Policies & Requirements

Admissions 

First-Year Applicants

When students apply to the College of Arts & Sciences from high school, they may select one of the 44 degree-granting bachelor of arts majors available in the college or they may enter the college as an Arts & Sciences Open Option major (when they are unsure about their major and want to explore the wide variety of majors, minors and certificates offered by the college). To ensure that students graduate in a timely manner, Open Option majors are required to enter a specific degree program by the time they have completed 60 credit hours. To maintain eligibility for the four-year guarantee, students must declare and enter a degree-granting major by the start of the second semester (or earlier for certain majors).

Specific admission requirements are detailed in the Admissions section of this catalog. Contact the campus Admissions Office for more information.

Transfer Students

Students desiring to transfer from other accredited collegiate institutions are considered for admission on an individual basis. Admission criteria for students transferring from the other University of Colorado campuses are the same as for other transfer students. Students seeking to transfer from a Colorado Community College should visit this resource page developed specifically for them. 

Like incoming first-year students, transfer students may select any one of the 44 degree-granting bachelor of arts majors available in the college or they may enter the college as an Arts & Sciences Open Option major if they will be transferring with fewer than 60 credits.

To earn a degree from the College of Arts & Sciences at CU Boulder, transfer students, like all other Arts & Sciences students, must complete at least 45 credit hours at CU, at least 30 upper-division credit hours in College of Arts & Sciences coursework, and at least 12 upper-division credit hours in their major area at CU Boulder. 

Intra-University Transfer (IUT)

Students enrolled in another college, school or program on the CU Boulder campus, who wish to transfer into the College of Arts & Sciences must meet the following minimum requirements.

Minimum requirement to IUT into the College of Arts & Sciences:

• Cumulative CU GPA of at least 2.000 in completed coursework

Students who apply to IUT must choose a degree-granting major offered by the college. A student cannot IUT into Arts & Sciences and declare an Open Option major.

During their first term at CU Boulder, new first-year or transfer students may IUT into Arts & Sciences without meeting the above requirement if they apply to IUT before the term census date, which is the Friday of the third week of the term during the fall and spring semesters.

Students should contact an academic advisor in their intended major for additional information about the IUT process.

Readmission

Students who have not been active at CU Boulder for 3 or more semesters including students on academic suspension who have been reinstated, may need to apply for readmission to the University of Colorado Boulder through the Admissions Office. Students are encouraged to submit readmission requests well in advance of the semester for which they plan to return.

Credit by Examination

Advanced Placement Program

CU Boulder participates in the Advanced Placement program of the College Board. General Arts & Sciences (ARSC) credit that is applicable only to the college's General Education requirements is granted for scores of 3 on most AP exams, but credit for a specific Arts & Sciences course that would be applicable to a major or a minor usually requires a score of 4 or in a few cases a score of 5. Official scores must be sent to the Admissions Office directly from the College Board for both first-year students and transfer students. See Undergraduate Admission for more info and the Advanced Placement Table for specific equivalencies.

International Baccalaureate

Any student admitted to a University of Colorado campus after June 30, 2003, who has graduated from high school having successfully completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program will be granted 24 credit hours of college credit. No tuition will be charged for these credits. These credits will be granted, however, only if the student receives a score of 4 or better on an examination administered as part of the IB diploma program. Students admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences for the Fall 2018 semester or thereafter with an IB diploma will be waived from the Lower-Division Written Communication portion of the college’s General Education Skills Requirement.

In addition, CU Boulder grants specific course credit, which would be applicable to a major or a minor, for International Baccalaureate examinations at the higher level with a score of 4 or higher and general Arts and Sciences (ARSC) credit, which is applicably only to the college's General Education requirements, for examinations at the standard level with a score of 4 or higher. For specific equivalencies see the International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit Table.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CU Boulder grants credit for most, but not all, CLEP subject examinations. In the College of Arts & Sciences the credit earned by passing most CLEP examinations may be used to fulfill General Education requirements but not to fulfill major or minor requirements. Credits from a CLEP exam may not be used to fulfill any of the college's residency requirements. For specific equivalencies see the College Level Examination Program Table. More information about CLEP exams and how to register to take one either online or in person a local community college can be found on the College Board's website. 

DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Examinations 

CU Boulder grants credit for many, but not all, DSST subject examinations. In the College of Arts & Sciences the credit earned by passing most DSST examinations may be used to fulfill General Education requirements but not to fulfill major or minor requirements. Credits from a DSST exam may not be used to fulfill any of the college's residency requirements. For specific equivalencies see the DSST Examinations Table. More information about DSST exams, which can be taken only by members of the United States Armed Forces, and how to register to take one can be found on the Prometric website.

Transfer Credit Policies

Transfer of credit from other institutions of higher education

Work from another accredited institution of higher education that has been completed with a grade of C- (1.70) or better may be transferred to the University of Colorado. Categories of transfer coursework not accepted by the university are described in the undergraduate Transfer of College-Level Credit section.

All courses transferred from junior and community colleges carry lower-division credit. Courses transferred from four-year institutions carry credit at the level at which they were taught at the previous institution, but, if the level at the sending institution is unclear, courses will be reviewed on a course-by-course basis. Upper-division courses from another four-year institution sometimes will transfer to CU Boulder as lower-division credit while lower-division courses will always carry lower-division credit even if they are allowed to fulfill a requirement usually filled by an upper-division course at CU Boulder.

Transfer courses evaluated to be equivalent to a CU Boulder course do not always carry the same number of credits as the equivalent CU Boulder course. For example, a 4-credit hour transfer Calculus course could be judged to be equivalent to MATH 1300 Calculus 1 at CU Boulder, which is a 5-credit hour course. While the transfer Calculus course would fulfill all the same major, minor and prerequisite requirements as MATH 1300, it would only count as 4, not 5, credits toward any specific credit requirements for graduation. 

Colorado Student Bill of Rights

In the interests of promoting timely graduation and facilitating the transfer of students among the institutions of higher education in the state of Colorado, the College of Arts & Sciences and the University of Colorado Boulder adhere to the Student Bill of Rights as presented in Colorado Statute 23-1-125.

23-1-125. Commission directive—student bill of rights—degree requirements—implementation of core courses—competency test—prior learning

1. Student bill of rights. The general assembly hereby finds that students enrolled in public institutions of higher education shall have the following rights:
   1. Students should be able to complete their associate of arts and associate of science degree programs in no more than sixty credit hours or their baccalaureate programs in no more than one hundred twenty credit hours unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission;
   2. A student can sign a two-year or four-year graduation agreement that formalizes a plan for that student to obtain a degree in two or four years, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission;
   3. Students have a right to clear and concise information concerning which courses must be completed successfully to complete their degrees;
   4. Students have a right to know which courses are transferable among the state public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education;
   5. Students, upon completion of core general education courses, regardless of the delivery method, should have those courses satisfy the core course requirements of all Colorado public institutions of higher education;
   6. Students have a right to know if courses from one or more public higher education institutions satisfy the student's degree requirements;
   7. A student's credit for the completion of the core requirements and core courses shall not expire for ten years from the date of initial enrollment and shall be transferable.

Statewide Guaranteed Transfer of General Education Courses

As of fall 2003, the two-year and four-year transfer articulation agreements among Colorado institutions of higher education were replaced by a statewide guaranteed transfer of approved general education courses taken at any Colorado public institution of higher education. Under the statewide guaranteed transfer program (gtPathways), up to 31-33 credits of successfully (C- or better) completed coursework will automatically transfer and apply towards the general education requirements at the receiving institution. The coursework must be drawn from the list of approved gtPathways courses and must meet the distribution requirements of the guaranteed transfer program. Further information about the statewide transfer program, including the list of approved courses and distribution requirements, can be found on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.

