Graduation and Undergraduate Core Requirements

Click on any of the following for more information:

General Graduation Requirements

To receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver, students must satisfy all of the requirements below, in addition to completing a Major  and fulfilling all of their School or College requirements  .

Please note that the requirements below are basic university requirements. Consult your School/College and Major to determine whether they have put additional requirements in place that further restrict these categories.

• A minimum of 120 credit hours is required to graduate from CU Denver with a bachelor’s level degree
• A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA is required for all University of Colorado coursework
• Satisfactory completion of the CU Denver Core Curriculum (an 11 course, 34-38 semester hour curriculum of general education, outlined here )

Repeat Statement

Though students may take any course more than once, credit toward graduation is counted only once for a typical course, unless otherwise noted in the course description. Some types of courses (e.g. Internships, Independent Studies, etc.) may be repeatable for applicable credit within a certain range of total semester hours. See course descriptions for the max semester hours applicable from each course.

Residency Requirement

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which accredits this university, requires that at least 30 of the 120 credits earned for a baccalaureate degree be taken in residence at the University of Colorado Denver. Students are advised that individual schools/colleges may have higher residency requirements.

Philosophy of the Core Curriculum

The University of Colorado Denver subscribes to a liberal arts philosophy of education in order to develop a broad set of academic skills for the baccalaureate student and to establish a foundation for lifelong learning. Since 1990, the CU Denver Core curriculum of general education has been a campus-wide program for all undergraduate students, independent of the student’s major.

The CU Denver faculty designed the Core curriculum to provide undergraduate students a high quality academic foundation while still allowing flexibility based on students’ individual backgrounds and specific career goals. The Core curriculum develops multiple literacies, stimulates creative thinking, and utilizes technology. The Core engages students in developing sensitivity to diversity and developing their place in an urban environment, as well as in the rapidly changing global environment. The Core provides an understanding of ourselves, ours and other cultures, and our environment.

CU Denver Core Curriculum: Full Course Listing

Click the link below to expand/collapse a full listing of the course options for each CU Denver Core category.

Or, click here  to view the CU Denver Core Curriculum full course listing in a separate page.

  **Some Core requirements may overlap with other major and graduation requirements and others may not. Students should work with an advisor to understand degree requirements and determine their optimal degree plan.

School/College Specific Graduation Requirements

Business School  

College of Architecture and Planning  

College of Arts & Media  

College of Engineering and Applied Science  

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences  

School of Education and Human Development  

School of Public Affairs