Information for International Students

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The University of Colorado Denver provides a variety of international programs and educational opportunities and services for international and domestic students, scholars, faculty, staff and the greater Denver community. The goals of the Office of International Affairs are to raise international awareness on the campus, to provide opportunities for students to gain global competency needed in today’s interdependent world and to create a campus community that is welcoming to international students and scholars.

UC Denver Quick Facts for International Students 

Director: Derrick Alex
Telephone: +1-303-315-2234
Fax: +1-303-315-2246
Web site: www.internationaladmissions.cudenver.edu

The Department of International Admissions at the University of Colorado Denver assists all international students with the international application process from first contact through issuance of initial immigration documents. The conversion of foreign grades into the United States system is done in-house. At the request of academic departments, International Admissions also evaluates course work completed at foreign institutions by domestic applicants.

International Admissions representatives travel overseas to recruit qualified international students. The department also advises staff and faculty traveling overseas on possible networking with prospective international students, visiting Fulbright offices and foreign universities with UC Denver brochures and information.

International Admissions Application Deadlines

Undergraduate

Graduate

Final deadlines vary by department and by programs. Please contact the academic department for final deadline.

* College of Architecture & Planning

English Language Requirement

Both Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are accepted at UC Denver as proof of English language proficiency.

The UC Denver institutional code for TOEFL is 4875. Test information and registration materials for TOEFL may be obtained from the Ministry of Education, American Culture Center or educational institutions in the applicant’s country. Information may also be obtained directly from:

Educational Testing Services, CN6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA
606-921-9000
Web site: www.toefl.org
E-mail: toefl@ets.org

To receive test information and registration materials for IELTS please visit www.ielts.org or send an e-mail to ielts@ieltsintl.org.

Live-In Residence Requirement

UC Denver Downtown Campus requires that all first-time international undergraduate students live in the Campus Village at Auraria apartments. Additional information about the facilities, policies and programming at Campus Village are available in the Campus Life  section of this catalog.

Exemptions to the campus residency policy will be evaluated and made on a case-by-case basis. Exemption forms are available through the Office of Student Life, Tivoli room 303, or online at http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/housing/exemption.html. It is not mandatory for international graduate students to live on campus. For further information, please call the Office of Student Life at 303-556-3399 or via e-mail at housing@ucdenver.edu.

Minimum Requirements for International Applicants

Undergraduate Freshman (First-Year) Students

* The English language requirement can be satisfied with one of the three TOEFL exams or the IELTS exam.
** Some programs in Arts & Media require an audition.

Undergraduate Transfer Students

* The English language requirement can be satisfied with one of the three TOEFL exams or the IELTS exam.

** Some programs in Arts & Media require an audition.

† Must meet the same GPA requirements as domestic students.

‡ A minimum of one year’s course work in calculus and calculus-based physics is required for engineering.

Graduate Students

Minimum TOEFL and IELTS scores vary by academic department.
English language requirement may be waived for admission in some programs for international students that have graduated with a bachelor’s degree from foreign institutions where the language of instruction was English. Please contact International Admissions for more information.

On-Campus Employment

On-campus employment is permissible for F-1 and J-1 students provided they maintain immigration status, a minimum GPA and full-time enrollment. Students must request work authorization prior to commencing employment. Qualified students can apply for on-campus employment depending on availability.

Student Life

Office: Tivoli Student Union, 303
Telephone: 303-556-3399
Web site: http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/studentlife/

It is the mission of the Office of Student Life to complement the academic program of studies at UC Denver and enhance the overall educational experience of students through the development of, exposure to, and participation in social, cultural, intellectual, recreational, leadership and governance programs. The Office of Student Life is the advising, coordinating, resource and general information center for student organizations, student government, student programs and the academic honor societies. The office is responsible for the administration of the student fee budget and monitors all student fee expenditures to assure compliance with UC Denver and state of Colorado regulations and procedures. The director of student life represents the assistant vice chancellor for university life on selected UC Denver, tri-institutional and Auraria committees and maintains effective lines of communication with Metropolitan State College of Denver, Community College of Denver and Auraria Higher Education Center.