As of fall 2018, a student graduating with an associate of arts or an associate of science degree from a Colorado community college and entering the College of Arts & Sciences is exempt from the General Education requirements of the College. Additional information on the evaluation of transfer credit from Colorado community colleges and its application to the College's General Education requirements can also be found at the College of Arts & Sciences Guide for Colorado Community College Students webpage. Students are required to follow the graduation requirements listed in this catalog at the time of their initial entry into the College of Arts & Sciences.

Concurrent College Credits Earned While in High School

College-level work taken during high school is evaluated in accordance with general guidelines for transfer credit at CU Boulder. Only courses taken at a college or university of recognized standing with grades of C- or better are accepted for transfer. Students must have an official college transcript sent directly to the Office of Admissions in order for transfer credit to be evaluated.

If a student has earned concurrent college credit for a high school course for which the student also earned college credit via an Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) score, either the concurrent college credit or the credit earned for the AP or IB score will be granted, but not both. The credit granted will be determined in accordance with state policy and the student's educational best interests.

Students should be prepared to provide syllabi for any and all concurrent college credit they earned while in high school. Such syllabi should be nearly identical to those used when the course is taught at the accredited college or university granting the concurrent credit.

For more information and a guide to equivalencies for exam credit, see the charts in Credit by Examination section of this catalog, and refer to the First-year Applicants or Transfer Students webpage.

Requirements

Students are subject to the general degree requirements in effect at the time that they first enter the College of Arts & Sciences at CU Boulder and are subject to the major requirements in force at the time they declare the major. All degrees offered by the College of Arts & Sciences require the completion of a specific number of credits, a major, and the General Education (Gen Ed) requirements.

Students must complete a degree within 10 years. If it has been more than 10 years since matriculation into the College of Arts & Sciences and no degree has been completed, students may be subject to new curricula in place at the time of re-enrollment.

Students may contact A&S Academic Advising and Coaching for further assistance.

Graduation Requirements

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences must fulfill the following requirements for graduation:

• Pass a total of 120 credit hours.
• Maintain a 2.00 (C) GPA in all University of Colorado coursework and a 2.00 (C) in all coursework attempted for the major. (Some majors may require a higher minimum GPA.)
• Pass a minimum 45 credit hours of upper-division work (courses numbered in the 3000s and 4000s).
• Pass a minimum of 45 credit hours in University of Colorado courses on the Boulder campus. Of these 45 credit hours, a minimum of 30 credit hours must be in upper-division courses offered by a department or program in the College of Arts & Sciences. A maximum of 6 credit hours taken at other University of Colorado campuses (CU Denver and UCCS) can be counted toward the minimum 45 credit hours required on the Boulder campus but cannot be counted toward the 30 upper-division credit hours in arts and sciences coursework. Courses taken while on CU Boulder study abroad programs or through CU Boulder Continuing Education are considered to be in residence.
• For the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete a minimum of 75 credit hours outside their major department. 
• For the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, students must complete a minimum of 53 credit hours outside of their major.
  • For both the BA and BFA students who complete designated departmental honors courses in their major department and/or in honors thesis credit can reduce the number of credit hours required outside the major department by a corresponding number of credits, up to a maximum of 6.
• Students must complete a major offered by the College of Arts & Sciences. Students are subject to the major requirements in force when they declare the major.
• Complete the General Education (Gen Ed) requirements with the following limitations:
  • Students may not use a course to fulfill any area of the Gen Ed Skills requirement and also use this course to fulfill part of the Gen Ed Distribution or Diversity requirements. This restriction applies to first- and second-semester world language courses taken as prerequisites to a third-semester language course that satisfies the World Language category of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement. 
  • Students may not use thesis hours, independent study, internship or practicum courses to satisfy any of the Gen Ed  requirements. 
  • Students may not use a course taken using the pass/fail option and in which they earn a P or P+ grade to fulfill any Gen Ed  requirements. (Courses taken pass/fail during Spring 2020 when pass/fail rules were altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic are exempt from this restriction.)

Credit Limitations

Credit for World Language Courses

Students will not receive credit for a lower level World Language course after credit has been given for a higher level course in the same sequence. For example, students who have passed a 2000-level class will not receive credit for a 1000-level class in the same sequence. Consult each world language department for specific restrictions, requirements and prerequisites.

Students must receive a grade of C or better to enroll in the next level of a language sequence in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean. Students must receive a grade of C- or better to enroll in the next level of a language sequence in American Sign Language, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Introductory language courses (numbered at the 1000 and 2000 level) are designed for non-native speakers. Fluent speakers of a language are prohibited from enrolling in introductory courses in the language and can be dropped from these courses by the department or by the course instructor. Fluent speakers should consult the department website and this catalog or consult with the course instructor or department language coordinator about eligibility to enroll in upper-division language courses (numbered at the 3000 and 4000 level) before enrolling in such courses. Departments can exclude fluent speakers from upper-division language courses based on course content and/or instructional resources. Speakers who have not formally studied the language but have spoken the language in their home should consult with the associate chair of the language department or the department language coordinator about appropriate placement before enrolling in a language course.

Credit taken outside the College of Arts & Sciences

Students may apply 30 credit hours from the other colleges and schools at CU Boulder as well as specified ROTC and President's Leadership Class courses toward the fulfillment of requirements for the BA and BFA degrees. Within these 30 total credit hours, up to 8 credit hours in activities courses (applied music and ensembles) may be used. Transferred courses that were taught by departments considered to be outside the College of Arts & Sciences are counted as part of the allowed 30 credit hours. If a course has been approved to meet a General Education requirement or to count as Arts & Sciences credit and the course is taught outside the College of Arts and Sciences, the credit for this course will not be included as part of the 30-credit-hour limitation.

Independent Study Credit

With departmental approval, students may register for independent study during the normal registration periods for each semester. Students may not register for more than 6 credit hours of independent study credit during any term. No more than 8 credit hours of independent study taken in a single department or program can be applied toward the total credit hours needed for graduation. A maximum of 16 credit hours of independent study may count toward the degree. The minimum expectation for each hour of credit is 25 hours of work.

A student may not use independent study credit to fulfill the college's General Education requirements. Some departments further restrict the use of independent study hours toward meeting major requirements.

Internship Credit

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences may receive up to nine credit hours for a department-sponsored internship. A maximum of six of the nine internship credits can be taken in the same department. Each internship project must be approved by the chair or associate chair of the department awarding the credit before the student enrolls in the course in order for the student to receive credit. Students are encouraged to contact their major department office or Career Services for information regarding the possibility of enrolling in an internship in their major. Many internships are graded on a pass/fail basis only. Participation in an internship with mandatory pass/fail grading does not affect the total credit hours of pass/fail a student may apply toward a degree.

A student may not use internship credit to fulfill the college's General Education requirements. Some departments further restrict the use of internship credit toward meeting major requirements.

Pass/Fail Credit

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences can count a maximum of 6 credit hours of pass/fail coursework in which they earn a grade of P or P+ toward the 120 credit hours required for graduation. The pass/fail option may be used only in classes taken as free electives.

Except for courses taken in the Spring 2020 semester, students may not use courses in which they earned a grade of P or P+ to fulfill General Education requirements or to fulfill major or minor requirements. A grade of F when earned in a course taken pass/fail will calculate into the GPA as a failing grade. While a course in which a students earns a grade of P+ can fulfill pre-requisite requirements for a course, as stated above, it cannot fulfill specific degree requirements (Gen Ed, major or minor) unless it was taken during the Spring 2020 semester.

Courses with the satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading basis are excluded from the pass/fail credit restriction.

Required Credit Hours Outside the Major

To complete the Bachelor of Arts degree, students are required to complete a minimum of 75 credit hours outside their major department.

To complete the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, students are required to complete a minimum of 53 credit hours outside their major department.

