU Boulder)
  • Advanced Placement (AP) courses
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) courses

What if? Audit

Another resource for students considering becoming a CMCI major is to run a “What If” audit on your program of choice. This will allow you to see how your complete classes will lay out within the CMCI major program requirements.

Dropping CMCI

The Intra-University Transfer (IUT) drop application requirements and deadlines differ from the IUT add/change application for CMCI and may have financial and academic ramifications for students. The IUT drop application only applies to students who are pursuing degrees in at least two different colleges/schools/programs and wish to discontinue one major. For more information, deadlines and the IUT drop application, please visit the CU Boulder Intra-University Transfer (IUT) webpage.

On-Track Registration

If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course required by the major you are pursuing, and you meet all other credit hour and GPA requirements, you will be eligible to register for restricted major courses during your registration window.

To be eligible, you must apply by:

  • Spring: Oct.1
  • Summer: March 1
  • Fall: June 1

    One example of a student “on track”

    • You have a 2.500 or above cumulative CU GPA
    • Are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course for the major you are applying to and the grades will post at the end of the current term.
    • You are meeting the other requirements listed

    If you are determined to be “on track,” you will be notified before your registration window and provided instructions on how to register for restricted courses if applicable for your major.

    • If you meet all IUT requirements at the end of the semester, your IUT application will be approved and you will be admitted to the college/school/program.
    • If you do not meet all IUT requirements at the end of the semester, your IUT application will be denied and you will be removed from major/college/school/program restricted courses.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Below are questions that are asked frequently by students going through the IUT process for admission to CMCI. Please read below as most of your questions may be answered here.

    Q. I have a 2.499 and the minimum GPA to apply is a 2.500. Can I still apply?

    The minimum overall GPA to be admitted is a 2.500. There is no petition process for admission for students below a 2.500. Students with below the minimum GPA are encouraged to submit an application by the “Priority Deadline”. The application will be deferred at that time and will be reviewed once grades have been posted for the semester.

    Q. I received below a B- in the course required to apply to my intended major. What should I do now?

    This can be a complicated question. If you are able to take additional coursework in the major, we will average all the courses in the major to reach to the minimum 2.500 in major coursework.

    Here are some general guidelines:

    • If you received a C/C- in the prerequisite course:
      • If you are applying to Communication, Media Studies or Information Science, you can take additional lower-division courses in that department.
      • If you are applying to Journalism or Media Production (Critical Media Practices), you may have the opportunity to take additional courses in the major on a space available basis towards the end of registration. If you are applying to Strategic Communication (Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design), you will NOT be able to take additional APRD courses with the exception of APRD 1004 and 3006, which are open to all students.
    • If you received below a C-, it may be in your best interest to retake the course. All courses need to be at least a C- or better to count for the major. In terms of your application to CMCI, we would look at the second grade for admission purposes. You can also look at additional courses as stated in the guidelines above, however, there may be prerequisites in place that will prevent you from taking more courses with a grade below a C-.

    Q. I have met the admission requirements for two majors, which one is less competitive and should I apply to that one instead of the major I want?

    You should apply to your intended major. No major is more competitive to get into than the others. Admission is based solely on submitting your application by the “Priority Deadline” and meeting the minimum requirements for that major. If you meet the minimum requirements and have submitted your application by the deadline, you will be admitted. If you miss the deadline, all applications are reviewed for admission on a space available basis.

    Q. Is it possible to be denied admission to CMCI?

    Yes, here are the most common reasons a student may be denied admission:

    • Not meeting the CMCI IUT Requirements
    • Applying after the deadline
    • Lack of space availability

    Q. I was admitted as “On-Track”? What does that mean and how can I meet with an advisor?

    On-Track admission means that you have met the overall GPA and credit hours requirements, but you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course for the major. As an On-Track student, you will be assigned a CMCI advisor and have registration access to certain courses in your new major. Once you see the CMCI advisor on Buff Portal Advising, you can access their calendar to schedule an appointment.

    If you complete the prerequisite course with a B- or better and maintain your overall GPA, your major will officially change a few weeks after the semester has ended. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you will be denied admission and courses you are enrolled in for the major will be dropped from your schedule.

    Q. I would like to double major in CMCI. Should I submit an application to both majors?

    No, you should submit your application to your primary major choice. Once you are admitted, you can talk with your CMCI advisor to add the second major. The soonest you can request to add or change your major is the start of classes of the semester that you are admitted. If you want to change to (or add) Strategic Communication, you must have under 60 credits at the start of your first semester in CMCI and have taken APRD 1003. Please be aware that CMCI does not guarantee course availability for students who change their majors after registration. Because of this, you may need additional time to complete your degree.

