How Courses Work

Female student studying outside a building

You can enroll in individual courses or specializations — a series of courses designed to help you master a specific skill — to earn Course and Specialization Certificates. Complete courses at your own pace.

Non-Credit Offerings

If you are interested in our non-credit offerings:

  • Sign up for an account on Coursera, the online platform where you will access and complete your courses. If you are a student, faculty, or staff member at the University of Colorado, sign up for a Coursera account here.
  • Browse our course offerings to find and select courses to enroll in.
  • Click on a course card to enroll and start learning.
  • Pay the course fee to unlock the full course, including graded assignments, to earn a Course or Specialization Certificate.

For Credit & Degree Program Offerings

If you are interested in for-credit and degree program offerings, visit CU Boulder Online to learn more about CU Boulder's online offerings.

CU Boulder degrees hosted on the Coursera platform:

Transitioning from Non-Credit to For-Credit Programs

You may upgrade from non-credit to for-credit during any open enrollment window with the following steps:

  1. Click the Enroll Now button during an open enrollment period and select your student type.
  1. New students Activation:
  • Complete the CU Boulder Student Account Creation form.
  • Check your email and activate your IdentiKey.
  • Access your CU email.
  1. Enroll in courses and pay tuition via Buff Portal.
  1. New Student Onboarding Steps
  • Link your CU email to your Coursera account.
  • Complete your program’s mandatory non-credit Student Onboarding Course on Coursera. You cannot access for-credit content until this free 3–5-hour course is completed.
  1. Access your course(s) starting after the for-credit session starts.
  • Previously completed assignments will be automatically applied to your for-credit experience.
  • You will also need to complete additional material in the for-credit version, typically a final exam or project.
  1. Complete your course(s) before the 8-week session ends. 
  • Meet all session deadlines posted on the session calendar, including scheduling proctored exams, submitting peer-reviewed assignments, and completing all coursework.
  • You must complete the password quiz (or equivalent) to unlock restricted content and earn CU Boulder credit.  

You may upgrade from non-credit to for-credit during any open enrollment window with the following steps:

  1. Click the Enroll Now button during an open enrollment period and select your student type.
  2. Enroll in courses and pay tuition via Buff Portal.
  3. Access your course(s) starting after the for-credit session starts.
  • Previously completed assignments will be automatically applied to your for-credit experience.
  • You will also need to complete additional material in the for-credit version, typically a final exam or project.

4. Complete your course(s) before the 8-week session ends. 

  • Meet all session deadlines posted on the session calendar, including scheduling proctored exams, submitting peer-reviewed assignments, and completing all coursework.
  • You must complete the password quiz (or equivalent) to unlock restricted content and earn CU Boulder credit.  

 

Please note that if you start a non-credit course within the same month that you upgrade to the for-credit version, you will not receive a refund for the monthly subscription associated with the non-credit course. The monthly subscription fee is paid to Coursera, not to the University of Colorado Boulder.