Exceptions to these minimums are:

• Students who complete designated departmental honors courses in their major and/or in honors thesis credit can reduce the number of credit hours required outside the major department by a corresponding number of credits, up to a maximum of six.
• Courses that are cross-listed in two or more departments are credited in the department in which the student has the most credit hours, irrespective of the department in which the student formally enrolled for the course.

Credit from Repeated Courses

Students can take a course more than once. In fact, in Arts & Sciences there is no limit on how many times a student make repeat a course. However, the course credit hours only count toward the credit hours needed to graduate once, unless a course description specifically states that a course can be taken more than once for credit. Such repeatable courses, usually topics courses, have a limit to how many times you may receive credit for that course.

ROTC Credit

The ROTC courses listed below have been certified as acceptable college-level coursework by the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences or by other colleges and schools on the Boulder campus. These courses are counted as elective credit toward the degree, subject to the 30-credit-hour limitation on coursework taken outside the college for students in the BA and BFA programs. All other ROTC courses that do not appear on this list do not count toward any degree requirements in the College of Arts & Sciences including the 120 total credits required to graduate. Transfer ROTC coursework must be evaluated as equivalent to the coursework on this list to count toward degree requirements.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
AIRR 3010 & AIRR 3020	Leading People and Effective Communication 1 and Leading People and Effective Communication 2	6
AIRR 4010 & AIRR 4020	National Security, Leadership Responsibilities/Commissioning Preparation 1 and National Security/Leadership Responsibilities/Commissioning Preparation 2	6
MILR 1011 & MILR 1021	Adventures in Leadership 1 and Adventures in Leadership 2	4
MILR 2031 & MILR 2041	Methods of Leadership and Management 1 and Methods of Leadership and Management 2	6
MILR 4072 & MILR 4082	Leadership 1: Adaptive Leadership and Leadership 2: Leadership in a Complex World	6
NAVR 2020	Seapower and Maritime Affairs	3
NAVR 3030	Naval Engineering Systems	3
NAVR 3040	Weapons and Systems Analysis	3
NAVR 3101	Evolution of Warfare	3
NAVR 4010 & NAVR 4020	Leadership and Management and Leadership and Ethics	6
NAVR 4030	Navigation	3

Other Credit not applicable to Arts and Sciences Degrees

Any other CU Boulder coursework that is not applicable to a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences will appear in the "Courses not applicable to A&S degree requirements" section of a student's degree audit.

Majors, Minors and Certificates

Majors

All students pursuing a bachelor's degree in the College of Arts & Sciences must enter a degree-granting major by the end of their sophomore year (i.e., the semester in which they will complete 60 credit hours of work, including transfer work). 

Students have 10 years to complete the requirements for a declared major. If the 10-year limit is exceeded, the student may be required to satisfy current major requirements. Students pursuing a major degree program identified for discontinuation by decision of the Board of Regents and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education have four years from the formal announcement of discontinuation to complete the degree program and graduate.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Minimum Major Requirements

The following minimum requirements are specified by the college. In many cases departmental requirements may be higher than the minimums listed here.

• A minimum of 30 credit hours in the major area. 
• A minimum of 18 credit hours of upper-division courses in the major area.
• A minimum of 12 credit hours of upper-division coursework in the major area taken on the CU Boulder campus.
• All coursework applied to the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better (no courses taken using the pass/fail option in which a grade of P or P+ is earned may be applied except for those courses taken during the Spring 2020 semester.)
• The GPA for all coursework attempted in the major area must be equal to 2.00 (C) or higher.
• Special requirements as stipulated by the major department.
• No more than 8 credit hours of independent study.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Minimum Major Requirements

The following minimum requirements are specified by the college. In many cases departmental requirements may be higher than the minimums listed here.

• A minimum of 50 credit hours in the major area.
• A minimum of 18 credit hours of upper-division courses in the major area.
• A minimum of 12 credit hours of upper-division coursework in the major area taken on the CU Boulder campus.
• All coursework applied to the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better (no courses taken using the pass/fail option in which a grade of P or P+ is earned may be applied except for those courses taken during the Spring 2020 semester.)
• The GPA for all coursework attempted in the major area must be equal to 2.00 (C) or higher.
• Special requirements as stipulated by the major department.
• No more than 8 credit hours of independent study.

Double Majors

Students pursuing a BA or BFA degree in the College of Arts & Sciences may graduate with more than one major within the degree from CU Boulder (i.e., Economics and French or Dance and Art Practices). Students must complete all requirements for both majors. A minimum of 120 total credit hours is required for double majors within the college.

Students pursuing both a BA major and a BFA major are considered double degree rather than double major students (see below).

A student is allowed to add a major to an existing degree from the College of Arts & Sciences provided that the additional major is in the same degree as the existing degree. For example, a History major (BA), could be added to an existing BA in English but not to an existing BFA in Dance.

Minors

Most but not all departments and programs in the College of Arts & Sciences offer minor programs. Participation in a minor program is optional for students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Students may not earn a major and a minor in the same program of study. All requirements for the minor must be completed by the time the BA or BFA is conferred, and a minor cannot be converted into a major in the same program of study after graduation.

Although the structure of specific minor programs may differ, all minors offered in the College of Arts & Sciences must have the following restrictions or minimum requirements:

• A minimum of 18 credit hours must be taken in the minor area.
• A minimum of 9 of the 18 credit hours must be completed at the upper-division level.
• All coursework applied to the minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better  (no courses taken using the pass/fail option in which a grade of P or P+ is earned may be applied).
• The GPA for all coursework attempted in the minor department must be equal to 2.00 (C) or higher.
• Students pursuing a major in distributed studies or an individually structured major are not eligible to earn a minor.
• Students are allowed to apply no more than 9 credit hours, including 6 upper-division credit hours, of transfer work toward a minor.
• Students must complete all requirements for a minor by the time they graduate.

Certificates

The college also sponsors undergraduate certificates in a number of fields of study. Although similar to minors in the required number of credit hours, certificates have a substantially different focus and purpose from a minor in that they are interdisciplinary in nature and thus require the completion of courses in multiple departments instead of just one. Students interested in a certificate should contact the director of the appropriate certificate.

Although the structure of specific certificates may differ, all certificates offered in the College of Arts & Sciences must have the following restrictions or minimum requirements:

• A certificate cannot be a subset of existing major or minor requirements in the same way a student cannot earn a minor within the same department as their major.
• A minimum of 18 credit hours of specified coursework within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• A minimum of 9 of the 18 credit hours must be completed at the upper-division level.
• A minimum of 12 credit hours must be take on the CU Boulder campus.
• A maximum of 6 semester credit hours from other institutions will be accepted.

Multiple Degrees

Double Degrees

Students may earn multiple degrees from CU Boulder from different schools or colleges or within a single school or college. This includes students pursuing a BA and BFA from the College of Arts & Sciences. The following conditions must be fulfilled:

• The student meets the residency requirements of, and is enrolled in, both the College of Arts & Sciences and the college or school granting the second degree.
• The student completes a minimum of 145 credit hours when both degrees are offered within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• The student completes all requirements for both degrees when the degrees are offered by two different colleges.
• The student completes all General Education and major requirements of the College of Arts & Sciences.
• Both degrees must be awarded at the same time.

Second Baccalaureate Degrees

A student who has been awarded a baccalaureate degree, either from the College of Arts & Sciences or elsewhere, may be granted a second baccalaureate degree provided the following conditions have been fulfilled:

• The subject of the major in the second baccalaureate degree is substantially different from the subject of the major or minor in the first baccalaureate degree earned.
• All general requirements for the degree to be awarded by the College of Arts & Sciences have been met. (Students are subject to the general degree requirements in effect the semester they enter the second baccalaureate degree program.)
• Arts and sciences students must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours in University of Colorado Boulder courses after matriculation in the second baccalaureate degree program. Of these 45 post-matriculation credit hours, a minimum of 30 credit hours must be in upper-division courses offered by a department in the College of Arts & Sciences, and at least 12 of these 30 upper-division credit hours must be in major area. Courses taken as a non-degree student or as part of a graduate degree program do not count in these minimum credit hour requirements.

