Diplomas
A diploma is issued for each degree earned at the University of Colorado Boulder. A diploma will list degree, and dependent on the college, a student's major(s). Diplomas will not list any minors earned. Undergraduate diplomas will list Latin or academic honors earned based on eligible GPA or successful participation in a honors program. Graduate students are not awarded Latin or academic honors based on GPA. Minors and eligible certificates earned will appear on the official transcript. Diplomas are mailed to all graduating students approximately eight weeks after the close of the semester in which degree requirements were completed and the student applied for graduation. Note: International students must resolve all financial obligations with CU before a diploma is issued.
CU Boulder also offers a certified electronic diploma (CeDiploma) for students who complete a university-approved certificate from Fall 2015 and onwards.
Graduating students with Federal Perkins/NDSL loans must complete a loan exit interview and clear all outstanding financial balances before leaving the university. Failure to do so results in a hold on the student's record. The hold prevents registration for future terms. Students can complete a loan exit interview by contacting Heartland ECSI at 1-888-549-3274 or via the Heartland ECSI website. Questions may be directed to University Student Loans & Debt Management in the Bursar's Office at 303-492-5571, toll free at 800-925-9844.
Display diplomas or replacement diplomas may be ordered online after graduation. For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar's Diplomas webpage.
Enrollment & Degree Certification
Through Buff Portal, students may print an official enrollment certification at no charge. Advanced registration enrollment verifications are available three weeks prior to the term start, and will remain available until the day before the first day of classes, to students enrolled in at least a half-time enrollment status for an upcoming term. Official certification of enrollment is available after the third week of classes of a semester. This certification may be for car insurance, loan deferments, medical coverage, scholarship purposes, etc. The Office of the Registrar can provide written confirmation of registration, enrollment or degree status upon request by current or former students.
CU Boulder has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to act as its agent for purposes of third party enrollment and degree verification. The NSC verifies degrees and enrollment for students who have not placed a privacy restriction on their academic record. The student's name when enrolled, social security number or student ID, and date of birth will be required for identification purposes for enrollment or degree verification. All third parties should contact the National Student Clearinghouse by phone or visit its web site for current enrollment and degree verification information, instructions and fees.
University policy determines the academic enrollment status and federal regulation determines the financial aid enrollment status. CU Boulder is required to report enrollment based on the financial aid enrollment status to the NSC. Please refer to the Office of the Registrar's enrollment status grid on the Check Your Enrollment Status webpage to determine your academic/financial aid enrollment status.
Students may also obtain verification of degree by ordering an official transcript or requesting an official degree certification through the Office of the Registrar.
Transcripts
Official Transcripts
Current and former students may order transcripts online; no IdentiKey is required. Official transcripts are available in electronic PDF or paper format. Transcripts may be ordered as either a complete academic record of courses taken at all University of Colorado campuses or as a select career (undergraduate, graduate, law or noncredit) for coursework taken after 1988.
In certain circumstances, transcripts can be withheld for ongoing financial obligations to the university or for disciplinary actions.
Official transcripts bear the signature of the registrar and the official seal of the university (not applicable to noncredit transcripts).
Unofficial Transcripts
Currently enrolled students and alumni who have access to the student portal may view and print unofficial transcripts free of charge through Buff Portal. Unofficial transcripts display the complete academic record of courses taken at the University of Colorado. However, academic institutions and potential employers generally do not accept the unofficial transcript as evidence of a student's career at CU Boulder, as this transcript does not carry the registrar's signature, the seal of the university or other security features. Unofficial transcripts are primarily used for advising and counseling in offices at University of Colorado campuses.
Educational Record Changes
Students whose degrees have been conferred are not eligible for retroactive changes to their educational record.
Degrees & Majors
In order to earn a baccalaureate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, students must meet all degree and major requirements for their program of study and earn a minimum of 120 cumulative credit hours and a minimum of a 2.00 GPA. It is important to note that some degree and program requirements are higher than these minimum standards. See college and school sections of this catalog for specific degree policies and requirements.
In addition, students at CU Boulder may pursue dual degrees, double degrees or concurrent (bachelor's–accelerated master's) degrees, or additional majors, minors and/or certificates. See the Change or Add a Major, Minor or Certificate webpage for more direction.
Dual Degrees
Dual degree programs are formally approved combined or integrated curricula for two degrees (typically at the graduate or professional levels) in complementary fields of study. These may be offered by two or more CU colleges/schools. Typically, students earn both degrees in less time than if each degree is pursued individually.
Double Degrees
In contrast, double degrees are two (or more) degrees from the same college, school, or program (e.g., BA and BFA from Arts and Sciences) or two (or more) degrees from different colleges/schools that are earned/awarded concurrently (not approved as part of a dual-degree program (see above). Students must meet all requirements for each degree.
Students who wish to pursue an additional baccalaureate degree after graduating with a baccalaureate degree from CU Boulder must apply for readmission to the university. In addition, students should work with an academic advisor in the intended degree program to determine appropriate procedures and additional requirements (e.g., additional residency requirements may apply beyond course requirements for the second degree and major). Not every college and school permits students to complete an additional baccalaureate degree after graduation.
Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s Degrees
Bachelor’s–accelerated master’s (BAM) degree programs are offered in several departments. These programs allow a student to receive both a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time without compromising the academic integrity of either degree.
BAM programs are open only to highly qualified CU Boulder undergraduates. Students are typically admitted during the junior year with an intent application reviewed by their program. BAM students must apply online to graduate with their bachelor's degree for the semester in which degree requirements are complete, and must also apply at that time to be formally admitted to continue with the accelerated master's program. Students wishing to continue studying toward a doctorate must formally apply for admission to the Graduate School.
Students interested in a BAM program should inquire with their program of interest for information regarding admissions and detailed program guidelines and requirements.
Please see below for currently approved BAM degree programs offered, listed by college and school. Or, explore BAM program options in the Programs A-Z section of the catalog.
College of Arts and Sciences
- Art and Art History
- Chinese/Asian Languages and Civilizations
- Cinema Studies/Art and Art History
- Classics
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Ethnic Studies/Education
- French
- German Studies/German
- Integrative Physiology
- Japanese/Asian Languages and Civilizations
- Linguistics/Linguistics or Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics
- Mathematics
- Mathematics/Applied Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
- Statistics and Data Science/Applied Mathematics
- Theatre
Leeds School of Business
- Accounting/Accounting or Accounting Taxation
- Finance/Accounting or Accounting Taxation
School of Education
- Ethnic Studies/Education
College of Engineering and Applied Science
- Aerospace Engineering
- Applied Mathematics
- Architectural Engineering/Architectural Engineering or Civil Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering or Chemical and Biological Engineering/Chemical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering
- Civil Engineering/Architectural Engineering or Civil Engineering
- Computer Science/Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics, Data Science or Network Engineering
- Electrical Engineering or Electrical and Computer Engineering/Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Physics/Physics
- Environmental Engineering/Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering
College of Media, Communication and Information
- Information Science
Post Baccalaureate-Accelerated Master’s Degrees
Post Baccaulaureate Accelerated Master's (PBAM) programs in engineering offer an integrated degree plan for post-bacc students. A list of PBAM programs is below.
College of Engineering and Applied Science
- Applied Computer Science/Computer Science, Data Science, Network Engineering, or Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics
Additional Majors
Some colleges and schools permit students pursuing a baccalaureate degree to graduate with more than one major (e.g., economics and French) under the same degree (e.g., BA) by completing all requirements for each major. The majors must be completed concurrently and will post to a degree record with the same graduation date. A minimum of 120 total credit hours is required for a degree with additional majors.
Minors
Students earning a baccalaureate degree may participate in a minor program. Minors are offered in a number of undergraduate colleges, schools and programs.
Certificates
Undergraduate students may pursue formal certificates in a variety of academic or interdisciplinary subjects. Each certificate program has unique requirements. Degree-seeking students who been verified to have completed certificate requirements will have the certificate/s posted to their academic record at the time of graduation. Nondegree students who are approved to pursue select certificate programs must be admitted through Continuing Education.
Degree Audit
Degree audit reports are available for most degree and certificate programs to help students and advisors track requirements and progress in order to help them graduate on time. The degree audit outlines courses needed for the degree and applies college or school-defined policies, including transfer credit applicability and repeated course rules. The audit also provides hypothetical "what if" degree information. Students and advisors can access the degree audit tool through Buff Portal.
Class Level
Class level is based on the total number of credit hours passed, as follows:
| Freshman | 0–29.9 credit hours |
| Sophomore | 30–59.9 credit hours |
| Junior | 60–89.9 credit hours |
| Senior | 90–123.9 credit hours |
| Fifth-Year Senior | 124 and above credit hours |
The normal course load for most undergraduates is 15 credit hours each semester.
Course Load
Full-time status for undergraduate students is 12 or more credit hours for fall, spring and summer semesters for financial aid purposes. For enrollment verification and academic purposes (not related to financial aid), 12 credit hours is considered a full-time load in the fall and spring semester, and 6 credit hours is considered full time in the summer. For further information, please consult the Office of Financial Aid website.
Students who receive financial aid or veterans benefits or who live in university housing should check with the appropriate office regarding course-load requirements for eligibility purposes.
Intra-University Transfer Students
Students wishing to change colleges or schools within the CU Boulder campus follow the intra-university transfer (IUT) guidelines from the college or school into which they wish to transfer.
For more information on recommended coursework in preparation for an IUT and other criteria, students need to consult college and school sections of this catalog or talk with an academic advisor in the program to which they plan to transfer. Some colleges and schools do not accept IUT students during the summer. It is important to note that admission to a college through the IUT process is competitive, and not all students who apply are admitted. Decisions are based on course preparation, credit hours completed, grade point average and other criteria required by the specific college or school. See the Change or Add a Major, Minor or Certificate webpage for more direction.
Academic Standing
Academic standing is a measure of a student’s academic success at CU Boulder. It is based upon a collective review of term GPA and cumulative CU GPA.
Academic standing is processed in fall and spring terms based on all CU classes taken, including Continuing Education classes.
A student is considered to be in good academic standing when their most recent cumulative CU GPA is 2.000 or higher. A status of "good academic standing" is not recorded on the official academic transcript.
Note: Students are considered to generally be in good standing with the university if they are eligible to enroll or enrolled in classes in a given term. This status applies to participation in intercollegiate and club sports and other student organizations, unless club or association rules specify different standards for eligibility.
When a student falls below the minimum standards for good academic standing with CU Boulder, they are placed on one of the following standings listed below.
Academic Alert
The academic standing of a first-semester student whose cumulative CU GPA does not meet the minimum academic standard of 2.000. Academic alert is not recorded on the official transcript. Students who do not earn a cumulative CU GPA of 2.000 while on academic alert will be placed on academic warning.
Academic Warning
The academic standing of a continuing student whose cumulative CU GPA does not meet the minimum academic standard of 2.000. Academic warning is not recorded on the official transcript. Students who earn a term GPA of 2.300 or higher while on academic warning can continue on academic warning for one additional term.
Academic Agreement
The academic standing of a student whose cumulative CU GPA does not meet the minimum academic standard but who is allowed to enroll in lieu of academic suspension or academic dismissal. Academic agreements are offered by a student’s home college, school or program. Academic agreement is not recorded on the official transcript.
Academic Suspension
The academic standing of a student who did not meet the requirements of academic warning, or an academic agreement made with their college, school or program. Academic suspension is recorded on the official transcript. When a student previously on academic suspension meets the minimum academic standard of 2.000 cumulative CU GPA, they earn a status of "return to good academic standing," and this is also noted on the official transcript.
Academic Dismissal
The academic standing of a student on academic suspension, who while conditionally enrolled, has not met the terms of their reinstatement option. Academic dismissal is recorded on the official transcript. When a student previously on academic dismissal meets the minimum academic standard of 2.000 cumulative CU GPA, they earn a status of "return to good academic standing," and this is also noted on the official transcript.
Conditionally Enrolled
The academic standing of a student who is approved to enroll at CU Boulder under the reinstatement options for academic suspension or academic dismissal. Conditional enrollment is recorded on the official transcript.
Reinstatement Options
Subsequent to an academic suspension, a student may be permitted to re-enroll at CU Boulder under one or more of the following conditions:
- Completes coursework through the CU Division of Continuing Education
- Completes summer coursework at any University of Colorado Campus
- Completes coursework at another institution and has a calculated virtual 2.000 GPA, and who subsequently must raise their cumulative CU GPA to the minimum academic standard of 2.000.
- A student who has not enrolled at any institution for at least one calendar year, and who subsequently must raise their cumulative CU GPA to the minimum academic standard of 2.000.
Subsequent to an academic dismissal, a student is only permitted to re-enroll at CU Boulder in summer coursework. Students who enroll in summer classes following academic dismissal are reviewed according to the following standards at the close of the summer term:
- A student who raises their cumulative CU GPA to at least a 2.000 will return to good academic standing.
- A student who earns at least a 2.500 summer term GPA, but who still has a cumulative CU GPA below 2.000, may be considered for an academic performance plan (APP) for a subsequent fall or spring semester.
- A student who earns a summer term GPA below 2.500 and whose CU cumulative GPA remains below 2.000 may not enroll again until the following summer term.
Return to Good Academic Standing
The academic standing of a student previously on academic alert, academic warning, academic agreement, academic suspension or academic dismissal whose cumulative CU GPA meets the minimum academic standard of 2.000. "Returned to good academic standing" is recorded on the official transcript after an academic suspension or academic dismissal.
Students can use summer to return to good academic standing, but summer enrollment that negatively impacts GPA is not subject to academic standing processing.
Additional Information
Federal regulations require students to make satisfactory academic progress in a program of study to be eligible for financial aid. For additional information, see the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy webpage.
Class Rank
After an undergraduate student graduates, they can receive a document that indicates their class rank among graduating students within the last year. Students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Applied Science will have a ranking within their major degree program. Students in other schools, colleges and programs will have a ranking within their college. The request form is available in Buff Portal.