At CU Denver, we are committed to undergraduate education. Whether you know exactly what you want to study or want to explore different areas that inspire you, our undergraduate programs give you choices—choices in your degree and in your career.
In fall 2020, the total student headcount enrollment among CU’s four campuses was 66,872. CU Boulder, 35,411; UCCS, 11,747; CU Denver, 15,162; the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, 4,522. CU awarded 17,099 degrees in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
This reflects the institution's role as a university that emphasizes classroom instruction, research training and community outreach. CU boasts nearly 475,000 living alumni, more than 250,000 of whom call Colorado their home. CU employs nearly 35,000 people.
CU Denver students have a unique opportunity to benefit from interacting with our diverse student population. Now, that opportunity has been expanded. Contact us today to see how the LRC can support you through effective and engaging peer-to-peer support.
An independent study is a collaboration between a student and a faculty member on a special project that provides the student with a learning experience. An independent study may also fill an academic need of importance to the student that cannot be filled by the regular course offerings.
self-managed independent study: 50 hours (roughly 3–4 hours a week)
To be a full time undergraduate student, you must be registered for at least 12 credits. Part time enrollment is anything below 12 credits. Full time/part time status does not relate to how many days per week you come to campus for classes.
Consider an independent study course that lets you design your own class. Most universities and colleges offer these courses for learners who want to study or conduct research on a topic that isn't already covered in the available curriculum.
This equates to around 4-5 hours per day. As you progress, you should expect to study full time, which is a minimum of 40 hours per week, meaning around 6 hours per day. What is this? There are many factors which determine the amount of time contributing towards independent study.
The normal workload expectations of a student are approximately 25 hours per term for each UOC, including class contact hours, other learning activities, preparation and time spent on all assessable work.
120 credit hoursAn undergraduate degree at CU Denver requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. If you take at least 15 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters, or a combination of 30 credit hours during a calendar year in the fall, spring and summer semesters, you'll be able to graduate in four years.
Independent Student Direct Loan Annual and Lifetime Aggregate LimitsYearAcademic Credits PassedAnnual Subsidized LimitFreshman0 - 29$3,500Sophomore30 - 59$4,500Junior+60+$5,500
12Full-Time Status (Part- Time Status) For undergraduate students: full-time status is 12 or more semester hours and half-time is six to eight semester hours; less-than half-time is five hours or less. For graduate students: full-time status is 6 or more semester hours and half-time is at least three semester hours.
Independent study can be a great option for some pupils; however, it may not be the right option for every pupil who is not thriving in a regular classroom setting. Some pupils might be better served in an educational option that is classroom-based and offers a smaller learning environment and more individualization.
Independent studies can be a great way to take a class your school doesn't offer but you'd still like to take, whether to strengthen your college applications, prepare for future jobs, or just out of personal interest.
Homeschool differs from independent study in that students are not actually enrolled at their local public school, and you as a parent or guardian are responsible for designing and implementing curriculum.
Enrollment as a CLAS student or, if enrolled in another major/minor, school/college, or institution, signed authorization on the Special Processing Form by the advisor/chair/dean of the originating school/college or institution prior to review by the CLAS associate or assistant dean.
CLAS tenured, tenure-track, Clinical Teaching Track, Senior Instructor, or Instructor rank.
CLAS discipline or directly discipline related content, though may be interdisciplinary.
CU awarded 17,099 degrees in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
CU's operating budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year totals $4.1 billion. Contracts and grants and tuition and fees account for nearly half of the university's revenues. The majority of CU's budget is spent on instruction, research and health services. This reflects the institution's role as a university that emphasizes classroom instruction, research training and community outreach.
Consult the official CU Denver Academic Calendar to determine when registration will open and close for each term. CU Denver academic calendars for upcoming semesters can be found on the Registrar’s Office webpage.
From your registration time assignment to the published Add deadline, you are able to add classes through UCDAccess. If a class is closed/full, you can add your name to the waitlist (if available) through this date. See the Waitlist Policy for more information.
To add a class after census, a Schedule Adjustment Form with both the instructor’s and dean’s signature needs to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. These deadlines vary for intensive, module, and off-cycle classes.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may provide permission to a student or may add a student to a class with student and instructor permission through Census, provided the room has capacity for that student and all prerequisites have been met, or explicit exception to a prerequisite has been granted and no other circumstances are preventing the student from being eligible, i.e.
An administrative drop is processed by university officials in the registrar’s office by approval of a school/college dean’s office. A student may be administratively dropped from one or more classes or withdrawn from all classes for any of the following reasons:
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may grant an administrative switch from one section of a course to another section of the same course, with the approval of the appropriate assistant/associate dean, waiving the $100 drop fee, if a student has enrolled in a section of a course in error or can demonstrate circumstances beyond their control and can no longer attend the original section of the course.
To qualify as an auditor for fall, spring or summer semester, a student must be 21 years of age or older or approved by the registrar. Auditors may not be registered for any other University of Colorado courses during the time they are auditing.
The Learning Resources Center (LRC) is designed to promote student success, retention, and graduation in the academic setting.
The foundation of higher education is peer learning – learning through interaction, collaboration, and discussion with other students. That’s why we’ve decided to leverage peer learning with technology and increase accessibility to foster maximum student engagement.
While traditional tutoring has always been a crucial piece to the success of students, we thought the process could use some rejuvenation. Now, we’ re putting extra emphasis on peer-to- peer tutoring.
These requirements include minimum standards related to applicable credit hours, GPA requirements, and transfer credit limits.
CU Denver subscribes to a liberal arts philosophy of education in order to develop a broad set of academic skills and to establish a foundation for lifelong learning in a student.
The university catalog is updated and published annually to include any new or changed degree requirements. In general, students should follow the degree requirements for the catalog year in which they entered the university or program of study.
Because the core curriculum requirements are the same across all CU Denver programs, these courses are easily transferable across programs once you choose a major or switch to a new major.
If a course is retaken, it must be completed on the Downtown Campus or in Denver Extended Studies. If a course is retaken, the student must re-register for the course and pay the appropriate tuition.
The GPA for undergraduate students includes all courses taken as an undergraduate. This includes all grades for courses taken more than once. The GPA for graduate students includes all courses taken while the student is enrolled in one or more graduate programs. Graduate nondegree GPAs are computed separately.
Your grade point average (GPA) is calculated by multiplying the credit hours for the course by the points for the letter grade, totaling all the credit points and dividing them by the number of credit hours included. Pass grades and no-credit courses are not included in your GPA.
You can register for a course on a no-credit basis by completing a Schedule Adjustment form. File the schedule adjustment form in the Student Service Center by the date published in the academic calendar. Be aware that some programs prohibit students from taking courses on a no-credit basis.
An "I" is given only when students, for reasons beyond their control, have been unable to complete course requirements. A substantial amount of work must have been satisfactorily completed before approval for such a grade is given.
Policies with respect to "I" grades are available in the individual college and school dean's offices. Use of the "I" is at the discretion of the course instructor and/or the academic dean's office. An enrolled student must request a grade of 'I' if her/his circumstances warrant it.
P+ and the P do not have an impact to a student’s GPA. F does impact the student’s GPA. If you register for a course on a P+/P/F basis, you may not elect to change to a letter grade in the future. If there is a possibility that you might change majors and need a letter grade, do not register for a course on a P+/P/F basis.