Applying for Graduation

Arts & Sciences students who have earned 90 or more credit hours and wish to walk in a commencement ceremony and/or graduate at the close of a term must submit an online application to graduate in Buff Portal, meeting all appropriate application deadlines published by the Office of the Registrar.

Students who intend to complete their degree in summer (August) and want their name to appear in the spring (May) commencement program should apply online for the summer graduation term, submitting their application prior to the published spring commencement program deadline. Summer applicants who apply prior to the spring program deadline will automatically be included in the spring commencement program.

Students who apply to graduate but fail to fulfill all degree requirements by the deadline for that term/year must submit a new online graduation application for a future term/year in order for the college to confer the degree once all remaining requirements are complete. To be certified as having completed all degree and major/minor requirements, all credit hours and grades (including transfer coursework and Continuing Education credit hours and grades) must be posted to the student records system by the deadline for reporting degrees for that term/year.

Four-Year Graduation

CU Boulder guarantees that if the scheduling of essential courses is found to have prevented a student in the College of Arts & Sciences from completing all coursework necessary for a BA or BFA degree from the university by the end of the student's eighth consecutive fall and spring semester, the college will provide tuition plus any course fees for all courses required for completion of the degree requirements.

The College of Arts & Sciences has adopted a set of guidelines to define the conditions under which a student should expect to graduate in four years. More information is available through the Arts & Sciences Academic Advising Center and major program and departmental offices. This guarantee extends to all students who enrolled the summer of 1994 or after into the College of Arts & Sciences as first-semester freshmen who satisfy all the requirements described below. This guarantee cannot be extended to include completion of a second major, a double degree, a minor, a teaching certificate or other certificate program. Some CU Boulder study abroad programs may not provide a sufficient range of courses to allow students to meet the requirements and thus students who participate in study abroad are not included in this guarantee.

Four-Year Guarantee Requirements

• Students should enroll in University of Colorado Boulder coursework for eight consecutive fall and spring semesters.
• No fewer than 60 credit hours of applicable coursework should be completed with passing grades by the end of the second year (24 calendar months), 90 credit hours by the end of the third year (36 calendar months) and 120 credit hours by the end of the fourth year. Students should enroll in and pass an average of 15 credit hours each semester.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours of college General Education courses should be completed by the end of the second year, including General Education courses that also meet major requirements. All remaining college General Education requirements must be fulfilled by the end of the eighth semester.
• Students should complete 45 upper-division credit hours by the end of the eighth semester of study.
• A GPA of at least 2.00 must be earned each semester.
• Grades of C- or better in all coursework required for the major should be earned, and students should have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all major coursework attempted.
• A recommended plan of study must be started toward the major no later than the start of the second semester of study and thereafter students must make adequate progress toward completing the major (defined by each major). A statement of adequate progress is available from the major or departmental office at the time the major is declared.
• The major must be declared no later than the start of the second semester of study, and students must remain in that major until graduation.
• Students should meet with their assigned primary advisor each semester.
• Students must register each semester within one week of the assigned registration time.
• Students should avoid taking courses that are in conflict with the advice of their assigned primary advisor.
• Students should adhere to the Graduation Requirements listed above.
• Courses in conflict with major or college General Education requirements should be avoided.
• The student should apply online to graduate no later than the beginning of the seventh semester of study (see Graduation Deadlines section).
• Documentation should be kept proving that these requirements were satisfied (e.g., records of advising meetings attended, advising records and instructions, etc.).

Academic Advising

Students are advised by the professional academic advisors and academic coaches in Arts & Sciences Academic Advising and Coaching and by faculty mentors from their respective major department/program, typically at least once a semester. Students use Buff Portal Advising to communicate with advisors, schedule appointments, explore majors, etc. Academic advisors are responsible for advising students and also for certifying the completion of those students' programs for graduation.

Students in the college are expected to assume responsibility for planning their academic program in conjunction with their academic advisor in accordance with college rules and policies and with departmental major requirements. Any questions concerning these provisions are to be directed to the student's academic advisor. 

General Education Requirements

Mission Statement

The College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) General Education (Gen Ed) requirements are the heart of a liberal arts education at CU Boulder. This set of requirements allows students to pursue their passions while also ensuring that they venture into diverse areas of learning. The flexibility of the Gen Ed requirements enables students to explore areas of particular interest in depth, and in so doing facilitates the addition of minors or second majors. The Gen Ed requirements are straightforward, streamlined, rigorous and timeless; as society changes and technology advances, the courses of study that comprise these requirements will evolve naturally within the Gen Ed framework. These requirements reflect the Arts and Sciences identity and learning goals.

Identity Statement

The College of Arts & Sciences at CU Boulder consists of teachers, scholars, researchers and artists who strive to understand, and find meaning in, the natural world, social structures, history, art, morals and the human experience. The college comprises a wide range of departments and programs, but woven throughout are the college's fundamental values: academic excellence, intellectual honesty, creative freedom, open inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge. We are dedicated to a pedagogy that recognizes our responsibility in developing a diverse community of students and scholars. Our students can expect to have their critical thinking skills honed, their understanding of themselves deepened, their vision of the natural world and its peoples expanded, and their ability to communicate enhanced. As a result, our graduates leave the college as well-rounded adults, prepared to participate productively as citizens in a democracy and to flourish in their careers.

Learning Goals

1. Develop the Skills of Communication, Expression and Reasoning

Students hone their communication skills through writing and speaking for various purposes (informing, instructing, persuading) and audiences (academic, civic, professional). They learn to design their message ethically and effectively using appropriate evidence and technologies, which may include alphabetic, visual, and aural elements. Students explore the breadth of human experience through diverse expressive forms. To develop problem-solving and analytical skills, students exercise various forms of reasoning—logical, computational and mathematical.

2. Understand Our World, In All Its Dimensions, Through Critical Inquiry

Students apply humanistic and scientific principles and methods to investigate local and global issues. Through exposure to multiple viewpoints, intellectual frameworks, and cultural contexts, students prepare to respond ethically, creatively and collaboratively to open-ended questions.

Overview

The Arts & Sciences General Education curriculum consists of 45 credits in three requirement areas: Skills, Distribution, and Diversity.

• Skills Requirement: 9 credits (6 written communication, 3 quantitative reasoning and mathematical skills, plus world language proficiency). Courses taken to fulfill this requirement may not also count toward the Distribution or Diversity requirements.
• Distribution Requirement: 36 credits (12 arts and humanities, 12 social sciences, 12 natural sciences).
• Diversity Requirement: 0–6 credits. Courses taken to fulfill this requirement may also count toward the Distribution Requirement but not the Skills Requirement.

Policies

Students who take approved CU Boulder coursework to fulfill their Gen Ed requirements must take those courses for a letter grade and receive a grade of D- or higher (Courses in which a student earns a P or P+ grade cannot be used to fulfill Gen Ed requirements unless those course were taken in Spring 2020.) Students may not use thesis hours, independent study, internship, or practicum courses to fill any of the Gen Ed requirements. All courses approved to fulfill specific Arts & Sciences Gen Ed requirements are identified as such in this catalog and are searchable in the CU Boulder Class Search tool.

Skills Requirement

This requirement is designed to assure that each student has attained a minimum level of competency in a world language other than English, quantitative reasoning & mathematical skills, and written communication. Students may not use a course to fulfill any area of the Skills Requirement and also use that course to fulfill part of the Distribution or Diversity Requirements. This restriction applies to first- and second-semester language courses taken as prerequisites to a third-semester language course that is satisfying the World Language category of this requirement.

