Creative Technology & Design (CTD) Undergraduate FAQ
CTD Overview
What is CTD?
CTD is an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree that combines computing, digital and physical design, and art to explore new technologies and innovate experiences. Students learn through hands-on, project-based courses while exploring areas such as human-computer interaction, robotics, UX/UI, physical computing, AR/VR, product design and more. As part of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, CTD emphasizes both technical depth and creative problem solving. Students who want to supplement another major with engineering and design skills can choose from the Creative Technology & Design minor or two different certificates.聽
Yes! CTD is a Bachelor of Science degree offered through the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder. CTD students complete CEAS core curriculum while gaining hands-on experience applying engineering, computing and design principles to real-world projects.聽
Unlike traditional engineering degrees, CTD combines technical rigor with creativity and human-centered design. Through interdisciplinary, project-based learning, students create products, websites, apps, games, interactive installations and more while learning to think critically about the role technology plays in society.聽
CTD is a good fit for motivated, creative students who are interested in the intersection of technology and artistic creativity. No prior computing experience is required, but students should be curious, willing to experiment and prepared to put time into project-based work. You don鈥檛 need to be an artist, but it helps to be creatively minded and interested in seeing problems from different perspectives.
CTD is geared toward students interested in combining engineering, design and artistic creativity. Areas of interest include UX/UI, virtual and augmented reality, game design and development, performance technologies, product design, app development, human-computer interaction and other forms of interactive technology. The program is especially well suited to students who like working across disciplines rather than staying within a single technical or creative field.
No! You don鈥檛 need prior coding, art or design experience to start CTD. Students build those skills through courses like Computational Foundations I and II, where they learn creative coding, computational thinking, object-oriented programming, algorithms and data structures through hands-on, project-based work.
CTD and Computer Science have a lot in common. Both programs develop strong technical skills in programming and computing. But CTD takes a 鈥測es, and鈥 approach by pairing those technical foundations with design, creativity and human-centered problem-solving through interdisciplinary, project-based coursework. With smaller classes and studio-style learning, students have the opportunity to collaborate closely, explore their interests and build physical and digital technologies.聽
CTD alumni work at companies ranging from local startups to international organizations like Adobe, IBM, Disney and Northrop Grumman. CTD students build skills that span engineering, computing, design and creative problem-solving. Graduates pursue careers in UX/UI design, product design, software engineering, game development, AR/VR, robotics, physical computing, web development, multimedia production and many other emerging fields.
Learning in Creative Technology & Design
How are classes taught in the CTD program?
CTD classes are primarily taught in person and emphasize hands-on, project-based learning. Instead of only learning concepts through lectures, students apply what they鈥檙e learning by designing, building, coding, testing and refining projects, often working across engineering, computing, design and creative practice.
The Creative Technology & Design (CTD) degree blends the technical rigor of engineering education with the flexibility to pursue your creative interests. During your first two years, you鈥檒l complete College of Engineering and Applied Science core curriculum in math, science and engineering alongside CTD courses in design, computation and creative technology.聽
CTD specific curriculum is designed to give you a broad foundation before you specialize. You鈥檒l begin with foundational classes in design, programming and media theory, then build technical and creative skills through courses on image making, web development, graphic design, multi-material fabrication, audio engineering and physical computing. Later in the program, you鈥檒l customize your degree with focus electives aligned with your interests, and apply everything you鈥檝e learned in a year-long Senior Capstone project.聽
Absolutely. CTD is designed to give you room to build depth in the areas that interest you most. After developing a broad foundation, you can use聽focus electives to explore topics such as UX/UI, game design, physical computing, robotics, AI, product design and more. Because so much of the program is project-driven, you can also shape assignments around your own interests and build a portfolio that reflects the direction you want to pursue.
CTD students take a mix of engineering, computing, math, design and creative technology courses. CTD Core classes cover topics such as programming, image making, web development, typography and graphic design, 3D modeling and fabrication, audio, and physical computing. Students then use focus electives to explore areas that interest them before bringing everything together in a two-semester senior capstone.聽
The Capstone Sequence is the culminating experience of the CTD major. During senior year, students complete two courses鈥擱esearch Methods & Professional Practice and Capstone Projects鈥攚here they research, prototype and develop an individual thesis project that brings together the technical and creative skills they鈥檝e built throughout the program. Take a look at聽 to see the diversity of interests.聽
CTD students complete聽four math courses totaling 13-15 credit hours. That includes Calculus 1, a discrete mathematics course and two additional approved math courses chosen from options such as Calculus 2 or 3, linear algebra, statistics, differential equations and scientific computing.聽
Yes. AI is taught and used in CTD. Students encounter AI in programming and creative technology coursework, and focus electives let them go deeper through classes such as Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, AI Tooling for Software Development and Future of Programming: LLMs? Because focus electives can come from across the university, students can also explore AI in areas that connect to their own interests.聽
Applying
How do I apply to the Creative Technology & Design program?
To apply to CTD,聽apply to 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 College of Engineering & Applied Science聽and select Creative Technology & Design as your intended major. Current 麻豆免费版下载Boulder students in another college or school can apply to transfer into CTD through the聽College of Engineering鈥檚 Intra-University Transfer (IUT) process students who meet the required coursework, technical GPA and other eligibility criteria are guaranteed admission. There is no separate CTD application, portfolio or audition.聽Visit 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 Bursar鈥檚 Office to learn more about undergraduate tuition costs.
Admission to CTD requires admission to 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 College of Engineering & Applied Science. For 2026 admitted first-year engineering students, the middle 50% had weighted GPAs between 3.96 and 4.44; among students who submitted test scores, SAT scores ranged from 1370鈥1500 and ACT scores from 31鈥35 (麻豆免费版下载Boulder does not require SAT or ACT scores). There is no separate CTD-specific application, portfolio or audition.聽
Yes. Current 麻豆免费版下载Boulder students can apply to transfer into the College of Engineering & Applied Science and declare CTD through the intra-university transfer process. Students must meet the College of Engineering鈥檚 IUT requirements; there is no additional CTD-specific portfolio or audition.
Other Ways to Study at ATLAS
Can I study Creative Technology & Design without majoring in it?
Yes. Students who don鈥檛 major in CTD can still study at ATLAS through the聽Creative Technology & Design minor聽or one of two聽undergraduate certificates: Design Technologies or User Experience. These options let students add design, computing and creative technology skills to another major.聽
The CTD minor is designed to complement a wide range of majors by adding hands-on skills in design, programming and creative technology. Its flexible curriculum lets you choose electives that connect to your own interests, whether you鈥檙e studying engineering, business, arts and sciences or another field.聽
The CTD minor requires a minimum of 22 credit hours. Learn more and apply to the minor.
The ATLAS Institute offers two undergraduate certificates: Design Technologies and User Experience. The Design Technologies certificate focuses on information technology, digital media production and design, while the User Experience certificate focuses on areas such as wireframing, prototyping, user journeys and usability testing. Both are 12-credit programs. Learn more and apply to a certificate.
Each of the two聽CTD certificates鈥擠esign Technologies and User Experience鈥攔equires 12 credit hours.
International Students
Are the ATLAS programs STEM-OPT eligible?
Yes, all students in all ATLAS degree programs are eligible for extended STEM-OPT. The CIP code for these programs is 15.0000, 鈥淓ngineering Technology, General.鈥