Exploring Majors at the University of Colorado Boulder: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) offers a wide array of academic programs designed to inspire, challenge, and prepare students for success. From undergraduate to graduate levels, students can specialize in specific areas of study, enhance their knowledge with minors and certificates, and even pursue accelerated master's degrees. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the academic opportunities available at CU Boulder.

Bachelor's Degree Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree from CU Boulder, students must fulfill all degree and major requirements for their chosen program of study. This includes earning a minimum of 120 cumulative credit hours and maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.00. However, it's crucial to note that some degree and program requirements may exceed these minimum standards.

Multiple Academic Paths

CU Boulder provides students the flexibility to pursue various academic paths, including:

Dual Degrees: Formally approved combined or integrated curricula for two degrees, often at the graduate or professional levels, in complementary fields of study. These programs may be offered by multiple CU colleges/schools.
Double Degrees: Two or more degrees from the same college, school, or program (e.g., BA and BFA from Arts and Sciences) or from different colleges/schools, earned concurrently but not as part of a dual-degree program.
Concurrent (Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's) Degrees: Programs allowing students to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter timeframe.
Additional Majors, Minors, and/or Certificates: Opportunities to broaden knowledge and skills alongside a primary major.

Students seeking an additional baccalaureate degree after graduating from CU Boulder must apply for readmission and consult with an academic advisor in their intended degree program to determine specific requirements. It is important to note that students may not earn the same degree in a specific major more than once from CU Boulder. However, pursuing unique options or emphases within majors does not result in a duplicate award of the same degree. Multiple degrees at the same level in a specific discipline are permissible if the curricula and credentials differ, subject to approval by the academic unit and the dean of the college or school.

Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's (BAM) Degrees

CU Boulder offers Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s (BAM) degree programs in several departments. These programs allow a student to receive both a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time without compromising the academic integrity of either degree. BAM programs are open only to highly qualified CU Boulder undergraduates. Students are typically admitted during the junior year with an intent application reviewed by their program. BAM students must apply online to graduate with their bachelor's degree for the semester in which degree requirements are complete, and must also apply at that time to be formally admitted to continue with the accelerated master's program. Students wishing to continue studying toward a doctorate must formally apply for admission to the Graduate School. Students interested in a BAM program should inquire with their program of interest for information regarding admissions and detailed program guidelines and requirements.

Examples of BAM Programs by College and School:## College of Arts and Sciences

Art and Art History
Chinese/Asian Languages and Civilizations
Cinema Studies/Art and Art History
Classics
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Ethnic Studies/Education
French
German Studies/German
Integrative Physiology
Japanese/Asian Languages and Civilizations
Linguistics/Linguistics or Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics
Mathematics
Mathematics/Applied Mathematics
Philosophy
Physics
Religious Studies
Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
Statistics and Data Science/Applied Mathematics
Theatre

Leeds School of Business

Accounting/Accounting or Accounting Taxation
Finance/Accounting or Accounting Taxation
Real Estate

School of Education

Ethnic Studies/Education

College of Engineering and Applied Science

Aerospace Engineering
Applied Mathematics
Architectural Engineering/Architectural Engineering or Civil Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering or Chemical and Biological Engineering/Chemical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering
Civil Engineering/Architectural Engineering or Civil Engineering
Computer Science/Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics, Data Science or Network Engineering
Electrical Engineering or Electrical and Computer Engineering/Electrical Engineering
Engineering Physics/Physics
Environmental Engineering/Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering
Integrated Design Engineering/Environmental Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering

College of Media, Communication and Information

Information Science

Post Baccalaureate-Accelerated Master’s Degrees

Post Baccaulaureate Accelerated Master's (PBAM) programs in engineering offer an integrated degree plan for post-bacc students. A list of PBAM programs is below.

Additional Majors, Minors, and Certificates

Students may pursue more than one major under the same degree by completing all requirements for each major concurrently. Minors and formal certificates in various academic or interdisciplinary subjects are also available. Upon completion of certificate requirements, the certificate/s will be posted to the student's academic record at graduation.

Degree Audit Reports

Degree audit reports are available for most degree and certificate programs. These reports help students and advisors track requirements and progress toward graduation. The degree audit outlines required courses and applies college or school-defined policies, including transfer credit applicability and repeated course rules. It also provides hypothetical "what if" degree information.

Popular Majors at CU Boulder

The most popular majors at CU Boulder include:

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Engineering
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Social Sciences
Psychology
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Visual and Performing Arts
Natural Resources and Conservation
Physical Sciences

Student-Faculty Ratio and Class Sizes

The student-faculty ratio at the University of Colorado Boulder is 19:1, with 39.5% of classes having fewer than 20 students, fostering a more intimate learning environment.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'