1. World Language (third-level proficiency)

The goal of the language requirement is to encourage students to examine the formal and semantic structure of a language other than English, significant and difficult works in that language, and one or more aspects of the culture lived in that language. This enables students to understand their own language and culture better, analyze texts more clearly and effectively, and appreciate more vividly the dangers and limitations of using a translated document. The language requirement concentrates on reading, although in some languages other abilities may be emphasized as well. Understanding what it means to read a significant text in its original language is essential for a liberal education according to the standards of this university.

All students are required to demonstrate third-level proficiency in a single modern or classical language other than English. Students may demonstrate this proficiency and thus fulfill the World Language category of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement by

1. passing an appropriate third-semester college course in a language other than English that is part of a three-course sequence of at least 12 semester credit hours, or earning AP or IB credit equivalent to such a course; or
2. passing a CU Boulder approved world language proficiency examination (these exams test reading and writing ability); or
3. completing a Level III course (typically the third of three consecutive years) of a language other than English while in high school; or*
4. graduating from a high school that uses a language other than English as its principal mode of instruction, or receiving, in high school, a Colorado or other state-sponsored Seal of Biliteracy;**

Third-semester language courses offered at CU Boulder that meet the World Language Requirement are listed below.

*A Level III course is defined as a high school course clearly designated as such (e.g. Spanish 3, Chinese 3, German III, etc) on the high school transcript or third-semester college course if the third-year course taken in high school is a concurrent/dual enrollment college course.  Concurrent/dual enrollment college courses taken while in high school that are below the third-semester college level will not fulfill this requirement. 

** The Seal of Biliteracy must appear on the student's high school transcript.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
1. Third-semester World Language courses
ARAB 2110	Intermediate Arabic 1	5
CHIN 2110	Intermediate Chinese 1	5
GREK 3113	Intermediate Classical Greek 1	3
DANE 2010	Intermediate Danish I - DILS	4
FRSI 2110		4
FREN 2110	Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 1	3
GRMN 2010	Intermediate German 1	4
GRMN 2030	Intensive Intermediate German	5
HEBR 2110	Intermediate Modern Hebrew, First Semester	4
HIND 2110	Intermediate Hindi 1	5
INDO 2110	Intermediate Indonesian 1- DILS	3
ITAL 2110	Intermediate Italian Reading, Grammar, and Composition 1	4
JPNS 2110	Intermediate Japanese 1	5
KREN 2110	Intermediate Korean 1	5
LATN 2114	Intermediate Latin 1	4
PORT 2110	Second-Year Portuguese 1	3
QUEC 2010	Intermediate Quechua 1	4
RUSS 2010	Second-Year Russian 1	4
SNSK 2110	Intermediate Sanskrit 1	3-4
SPAN 2110	Second-Year Spanish 1	3
SPAN 2150	Intensive Second-Year Spanish	5
SLHS 2325	American Sign Language 3	4
SWED 2010	Intermediate Swedish 1 -DILS	4
SWED 2110	Second-Year Swedish Reading and Conversation 1	4

2. Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills (QRMS) (3–6 credit hours)

This requirement has two principal objectives. The first is to provide students with the analytical tools used in some of their other Gen Ed courses and used in their major areas of study. The second is to help students acquire the reasoning skills necessary to assess adequately the data that will confront them in their daily lives. Students completing this requirement should be able to: construct a logical argument based on the rules of inference; analyze, present, and interpret numerical data; estimate orders of magnitude as well as obtain exact results when appropriate; and apply mathematical methods to solve problems in their university work and in their daily lives.

To fulfill the QRMS category of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement, student must:

• Earn credit for one of the approved QRMS courses or sequences of courses listed below
• Earn at least 3 credits in a mathematics courses numbered MATH 1300 or higher or applied mathematics courses numbered APPM 1350 or higher
• Have Prior Learning Assessment credit (PLA), like AP, IB or CLEP credit, that has been judged equivalent to one of the courses below or has been approved to fill QRMS

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
2. Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills courses
AHUM 1825	Inclusive Interdisciplinary Data Science for All	4
APPM 1340	Calculus 1 with Algebra, Part A	4
APPM 1350	Calculus 1 for Engineers	4
EBIO 1010	Introduction to Statistics and Quantitative Thinking for Biologists	3
EBIO 4410	Biological Statistics	4
ECEN 1500	Sustainable Energy	3
ECON 1078	Mathematical Tools for Economists 1	3
ECON 1088	Mathematical Tools for Economists 2	3
EDUC 2130	Teaching and Learning Math: Calculus, Trig and Adv Functions	3
GEOG 3023	Statistics and Geographic Data	4
IPHY 3280	Intro to Data Science and Biostatistics	4
LING 4622	Statistical Analysis for Linguistics	3
MATH 1011	College Algebra	3
MATH 1012	Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills	3
MATH 1112	Mathematical Analysis in Business	4
MATH 1110 & MATH 1120	Mathematics for Elementary Educators 1 and Mathematics for Elementary Educators 2	6
MATH 1130	Mathematics from the Visual Arts	3
MATH 1150	Precalculus Mathematics	4
MATH 1212	Data and Models	3
MATH 1300	Calculus 1	5
MATH 1310	Calculus for Life Sciences	5
MATH 1330	Calculus for Economics and the Social Sciences	4
MATH 2380	Mathematics for the Environment	3
MATH 2510	Introduction to Statistics	3
PHYS 1010	Physics of Everyday Life 1	3
PSCI 2075	Quantitative Research Methods	3
PSCI 3105	Designing Social Inquiry: An Introduction to Analyzing Political Phenomena	3
SOCY 2061	Introduction to Social Statistics	3

3. Written Communication (3 lower-division and 3 upper-division credit hours)

Writing is a skill that is fundamental to all intellectual endeavors. In fulfilling this requirement, students hone their communication skills by writing for various purposes (informing, instructing, persuading) and audiences (academic, civic, professional). They learn to design their message ethically and effectively using appropriate evidence and technologies.

Lower-division written communication courses focus on the central rhetorical elements of purpose, audience, and context to help students craft effective writing in a variety of situations. They emphasize the relationships among these elements, including a writer’s choices of content, structure, style and use of language conventions. In addition, courses in this area develop students’ analytical reading skills and introduce them to principles and practices of information literacy.

By the end of a lower-division written communication course, students will:

• Demonstrate their rhetorical knowledge through their writing choices
• Construct effective and ethical arguments
• Analyze texts in a variety of genres
• Refine and reflect on their writing process
• Practice information literacy
• Apply appropriate language conventions, including grammar, spelling, punctuation and format

In upper-division written communication courses, students apply the rhetorical elements of purpose, audience, and context to investigate and practice writing using disciplinary language, forms, and genres. These courses emphasize the application of students’ disciplinary knowledge to a variety of writing situations, adjusting content, format, style and language conventions to accomplish specific purposes and communicate with specific audiences.