Health Insurance

Office: Tivoli Student Union, 303
Telephone: 303-556-3399
Web site: http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/studentlife/healthinsurance/international2.html
All F-1 and J-1 students enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver are required to have health insurance and must purchase the university health insurance at the time of enrollment. The only exception is for F-1 and J-1 students whose insurance is paid for by their embassy or who are government sponsored. Health Insurance for J-2 dependents is a mandatory plan. The Student Health Insurance Office must be provided proof of adequate coverage for J-2 dependents or the student will be charged for the university dependent plan. Please contact the Student Health Insurance Office at 303-556-3399 for more information. The cost of health care in the United States is high, and these expenses are not covered or subsidized by the government as they are in many countries. International students at UC Denver must recognize this fact and protect themselves against high medical costs by purchasing insurance.
 

1. Submit a complete International Application form along with a $75 nonrefundable application fee, payable to the University of Colorado Denver. DO NOT SEND CASH. The application fee must be in U.S. funds only. (Use an international money order or your personal check payable in U.S. currency). Please send it to the following address:
   
   By Air Mail:
        University of Colorado Denver
        International Admissions
        P.O. Box 173364, Campus Box 185
        Denver, CO 80217-3364
        USA
   
   By Courier (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.):
        University of Colorado Denver
        International Admissions
        1380 Lawrence Street, 9th Floor, Suite 932
        Denver, CO 80204-2029
        USA
        Telephone: 303-315-2230
    

2. Applicants must submit complete and “official” academic records of all course work from secondary schools and any universities attended. Official academic records are records that are directly sent by the issuing institution to the university or are issued to the student in a sealed envelope to be delivered by the student to the university. If the documents are not written in English, they must be translated by a certified translator. The translation must be literal and no conversion of grades should be attempted by the translator. Undergraduate applicants who have more than one year full-time course work in a post secondary institution are not required to submit high school transcripts.

3. Both Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are accepted at UC Denver as proof of English language proficiency. Applicants must submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score report that is no more than two years old. The UC Denver institutional code for TOEFL is 4875. The English language requirement may be waived if the applicant has completed six hours of college-level English composition with a B average (3.0 GPA or higher) from an accredited U.S. institution.

4. A financial statement and a bank statement from the sponsor showing the amount of funds available for support must be submitted to the university. If the student has been awarded a scholarship from a private source or government agency, enclose the award letter. All financial support documents and documentation from banks must be original and should not be more than six months old.

5. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) score is required for undergraduate freshman engineering applicants. Please be advised that all documents submitted along with the application become the property of the university and will NOT be returned to the applicant.

The student’s file will not be considered complete, nor will it be submitted to the admissions committee, until all requested materials are received. To expedite processing, all the information should be sent at least five months before the semester in which you wish to enroll.

1. Submit a complete international application form along with a $75 nonrefundable application fee, payable to the University of Colorado Denver. DO NOT SEND CASH. The application fee must be in U.S. funds only. (Use an international money order or your personal check payable in U.S. currency.) Please send it to the address on the application form.

2. Certified copies of “official” academic records from each college or university, and/or professional schools attended, should be submitted to the university. These official academic records should include courses completed, grades or marks obtained and certificates or degrees awarded. Official academic records are records which are directly sent by the issuing institution to the university or are issued to the student in a sealed envelope to be delivered by the student to the university. If documents are not in English, they must be translated by a certified translator. The translation must be literal and no conversion of grades should be attempted by the translator.

3. Both Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are accepted at UC Denver as proof of English language proficiency. (Applicants must submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score report which is no more than two years old.) The UC Denver institutional code for TOEFL is 4875. The English language requirement may be waived if the applicant has attended a college or university in the United States as a full-time student and has completed two semesters of academic work with a B average (3.0 GPA or higher). Some departments may also waive the English language requirement if the language of instruction for the students bachelor degree was English. An official letter from the academic institution may be requested to grant this waiver.

4. A financial statement and a bank statement from the sponsor showing the amount of funds available for support must be submitted to the university. If you have been awarded a scholarship from a private source or government agency, enclose the award letter. All financial support documents and documentation from banks must be original and should not be more than six months old.

