IEC Student Handbook: Academic Programs
All IEC students requiring immigration paperwork must be able to provide proof of financial support. Students interested in studying at the IEC must be at least 18 years of age. However, the IEC grants exceptions to students who are 17 years of age and have completed high school.
Each session, listening and speaking, reading, and writing instructors assign students a proficiency score for each language skill as a means to identify a student’s readiness for academic work in English. To provide proficiency scores, the IEC uses a system called the Common European Framework (CEFR) that is used widely in Europe and in other countries around the world. Please see the CEFR Overall Proficiency for a detailed explanation of these scores.
Interpretation of grades at the IEC
Students will be evaluated on how well they do on the Student Learning Outcomes for their level. Students receive a letter grade for each course they take. To move to the next level, they need to have satisfactory control of the outcomes for their level. GPA (Grade Point Average) is the average of all the students’ grades.
See the chart below for an explanation of grades:
Letter Grade | GPA Points | Percentage | Description | Fulfillment of Expectations at mid-session^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 4.0 | 94-100% | Excellent control of student learning outcomes demonstrated through full command of the academic material; coursework completed. |
Fulfilling expectations |
A- | 3.7 | 90-93% | ||
| ||||
B+ | 3.3 | 87-89% | Good control of the student learning outcomes demonstrated through solid command of the academic material; coursework completed. | |
B | 3.0 | 83%-86% | ||
B- | 2.7 | 80-82% | ||
| ||||
C+ | 2.3 | 77-79% | Satisfactory control of student learning outcomes demonstrated through adequate command of the academic material; majority of coursework completed. * 70% is the lowest grade to pass. | Fulfilling expectations
or
Partially fulfilling expectations |
C | 2.0 | 73-76% | ||
C- | 1.7 | 70-72% | ||
| ||||
D+ | 1.3 | 67-69% | Insufficient control of student learning outcomes but shows progress; majority of coursework completed. | Partially fulfilling expectations
or
Not fulfilling expectations |
D | 1.0 | 60-66% | ||
|
|
| ||
F | 0.0 | 0-59% | Unsatisfactory control of student learning outcomes and/or coursework is incomplete. | Not fulfilling expectations |
*At CU Boulder, a D is the minimum passing grade, but the IEC requires a C- or higher to pass the course.
^At midsession, each instructor will give students their midsession grades and a rating about how students are fulfilling expectations of the course. See descriptions below:
- Fulfilling expectations: A student has excellent, good, or satisfactory control of skills.
- Partially fulfilling expectations: A student is at risk of not passing to the next level. A student may have missing assignments or assessments and may not attend all classes.
- Not fulfilling expectations: A student has unsatisfactory control of skills. A student may have questionable control of skills if they are not completing assignments or assessments and/or they do not attend many classes.
When leaving the IEC, students may request a Certificate of Attendance that shows the total number of weeks the student was enrolled at the IEC. For students to receive this Certificate, all financial obligations must be settled. Students should request a Certificate at the IEC front office.
Official transcripts
IEC students can request official paper and/or electronic transcripts, including non-credit transcripts at the Office of the Registrar. Students should be sure to select non-credit transcripts for most of the IEC Programs.
Unofficial transcripts
IEC students can obtain unofficial transcripts by logging into Buff Portal:
• On the "Student" tab under "Academics/Schedule," select the "My Academics/View Unofficial Transcript" link on the right-hand side of the page.
• Next, under "My Academics" select the "View my unofficial transcript" link.
• On the next screen, leave "Home Institution" as CU Boulder. Click the arrow in the Select Transcript Type box and choose "Non-Credit Career," then click on the "View Unofficial Transcript" button. You should then see a PDF version of your unofficial noncredit transcript.
Students applying to universities throughout the U.S. are typically required to submit at least one letter of recommendation along with their application and academic transcript. We encourage IEC students to get letters of recommendations from instructors and/or academic advisors from their home country. These letters must be in English. However, if this is not possible, IEC faculty members can write letters of recommendation as well. Please follow these tips when asking for a letter of recommendation:
• Choose a faculty member who will be able to write you a good recommendation.
• Ask the faculty member at least two weeks before you need to submit your letter of recommendation.
• Be sure the faculty member knows your deadline.
• Provide the faculty member with the name of the University and the Academic Program you are applying to, as well as the semester you intend to begin your studies.