By the end of an upper-division written communication course, students will:

• Demonstrate specialized rhetorical knowledge through composing texts in a variety of disciplinary forms and genres for specific audiences and purposes
• Argue persuasively and with evidence, using discipline-specific forms and genres to present ideas and information
• Demonstrate enhanced critical reading skills
• Refine and reflect on their writing process
• Demonstrate specialized information literacy through applying research to disciplinary questions/issues
• Apply language conventions appropriately, including format, documentation, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

To fulfill the lower-division part of the Written Communication category of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement, students must either:

• Pass a one of the 3-credit courses approved as Skills – Lower-Division Written Communication listed below, or
• Earn an International Baccalaureate diploma, or
• Have Prior Learning Assessment credit (PLA), like AP, IB or CLEP credit, that has been approved to fill Skills – Lower-Division Written Communication 

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
3. Lower-division Written Communication courses
ARSC 1080	College Writing and Research	4
CLAS 1020	Argument from Evidence: Critical Writing about the Ancient World	3
EBIO 1940	Introduction to Scientific Writing	3
ENGL 1001	Writing, Reading, Culture	3
ENVS 1150	First-Year Writing in Energy, Environment and Sustainability	3
IPHY 1950	Introduction to Scientific Writing in Integrative Physiology	3
PHIL 1500	Reading, Writing and Reasoning	3
WRTG 1100	Extended First-Year Writing and Rhetoric	4
WRTG 1150	First-Year Writing and Rhetoric	3
WRTG 1160	CMCI First-Year Writing and Rhetoric	3
WRTG 1250	Advanced First-Year Writing and Rhetoric	3

To fulfill the upper-division part of the Written Communication category of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement, students must either:

• Pass a one of the 3-credit courses approved as Skills – Upper-Division Written Communication listed below or
• Pass the CLEP College Composition Exam, which by Colorado state policy fills both the lower- and upper-division parts of the written communication Gen Ed Skills requirement.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
3. Upper-division Written Communication courses
ARSC 3100	Multicultural Perspective and Academic Discourse	3
ARTS 4050	Writing Across the Arts: Culture Writing in the 21st c	3
CHIN 3200	Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization	3
EBIO 3940	Written Communication in the Sciences	3
ENGL 3016	Writing in the Age of AI	3
ENGL 3026	Syntax, Citation, Analysis: Writing About Literature	3
ENGL 3070
ENGL 3830	Topics in Advanced Writing and Research	3
ENGL 4206	Writing for the Real World	3
ENVS 3020	Advanced Writing in Environmental Studies	3
FREN 3050	French Composition	3
GEOL 3090	Developing Scientific Writing Skills	3
IPHY 3700	Scientific Writing in Integrative Physiology	3
ITAL 3025	Advanced Composition 2: Introduction to Literary Writing	3
HIST 3020	Historical Thinking & Writing	3
HONR 3220	Advanced Honors Writing Workshop	3
JPNS 3200	Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization	3
PHIL 3480	Critical Thinking/Writing in Philosophy	3
RLST 3020	Advanced Writing in Religious Studies	3
SPAN 3010	Advanced Rhetoric and Composition	3
WGST 3800	Advanced Writing in Feminist Studies	3
WRTG 3007	Writing in the Visual Arts	3
WRTG 3020	Topics in Writing	3
WRTG 3030	Writing on Science and Society	3
WRTG 3035	Technical Communication and Design	3
WRTG 3040	Writing on Business and Society	3
WRTG 3045	Writing for Emerging Workplaces	3

Distribution Requirement

For the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 12 credits in each of the three Arts & Sciences divisions (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences). At least four different course prefixes must be represented in a student’s Distribution requirement coursework. No more than two lower-division (1000- and 2000-level) courses with the same course prefix may count toward the distribution requirement.

As part of, or in addition to, the 12 credits in the natural sciences division, students must meet the natural sciences lab requirement. (One- and 2-credit NS lab courses are excepted from the restriction to two lower-division courses with the same course prefix counting toward the Distribution requirement.)

4. Arts & Humanities (12 credits)

Courses in the arts and the humanities explore the variety of human creative and intellectual experiences, as well as the history and foundations of culture, through the examination of human languages, literatures and other artistic, material, social, cultural, and political products, the forms they have taken in different places and eras, and the way these have changed over time. As a result, these courses cultivate perspectives and intellectual skills necessary to comprehend and respond adeptly to the world in which we live, offering frameworks for thinking critically about the universe and the smaller societies we inhabit. In particular, these courses help students develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate human efforts to explain, translate, and transform their diverse experiences of the world, as these efforts take shape in language, literature, philosophical systems, historical contexts, religious experience, material culture, images, sounds and performances.

The Arts & Humanities category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement is meant to ensure that students:

• Study the fundamental intellectual and ethical dimensions of human experience.
• Investigate the relations between artistic, humanistic, and scientific inquiry and interpretation.
• Understand and are prepared to navigate successfully the complex and ever-changing world in which we live.

To fulfill the Arts & Humanities category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 12 credits in courses approved as Distribution – Arts & Humanities courses. (Students may apply more than two lower-division courses with the DNCE prefix to this part of the requirement at long as the credit total in such courses is 6 or less.)

5. Natural Sciences (12 credits including a lab)

Natural science courses examine the physical and biological world, exploring the nature of matter, life, and the universe. They are designed to demonstrate that science is not a static list of facts, but a dynamic process that leads to knowledge. By combining observation, experimentation, and theory, students learn to formulate interpretations and conclusions through unbiased, critical application of scientific principles. Through a combination of lecture courses and laboratory or field experiences, students gain hands-on experience with scientific research. They develop expertise in measurement techniques and data interpretation, and learn the relevance of this expertise to the formation and testing of scientific hypotheses. As a result, natural science courses cultivate perspectives and intellectual skills necessary to enhance knowledge of one or more scientific disciplines, and to probe scientific issues in the context of important past discoveries and new developments.

The Natural Sciences category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement is meant to ensure that students:

• Understand the evolving state of knowledge in at least one scientific discipline
• Gain experience in scientific observation and measurement, in organizing and quantifying results, in drawing conclusions from data, and in understanding the uncertainties and limitations of the results
• Learn sufficient general scientific vocabulary and methodology to acquire additional information, evaluate it critically and make informed decisions

Laboratory or Field Experience: The Laboratory or Field Experience requirement is satisfied with a stand-alone lab of at least one credit, or another course with a substantial lab component, as approved by the Natural Sciences division. The lab requirement is broadly defined to include different types of hands-on learning, including—but not limited to—bench work, fieldwork, instrumentation and data analysis.

To fulfill the Natural Sciences category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 12 credits in courses approved as Distribution – Natural Sciences courses, including a laboratory or field experience.

6. Social Sciences (12 credits)

Social science courses examine the individual, social, ideological, cultural, political, and economic dimensions of human activities and behaviors. They address a broad range of topics through diverse theoretical and empirical approaches. As a result, these courses cultivate perspectives and intellectual skills necessary to apply qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry to issues of societal significance. Students in social science courses are taught to analyze and interpret data from many different sources, such as fieldwork, interviews, surveys, peer-reviewed literature, published and unpublished repositories and electronic media. These courses also discuss applications of the social sciences, which range from developing fundamental theories of the social world to solving problems and informing advocacy and activism.

The Social Sciences category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement is meant to ensure that students:

• Explore the development of the institutions and functioning of human society
• Understand the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of social groups
• Gain experience with social science vocabulary, methods and tools in systematic studies of the social world

To fulfill the Social Sciences category of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 12 credits in courses approved as Distribution – Social Sciences courses.

Thousands of courses offered by units in the College of Arts & Sciences have been approved to count toward the Distribution Requirement. To find those that are being offered in any particular term, use the "General Education / Core Courses Search" in the CU Boulder Class Search tool.

Diversity Requirement

For the Diversity Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 3 credits in each of the two diversity categories for a total of 6 credits in courses that have been identified as fulfilling diversity learning goals. Students may use the same course to fulfill one of the Diversity categories and part of the Distribution requirement. 

The Diversity requirement addresses the need to prepare students to navigate the complexities of living and working in a diverse and increasingly interconnected world. Diversity courses are designed to provide students with the necessary understanding and analytical skills to successfully function and lead in a multicultural, multiethnic, transnational and global society. All diversity courses promote historical and/or contemporary understanding of how social differences shape, and have been shaped by, political, economic, and cross-cultural relationships within the United States and the world. Generally diversity courses in either category of this requirement will explore the ways in which marginalization has occurred and the reasons for this marginalization.

7. United States Perspective (3 credits)

United States perspective diversity courses promote historical and/or contemporary understanding of how social differences have shaped social, political, economic and cross-cultural relationships within the United States. These courses must substantially address one or more forms of diversity (for example: race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, religion, disability).

