Course codes for this program are: ARCH and ENVD.
All students entering the college, whether as freshmen, external transfer, or intrauniversity transfer students, initially enter as environmental design majors and are enrolled in the bachelor of environmental design degree program. All students admitted into the college’s undergraduate degree program graduate with the bachelor of environmental design degree with an emphasis major in architecture, landscape design, planning/urban design, or design studies.
In the core, entering ENVD students take a coordinated sequence of interdisciplinary courses that emphasize the knowledge, methods, and practices common to the fields of architecture, planning, urban design, and landscape design. As the established design professions are increasingly collaborating on complex design issues related to the designed environment, the mix of core courses reflects these interdisciplinary and integrative trends. The interdisciplinary core sequence is delivered in the first five semesters of the program.
After completion of the five-semester lower-division core and in the 6th semester Praxis, students choose a disciplinary emphasis in one of four specialized upper-division emphasis majors: architecture, landscape architecture design, planning/urban design, or design studies.
There are 30 required and elective credits in each emphasis major. Each emphasis has been carefully designed to prepare students for graduate studies, for entry into the workplace, or for both. The emphases in architecture, landscape architecture design, and planning/urban design are designed to potentially lead to accelerated programs of study in professional graduate programs. Students who elect the architecture emphasis complete 45 credits of elective courses in the arts, humanities, or sciences, in order to ensure a standard transition into a graduate program in architecture. Completing the environmental design degree may, depending on the particular requirements of graduate professional programs at other institutions, lead to advanced standing in those programs that can shorten the number of credits required to complete those programs.
The undergraduate environmental design program offered by the college has been designed to encourage interdisciplinary study and collaborative work. The program is administered collaboratively by three disciplinary undergraduate studies units: architecture studies, landscape studies, and planning/urban studies.
The first year of the core introduces students to the thematic settings, and to design thinking and design practice. The following three semesters focus on analysis and design in one of the disciplinary emphases. The first semester deals with the issues, ideas, and the design of urban spaces and settings. The second semester centers on the issues, ideas, and the design of landscape spaces and settings. The third semester explores architectural spaces and settings with a secondary focus on the issues surrounding the preservation and/or reuse (recycling) of buildings. The final three semesters of the curriculum, offer students the opportunity to specialize in one of the disciplines of environmental design—architecture, landscape architecture, and planning/urban design. Students wishing to pursue interdisciplinary study that crosses disciplines can choose the design studies emphasis. The sixth semester expands students’ experiences into the real world with a wide range of service learning, civic engagement, participatory design, and study abroad travel opportunities.
Students must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours subject to the maximum outlined in this catalog, meet all specified major core requirements, and maintain a GPA of 2.000 or better.
Students must complete one course from each of the following General Education Requirements area. Courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Year One: Introduction
Years Two and Three: Exploration
Year Four
Before entering the final year of the program, students decide on their primary emphasis (concentration): architecture, landscape architecture, planning/urban design or design studies. The concentrations provide students the opportunity to undertake concentrated study with disciplinary faculty in these areas. This year (30 credit hours) is intended to prepare students for advanced studies beyond their undergraduate degree or, in some cases, give them basic knowledge and skill sets necessary to enter the working public/private sectors. Students participate in advising and presentation sessions in advance to prepare for their selection of a concentration. Students are encouraged to seek specific advice from the faculty to discuss their desired concentration objectives.
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
First Year: Core Classes
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Second Year: Core Classes
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Third Year: Core Classes
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Required credits for core—90
Fourth Year: Concentration Options
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Required credits for concentration—30
In addition to the BEnvd degree, students may pursue a degree in another college at CU-Boulder. Past students have received the BEnvd degree concurrently with undergraduate degrees in business, engineering, and various programs offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. Typically, specific course requirements do not change in either program of a double degree; however, additional hours (varying by college) may be required. All undergraduate students must complete the general education requirements and the requirements for their specific emphasis area within the College of Architecture and Planning in addition to the other college’s requirements. Students considering a double-degree program are encouraged to speak with advisors in both colleges to determine requirements and procedures for application.
Students are encouraged to explore the opportunity of adding a certificate or minor to their studies. The following are a few certificates that the college supports towards its Praxis semester. Students interested in a certificate option for the Praxis semester, or in addition to their primary study, should contact their academic advisor to have a plan set in place prior to their junior year.