Other Applicants
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Readmit Students
CU-Boulder undergraduate degree-seeking students who have not attended the Boulder campus for three semesters must submit the undergraduate Application for Readmission to the Office of Admissions. No application fee is required. Students who have attended any other college or university since attending CU-Boulder should submit official transcripts directly from the issuing institution(s) to the Office of Admissions.
Readmit students changing from their previous college or school should note the requested change on the application. Otherwise, the university assumes that students will return to the same field of study, if eligible to do so. Students who request a change in college or school for which they are not eligible must request reconsideration for their previous program.
Former students in the College of Arts and Sciences wishing to return to the college must apply to their previous major. Students who wish to pursue a second undergraduate degree must apply to a major different from the one in which they received their degree. Students may not apply for a second bachelor’s degree in the Leeds School of Business or the College of Media, Communication and Information.
Continuing undergraduate degree-seeking students who do not attend for three semesters or less (including summer) are automatically eligible to return without having to readmit. This policy includes degree-seeking undergraduates who are only taking classes through Continuing Education. During these semesters of non-enrollment, students’ CU-Boulder email and MyCUInfo accounts remain open. To return, students should register for classes during the regular enrollment period for the returning term. Students who received a refund of the confirmation deposit must repay it when returning. Consult the Return Chart and the StayConnected Program information at www.colorado.edu/registrar/withdrawing-university for important details.
Nondegree Students
Students who wish to take University of Colorado Boulder courses but are not currently admitted to a degree program at the university are classified as "nondegree students." Students apply as nondegree students through the Division of Continuing Education (303-492-5148 or conted.colorado.edu). Nondegree students may enroll in credit classes through the ACCESS (Available Credit Courses for Eligible Special Students) Program, the Evening Credit Program, the Online Credit Program, the Applied Music Program and Summer Session.
If students have been denied admission to an undergraduate degree program, they may not enroll as nondegree students in the ACCESS Program for the semester for which they sought degree program admission. Nondegree student admission does not guarantee future admission to any degree program.
Nondegree students may also enroll for courses on a pass/fail basis. These courses are counted toward hours of pass/fail course work permitted according to the rules of the college or school to which students are admitted once they achieve degree status.
Nondegree students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA. Failure to maintain the required GPA will result in academic suspension.
High school students interested in taking courses at CU-Boulder apply as nondegree students through the High School Concurrent Program administered by the division.
International students who want to apply to the university as nondegree students should read the International Students section above. Students interested in teacher licensure should refer to the School of Education section.
Nondegree Students Transferring to a Degree Program
Students who are currently enrolled or have been enrolled at any CU campus as nondegree students may apply for admission to an undergraduate degree program.
Students wishing to transfer to a graduate degree program should refer to the Graduate School section and individual college and school sections.
A degree-seeking applicant may transfer an unlimited number of credits taken as a nondegree student on any University of Colorado campus. However, applicability of these hours toward degree requirements is established by the colleges and schools. It is suggested that a student apply to a degree program as soon as admission requirements, including MAPS deficiencies, have been met. It is essential that former nondegree students actively seek academic advising from the appropriate dean’s office once they have been accepted into a degree program.
Second Undergraduate Degree Applicants
Students may apply for a second undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, but should explore the various options in graduate study available at the university before doing so. Students applying for a second undergraduate degree must follow transfer admission guidelines, and those students who are admitted must keep in mind that all college and major requirements must be met in order to complete degree programs satisfactorily. Restrictions mandated by general university policies, as well as specific college and school policies, include the following:
- Applicants may not apply to the major in which they received their first undergraduate degree.
- Applicants must apply to a specific major; applications for an open option or undetermined major cannot be considered.
- Second undergraduate degree applicants in the Program in Environmental Design are encouraged to investigate graduate programs.
- The Leeds School of Business and the College of Media, Communication and Information do not consider students who have already completed an undergraduate degree. These students are strongly encouraged to investigate graduate study.
- Students who already have an undergraduate degree from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and who desire a second undergraduate degree are strongly encouraged to investigate graduate study as an option.
- The School of Education offers graduate and teacher certification programs only.
- Credit hours earned as a nondegree student at the University of Colorado may not be used toward major degree requirements for a second degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students from Other CU Campuses
Students who wish to transfer to Boulder from another University of Colorado campus (Colorado Springs or Denver), from CU Study Abroad or from CU Continuing Education should refer to the Transfer Applicants section. These students must send a high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores and an official transcript from each college or university attended (outside the University of Colorado system) to the Office of Admissions. Currently enrolled degree students are not required to pay the application fee. Special consideration is given to applicants transferring from degree programs at other campuses of the University of Colorado. Course work completed at other campuses in the University of Colorado System will be a part of the student’s cumulative university record and will not be considered as transfer credit. However, the applicability of this course work toward specific CU-Boulder degree requirements will be determined solely by CU-Boulder colleges and schools. External transfer credit presented by students to other University of Colorado campuses will be evaluated by CU-Boulder guidelines upon the student’s matriculation into a degree program at CU-Boulder.
Intrauniversity Transfer Students
Students wishing to change colleges or schools within the CU-Boulder campus follow the Intrauniversity Transfer (IUT) guidelines from the college or school into which they wish to transfer.
For more information on recommended course work in preparation for an IUT and other criteria, students need to consult college and school sections of this catalog or talk with an academic advisor in the program to which they plan to transfer. Some colleges and schools do not accept intrauniversity transfer students during the summer. It is important to note that admission to a college through the IUT process is competitive, and not all students who apply are admitted. Decisions are based on course preparation, hours completed, grade point average and other criteria required by the specific college or school.
Denied Admission as a Freshman
Students who were not admissible to the University of Colorado Boulder based on high school academic records are encouraged to apply for transfer admission after at least 24 semester hours of transferable college-level course work are completed or in progress. This includes any minimum academic preparation standards (MAPS) requirements not met in high school.
