Lower Division Curriculum

What Courses Do I Take?

The recommended range of classes for entering College of Architecture and Planning students is noted below. Freshmen are encouraged to plan for 15 credit hours their first semester. (For most purposes, full-time status is defined as enrollment for 12 or more credit hours.)

COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS  (15 hours total)

ENVD classes (9 hours)

Choose one of the following pairs of courses:

ENVD 1004: Intro to Environmental Design..................... 6 hours
ENVD 2001: Social Factors in Environmental Design........ 3 hours
or
ENVD 1104: Intro to Environmental Design 2.................. 6 hours
ENVD 2003: Ecology and Design ................................... 3 hours

Non-ENVD course options (6 hours)

Choose from the following categories:

General Education: WRTG 1150 ..................................... 3 hours
General Education: Humanities (see below) .................... 3 hours
General Education: Social Science (see below) ............... 3 hours
Non-ENVD elective........................................................ 3 hours

NOTE: Students with significant credits from AP or transfer coursework may also wish to consider one of the General Education course options for mathematics or natural sciences listed below.

General Education Course Options

One course is required from each of the following areas:

Writing: WRTG 1150 (or ARSC 1150)

Social Science: ANTH 1030, 1040, 1170, 2010, 2100, 2200; CHST 2537; ECON 1000, 2010, 2020; ETHN 2432, 2536; GEOG 1982, 1992; HIST 1010, 1015, 1020, 1025, 1035, 1038, 1040, 1045, 1051, 1061, 2103, 2117, 2123, 2180, 2437, 2537, 2717; PSCI 1101, 2012, 2101; PSYC 1001; SOCY 1001,1051, 2011, 2031, 2041; WMST 2000

Humanities: ARTH 1300, 1400, 1509, 1709, 2409; CHST 1031; ENGL 1260, 1500, 1600, 1800, 2602, 2612; HUMN 1010, 1020; PHIL 1000, 1100, 1200, 1400, 1440, 1600, 1700, 1750; WMST 1260

Mathematics: BCOR 1020; ECON 3818; GEOG 3023; MATH 1130, 1150, 1300, 2380, 2510; PSYC 3101; SOCY 2061 (Note: course numbers in bold are suggested as particularly appropriate for disciplinary majors in ENVD.)

Natural Sciences: CLAS 2020; CHEM 1111; ENVS 3070; EBIO 1030+1050, 1210+1230; PHYS 1230, 1240, 1300, 1700, 1010, 1020, 2010

Elective Coursework

Regardless of their emphasis, all College of Architecture and Planning students will complete at least 20 hours of elective courses as a part of their degree. As you request your fall courses, you may want to use the online Schedule Planner at www.cuconnect.colorado.edu and select elective course options that meet your personal and academic interests.

ENVD electives (taught within our college) are typically taken after the freshman year. Non-ENVD electives—from arts and sciences, engineering, business, music, education, or journalism—may be completed any time from the first term onward.

Overview of Core Courses

As you complete your required core courses, you will collaborate with students from other design disciplines. The goal of this approach is to find solutions to complex issues in the design of the built environment and to understand each other's perspectives.  In the core of interdisciplinary courses, you’ll learn knowledge, methods and practices of:

• Architecture
• Planning
• Urban Design
• Landscape Design
• Design Studies

Body of Knowledge

The undergraduate program will help you develop an understanding of:

• Major theoretical perspectives used to design our physical environments
• The complex interactions of environmental, physical, ecological and cultural factors
• Ethical perspectives that inform how we design environments that are healthy, sustainable, appropriate, beneficial and that enhance human life

Second Year Core Classes

Fall/Spring Semester

Or

Spring/ Fall Semester

By the end of the fall semester of your second year, you will choose an upper-division emphasis.