Academic Policies and Procedures

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GRADUATION

Academic Honors

Dean’s List

CU Denver uses a fixed criterion across all schools/colleges for determining eligibility for the Dean’s List. This policy applies to undergraduate students.

For fall and spring semesters, students must successfully complete nine (9) graded hours in the semester. These courses can be both within and outside of the college. Metropolitan State University of Denver pooled courses will not be included in the GPA calculation nor will they apply toward the 9 hours required for consideration. The GPA for inclusion in the Dean’s List is 3.75.

In the summer semester, students must complete six (6) graded hours. Course inclusion will be the same as in fall and spring semesters. The GPA for Dean’s List in summer is also 3.75.

Scholarships tied to Dean’s Lists may have additional requirements.

The Registrar’s Office calculates the semester GPAs that are the basis for determining the Dean’s List. Incompletes will not be considered in the calculation of minimum number of hours. The Dean’s List will not be recalculated to include completed incompletes.

College Honors

SCHOOL/COLLEGE SPECIFIC POLICY

College of Arts & Media 

LATIN ACADEMIC HONORS

Latin academic honors are awarded at the time of graduation, based on cumulative University of Colorado undergraduate GPA. To be eligible for honors, a College of Arts & Media (CAM) student must have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours at the University of Colorado (on any CU campus). A cumulative CU GPA of 3.65-3.749 earns cum laude, a 3.75-3.849 earns magna cum laude and 3.85 or above earns the summa cum laude honors designation on a degree.

OUTSTANDING GRADUATES

CAM recognizes “outstanding graduates” each fall and spring term. Students are nominated by CAM faculty and final selections are determined by the CAM Executive Committee. 

Criteria for Outstanding Graduates:

• Cumulative University of Colorado GPA of 3.500 or higher
• Graduating senior in the semester the award is given
• Active member of CAM student club(s)
• Participant in production programs of the student’s department
  • E.g., art exhibits, record productions, audio engineering
• Participant in outreach programs for the department and/or college
• Leadership qualities in the classroom
• Growth, development and demonstration of excellence as a practicing artist or scholar
• Active citizenship in the department, college, university and/or community
• Superior academic achievement

Business School

Students who demonstrate superior scholarship are given special recognition at graduation. Students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.50-3.649 in all business courses taken at the University of Colorado to be considered for cum laude, achieve a cumulative GPA 3.65-3.749 in all business courses taken at the University of Colorado to be considered for magna cum laude, and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher in all business courses taken at the University of Colorado to be considered for summa cum laude.

School of Education and Human Development

Academic honors are awarded at the time of graduation, based on the cumulative University of Colorado undergraduate GPA. To be eligible for honors, a SEHD student must have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours at the University of Colorado (on any CU campus). A cumulative CU GPA of 3.65-3.749 earns cum laude, a 3.75-3.849 earns magna cum laude and 3.85 or above earns summa cum laude honors designations.

College of Engineering and Applied Science

In recognition of superior scholarship, academic honors are awarded at the time of graduation based on the cumulative University of Colorado undergraduate GPA, including the final semester of coursework. To be eligible for honors, a CEAS student must have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours at the University of Colorado (on any CU campus). Grades earned at institutions outside of the CU system will not be considered. For Special Honors, a student must have earned a cumulative CU GPA of at least 3.80, and for Honors, a GPA between 3.60 and 3.79 is required. Since grades earned during the semester of graduation are considered, academic honors are notated in the commencement program as “pending” and are officially recorded on the diploma and transcript. 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

A student who performs superlatively in course work in the college will be awarded a bachelor’s degree accompanied by the statement “with distinction”. To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a student must have either completed a minimum of 45 semester CU Denver hours in the student’s junior and senior years with a CU cumulative GPA of at least 3.75, or have completed a minimum of 45 semester CU Denver hours in the student’s overall CU Denver career with a CU Cumulative GPA of at least 3.75. A maximum of 6 out of the final 45 CU Denver semester hours may be completed with a grade of P (on P/F option).

