CUBoulder’的ATLAS研究所的博士学位课程强调即开即用的发明和激进的探究。适合于兴趣超越传统学科界限的学生，ATLAS是一个由工程，设计，艺术和人道主义融合在一起的研究人员和学生的繁荣学术团体。从结构上讲，ATLAS博士学位课程就像其他任何基于研究的博士课程一样：学生组成顾问委员会，参加课程，参加资格考试，提出论文，进行研究，撰写论文并为其辩护。但是，与大多数美国博士课程不同，我们的课程没有必修课程。而是，学生在与她或他的顾问委员会协商后，确定进行研究所需的专业知识，并选择课程以发展必要的专
The PhD program at CU Boulder's ATLAS Institute emphasizes out-of-the-box invention and radical inquiry. Suited to students whose interests transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, ATLAS is a thriving academic community of researchers and students who blend engineering, design, art and humanitarianism. Structurally, the ATLAS PhD program is like any other research-based doctoral program: a student forms an advisory committee, takes courses, takes a qualifying examination, proposes a dissertation, performs research, writes a dissertation and defends it. However, unlike most U.S. doctoral programs, our program has no set of required courses. Rather, the student, in consultation with her or his advisory committee, identifies expertise that will be needed to perform the research and selects courses to develop the requisite expertise. The curriculum is crafted from one student to the next, based on background and experience.