Prospective Students - Transfer

Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy

Coursework of comparable content and scope to the University of Colorado at Boulder curriculum will be considered for transfer credit if it was completed at colleges or universities accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, or other regional associations at the time the work was completed. If coursework was completed at a school not regionally accredited, the recommendations of American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) will be considered. For international colleges or universities, the international equivalent of regional accreditation or Ministry of Education recognition will be considered.

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. / Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools / Commission on Colleges
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Exceptions to recognition of regional accreditation:

• Transferability is based on the practices of the leading university in the state where the institution is located will be considered.
• For Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, College Level Examination Program, or Military Credit refer to the detailed criteria stated in the corresponding sections.

Evaluation of Credit
Only courses taken at a college or university of recognized standing with grades of C- (1.7) or better are accepted for transfer. All transferred courses are recorded on the student’s academic record. Each college and school at CU-Boulder determines:

• How transferred course semester credit hours are applied toward graduation requirements in accordance with the policies of the college or school.
  
• The maximum number of semester credit hours that may transfer from a two-year or four-year postsecondary institution.
• The minimum number of semester credit hours that must be completed on the Boulder campus in order to receive a degree.
• The minimum number of semester credit hours that must be completed as a degree student in residence on the Boulder campus to receive an undergraduate degree.
• The maximum number of semester credit hours earned through correspondence or in a similar format that are accepted toward a baccalaureate degree.

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 semester credit hours 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.

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.

Course Work Requiring Additional Review

The following course work will require additional information before a decision can be made on acceptance for transfer credit.

• Independent study courses
• Internships
• Workshops
• Graduate course work
• Military credit
• Professional programs

Course Work Not Accepted for Transfer Credit

The following course work will not be accepted for transfer credit and will not count toward a degree at Boulder:

• any courses in which the grade earned is below a C- (1.7),
• courses identified by CU-Boulder as remedial, 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.

Appeals Process:
Students who wish to appeal the transferability of course work must write a letter within the first semester after the work is posted on the University of Colorado at Boulder record or after receiving notice from the Office of Admissions that the course work was not accepted for transfer credit. The letter must be addressed to the Transfer Credit Department, Office of Admissions and include:

• The name(s) of the previous institution(s) attended, the course number and title of each course for which the student was denied transfer credit, and the date(s) of enrollment in each course.
• A copy of the catalog description (from the appropriate year) for each course in question.
• A copy of the syllabus or course outline (from the appropriate year) for each course in question. This information can be obtained from the sending institution.
• A statement indicating why the credit(s) should be accepted.

The Admissions Office will re-evaluate the course(s) for which the student is requesting reconsideration in consultation with the appropriate Dean or Chair. A written response will be delivered to the student in a timely manner once the appropriate faculties have reviewed the course materials, past practices, and the student’s specific circumstances.

University of Colorado Campuses
Course work completed at other campuses in the University of Colorado system will be a part of the student’s cumulative university record and will not be considered as transfer credit. However, the applicability of this course work towards specific CU-Boulder degree requirements will be determined solely by CU-Boulder colleges and schools. External transfer credit presented by students to other University of Colorado campuses will be evaluated by CU-Boulder guidelines upon the student’s matriculation into a degree program at CU-Boulder.

Transfer Credit Criteria and Exceptions for Each College or School: Each CU-Boulder college or school with undergraduate programs is listed below with their distinctive transfer credit criteria or exception to the university’s general policy on transfer credit.

College of Architecture and Planning: In general, the college does not accept vocational/technical course work in design, graphics, or construction as meeting specific course requirements of the program; nor does it consider such course work as acceptable in fulfilling the college's elective requirements. Only in exceptional circumstances may a student petition the dean of the college to request a transfer of such credits. A student may, however, ask that vocational/technical course work be considered as a basis for waiving a specific course in a required sequence.

