Credit for Course Work or Exams
College Course Work
If you took college-level courses while enrolled in high school, you may be able to transfer the credit to CU-Boulder. Only courses taken at a college or university of recognized standing with grades of C- or better are accepted for transfer. All college-level work will be evaluated in accordance with CU-Boulder transfer credit guidelines. College-level work taken concurrently with a high school program may be used to satisfy MAPS requirements. You must have an official college transcript sent directly to the Office of Admissions in order for transfer credit to be evaluated.
Advanced Placement
CU-Boulder participates in the Advanced Placement program of the College Board. Over one-third of Boulder's entering freshmen submit Advanced Placement (AP) test scores each year. Official scores must be sent to the admissions office directly from the College Board. For specific equivalencies, see the Advanced Placement chart.
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programs provide pre-university study. IB examinations, whether leading to a full IB diploma or to an IB certificate, often qualify students for advanced standing at CU-Boulder. In general, credit is granted for approved IB examinations at the higher level with a score of 4 or better. Students admitted to the University of Colorado at Boulder who have graduated from high school with an International Baccalaureate Diploma shall be granted 24 semester hours of college credit. This credit will be applied toward degree requirements if approved by the college or school; no CU-Boulder tuition will be charged for these credits. The credits will only be granted if the student receives a score of 4 or better on an examination administered as part of the IB Diploma program. If the student scores less than 4 on each IB subject test, the credit hours granted will be reduced accordingly. Official scores must be sent to the admissions office directly from the IB organization. For specific equivalencies, see the International Baccalaureate chart.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Credit for College Board subject examinations of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) in general biology, general chemistry, general psychology, introductory macroeconomics, introductory microeconomics, introductory sociology, and calculus may be granted for a score at or above the 67th percentile. CLEP general examinations are not accepted for credit at CU-Boulder. Any credit applied toward degree requirements is at the discretion of the student's dean. Refer to the appropriate dean's office for the policy of that college or school. Credit for CLEP subject examinations cannot be evaluated from college or high school transcripts; score reports must be submitted directly from the College Board.
Transfer Credit From International Schools
Transfer credit is generally only considered from international tertiary institutions that are recognized by the ministry of education, or a similar accrediting body, in the home country. In order to qualify for transfer credit, courses completed at recognized international tertiary institutions must be applicable to the student's degree and comparable to the nature and quality of CU-Boulder courses.
International courses with the same or similar course titles as University of Colorado at Boulder courses may satisfy course requirements. Prospective students may initially self assess the applicability of their transfer courses using the University of Colorado at Boulder Catalog. An official or certified copy of the transcript must be presented to the Office of Admissions for work to be officially evaluated for transfer credit. A certified translation must accompany transcripts not issued in English. The translation should be literal and not interpretive. If course content is not evident from course titles on the transcript, students should be prepared to provide official catalog course descriptions from their schools or faculties.
Rarely is international secondary level work considered for transfer credit. The completion of rigorous secondary school subjects is expected of all admission candidates-international and domestic alike. Transfer credit is not awarded for secondary school subjects unless an additional 13th year of secondary school was completed and/or a standardized examination was administered. Examples might include the British Advanced Level (A-Level) examinations, German Abitur examinations, or Italian Maturita examinations.
There is no maximum number of credit hours that may transfer from a four-year institution, but the dean's office of each college or school determines how transfer credits apply to specific degree programs. In addition, each college and school at CU-Boulder has a minimum number of final semester hours that must be completed as a degree student in residence on the Boulder campus in order to receive an undergraduate degree (see Individual College and School Transfer Sections.)
Credit hours should have been earned no more than 10 years prior to transferring into an undergraduate degree program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Any determination of acceptance of credit toward the degree based on the content and the age of the credit is made in the college or school dean's office or by the student’s major department. Each college or school at CU-Boulder determines the maximum number of hours earned through correspondence programs that are accepted toward a baccalaureate degree.
In many cases, international credits will have to be converted into the U.S. semester system. In these cases, no more than 30-36 semester hours may transfer in any academic year. All courses considered for transfer must be completed with a "C-" or better grade. The Office of Admissions will determine the international grade equivalencies. (See Course Work That Will Not Transfer). Each college and school at CU-Boulder determines the maximum number of semester hours that may transfer from a two-year postsecondary institution. Limits vary in each college and school.