To fulfill the United States Perspective category of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 3 credits in a course from the United States Perspective course list below.

8. Global Perspective (3 credits)

Global perspective diversity courses address the need for students to learn and think critically about historical and/or contemporary global forces and transnational connections. These courses might: 1) focus in-depth on a particular country or culture outside the U.S., placing it within transnational and global context; 2) address a problem or phenomenon in the context of two or more countries, cultures, or regions; 3) examine global affairs through a comparative framework; 4) be courses with a substantial cross-cultural curricular component that are part of a study abroad experience

To fulfill the Global Perspective category of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement, students must pass a minimum of 3 credits in a course from the Global Perspective course list below.

The lists below contain all of the CU Boulder courses that can count toward the Diversity Requirement.  All of these courses, however, are not offered every term.  To find courses that are being offered in any particular term, use the "General Education / Core Courses Search" in CU Boulder Class Search.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
7. United States Perspective courses
ANTH 1120	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Pueblo Indians of the Southwest	3
ANTH 1125	Exploring Cultural Diversity in the U.S.	3
ARTH 1600	U.S. Art Across Cultures	3
CINE 3013	Women and Film	3
COMM 2400	Discourse, Culture and Identities	3
COMM 2410	The Practice of Intercultural Communication	3
COMM 3420	Gender and Communication	3
ECON 4626	The Economics of Inequality and Discrimination	3
EDUC 2919	Renewing Democracy in Communities and Schools	3
EDUC 3013	School and Society	3
ENGL 1270	Introduction to American Literature by Women	3
ENGL 1800	American Ethnic Literatures	3
ENGL 2707	Introduction to Queer Literature	3
ENGL 2737	Introduction to African American Literature	3
ENGL 2747	Introduction to Chicana/o/x Literature	3
ENGL 4677	Jewish-American Literature	3
ENGL 4697	Special Topics in Ethnic US Literatures	3
ETHN 1023	Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies	3
ETHN 1025	Introduction to Asian American Studies	3
ETHN 2013	Critical Issues in Native North America	3
ETHN 2215	The Japanese American Experience	3
ETHN 2232	Contemporary African American Social Movements	3
ETHN 2242	African American Social and Political Thought	3
ETHN 2432	African American History	3
ETHN 2500	Race, Ethnicity, and Language	3
ETHN 2536	Survey of Chicana/o History and Culture	3
ETHN 2546	Chicana and Chicano Fine Arts and Humanities	3
ETHN 2703	Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions	3
ETHN 2732	Introduction to African American Literature	3
ETHN 2746	Introduction to Chicana/o/x Literature	3
ETHN 3136	Chicana Feminisms and Knowledges	3
ETHN 3201	Social Justice, Leadership and Community Engagement Internships	3
ETHN 3213	American Indian Women	3
ETHN 3671	People of Color and Social Movements	3
ETHN 4692	Special Topics in Ethnic US Literatures	3
GEOG 3612	Reimagining Cities: Spaces of Power, Privilege, and Possibility	3
GEOG 3742	Place, Power, and Contemporary Culture	3
GEOG 4292	Migration, Immigrant Adaptation, and Development	3
GSLL 2350	Introduction to Jewish Culture	3
GSLL 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
HIST 2437	African American History	3
HIST 2616	History of Gender in America	3
HIST 4125	Early American History to 1763	3
HIST 4326	Epidemic Disease in US History	3
HIST 4447	African American History, 1865 - Present	3
HIST 4527	Mexican-American History since 1848	3
HIST 4726	A Nation of Immigrants: Immigration in American History	3
HONR 1125	Heroines and Heroic Traditions	3
HONR 1810	Honors Diversity Seminar	3
HONR 3004	Women in Education	3
HONR 3270	Journey Motif in Women's Literature	3
HONR 4025	Heroines and Heroic Tradition	3
HONR 4075	Environmental Justice	3
HUMN 2145	African America in the Arts	3
HUMN 3290	Foundations of Disability Studies	3
HUMN 4050	Representations of People with Disabilities	3
IAFS 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
INVS 2919	Renewing Democracy in Communities and Schools	3
INVS 2989	Dialogue Across Difference	3
JWST 2350	Introduction to Jewish Culture	3
JWST 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
JWST 4200	Religion and Reproductive Politics in the United States	3
JWST 4677	Jewish-American Literature	3
LGBT 2000	Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies	3
LGBT 2707	Introduction to Queer Literature	3
LIBB 1233	First Person Voices: Identity and Image	3
LIBB 1600	Gender and Film	3
LING 1000	Language in U.S. Society	3
LING 2400	Language, Gender and Sexuality	3
LING 2500	Race, Ethnicity, and Language	3
LING 3220	American Indigenous Languages in their Social and Cultural Context	3
PHIL 2270	Philosophy and Race	3
PHIL 2290	Philosophy and Gender	3
PHIL 3110	Feminist Practical Ethics	3
PSCI 3101	Black Politics	3
PSCI 3184	Race, Power, and Politics	3
PSCI 3211	The Politics of Economic Inequality in the United States	3
PSCI 3294	Theories of Identity	3
PSCI 3301	Gender, Sexuality and U.S. Law	3
PSCI 4131	Latinos and the U.S. Political System	3
PSYC 2700	Psychology of Gender and Sexuality	3
RLST 2202	Islam	3
RLST 2500	Religions in the United States	3
RLST 2700	Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions	3
RLST 2800	Women and Religion	3
SOCY 1006	The Social Construction of Sexuality	3
SOCY 1016	Sex, Gender, and Society 1	3
SOCY 1021	United States Race and Ethnic Relations I	3
SOCY 4052	Social Inequalities in Health	3
SPAN 4215	Spanish in the United States	3
SLHS 1010	Disabilities in Contemporary American Society	3
THTR 1009	Theatre and Society	3
THTR 3011	American Musical Theatre History	3
WGST 1006	The Social Construction of Sexuality	3
WGST 1016	Sex, Gender, and Society 1	3
WGST 1270	Introduction to American Literature by Women	3
WGST 2000	Introduction to US Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies	3
WGST 2020	Femininities, Masculinities, Alternatives	3
WGST 2030	Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies	3
WGST 2050	Gender, Sexuality, and Popular Culture	3
WGST 2290	Philosophy and Gender	3
WGST 2700	Psychology of Gender and Sexuality	3
WGST 2800	Women and Religion	3
WGST 3110	Feminist Practical Ethics	3
WGST 3135	Chicana Feminisms and Knowledges	3
WGST 3210	American Indian Women	3
WGST 3300	Gender, Sexuality and U.S. Law	3
WGST 3610	Gender, Race, Science and Technology	3
WGST 4200	Religion and Reproductive Politics in the United States	3