College of Arts and Sciences: All courses transferred from junior and community colleges carry lower-division credit. Courses transferred from four-year institutions generally carry credits at the level at which they were taught at the previous institution. Additional information on the evaluation of transfer credit of Colorado community college course work and its application in select arts and sciences major programs can also be found at www.colorado.edu/ArtsSciences/prospective/transfer_current.html

Leeds School of Business: The school reserves the right to disallow any credit that it deems inappropriate degree credit.

Credits in business subjects transferred from other institutions will be applied to the number of credit hours given for equivalent work in the regular offerings of the university. A maximum of 60 semester hours of credit may be applied from a two-year school.

Actual equivalent courses may be substituted for required courses. Students must submit a carefully checked catalog description and course syllabus for course equivalency determination.

Business students desiring to apply course work from another institution or University of Colorado campus toward the BS degree in business administration must have prior approval of the Leeds School of Business. Only non-business requirements or elective credit is acceptable in transfer from other institutions once the student has enrolled.
All courses in the area of emphasis must be taken at the University of Colorado at Boulder unless written approval is given by the associate dean of undergraduate studies. Transfer students must take a minimum of 30 hours of business courses, including the area of emphasis, in residence after admission to the college.

School of Education: Undergraduate students who seek to transfer to the University of Colorado, School of Education must apply through the Office of Admissions. Students who have completed a bachelor's degree may apply for admission directly to the School of Education. All other students must be admitted to a primary major other than education through a CU-Boulder college or school before applying for a CU-Boulder teacher licensure program. At least 30 hours of course work for licensure must be completed while the student is officially enrolled as a student in the university. Coursework in student teaching will not transfer to the University of Colorado at Boulder.

College of Engineering and Applied Science: After a transfer credit evaluation has been completed by the Office of Admissions, the appropriate faculty advisor in the major department uses this information to indicate which of those transfer courses are acceptable in meeting engineering degree requirements. It is the responsibility of the transfer student to request final validation of the transfer credit hours by the major department and confirm that this validation is noted in the student's college file.

Course work requiring additional information. Students desiring to transfer credit hours from engineering technology programs should note that such credit hours are accepted only upon submission of evidence that the work involved was fully equivalent to that offered in this college.

Some technology courses are taught with titles and textbooks identical to those in similar engineering courses. These courses may still not be equivalent to engineering courses because the areas of academic emphasis are divergent.

In order to assist engineering technology students, the following guidelines have been established:

1. Courses on basic subjects such as mathematics, physics, foreign languages, literature, or history may be acceptable for transfer credit if they were taught as part of an accredited program for all students and were not specifically designated for technology students.
2. Students who have taken courses with technology designations that may be valid equivalents for engineering courses have these options:
   1. They may petition for permission to waive the course requirement. The course requirement can be waived if students demonstrate that, by previous course work, individual study, or work experience, they have acquired the background and training normally provided by the course. No credit is given for a waived course, but students may benefit from the waiver by being able to include more advanced work in their curriculum. Other students may profit by repeating the course at this college and thus establishing a fully sound basis for what follows.
   2. The appropriate University of Colorado academic department may recommend to the dean's office that credit be transferred to count toward the requirements for a related course in its curriculum. Credit cannot be given for vocational/technical or remedial courses under rules of the university.
   3. The student may seek credit for the course by examination.

School of Journalism and Mass Communication: Transfer credits in journalism and mass communication are limited to 12 semester credits from four-year institutions and 6 semester credits from two-year institutions. All transfer credit is subject to approval of the dean of the school. For additional information on transfer of credit policies, please see the Transfer of College-Level Credit section.

College of Music: The College of Music staff reviews transfer course work specific to music for the course equivalency. In instances where the course equivalency cannot be readily determined, students must submit a detailed course description or course syllabus for further review. Music course work that has no direct equivalency may be applied as music elective credit. The amount of transfer credit awarded for applied study is contingent on the transfer credit available as well as applied studio standing assigned as a result of the audition process. College of Music residence requirements (i.e., the last 56 credits of degree work and at least nine credits of applied study must be completed in residence over three semesters) limit the number of transfer courses that may be applied to music degree programs. Students may petition the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies for exceptional circumstances that warrant further consideration.