Graduation Requirements & Advising Guide
Graduation Requirements
You, the student, are responsible for knowing, tracking, and completing all graduation requirements. Please see the “how to track your degree progress” section for resources. Your academic advisor is here to help you throughout this process!
MAPS requirements are applicable to students who matriculated (became a degree-seeking student at 鶹ѰBoulder, in any major) prior to Summer 2023. Your degree audit will show MAPS requirements if applicable.
See the College website for MAPS information and contact your academic advisor with questions.
Resources
The specific courses required for your major are shown on the block diagram.
- The engineering curriculum consists of 128 non-duplicative credit hours. The last 45 credits must be fulfilled with 鶹ѰBoulder coursework only.
- In some cases, an equivalent course may be substituted - contact your advisor with questions.
- Pass/Fail and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory coursework may be used toward free electives only (starting Fall 2023).
- The minimum grade for each course is:
- C- if the course is a prerequisite or co-requisite for any other course in the curriculum
- D- for all other courses
Resources
Your cumulative GPA must be at least 2.000 to graduate (as well as to remain in good academic standing). Your cumulative GPA includes all University of Colorado courses, except repeated courses that are excluded through grade replacement.
Your major GPA must be at least 2.000 to graduate. Your major GPA includes all AREN and CVEN courses. It only includes the most recent grade for any repeated course.
Resources
- - 鶹ѰBoulder catalog
The FE Exam is a national licensing exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Taking the FE exam is your first step towards pursuing professional licensure as an engineer. All CEAE students are required to take this exam as a graduation requirement, but passing is not required. The advising team will send you FE registration information in your senior year.
Resources
- - NCEES website
- - Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
The Senior Survey will be sent to you by email in your final semester, after you apply to graduate. The feedback we receive from this survey is an important part of our continuous improvement process, and therefore is required for all CEAE students.
How to Track Your Degree Progress
Every student in CEAE has an online degree planner, maintained by their advisor, to track their degree progress semester by semester. This is essentially a personalized version of the block diagram, in the form of a google spreadsheet. Your advisor will make adjustments to your degree planner if needed during your advising appointments, and will color-code the requirements you’ve completed so far, the courses you’re currently enrolled in, and recommended courses for the following semester.
Your degree planner is saved in your under the “shared with me” section, so you don’t need the direct link to access it. Just remember that you need to be signed in with your 鶹Ѱaccount (abcd1234@colorado.edu). You can view this planner, but not edit it, since we will use this as part of your student file. If you would like a copy of this planner that you can edit on your own, go to File -> Make a copy.
Your degree audit shows all of the requirements for your major in a list format. It also shows all of the credit you've earned and how each class you've taken applies to your degree. The benefit of the degree audit is that it's updated in real time - after you register for classes, you can immediately run a degree audit to confirm that the classes you've selected are applying toward your degree correctly (for example, confirming that HSS electives you've chosen are showing in the HSS section of the audit). If you've officially declared any minors or certificates, those requirements will be included in your degree audit as well.
Your advisor will review your degree audit at least once per year (usually in the summer) and will make any corrections that are needed. If you see any discrepancies or have any questions about how to interpret your degree audit, please contact your advisor.
Policies, Procedures, and Petitions
It’s important to understand the different policies that are applicable to you:
- Campus policies apply to all 鶹ѰBoulder students
- College policies apply to all College of Engineering & Applied Science students
Policies and graduation requirements may vary among colleges, departments, and majors. Policies that apply to students in other majors or colleges may be different for you. You are responsible for knowling and following the policies that apply to you. Academic advisors are here to help you throughout this process!
College Policies
You should read and are responsible for knowing all College of Engineering & Applied Science policies. The following are a few that are particularly important.
The last 45 credits of your engineering degree must be completed with 鶹ѰBoulder coursework only. If you want to take any transfer courses in the last 45 credits of your degree, you need to petition. Note that CU-approved study abroad is counted as 鶹ѰBoulder coursework and is exempt from this requirement.
Per our College’s policy: A student is permitted a maximum of three graded attempts to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in a particular subject area (such as Calculus 1, Physics 2, etc.), including attempts at 鶹ѰBoulder or other collegiate institutions. A “W” is not considered an attempt towards demonstrating sufficient proficiency.
Important to know:
- If you do not achieve the minimum grade by your third attempt of a course/requirement, you may be released from the CEAE Department and required to find a new major. Any requests for a fourth attempt must be approved by petition.
- The most recent instance of a course determines successful completion. For example, if you have AP credit for Calculus 1 but choose to retake Calculus 1 at 鶹ѰBoulder, your grade in the 鶹ѰBoulder course will determine whether you have passed the class or not. If you don’t pass, you can’t fall back on your previous AP credit - you would have to retake Calculus 1 again.
- W (withdraw) grades were counted as attempts by the CEAE Department from Fall 2018 through Summer 2023. Starting Fall 2023, W grades are no longer counted as attempts for any engineering major.
You need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher to stay in good academic standing. Your cumulative GPA includes all University of Colorado courses, except repeated courses excluded through grade replacement.
