Nomination Procedure

  1. The exchange students that will come to CU Boulder from your institution must be nominated before applying. Download the Exchange Nomination Spreadsheet and complete it with your student's information.
  2. Email the completed spreadsheet to exchangepartner@colorado.edu as an attachment. 
    • Students will be prompted to upload their own official transcripts as a part of their application process. If your students are unable to provide their own official transcripts, please attach your students' official transcripts when you email us your nomination spreadsheet. 
  3. Nominated students will receive an email with instructions/passwords to log on to their application.  The application is opened by our office.  Students applying for some specific exchanges (e.g. Law, MBA) will still need to submit paper documents. 

Nomination & Application Deadlines

  • Fall/Academic Year applicants:
    • ​Home University Nomination Deadline: February 15 (except Music exchange applications which must arrive by January 1)
    • Student Application Deadline: March 15 (except Music exchange applications which must arrive by January 15)
  • Spring/Calendar Year applicants:
    • Home University Nomination Deadline: September 15 
    • Student Application Deadline: October 15

Student applications require the following:

  • Exchange Student Application
  • Academic Plan (showing us the courses the student wishes to take)
  • Transcript(s), or other official documentation, showing all of the academic work the student has completed at the university level
  • Financial Statement and Financial Documentation
  • Copy of the students' biodata page of passport
  • English proficiency exam results if English is not the language of instruction at the home university. See the Exchange Student Eligibility page for details.

Additional required application pieces for some exchanges:

  • Audition material
  • Essay
  • Letter of Recommendation

  • Resume
  • Letter of Recommendation

Registration for Classes

Students will register for classes online. They will receive information about registration with their acceptance materials.

  • The Catalog gives descriptions of all courses taught at CU Boulder
  • Not all courses listed in the catalog are taught every semester. Use the course search tool to find what courses are likely to be taught in a particular semester
  • Materials needed before registering for some classes: Some departments control registration for some courses and will require syllabi of relevant courses already taken before approving registration.
  • For Engineering Applicants: Students must be able to access the course syllabi for any university mathematics, science, or engineering courses they have taken.
  • For Architecture Design Studio Applicants: Students who wish to take design studio courses must provide a Digital Portfolio and syllabi for design-related courses taken.

Credit Requirements

All exchange students must be registered with a full-time course load at CU Boulder as follows:

  • If taking only undergraduate courses (4999 and lower): Students must take a minimum 12 credits per semester (max 18 credits)
  • If taking only graduate-level courses (5000 and higher): Students must take a minimum 5 credits per semester
  • If taking a combination of undergraduate and graduate-level courses: Students must take a minimum of 8 credits per semester

Housing

At CU Boulder, on-campus housing is extremely limited and exchange students are not guaranteed campus housing. The CU Boulder campus has a culture of off-campus living for the majority of students who have not recently graduated from high school. CU's robust off-campus community surrounds the campus and there is an office dedicated to supporting students as they seek off-campus housing. International exchange students coming to CU Boulder can use the following resources to find housing in Boulder:

Working while on Exchange

Exchange students must prove they have sufficient funds without working when they are in Boulder. After they arrive on campus, students may request permission from the International Student and Scholar Office to work on campus if qualified.

Calendar & Deadlines

Academic Calendar:

  • Fall semester: late August - December
  • Spring semester: January - early May

    Health Insurance

    Students must have health insurance that meets the requirements of their U.S. visas. They may bring evidence of insurance from home or purchase insurance in the U.S., which meets the requirement.

    Visa Requirements

    Upon acceptance by CU Boulder, we will provide each exchange student the document necessary to apply for a U.S. visa.

    Contacts at CU Boulder

    Our Address:

    Office of International Education
    Center for Community S355
    123 UCB, 2249 Willard Loop Drive 
    University of Colorado Boulder
    Boulder, Colorado 80309-0123
    USA

    Visiting International Partnership Program

    If you have students who would like to study at CU Boulder for one or two semesters as non-exchange students, we can now accept these students as Visiting International Partnership Students (VIPS).  These students would be able to apply in a streamlined application process (after you vet them just as you would exchange students). 

    These students would pay non-resident tuition and fees.  Our nonresident tuition is variable and calculated based on the year a student has started at our university and the School/College at CU Boulder in which the student is enrolled.  We are now able to offer VIPS the opportunity to pay tuition at the rate based on when they started at your university which would give them a somewhat lower rate than they would pay as new degree students here. 

    If you are interested in receiving more information about this option, please let us know (email: exchangepartner@colorado.edu).