Intra-University Transfer

Female student presenting to faculty and peers during a pin-up in ENVD 134.

Are you currently a CU student outside of the Program in Environmental Design interested in changing your major to Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Product Design or Sustainable Planning & Urban Design? 

If so, you must apply for an Intra-University Transfer (IUT). Students who apply by the priority and Registration Access Deadline for the upcoming term will receive either an On Track or Deferred designation. Those who apply after the priority deadline will automatically be deferred and be reviewed at the end of the semester with all applicants.

On Track status is not guaranteed and will be designated based on meeting the IUT requirements below, ranked by the highest CU GPA and space available. If you are designated as On Track, you will gain access to register for restricted Environmental Design courses during your registration window. 

Contact

Questions? Please reach out to the ENVD IUT email address and the IUT team will get back to you shortly.

    envdiut@colorado.edu

Why CU Environmental Design?

  • We offer a unique, interdisciplinary degree program that provides students with experience in environmental product design, architecture, landscape architecture, and sustainable planning & urban design.  
  • We are the largest environmental design program in the nation and offer the only B.EnvD degree in the state of Colorado. 
  • Our studio courses offer an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, so you can easily access your professor and receive one-on-one feedback. 
  • You'll be taught by faculty who hold professional design licenses and practice design outside the classroom every day. 

Excited to learn more? 

IUT Application Requirements

Meeting the minimum requirements below does not guarantee On Track status or admission. ENVD accepts IUT students as space is available. The B.EnvD degree will take a minimum of seven semesters to complete.

 

Apply Now

Spring 2025 IUT Admission into ENVD

Submit Application 

 

IUT App Instructions

Estimated Time: 10-30 minutes   

  • Know your CU Boulder GPA by checking in Buff Portal 
  • Prepare the answers to the essay question by referring to the prompts provided on this webpage 
     
  1. Open the IUT Application  
  2. Read the instructions, initial the acknowledgments, and answer the questions 
  3. Click the Submit button and your web browser should redirect you to an IUT Application confirmation landing page  
  4. Check your CU Boulder email account for a confirmation notification
     

Admission Criteria

Admission is not guaranteed

Admission into Environmental Design is based on IUT requirements, space availability and the highest-ranked cumulative CU GPA. Additional consideration will be given to the personal essay, the GPA in Environmental Design classes and to students who have applied for ENVD in multiple terms. 

Please review the IUT policies that may impact your IUT eligibility. 

Students who have completed over 60 CU credits at application will not be considered for admission. You may qualify for an exception if you have taken prior design credit. This includes courses related to one of our four majors architecture, environmental product design, landscape architecture, and sustainable planning & urban design. Additional coursework may also include design studio, visual communication (analog sketching, graphic design), and design software (3D printing, Sketch Up, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD). If you believe you qualify for this exception, please review and submit this .  

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 listed on their IUT webpage. 

Each time a prospective IUT course is taken, it counts as one attempt towards 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. 

IUT Winter Session Policy Effective Spring 2025

At CU Boulder, Winter Session is considered part of the Spring Semester. Therefore, Winter Session coursework and GPA will not factor into consideration for an Intra-University Transfer (IUT), until after grades officially post to transcripts at the end of the Spring Semester. For specific dates, please refer to the .

IUT 30 Credit Maximum Policy - Effective Spring 2026

Students applying for Intra-University Transfer (IUT) must have 30 or fewer CU completed credits at the time of application submission (not application review). Credit maximums include completed credit hours at CU Boulder or other CU campuses  (i.e. CU Denver or CU Colorado Springs). In-progress credit hours or completed transfer credit hours outside of the CU System are not included in credit maximums.

Appplicable College/School/Program:

  • Program in Exploratory Studies (PES)
     

IUT 60 Credit Maximum Policy - Effective Spring 2026

Students applying for Intra-University Transfer (IUT) must have 60 or fewer CU completed credit hours at the time of application submission (not application review). Credit maximums include completed credit hours at CU Boulder or other CU campuses (i.e. CU Denver or CU Colorado Springs). In-progress credit hours or completed transfer credit hours outside of the CU System are not included in credit maximums.

Appplicable Colleges/Schools/Programs:

  • College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI)
  • Program in Environmental Design (ENVD)
     

Exceptions

The following colleges/schools/programs do not currently have a credit maximum policy:

  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • College of Engineering & Applied Science (CEAS)
  • College of Music
  • Leeds School of Business
  • School of Education

The policy will include courses taken as part of Grade Replacement. Therefore, students are 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. 

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 

Acknowledge

The B.EnvD degree will take a minimum of seven semesters to complete.

GPA

ENVD requires students to have an overall 3.0 CU GPA for consideration of admission. 
Those below a 3.0 GPA will not be considered for admission.

Credit Hours

ENVD requires students to have a minimum of 12 credit hours completed at any CU campus. 
Students who have completed over 60 CU credits at application will not be considered for admission.

Required Course: ENVD 1004

Enrollment in or completion of ENVD 1004 with a minimum final grade of B- 

Enrollment is now open to non-majors. Students no longer need to submit the intent to enroll form to be registered.

One Essay Question

The ENVD IUT application requires you to answer one essay question.

