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International Transfer Application and Admission Requirements
Admission Criteria
We consider a number of factors when you apply as a transfer student. The types of courses you have taken are as important as your grade point average. We also consider the courses you are enrolled in at the time of application and successful completion of prerequisite or recommended courses (see 'Competitive Transfer Admission Guidelines' below). We also consider your academic performance in high school.
Competitive Transfer Admissions Guidelines
College of Arts and Sciences
Cumulative college GPA of 2.50 or better in appropriate general education courses. Students who complete 60 semester hours of transfer-level work with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 at a Colorado Community College and who apply by the equal consideration deadline are assured admission to the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must complete all of the Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS) to be guaranteed admission. *This information applies to students who entered college after Spring 1988. For those students who entered college prior to Summer 1988, please contact the Office of Admissions.
Leeds School of Business
Cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher. Preference is given to students who have completed finite math (or college algebra), calculus, microeconomics, and macroeconomics with competitive letter grades.
School of Education
Students who have completed a bachelor's degree may apply directly to the School of Education. All other undergraduate students must be admitted to another CU-Boulder college or school in an approved major before applying to the teacher education program. Visit the Undergraduate Teacher Licensure Program for additional information.
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Cumulative college GPA of 2.9 or higher if transferring from four-year institutions; cumulative college GPA of 3.10 or higher if transferring from community and junior colleges. Transfer applicants must have taken courses relevant to an engineering curriculum, including at least two semesters of college-level calculus and two semesters of calculus-based physics and/or college-level chemistry. Chemical engineering and chemical and biological engineering applicants should have completed two semesters of college chemistry.
Grades in math, science, and engineering courses should be a 'B' or higher. (Exception: Students (resident or non-resident) who apply for admission for a semester which occurs within 18 months of their high school graduation date may also be competitive without having taken the above course work, as long as their high school academic record meets the current Guaranteed Admission for Colorado Resident Freshmen criteria. In addition, if any college-level work has been completed, your overall GPA should be 3.10 or higher.)
The College guarantees admission to any of its baccalaureate degree programs to students transferring from Colorado public institutions of higher education who meet the Guaranteed Admission Criteria for Colorado Transfers.
College of Music
Cumulative college GPA of 2.75 or higher. An audition or audition recording is required of all applicants.
Program in Environmental Design
Cumulative college GPA of 2.75 or higher. Preference is given to students who have taken college-level courses in the areas of architecture, planning, or environmental studies. Completion of courses in related fields of social science, natural science, fine arts, or humanities is also considered in admission review.
Program in Journalism and Mass Communication
Admission to the JMC program requires a transfer student to have a minimum of 30 semester hours of appropriate college-level course work completed or in progress and an overall GPA of 3.00 as well as a 3.00 average GPA in journalism course prerequisites. Applicants must have completed or in progress two introductory courses: Contemporary Mass Media, or the equivalent at another institution (all majors) AND Principles of Advertising, or the equivalent at another institution (advertising applicants only), OR Principles of Journalism, or the equivalent at another institution (broadcast news, broadcast production, media studies, or news editorial majors).
Application Checklist—Undergraduate Transfer Students
Required for academic admission consideration:
Online Undergraduate Application for Admission
$70 nonrefundable application fee
Official secondary school transcript*
Official university transcripts*
Personal essays
Letters of recommendation (optional)
Required for immigration documents:
Official test scores on the TOEFL/IELTS
Financial support statement
F-1 Immigration Transfer Form** (if applicable)
Scan of your passport***
* Official certified copies of your previous academic records (transcripts) are required. All records should be submitted with original stamps. For the following countries, only the official English language transcript is required:
Bangladesh, British Commonwealth countries, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey (for any university if the student’s major is taught in English), United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
For all other countries, all records should be submitted in the native language with original stamps. All credentials written in languages other than English must be accompanied by a literal certified English translation.
** International students with F-1 immigration status who are transferring from one U.S. institution to another must complete the F-1 immigration transfer form before admission can be finalized. A link to this form will be sent to you in your admissions letter. Only admitted students who have decided to attend CU-Boulder are required to complete this form. The form is not required for an admission decision.
*** To reference before issuing your immigration documents. If you already have a passport, please make an electronic scan (PDF) and attach it to your application as an “additional application item” in the "Upload Documents" section of the online application. If you do not yet have a passport, please submit the scan once it is available to intladm@colorado.edu.
Transfer Credit Guidelines
The Office of Admissions cannot evaluate your transfer credit until your admission is finalized. We will complete an initial evaluation of your transfer credit within four to six weeks after you have been offered full admission to CU-Boulder. At orientation or prior to your first registration, the dean’s office in the college or school to which you have been admitted makes the final determination of how these transfer credits apply to your degree requirements at CU-Boulder. There is no guarantee that all transfer credit will apply to a specific program.
If you are currently enrolled in classes at another college or university, you must have your final official transcript sent directly to the Office of Admissions after you complete your last term in order for those credits to also be considered for transfer credit.
The following guidelines are used to evaluate university-level transfer credit:
- To be considered for transfer, courses must have been completed at a college or university of recognized standing with a grade of C- or better.
- Credits earned through Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and approved International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations may also be considered for transfer.
- CU-Boulder does not give credit for vocational, technical, remedial, or college orientation/preparatory courses; English language courses; physical education activity courses; work/life experience; outdoor leadership courses; or courses in religion that constitute specialized religious training or that are doctrinal in nature.
- Each college and school at CU-Boulder determines the maximum number of hours earned through correspondence courses that may be credited toward a degree program, the maximum number of semester hours that may transfer from a two-year postsecondary institution, and the minimum number of semester hours that you must complete in residence on the Boulder campus to receive an undergraduate degree.
- University-level work taken during secondary school is evaluated in accordance with general guidelines for transfer credit at CU-Boulder. Official university transcripts must be received in order for transfer credit to be awarded.