    Q. I’m a junior/senior and just found your college. How long will it take me to earn my degree?

    You should plan on at least 4 semesters once you have been admitted. If you plan to go abroad or are completing a double degree, it could be 5 or even 6 semesters. Our degree programs are not designed to be completed in less than 4 semesters. Please be aware that if you have completed 60 credits at CU Boulder, you are no longer eligible for admission to the Strategic Communication (APRD) major.

    Q. My current advisor mentioned something about a “Residency Requirement”. What is this and will it affect my timeline for graduation?

    Here is our Residency Requirement from the catalog:

    CMCI students must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours in courses. Of these 45 credit hours, a minimum of 30 credit hours must be in upper-division credit hours completed as a  student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at the and at least 15 of these upper-division credit hours must be in the major. A maximum of 6 credit hours taken at other University of Colorado campuses (CU Denver and UCCS) can be counted toward the minimum 45 credit hours required on the Boulder campus. Courses taken while on CU Boulder study abroad programs, through CU Boulder Continuing Education or CU Boulder correspondence courses are considered to be in residence.

    The portion above in bold can affect your graduation timeline. Let’s say, for instance, that you are able to complete a good majority of the major requirements without being in the major, and you apply to the major for admission your second semester of senior year. If admitted, you will still need to complete 30 hours of upper-division coursework (15 hours must be upper-division in your major) starting the semester you are admitted. This will most likely move your graduation to that summer or even the next fall semester.

    Q. Can I meet with an advisor in CMCI to plan my next semester?

    Our CMCI IUT coordinator has open appointments on Buff Portal Advising. You can see those appointments by clicking on the “Meet with a Different Advisor” tile. The appointment times are limited and can fill quickly. Appointments can be made up to two weeks in advance. We also have Peer Advisors who can help with any registration questions or issues. The Peer Advisors are current juniors and seniors in CMCI and have lots of experience with the classes and majors within CMCI.

    Ralphie’s Help Lab and your current advisor are also great resources to help you with some planning until you are able to meet with the IUT coordinator. Please do not wait to register for courses because you haven’t met with an advisor!

    Q. I am applying to CMCI this semester and plan to go abroad next semester. Where should I go and what should I take?

    In CMCI, we encourage our students to go wherever they want! There are a few programs that offer elective coursework in CMCI and a lot of our students gravitate towards those. The Education Abroad office works with our students to help them narrow down their choices for programs, so be sure to meet with an advisor there as you are planning your abroad semester. What courses should you take? All of our students take upper-division electives or core classes (Historical Views and Diversity and Global Cultures) while they are abroad. Occasionally, there are courses offered that count in our majors, and that should be reflected on the course approval list on the Education Abroad website.

    Q. Can I take courses in CMCI if I am not a student in the college?

    Any student regardless of college can take the prerequisite courses for our majors (APRD 1003, JRNL 1000, MDST 1001 or 1002, COMM 1210 or INFO 1701, 1111 or 1121). Here are some guidelines for courses beyond those listed above:

    • If you are interested in Communication, Media Studies or Information Science, you can take additional lower-division courses in those departments if they are not major-restricted.
    • If you are interested in Journalism or Media Production (Critical Media Practices), you may have the opportunity to take additional courses in the major on a space available basis AFTER current majors have registered for courses.
    • If you are interested in Strategic Communication (Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design), you will NOT be able to take additional APRD courses with the exception of APRD 1004 and 3006, which are open to all students.

    Q. I am taking the prerequisite course to apply to CMCI this semester. What should the rest of my schedule look like?

    You can work on your core requirements, minor or double degree requirements or electives. For electives, if you are a junior or above, you should consider taking an upper-division course. This will help you meet the 45 hours of upper-division you need to graduate. For core classes, our IUT students are not required to take CMCI 1040 or 2030.

    Q. I heard CMCI requires students to complete a minor along with your major. Is that true?

    Yes, it is. More specifically, CMCI requires that all students, regardless of major, complete a Secondary Area of Study. This can be done with a minor, double major or double degree. For all majors, except Journalism, it can also be completed with an academic certificate of at least 12 credit hours. Remember this is a graduation requirement, and will need to be completed in order to receive your degree in CMCI.

    Q. I would like to get an internship. Is one required and can I do it for credit?

    The only majors that require an internship are Journalism and Media Studies. Internships can be done in the other majors (except for Information Science) for upper-division elective credit. You can only receive credit for an internship if you have been admitted to CMCI and have met the appropriate prerequisites. Visit our internship website for more information.

    Matthew Mendoza photo

    Meet IUT student Matthew Mendoza

    As a first-year student, Matthew Mendoza went into college with an open mind, planning to take as many classes as possible to try and find the right fit. After his first semester, he transferred out of an open option program within the College of Arts and Sciences and into CMCI.

      I like the idea of being in a smaller college with a smaller major. . . . You’re able to be creative through media production, through strategy, whatever it may be." 
    -
    Matthew Mendoza, strategic communication major

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