The student must meet the University Admission Requirements and the admission requirements of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, which includes a full year of college calculus and calculus-based physics or calculus-based physics I and general college chemistry I which must be completed with B or better grades. Grades of B are required in all other math and science courses and the cumulative GPA must be at least 2.5. Students meeting most, but not all of these standards are fully considered. Students with fewer than 80 college credits who are not offered admission to the College of Engineering and Applied Science will be automatically considered for pre-engineering admission in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Pre-engineering students and CU Denver students interested in an undergraduate engineering program but not enrolled in the college must request an intra-university transfer (IUT). Those approved for an IUT will be entered into the undergraduate program of interest. Admission to the bioengineering pre-major does not guarantee admission to the major. To enter an engineering program through the intra-university transfer (IUT) process, students must have earned:
- a 2.75 (or higher) cumulative CU Denver GPA
- a 2.5 (or higher) GPA in Calculus I, Calculus II, and Calculus-based Physics I and the corresponding lab and no lower than a C- in any one of these courses.
- a C- or higher in all other engineering requirements taken prior to or at the time of the request.
- IUT guidelines are subject to change. Students are encouraged to meet with an Engineering Student Services advisor to discuss the IUT process prior to submitting a request.
Beginning undergraduate students in engineering should be prepared to start analytic geometry-calculus. No credit toward any degree in engineering will be given for algebra, trigonometry or precalculus mathematics (MATH 1110, 1120 and 1130). (These courses are offered to allow a student to make up deficiencies.) Students who question the adequacy of their precollegiate background in mathematics should contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences office in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Placement tests covering precalculus mathematics are required of new freshmen to select the appropriate beginning mathematics course.
To be prepared for the type of mathematics courses that will be taught, the student must be competent in the basic ideas and skills of ordinary algebra, geometry and plane trigonometry. These include such topics as the fundamental operations with algebraic expressions, exponents and radicals, fractions, simple factoring, solution of linear and quadratic equations, graphical representation, simple systems of equations, complex numbers, the binomial theorem, arithmetic and geometric progressions, logarithms, the trigonometric functions and their use in triangle solving and simple applications, and the standard theorems of geometry, including some solid geometry. It usually takes eight semesters to cover this material adequately in high school.
Refer to the Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS) section of the CU Denver catalog for a list of high school subjects required for admission to the College of Engineering and Applied Science.