Current Student Resources

We're Here to Support Your Journey

Congratulations on your admission to the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program at the University of Colorado Boulder! We’re thrilled to welcome you and offer you the knowledge, skills and professional credentials to help you meet your goals.

Dedicated Help to Foster Your Success

Our Academic Advisor is here to help you identify academic and professional goals, access any university resources you might need to achieve those goals, and help you focus on life and learning.

During your time in the degree program, she will be your liaison to various university departments. Whether you need help registering for classes, paying your tuition, or applying for graduation, your academic advisor is your advocate at CU Boulder.

Shortly after being admitted and once fully matriculated into the program, you will receive a welcome email to your CU student email account and instructions on how to set up an appointment with your academic advisor. You must meet with your advisor before you can register for classes your first term in the program.

Photo of Kristina Richards

Schedule an Appointment with Your Academic Advisor

Getting Started

The following information outlines everything you need to get started on your academic journey at CU Boulder. This page is full of important information and resources, so we encourage you to bookmark it for your reference. In addition to the information in this section, you will receive email communications from the program to guide you as an incoming student.

If you have questions about anything related to the program, please email us at CSPBonline@colorado.edu or schedule an appointment. We are here to help and look forward to getting to know you.

Activate Your IdentiKey & CU Email

The first step is to activate your IdentiKey login. Your IdentiKey is a unique credential that provides you with access to a majority of our campus systems and services.

You will also need to set-up your CU Boulder email account. All official forms of communication will be through this account, so it is important that you log in regularly.

Activate Your IdentiKey

Activate Your CU Email

Complete Your Pre-Registration Tasks

Before you can register for classes, there are a few pre-registration items that you need to complete including updating your contact information, accepting the tuition and fee agreement, and applying for and authorizing the College Opportunity Fund (Colorado Residents Only). Log into the Buff Portal to complete these items.

Get to Know the CU Buff Portal

The Buff Portal is also known as the student portal and is where you’ll manage your student transactions while you’re at CU Boulder. Upon first logging into Buff Portal, you must consent to conduct business electronically during your time at CU Boulder. Students also have the option of conducting official university business in-person.

Buff Portal Features

Access the Buff Portal

Check Your Equipment

Minimum Computer Requirements

Camera Requirements: The minimum webcam resolution is 320x240 VGA resolution. We recommend the “Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Widescreen Video Calling and Recording, 1080p Camera, Desktop or Laptop Webcam” which meets the minimum requirements and is reasonably priced. For screen resolution we recommend a minimum of 1920 x 1080.

Registration & Enrollment

Transfer Credit Report

Before registering for classes, it is best to verify your Transfer Credit Report. Your transfer credit report shows you any classes you’ve submitted to CU Boulder for college credit. This report is updated as we receive official transfer credit documents, so check back regularly until you see the transfer credits you’re expecting.If you do not receive transfer credit for a class you took at another university that you think is equivalent to a class in the program, please contact TCHelp@colorado.edu. The Transcript Evaluation team will evaluate the class in question and determine if it is equivalent to the class offered in the program.

Verify Your Transfer Credit Report

Transfer Credit Guidelines

Register for Classes

Register for classes through the Buff Portal.

CSPB courses are reserved for Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate students. You must register for CSPB subject courses in order to earn credit for your classes.

All courses in the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program are evaluated using letter grades. You must select the letter grade option when registering for classes in order to receive credit for your classes.

How to Register for Classes

Curriculum

You are required to complete 45 credit hours of computer science courses in order to earn a Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder. Please see our Curriculum page for a full list of required courses.

Program Policy and Requirements

The following section outlines the policies specific to the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program. Please contact the program’s academic advisor if you have questions or concerns about policies and requirements outlined by the program, the College of Engineering & Applied Science or the university.

The graduation requirements for the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program are as follows:

You must receive an overall GPA in the program of at least 2.000 (prior to December 2021, this threshold was 2.250)
You must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours within the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program
You cannot receive a grade lower than C- in any class in the program.
Note: If no grade higher than C- is achieved in all classes, this will not result in the minimum GPA required to graduate.
If you receive a grade below C- in a class, you must retake that class.
Once matriculated into the program, you are required to register for the online Applied Computer Science section 001 classes and must have chosen the letter grade option in order to receive credit for those classes.