5. Three letters of recommendation* (two letters for the Business School) from college or university professors must accompany the international application form. If you have been out of school for several years, we will also accept recommendations from your employer or supervisor. The admissions committee prefers academic recommendations over employer/supervisor recommendations.
   *The Department of Electrical Engineering requires that at least two of the letters be from university faculty.

6. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required if you are applying to the Business School. For more information, please visit www.mba.com. The GMAT institutional codes for Business School programs are:

   Program	Code
   MBA	MPB-0G-78
   11-Month MBA	MPB-0G-65
   MS Programs	MPB-0G-75
   PhD Program	MPB-0G-29

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a requirement for admission consideration in many graduate departments and considered valuable for other programs. For more information, visit www.gre.org. You can also e-mail gre-info@ets.org or call +1.609.771.7670. The UC Denver institutional code for the GRE is 4875.

If you are applying for a master’s degree in public administration or the criminal justice program, you must take the GMAT or GRE.

Departmental Requirements

Graduate applications are reviewed by a faculty committee in the department in which the student wishes to enroll. Only those students who have completed an undergraduate program that is equal to a U.S. bachelor’s degree are considered for admission. Please check with academic departments for specific program requirements.

To access department Web sites, go to www.ucdenver.edu and click on Schools and Colleges.

Please be advised that all the documents submitted along with the application become the property of the university and will NOT be returned to the applicant.

The student’s file will not be considered complete, nor will it be submitted to the admissions committee, until all requested materials are received. All students applying to any graduate program should contact their academic department for specific departmental requirements.

Department of Biology

Please visit the department Web site for admissions information: www.cudenver.edu/clas/biology/grad.html.

Business School

The Business School also requires that you answer the following essay questions as part of your application. The essays should be limited to 200 words per question and included on a separate sheet of paper. Sign and date the pages and include them with your application:

1. How will the MBA/MS degree enhance your career plans? Project the kinds of positions you anticipate having five years after earning the degree. What experiences have you had that form the foundation of your goals?

2. Give a candid appraisal of yourself. Include some discussion of your strengths and weaknesses.

3. Discuss three of your achievements or accomplishments.

4. Describe your level of commitment to education and the ways in which you might make a special contribution to the learning experience of others.

School of Education & Human Development

Please visit the school Web site for additional application requirements: www.ucdenver.edu/education.

Department of Electrical Engineering

Students applying for the MS in electrical engineering are required to chose an area of specialization from the following:

• Systems and Controls

• Signal Processing

• Communication Systems

• Microelectronic and VLSI

• Computer Engineering

• Photonics

• Power Systems

The estimated tuition, living expenses which include room, board, books and insurance, for the fall 2009, spring 2010 and summer 2010 (9 months) semesters for international students is listed below. Expenses are subject to change without notice. Personal expenses and travel costs are not included. The tuition costs may change yearly, and fees, books and supplies vary according to program. Taking more credits may also increase the cost of the program. If summer is your first term on the Downtown Campus, you are required to be registered as a full-time student to maintain immigration status.

Estimated Undergraduate Costs* (12 credits)

Estimated Graduate Costs* (6 credits)

*Estimated costs are for fall 2009 and spring and summer 2010. These figures are for budgeting purposes only. Expenses are subject to change at any time without notice. Personal expenses and travel costs are not included.

Director: Laura Welch
Telephone: +1-303-315-2235

Since the first few months in a new country and a new city can be particularly difficult for international students, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) offers a number of special services to ease this transition, such as an orientation program for new international students and answers to visa questions. All international students and scholars meet with an international student advisor (ISA) in OIA upon arrival in Denver to have visas and other paperwork reviewed. OIA provides a friendly place to ask questions and express concerns about many issues, including U.S. social customs, as well as an avenue for communicating with other UC Denver international student clubs and organizing social activities. For more information on immigration matters, advising or services for international students and scholars, visit our Web site at  www.cudenver.edu/international or contact an international student advisor at 303-315-2230.