International Admissions

International Admissions

Physical Address: Student Commons Building, Suite 1119, 1201 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80204
Mailing Address: Campus Box A005/1001, PO Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364
Telephone: +1 (303) 315-2382
Email: application@ucdenver.edu
Website: http://internationaladmissions.ucdenver.edu

Application Information for Graduate International Students

Application and Documentation Requirements

Please review the Graduate Admissions page  for information about transcripts. Make sure to visit the website for your program of interest to find the list of required documents and test scores for your major. If you have any questions, International Admissions is here to help - please feel free to contact us at any time.

Note: the application fee for international applicants is $75.

Proof of English Language Proficiency

International applicants to CU Denver must provide proof of English language proficiency (ELP) in order to be considered for full admission. Some graduate programs will consider international applicants for conditional admission if they apply without adequate proof of ELP. Contact International Admissions if you have questions about ELP or conditional admission.

You may meet the ELP requirement via any of the options listed below.

1. Citizenship Exemption

International applicants holding citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver. The spring 2021 list is based on the United Kingdom government’s list of countries exempt from proving English ability when applying for a UK student visa.

2. ESL Academy

International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement for any program of study at CU Denver by successfully completing every class in level 5 at CU Denver’s ESL Academy.

3. English Language Proficiency Tests

CU Denver accepts the following tests as proof of English language proficiency.

Note: The scores listed below are the university minimum requirement. Some graduate programs require higher scores for admission. Please visit the website for your program of interest for more information.

Minimum Score Requirements:

TOEFL iBT

CU Denver school code: 4875

CU Denver accepts TOEFL MyBest scores.

IELTS ACADEMIC

CU Denver accepts super-scored IELTS scores.

PTE ACADEMIC

DUOLINGO ENGLISH TEST

Most graduate departments at CU Denver are currently piloting the Duolingo English Test for use in graduate admissions. Please contact International Admissions for more information.

Note: The Duolingo English Test currently does not report sub-scores. International Admissions reserves the right to update our minimum requirements in the event that Duolingo starts reporting sub-scores.

4. Coursework Completion

International applicants who have completed the following coursework will be considered to have met the English language proficiency requirement.

Fall 2020 Admission:

A. The applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree in the United States.

OR

B. The applicant has successfully completed of 2+ semesters in a graduate degree program in the United States.

Spring 2021 Admission:

A. The applicant has earned a bachelor degree in the United States; or has earned a post-secondary qualification, comparable to a US bachelor degree, in one of the exempt countries listed above; or has earned such a qualification at an institution accredited by an exempt country but located in a non-exempt country.

OR

B. The applicant has completed 12 or more semester hours of coursework in a master or doctoral degree program in the United States with an overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher; or has completed a comparable amount of graduate coursework with a comparable GPA in one of the exempt countries listed above; or has completed such coursework at an institution accredited by an exempt country but located in a non-exempt country.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary significantly. Please contact your program of interest to learn more.

Immigration Process

International Services Specialists in International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) handle the immigration process for international students. ISSS will issue an immigration document (Form I-20 or Form DS-2019) to you, if applicable, only after you have confirmed your acceptance and submitted the Immigration Clearance Form (see below). 

You will be contacted within five (5) business days of receiving your decision letter and will need to provide: 

1. Proof of Financial Support: If you have already sent financial documents to the International Admissions Office, that information will be forwarded to ISSS. If you have not already provided this information, or if your information needs to be updated, you will have an opportunity to provide ISSS with your proof of financial support when you complete the online Immigration Clearance Form that your International Services Specialist will send to you. 
2. Passport/Visa Information: If you have already sent this information to International Admissions, it will be made available to ISSS who will contact you if they need more information.

Note: International students living outside of the U.S. will need to provide a copy of their passport, if it has not already been sent. Those living in the U.S. should be prepared to submit a copy of their passport, visa, Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record and Form I-20, Form DS-2019, or Form I-797 (if applicable). In all correspondence, please use your name as it appears on your passport. 

Please visit ISSS for more information on Pre-Arrival, Arrival at CU Denver, I-20/DS-2019 Timeline, and more.