You are required to complete 45 credit hours of computer science courses in order to graduate. The residency requirement for the program is that of the 45 credit hours, 30 credit hours must be taken from courses in the program (online courses) while the student is matriculated in the program as an Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate student.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science policy states that students enrolled in the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program may not earn minors and cannot register for on-campus courses. Please note: If you attempt to register for on-campus courses, you will be dropped from those courses by the Registrar’s Office and/or your academic advisor.

You can complete the program by following a 1-year, 1.5-year (both considered accelerated pathways), 2-year or 3-year pathway to completion. Register for the appropriate classes as listed on the pathway you have decided on. For students in the accelerated pathway, with petition approval, a registration hold will be placed to prevent enrolling in future semesters without first meeting with an advisor to discuss your proposed schedule. Accelerated pathways, both 1-year & 1.5-year tracks, are where 4 or more classes in fall/spring terms, or 3 or more classes in summer term, are proposed.

If you are enrolled in the program but do not register for classes for three consecutive semesters, you will need to reapply to the program. If you plan to take a semester or two off before enrolling in classes again, you should notify your academic advisor that you are taking a semester off and when you plan to return.

The Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program reviews academic standing immediately following the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Good academic standing is considered a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000. If your cumulative GPA falls below this threshold, your academic status will change to one of the following:

Academic Alert

Academic Alert status is assigned to engineering undergraduate students who experience academic difficulties in their first semester as a degree-seeking student at CU Boulder and their GPA falls below 2.000. A student placed on Academic Alert is not in good academic standing and must discuss his/her/their situation with their academic advisor without delay and then take immediate steps for academic improvement.

Suggestions to support a return to good academic standing:

Take a single course per term to reduce workload
Evoke grade replacement and make a second attempt in a course with grade below C- to improve GPA
Work with an academic coach

A student's second term (following the term that resulted in being placed on Academic Alert) grades are then reviewed with the following possible outcomes:

Student's CU cumulative GPA is at least 2.000 -- Outcome is that student returns to Good Academic Standing.
Student's CU cumulative GPA is below 2.000, but the CU term GPA is at least 2.000 -- Outcome is that student is placed on Academic Recovery.
Student's CU cumulative GPA is below 2.000 and CU term GPA continues below 2.000 -- Outcome is that student is placed on Academic Suspension.

Academic Recovery

Academic Recovery status is assigned to continuing engineering undergraduate students whose CU Cumulative GPA falls below 2.000 . A student placed on Academic Recovery is not in good academic standing and must discuss his/her/their situation with an academic advisor without delay and then take immediate steps for academic improvement.

Suggestions to support a return to good academic standing:

Take a single course per term to reduce workload
Evoke grade replacement and make a second attempt in a course with grade below C- to improve GPA
Work with an academic coach

After the term the student is on Academic Recovery, a student's next term grades are then reviewed with the following possible outcomes:

Student's CU cumulative GPA is at least 2.000 -- Outcome is that student returns to Good Academic Standing.
Student's CU cumulative GPA is below 2.000, but the CU term GPA is at least 2.000 -- Outcome is that student continues on Academic Recovery.
Student's CU cumulative GPA is below 2.000 and CU term GPA is below 2.000 -- Outcome is that student is placed on Academic Suspension.

Academic Suspension

Academic Suspension status is assigned to students who do not meet the academic requirements of Academic Recovery or Academic Alert, and reflects the student isn’t making satisfactory academic progress toward the Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science degree. Academic Suspension results in the student being released from the Applied Computer Science Program and College of Engineering and Applied Science. Students suspended from the program will no longer be eligible to take main campus courses or pursue the Applied Computer Science degree.

A note on repeated courses

You can repeat courses at any point in your academic career without grade replacement, though some academic programs have limits on the number of course repeats allowed for specific courses. If you retake a class and don't submit a grade replacement request form, the grade and credits you earn in all attempts will be included in your student credit and GPA totals, and in calculations on your official academic record.

Campus Resources

As a student of the University of Colorado Boulder, you have a wealth of CU Boulder resources available to you. The most commonly used resources are listed and linked below for your easy access: