Academic Standards

Grade Point Average

A student is required to maintain at least a B (3.00) average in all work attempted while enrolled in the Graduate School, and must have at least a 3.00 cumulative average to receive a graduate degree.

Nonacceptable Grades

  1. A student who receives a grade of C+ or below in a course may retake the course under the grade replacement policy, if eligibility standards are met.
  2. Courses in which grades below B- (2.70) are received are not accepted for doctoral programs.
  3. Courses in which grades below C (2.00) are received are not accepted for master's degree programs or for the removal of academic deficiencies.
  4. Courses taken toward the fulfillment of requirements for graduate degrees may not be taken pass/fail.

Student Ethics

Academic Dishonesty

The University of Colorado Boulder is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of intellectual honesty. Commitment to these standards is the responsibility of every student, faculty and staff member. The Honor Code was designed to uphold CU Boulder's standards of academic integrity and intellectual honesty, as well as to provide quick resolution of to reports of student academic misconduct. The Honor Code process is supported by the Boulder Faculty Assembly.

All students of the University of Colorado Boulder are subject to the Honor Code for academic matters. Students must sign a statement agreeing to abide by all university policies, including the Honor Code, as a condition of admission to the university. Students who violate may be subject to discipline as set forth by the Honor Code. 

Research Integrity

All research and scholarly/creative work must comply with requirements regarding research integrity. Allegations of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and other forms of research misconduct will be investigated by the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct. The Office of Research Integrity provides further information and clarification on related issues and processes. Students should also review the university policy on Misconduct in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities. 

Academic Standing and Dismissal

Students are subject to academic requirements and standards for adequate progress placed both by the Graduate School and by their graduate program.

A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 is placed on academic warning. The student generally has two semesters in which to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 or above. If the student's cumulative GPA is at or below 2.50, a dean's administrative stop is placed on the student's record, and the student may be withdrawn from coursework for upcoming semesters. If there are extenuating circumstances, the department chair/program director may petition the Dean of the Graduate School showing compelling reasons for the student to be granted a chance to continue. 

If a student does not earn a 3.0 GPA in all courses taken in the first of two academic warning semesters, or if after the two-semester academic warning period the student's cumulative GPA is still below 3.00 (or if other conditions placed by the major department or Graduate School are not met) a dean's administrative stop will be placed on the student's record and they may be subject to dismissal.

Students are also subject to academic requirements and standards for adequate progress placed by their graduate program. Based upon Regent Law and Regent Policy, an academic dismissal decision is made by the dean of the Graduate School upon the program’s recommendation. Should the student be dismissed from the program, a dean’s administrative stop is placed on the student’s record and the student is withdrawn from classes for any future semesters.


 

Graduate School Advising

Graduate students receive degree-specific advising from their academic department/program. Faculty advisors are assigned to students according to departmental policies.

The Graduate School provides academic student services and fosters connection to campus partners and resources.  Staff members offer expert guidance related to Graduate School and campus policies and procedures. Specific areas of expertise include registration requirements and requests, committee and general examination requirements, general academic standards, degree requirements which apply to all students and exceptions to general requirements. 

The Graduate Student Services office also assists in the navigation of thesis/dissertation and graduation process, including associated requirements, deadlines and degree conferral. Staff can assist in a number of additional areas at the dean's office level.

For general inquiries, contact Graduate Student Services at gradinfo@colorado.edu or call 303-492-8220.