Departmental Honors

SCHOOL/COLLEGE SPECIFIC POLICY

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Departments in the college offer programs through which students can qualify for Latin honors: cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. Determination of the level of honors is made by the department. Detailed information can be obtained from the CLAS Academic Advising Office or from the individual departments.

Applying for Graduation

Students planning to graduate must apply for graduation through the UCDAccess student portal between the first day of registration and census for the term they intend to graduate. Students must contact their academic advisor to determine what requirements remain for graduation, as well as complete any paperwork required by their school/college. Students will not be officially certified to graduate until a final audit of the student’s record has been completed approximately six weeks after the end of the term. After students have been certified to graduate, they must reapply with the Office of Admissions in order to return to the Denver Campus.

SCHOOL/COLLEGE SPECIFIC POLICY

College of Architecture and Planning

All students MUST meet with their advisor at the beginning of their final term for a graduation check-out appointment.  We recommend students schedule an appointment PRIOR to the add/drop deadline of their final term in case schedule adjustments need to be made to fulfill final degree requirements.  After meeting with their advisor, students should apply for graduation online through UCDAccess.

College of Arts & Media

Students are encouraged to meet with a College of Arts & Media advisor the semester before they intend to graduate to review graduation procedures and degree requirements. Students who have not attended the university for one calendar year (three consecutive semesters, including summer term) or longer must gain readmission to the university prior to applying for graduation. It is the student’s responsibility to apply with enough time for the readmission process to be finalized by the census date.

Business School

A senior audit is completed on all students who have completed 90 or more semester hours. Students must file an undergraduate candidacy form and diploma card and request a graduation evaluation prior to registering for their final semester. Failure to do so will delay graduation. Also, students desiring to change their area of emphasis after filing for graduation must have the change approved by the graduation coordinator prior to registering for their final semester. Changes after that time will delay graduation.

Students must complete the online intent to graduate form on the registrar’s website (www.ucdenver.edu/registrar) when they register for their last semester. Contact the undergraduate advising office to confirm receipt at undergrad.advising@ucdenver.edu.

School of Education and Human Development

All students MUST meet with their advisor at the beginning of their final term for a graduation check-out appointment.  We recommend students schedule an appointment PRIOR to the add/drop deadline of their final term in case schedule adjustments need to be made to fulfill final degree requirements.  After meeting with their advisor, students should apply for graduation online through UCDAccess.

College Of Engineering and Applied Science

When a student in the College of Engineering and Applied Science is within 30 hours of completing his or her degree, an appointment should be scheduled with a faculty advisor to perform a 30-hour check. The 30-hour check is required before the student may graduate.

In addition to the above requirement, all students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science must also meet with their department’s faculty advisor in the semester prior to the semester in which they wish to apply for graduation to ensure all academic and administrative requirements are met. Failure to do so may interfere with a student’s ability to graduate.
Failure to understand and follow the policies, procedures, dates and deadlines of the CU Denver campus and the College of Engineering and Applied Science may obstruct a student’s ability to graduate and is solely the responsibility of the student.

Class Rank

Class rank will be calculated by undergraduate degree program within a school or college. It is possible for more than one student to have the same class rank. If more than one student has equivalent class ranking it will be reported as such. The option for a letter indicating the student’s class rank will be provided to any graduating undergraduate, but there will be no designation on the University of Colorado transcript for Denver Campus students receiving bachelor’s degrees. There will be one class rank per student per degree. Students can obtain class rank letters through the student portal. Late postings and grade changes after degrees are posted will not recalculate rankings. Rankings will be a snapshot calculation conducted once per term for each graduating undergraduate student after degrees are posted.

Commencement Ceremony

In early March, informational brochures will be mailed to students eligible to participate in the May spring-semester commencement. In early October, information regarding the December commencement will be mailed to students who graduated in summer term or expect to graduate in fall term. Information will be provided about ordering special display diplomas, fittings for caps and gowns and obtaining diplomas and transcripts with the degree recorded. This information is also available at www.ucdenver.edu/student-services/graduation/Pages/Graduation.aspx.

