After you've been admitted and confirmed your intent to enroll, the Office of Admissions will perform an initial evaluation of transfer credit. At orientation, the dean's office of the college or school to which you've been admitted will make the final determination of how your transfer credits apply toward degree requirements at CU-Boulder. To assess the credits that are likely to transfer to CU-Boulder, use the guidelines below and in the University of Colorado at Boulder Catalog.
Transfer Credit through Course Work
- Only courses taken at a college or university of recognized
standing with grades of C- or better are accepted for transfer. (See Course
Work Not Accepted by CU-Boulder for exceptions.)
- Each college and school at CU-Boulder determines the maximum number of semester hours that may transfer from a two-year or four-year postsecondary institution. Limits vary in each college and school. See the online course equivalency guides for more information.
- 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
transferable 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 on the Boulder campus in order to received a degree
(see next bullet.)
- Each college or school determines the minimum number
of final semester hours that must be completed as a degree student in residence
on the Boulder campus 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 determines the maximum number of hours earned through
correspondence programs that are accepted toward a baccalaureate degree.
- College-level work taken during high school is evaluated in accordance with general guidelines for transfer credit at CU-Boulder. Official college transcripts of work taken must be received in order for transfer credit to be awarded.
- Credit for Advanced Placement
examinations cannot be evaluated from college or high school transcripts;
score reports from the College Board must be submitted directly to the university
for evaluation. For a specific equivalency, refer to the AP
credit chart.
- 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 of at
or above the 67th percentile. This credit is applied toward
degree requirements
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. CLEP general examinations are not accepted for credit at
CU-Boulder.
- In general, credit is granted for approved International
Baccalaureate (IB) examinations at the higher level with a score of 4
or better. An IB certificate or diploma must be submitted directly to the
Office of Admissions by the International Baccalaureate Organization for evaluation. For specific
equivalencies, see the IB credit chart.
- Credit by Examination provides limited opportunities for students to take an examination and earn credit for a course without registering for or taking the course. Specific courses must be approved for credit by examination. Students may want to exercise this option if they do not receive transfer credit for a course they have taken at a previous college. Information on participating colleges and schools, requirements, and an application for credit by examination are available at the Office of the Registrar, University of Colorado at Boulder, Regent Administrative Center 105, 20 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0020, 303-492-6970. Permission of the instructor, the department chair, the dean of the college or school in which the course is offered, and the student's dean (if different) is required for approval. An examination fee is charged.
- Credit for military schooling is evaluated upon receipt of Form DD 214, Service Separation Certificate or the Sailor/Marine American Council on Edwardian Registry Transcript (SMART). Only work that has received an upper-division baccalaureate recommendation by the American Council on Education (ACE) can be awarded credit. This work, however, is transferred and recorded at the lower-division level. Foreign language credit taken through the State Department, Department of Defense, or Defense Language Institute is assigned the recommended ACE credit.
The following course work will not transfer and will not count toward a degree at Boulder:
- any courses in which the grade earned is below a C-,
- courses identified by CU-Boulder as remedial, i.e., necessary to correct
academic deficiencies, such as remedial English, mathematics, science, and
developmental reading,
- vocational-technical courses that are offered at two-year and proprietary
institutions (exceptions may be granted only by the CU-Boulder dean responsible
for the student's curriculum--when exceptions appear to be warranted, appropriate
department heads make recommendations to their respective deans regarding
credit for such courses),
- courses in religion that constitute specialized religious training or that
are doctrinal in nature,
- credits earned for work experience or through a cooperative education program,
- outdoor leadership education course work,
- credits earned in physical education activity courses,
- courses or programs identified as college orientation, and
- any courses taken at a college or university that is not recognized by CU-Boulder.
How Transfer Credit Applies to a Degree Program
When the Office of Admissions performs the initial credit evaluation, it will use official transcripts sent directly to the university from each one of the previous colleges you have attended. Official transcripts exhibit the official seal and signature of the registrar. Transcripts that are marked "student copy," "issued to student," or "unofficial" are not accepted as official.
The initial evaluation may list course work in progress at the time of confirmation as "pending." In order to complete the admission and transfer of credit process, all transcripts of attempted work must be received by the Office of Admissions as soon as possible. Arrange to have your final official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions after you complete your last term and before you enroll at CU-Boulder. Students who do not complete this requirement will not be able to register for classes.
After an evaluation of transfer credit has been completed, the Office of Admissions will mail you an evaluation report. At orientation, the dean's office of the college or school to which you've been admitted will make the final determination of how your transfer credits apply toward degree requirements at CU-Boulder.
There is no guarantee that all transfer credit will apply to a specific degree program. The dean's office of each college and school has ultimate responsibility for supervising your degree program and makes the final determination on applicability of transfer credits toward degree requirements. Since graduation requirements at CU-Boulder vary from college to college, a reevaluation of transfer credit is required if you change colleges or schools after enrolling.
Refer to the transfer of credit and individual college sections in the University of Colorado at
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