Why is Environmental Design the right program for you? What excites and inspires you about Environmental Design? How do you envision yourself using this degree in the future? (200 word max)  

 

On Track Consideration

  Apply by IUT Registration Access Deadline
  Meet IUT requirements
  ENVD space availability

IUT Support & Resources

Info-Session

Sessions can be scheduled for Mondays between 1 to 3 p.m. for a 15-minute slot.
Click on the Meet with Different Advisor tile inBuff Portal Advising (BPA). 

Visit Us

Attend an ENVD Building Tour with a student ambassador.

Schedule One Today 

"What If" Audit

Complete a degree audit via your portal.

Key Dates & Deadlines

Spring IUT Admission

Sept. 16, 12 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for spring. 

Oct. 1, 11:59 p.m. MT: Priority consideration deadline. Students are highly recommended to apply by this date and will be designated based on GPA and space available.

Jan. 5, 11:59 p.m. MT: final deadline to submit application, acceptance is dependent on space available. 

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their IUT application by the dates listed above. 

Admitted students will be required to take 8 credits of in-person ENVD courses over the summer.

Summer/Fall IUT Admission

Feb. 15, 12:00 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for summer/fall.

Mar. 1, 11:59 p.m. MT: Priority consideration deadline. Students are highly recommended to apply by this date and will be designated based on GPA and space available.

May 10, 11:59 p.m. MT: deadline to submit application, acceptance is dependent on space available. All applications, both deferred from March 1 and new applicants, will be reviewed for admission offers based on space. 

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their IUT application by the dates listed above.

Fall IUT Admission

May 11, 12:00 a.m. MT: IUT application opens for fall. 

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their IUT application by the dates listed above.

ENVD IUT Information Sessions

Students cannot schedule an individual appointment with an advisor until they have On Track status or have been admitted. Students interested in ENVD must attend at least one IUT information session. During the session, students will learn more about the IUT application requirements, how their credits will apply to our curriculum, and any other questions they may have. 

IUT Advising
  Sessions can be scheduled for Mondays between 1 to 3 p.m. for a 15-minute slot. 
  Click on the Meet with Different Advisor tile in Buff Portal Advising (BPA). Follow the steps for Declaring an ENVD Major. Click on the meet with a different advisor link.
  Questions? Please reach out to envdiut@colorado.edu, and the IUT team will get back to you shortly.

Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Guide

IUT Guide graphic

The is a non-credit, optional Canvas course, designed to assist you before, during, and after your IUT journey. Whether you are exploring the possibility of a new major or need academic assistance in your intended field of study, this guide is designed to be your one-stop resource for all things IUT!

How to Meet with a Different Advisor

Frequently Asked Questions

You cannot schedule an individual appointment with an advisor until you have On Track status or have been admitted. Students interested in ENVD must attend at least one IUT information session. During this session students will learn more about IUT application requirements, how their credits will apply to our curriculum, determine their potential graduation date, and receive summer course recommendations. Students are strongly encouraged to bring additional questions they may have. 

If you have additional questions after attending an ENVD IUT information session, you may choose any of the following options: 

The IUT application process is competitive and the number of admitted students is dependent on the quality of the applicant pool and space available each term. There is not a set number of students admitted each semester.

No, you would not be guaranteed admission into the Program in Environmental Design. You must meet the above-listed criteria to be considered for admittance. Final decisions are based on GPA and space available.

Yes, an IUT Information Session is considered group advising, which is required. The applications of those who have not attended a session will not be reviewed for admittance.

There will not be exceptions made to the application deadline. 

If you have received confirmation from the Environmental Design Program that you are an On Track applicant, you will be given access to register for the first semester courses of the Environmental Design Program. These courses can be found on the curriculum guides available on the Environmental Design webpage.

If you do not have On Track eligibility status, please work with your current advisor to create a schedule. You may also run a What If degree audit to see what classes you might take to meet general education requirements.

The Program in Environmental Design is a lock-step program, meaning many of our courses are a part of a series that cannot be sped up. An incoming IUT student can expect a minimum of seven semesters, depending on previously completed coursework. Spring admitted students will be required to take 8 credits of in-person ENVD courses over the summer.

If you are admitted into the program, your academic advisor will complete long-term planning with you to determine your timeline to graduation.

If you apply by the priority/Registration Access Deadline, October 1 (Spring Admission) or March 1 (Fall Admission), complete the balance of your required IUT coursework for the current term, meet IUT course/grade/GPA requirements, including your essay question and designated as On Track, you will be eligible to register for restricted courses.胼胼 

If you are confirmed On Track for the current term and 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.胼胼 

If you are confirmed On Track for the current term and 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. 

Deferral:  
Deferral status for an ENVD application is based on one of the following: space availability, an incomplete application, or an application submission past the priority/IUT Registration Access Deadline. Deferred IUT applications will be reviewed at the end of term after grades have been posted. However, acceptance is not guaranteed. Applications are evaluated on GPA and space available due to the small number of spots open each term.  

GPA Deferral: 
A minimum 3.0 overall CU Boulder GPA is required for On Track and/or admitted status. Incoming freshman, transfers, or current students whose CU Boulder GPA is below a 3.0, your application will be automatically deferred. Deferral status is not a denial and your IUT application will be reviewed at the end of the current term once grades have been posted. If all minimum requirements are met, consideration will be given, but acceptance is not guaranteed. Applications are evaluated on GPA and space available due to the small number of spots open each term. 

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