Four-Year Graduation Guarantee

The University of Colorado Denver has adopted a set of guidelines to define the conditions under which an undergraduate student will be guaranteed to graduate in four years. More information is available through the undergraduate advising offices for each college and the major program offices. The Denver Campus has five undergraduate colleges in which this guarantee applies: College of Arts & Media, Business School, College of Engineering and Applied Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Public Affairs.

CU Denver guarantees that if a student begins studies in a fall semester and lack of scheduling of essential courses is found to have prevented a student from completing all course work necessary for a BA, BFA or BS degree from the university by the end of the student’s eighth consecutive fall and spring semester, the college/school shall provide tuition plus any course fees for all courses required for completion of the degree requirements. This applies only when needed courses are not offered by the college/school and does not apply to scheduling conflicts for individual students. Students must satisfy all the requirements described below to be eligible for this guarantee.

This guarantee applies to all students who enroll beginning in a fall term as first-semester, full-time freshmen without admission deficiencies, who do not need remedial course work and who satisfy all the requirements described below. This guarantee does not include completion of all options within the major, a second major, a double degree, a minor or a certificate program. The four-year graduation guarantee does not apply to programs in which the degree has been discontinued or is in the process of being phased out. In these cases, every effort will be made to allow students to fulfill requirements by taking courses at other universities and colleges to facilitate timely completion of the degree.

Some study abroad programs may not provide a sufficient range of courses to allow students to meet the requirements, thus, students who participate in study abroad programs during the fall or spring semesters may not be eligible for this guarantee. A student may be able to participate in a study abroad program during the summer semester and still meet all the requirements of this guarantee. It is essential that a student work closely with an advisor to determine if the student can participate in a study abroad program and still meet all the requirements of this guarantee.

Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the following requirements to be eligible for this guarantee.

1. Students must begin studies in a fall semester and enroll in CU Denver course work as specified on the student plan of study for eight consecutive fall and spring semesters.
2. Students must complete all required course work by the end of the eighth semester.
3. No fewer than 60 semester hours of applicable course work must be completed successfully by the end of the second year (24 calendar months); 90 semester hours by the end of the third year (36 calendar months); and 120 semester hours by the end of the fourth year (48 calendar months). Students must successfully complete an average of 15 semester hours each semester.
4. Students must meet with their college advisor and their major advisor for academic advising during the first, third, fifth and seventh semesters of study.
5. The major must be declared no later than the end of the first semester of study and students must not change their major or any options within the major.
6. A required plan of study toward the major must be agreed upon and signed by the student and advisor at the end of the first semester. Thereafter students must make satisfactory progress toward completing the major, as defined by each major, and the general education requirements. Courses with certain grades may not meet the satisfactory progress requirement of this guarantee. A statement of what constitutes satisfactory progress and what grades are acceptable is available from the major or departmental office at the time the major is declared.
7. A minimum of 30 semester hours of college general education courses should be completed by the end of the second year, including core curriculum courses that also meet major requirements and foreign language proficiency.
8. All lower-division graduation requirements must be successfully completed by the 90-semester-hour mark.
9. Students must remain in good academic standing according to their school/college academic policies.
10. Grades of C-, C or C+, as defined by the college/school, must be earned in all course work required for the major, and students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all major course work attempted.
11. Students must register each semester within one week of the student’s specified eligibility to register.
12. Students must take courses that are specified in the student plan of study approved by their advisor.
13. Elective courses must be avoided if they conflict with required major or general education courses. Elective courses must not be given a higher priority than required courses.
14. Students must meet all departmental, school or college and university policies regarding graduation requirements.
15. The college/school must be notified in writing of the student’s intent to graduate no later than the beginning of the seventh semester of study. A graduation application must be filed no later than the deadline for the appropriate graduation date. The student must complete a graduation checkout/senior audit with their advisor.