To graduate, both your cumulative GPA and your major GPA must be at least 2.000. Your major GPA includes all AREN and CVEN courses. It only includes the most recent grade for any repeated course.
Resources
- Academic Standing information - Registrar's Office website
Anytime you want to request an exception to a department or college policy, you must get permission in writing. In most cases, this involves an official college petition which is an online form found here. Before submitting a petition, you should talk to your academic advisor. Your advisor can tell you if a petition is required, whether an exception will even be considered, and what information and/or documentation needs to be included in your petition.
Note about pre/co-req waivers: Students are expected to follow all pre/co-requisites as specified on the block diagram. However, in challenging circumstances, you may seek a pre/co-requisite waiver for a course. This must be approved by the course instructor and is never guaranteed. You must obtain written permission to waive the pre/co-requisite from the course instructor and send it to your advisor in order to enroll in the course. This process doesn’t require a formal petition.
Advising and Mentoring Information
Erin Jerick
Area Director / Undergraduate Academic Advisor
AREN/CVEN Minor Advisor
Suhad Salah
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Undergraduate Lighting Design Certificate Advisor
Schedule advising appointments and view drop-in hours in Buff Portal Advising.
CEAE advisors are professional staff members (not faculty). They are available throughout your education to help with topics such as:
- Curriculum requirements and degree audits
- Graduation planning
- Registration questions and problems
- Information about minors/certificates, student organizations, undergraduate research programs, study abroad, etc.
- Referrals to campus resources such as academic support, student services, career and professional development, etc.
- Petitions (for any waivers to degree requirements or college/department rules)
In some semesters, you'll be required to meet with your advisor before you register for the next semester’s classes (don’t worry, we’ll let you know when you need to schedule a meeting). However, we’re also happy to talk to you more often! You can reach out to your advisor by email, schedule an appointment, or come to our drop-in hours.
Every student has an assigned academic advisor. In general, you’ll keep the same advisor until you graduate. However, you may be reassigned to a different advisor if there’s a staffing change, if we need to redistribute our caseloads, or if you change your major. You may also meet with a different advisor during drop-in hours, if your assigned advisor is out of the office, etc. The entire advising team has access to your file and should be able to answer most questions.
Your advisor will help you figure out what classes to take every semester so that you can graduate “on time” (whatever that means to you). They can also help if you want to add a certificate or minor, study abroad, or if you have special circumstances (like athletics, ROTC, etc.). Your advisor is also the person who maintains your academic file, tracks your progress toward your degree, and certifies you for graduation.
If you ever find yourself struggling academically or personally, your advisor can help you navigate your academic options and refer you to support resources that can help get you back on track.
You will select a faculty mentor in your junior year. Faculty mentors can provide more tailored advice relating to their area of specialization, such as:
- Course selection/technical electives
- Professional development, career, and internship advice
- Planning for graduate school
- Research opportunities
Junior and senior students must meet with their faculty mentor each semester before they can register for the next semester's courses. This meeting is in addition to any required meetings with your academic advisor.
First- and second-year CEAE students are invited to participate in the CEAE Peer Mentoring Program. Participants are matched in small groups with junior and senior CEAE students. For more information, contact Rebecca Rico, CEAE Student Services & Curriculum Coordinator.
The Engineering Wayfinders are knowledgeable, trained, and friendly fellow engineering students who connect peers to the support they need. Engineering Wayfinders are students assisting students with everything from deciding what major is right for them, getting involved with research, discovering student societies and organizations, engineering center tours, tips on talking with faculty, and much more!
Connect with the Wayfinders:
- Email: Engineering.Advising@colorado.edu (available year-round).
- In-Person: See the Wayfinders webpage for drop-in information (available during the fall and spring semesters).
Additional Information
Please read below for suggestions on how to make your voice heard.
You may reach out to your academic advisor and/or faculty mentor.
You may contact the Department Chair to provide feedback about CEAE classroom experiences, culture and policies. If you want to know what action was taken, please discuss a plan for follow-up so you can be aware of how your concerns have been addressed.
If you have concerns or suggestions related to the overall undergraduate curriculum, you may contact the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education. If you want to know what action was taken, please discuss a plan for follow-up so you can be aware of how your concerns have been addressed.
If you wish to share feedback anonymously, we have an anonymous department feedback form. Submit a Question or Concern.
All CEAE undergraduate students are also invited to participate in Faculty Course Questionnaires (FCQs) administered in each course every semester, and provide their perspectives through the Senior Survey in the final semester before graduation.
For additional information, please refer to A Brief Guide on Student Appeals, Complaints & Grievances.
- If you think your grade was incorrectly assigned in an engineering course, please refer to the CEAS Grade Appeal Policy. Note that this policy is for engineering courses only - if the course in question is outside of the College of Engineering & Applied Science, you will need to follow the grade appeal policy for that college, school, or program. Contact your academic advisor if you need help locating the appropriate policy.
If you are a current CEAE student planning to transfer credit from another school to 鶹ѰBoulder,