The student is responsible for and must keep documentation proving that these requirements were satisfied (e.g., records of advising meetings attended, advising records and instructions, etc.).

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.

Petitioning for Exceptions to Standing Academic Policy

SCHOOL/COLLEGE SPECIFIC POLICY

College of Arts & Media

Students are required to complete the College of Arts & Media (CAM) general course requirements (including Core requirements) that were in effect when they began as degree-seeking students at CU Denver, and major requirements as outlined when they declared their degree, major and emphasis and were admitted to the program. If a program revises its curriculum, students have the option of following their original degree requirements or the revised curriculum. Courses under the original requirements may no longer be taught or may not be available for a set duration. In this case, the department faculty will approve reasonable course substitutions.

Course substitutions in the major or minor must be approved by the designated area head in the specific program area, the department chair and/or possibly the associate dean. Course substitutions in the CAM Core requirements must be approved by the university Core Curriculum Oversight Committee through a petition process. Please contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu for additional information.

The CAM Academic Policies, Procedures and Curriculum Committee is the appellate committee for all student-related academic petitions, issues and appeals. The committee is responsible for the evaluation and interpretation of the approved academic policies of the college. Questions about interpretation of policies may be directed to CAM Advising and Student Services. Procedures and petition guidelines are available at the CAM website or by emailing CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu.

Business School

 Students should contact a staff advisor in the Business School’s programs office (undergraduates call 303-315-8100) for appeal and petition procedures pertaining to rules and regulations of the school.

School of Education and Human Development

Students are required to complete the SEHD Core Course Requirements that were in effect when they began as a degree-seeking student at CU Denver, and major requirements as outlined when they declared their degree, major and track and were admitted to the program. If a program revises its curriculum, students have the option of following their original degree requirements or the revised curriculum. Courses under the original requirements may no longer be taught or may not be available for a set duration. In this case, the program will approve course substitutions.

Course substitutions in the major or minor must be approved by the program leader in the specific program area. Course substitutions in the SEHD major must be approved by the Program Leader.

The SEHD Student Committee reviews students’ academic appeals regarding retention, disenrollment, dismissal and other academic matters such as grade appeal, academic dishonesty, or honor code issues.  Instruction on how to submit an appeal can be found at http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SchoolOfEducation/CurrentStudents/Resources/Pages/CurrentResources.aspx.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The CLAS Academic Standards Committee is responsible for the administration of the academic policies of the college as established by the faculty. This committee constitutes the bridge between the faculty in its legislative capacity and the students upon whom the legislation comes to bear. The committee is empowered to grant waivers of exemptions from and exceptions to the academic policies of the college. Students wishing to submit a petition to the committee should meet with an advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Office first to discuss the petition. The Graduate Council reviews grievances related to procedural issues for graduate students that cannot be resolved at the college level.

Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may appeal a grade. Every attempt is made to resolve grade disputes at the department level. However, unresolved grade issues may be appealed to the CLAS Academic Standards Committee and initiated through the CLAS Academic Advising Office, North Classroom, 4002, 303-556-2555. Details of the grade appeal policies are available in the CLAS Academic Advising Office.

Selection of Catalog for Degree Requirements

When a student is matriculated and enrolled at CU Denver, they are required to fulfill the general education and graduation requirements specified in the catalog current at that time.  When students formally declare a major, they are required to fulfill the major requirements in the catalog current at that time.

SCHOOL/COLLEGE SPECIFIC POLICY

College of Arts & Media

Students who switch majors (e.g., BS in Music to BFA in Theatre, Film and Television) are required to complete the major curriculum in place when they declare their new degree or major. Students who switch degrees within the same major (e.g., BFA in Fine Arts to BA in Fine Arts) will be required to complete the degree curriculum that is in place when they declare their new degree. Students who switch emphases within a degree and major will be required to complete the emphasis curriculum that is in place when they are accepted into the new emphasis.

Due to the dynamic nature of the College of Arts & Media programs, returning students who have not attended in more than five years must complete their programs based on the current curriculum and policies.