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
8. Global Perspective courses
ANTH 1100	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Tamils	3
ANTH 1105	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Tibet	3
ANTH 1110	Anthropology of Japan: Culture, Diversity, and Identity	3
ANTH 1115	The Caribbean in Post-Colonial Perspective	3
ANTH 1120	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Pueblo Indians of the Southwest	3
ANTH 1140	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Maya	3
ANTH 1141	Indigenous Imperialism on the Andes: The Inca Realm and its People	3
ANTH 1145	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Aztecs	3
ANTH 1150	Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Regional Cultures of Africa	3
ANTH 1155	Exploring Global Cultural Diversity	3
ANTH 1156	Class and Consumption: Global Cultures of Inequality, Anxiety, and Shopping	3
ANTH 1170	Exploring Culture and Gender through Film	3
ANTH 1190	Origins of Ancient Civilizations	3
ANTH 2100	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	3
ANTH 2525	Environmental Anthropology	3
ANTH 3760	Exploring Culture and Media in Southeast Asia	3
ANTH 4525	Global Islams	3
ARAB 1011	Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations	3
ARAB 2320	The Muslim World, 600-1250	3
ARAB 3410	Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East	3
ARTH 1500	Global Art and Visual Culture	3
ARTH 1509	Trash and Treasure, Temples and Tombs: Art and Archaeology of the Ancient World	3
ARTH 2029	Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt	3
ARTH 4269	Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East	3
ARTH 4769	Gender Studies in Early Modern Visual Culture	3
ASIA 1000	Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia	3
ASIA 2000	Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections	3
ASIA 2852	Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics	3
ASTR 2000	Ancient Astronomies of the World	3
CHIN 1012	Introduction to Chinese Civilization	4
CLAS 1509	Trash and Treasure, Temples and Tombs: Art and Archaeology of the Ancient World	3
CLAS 2029	Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt	3
CLAS 2100	Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece	3
CLAS 2110	Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Rome	3
CLAS 4101	Greek and Roman Slavery	3
COMM 3410	Intercultural Communication	3
DNCE 1027	Dance in Cultural Perception and Expression	3
ECON 4784	Economic Development	3
ENGL 1250	Introduction to World Literature by Women	3
ENGL 2767	Race, Empire, and the Postcolonial	3
ENGL 3005	The Literature of New World Encounters	3
ENGL 3767	Feminist Fictions	3
ENGL 4717	Native American and Indigenous Studies Capstone Seminar	3
ETHN 1022	Introduction to Africana Studies	3
ETHN 2761	Race, Empire, and the Postcolonial	3
FREN 1350	Introduction to Social Change in the Arts	3
FREN 1400	Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France	3
FREN 1950	French Feminisms	3
FREN 3400	Culture, Performance and Development in Dakar, Senegal	3
FREN 3800	France and the Muslim World	3
GEOG 1962	Geographies of Global Change	3
GEOG 1972	Sustainable Futures, Environment and Society	3
GEOG 2852	Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics	3
GEOG 3672	Who Runs the World? Sex, Power, and Gender in Geography	3
GEOG 3682	International Development: Economics, Power, and Place	3
GEOG 3692	Introduction to Global Public Health	4
GEOG 3742	Place, Power, and Contemporary Culture	3
GEOG 3812	Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean	3
GEOG 3822	China¿s Diverse Geographies: Environment, Society, Politics	3
GEOG 3862	Global Africa: Environment, Development, and Culture	3
GEOG 4292	Migration, Immigrant Adaptation, and Development	3
GEOG 4732	Population Geography	3
GEOG 4812	Political Ecology & Latin America	3
GRMN 3501	The German-Jewish Experience: From the Enlightenment to the Present	3
GRMN 3601	German Women Writers	3
GRMN 4231	The Invention of Sexuality	3
GRMN 4301	Gender, Race and Immigration in Germany and Europe	3
GSLL 2350	Introduction to Jewish Culture	3
GSLL 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
HIND 1011	Introduction to South Asian Civilizations	3
HIND 3811	The Power of the Word: Subversive and Censored 20th Century Indo-Pakistani Literature	3
HIST 1028	Introduction to Modern Latin American History since 1800	3
HIST 1218	Introduction to Sub-Saharan African History to 1850	3
HIST 1228	Introduction to Sub-Saharan African History Since 1850	3
HIST 1818	Jewish History to 1492	3
HIST 1828	Jewish History Since 1492	3
HIST 1830	Global History of Holocaust and Genocide	3
HIST 2166	The Vietnam Wars	3
HIST 4101	Greek and Roman Slavery	3
HIST 4218	Lost Kingdoms & Caliphates: West Africa to 1900	3
HIST 4238	History of Southern Africa	3
HIST 4258	Africa under European Colonial Rule	3
HIST 4320	The History of the Mediterranean, 600 CE-1600 CE	3
HIST 4339	Borderlands of the British Empire	3
HIST 4349	Decolonization of the British Empire	3
HIST 4359	The Global History of Modern Arabia	3
HIST 4448	Wars of Liberation in Southeast Asia	3
HIST 4619	Women in East Asian History	3
HIST 4830	Human Trafficking in Global Perspective	3
HUMN 3801	Muslims, Christians, Jews and the Mediterranean Origins of the West	3
HUMN 3850	The Mediterranean: Religion Before Modernity	3
HUMN 4150	Boccaccio's Decameron: Tales of Sex and Death in the Middle Ages	3
HUMN 4730	Italian Feminisms: Culture, Theory, and Narratives of Difference	3
IAFS 3010	Islam, Geopolitics and Society: Gender, Identity and Place	3
IAFS 3530	Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul	3
IAFS 3540	Migration, Human Rights, and Conflict in the Mediterranean	3
IAFS 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
IAFS 3850	International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	3
ITAL 1350	Introduction to Social Change in the Arts	3
ITAL 1400	Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France	3
ITAL 4150	Boccaccio's Decameron: Tales of Sex and Death in the Middle Ages	3
ITAL 4300	Multiculturalism in Italy	3
ITAL 4730	Italian Feminisms: Culture, Theory, and Narratives of Difference	3
JPNS 1012	Introduction to Japanese Civilization	4
JPNS 3881	Environment, Nature and Disaster in Japanese Literature and Culture	3
JPNS 3891	Travel/Travel Writing in Japanese Literature and Culture	3
JPNS 4050	Japanese Sociolinguistics	3
JWST 1818	Jewish History to 1492	3
JWST 1828	Jewish History Since 1492	3
JWST 1830	Global History of Holocaust and Genocide	3
JWST 1900	Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament	3
JWST 2350	Introduction to Jewish Culture	3
JWST 3202	Women, Gender & Sexuality in Jewish Texts & Traditions	3
JWST 3501	The German-Jewish Experience: From the Enlightenment to the Present	3
JWST 3530	Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul	3
JWST 3600	Contemporary Jewish Societies	3
KREN 1011	Introduction to Korean Civilization	3
KREN 2441	Film and Korean Culture	3
KREN 3841	Modern Korean Literature in English Translation	3
LAMS 1000	Introduction to Latin American and Latinx Studies	3
LING 1020	Languages of the World	3
LING 3545	World Language Policies	3
LING 4050	Japanese Sociolinguistics	3
MUEL 2772	World Musics: Asia and Oceania	3
MUEL 2782	World Music: Africa, Europe, and the Americas	3
PACS 2500	Introduction to Peace, Conflict and Security Studies	3
PACS 3540	Migration, Human Rights, and Conflict in the Mediterranean	3
PACS 3850	International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	3
PHIL 1250	Poverty, Power, and Patriotism: Issues of Global Justice	3
PHIL 2270	Philosophy and Race	3
PHIL 2290	Philosophy and Gender	3
PHIL 3040	African Philosophy: Personhood and Morality	3
PHIL 3260	Philosophy and the International Order	3
PSCI 3052	Gender and Politics in Latin America	3
PSCI 4012	Global Development	3
PORT 3170	Lisbon as a Global City: Cosmopolitanism, Diversity, and Innovation	3
RLST 1818	Jewish History to 1492	3
RLST 1828	Jewish History Since 1492	3
RLST 1830	Global History of Holocaust and Genocide	3
RLST 1900	Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament	3
RLST 2202	Islam	3
RLST 2320	The Muslim World, 600-1250	3
RLST 2612	Yoga: Ancient and Modern	3
RLST 3202	Women, Gender & Sexuality in Jewish Texts & Traditions	3
RLST 3530	Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul	3
RLST 3801	Muslims, Christians, Jews and the Mediterranean Origins of the West	3
RLST 3850	The Mediterranean: Religion Before Modernity	3
REES 3705	Crimes of Passion: Gender and Sexual Politics in Tolstoy's Russia	3
REES 4471	Women in 20th-21st Century Russian, East European and Eurasian Cultures	3
SCAN 3206	Nordic Colonial History and Legacy	3
SCAN 3208	Women in Nordic Society: Modern States of Welfare	3
SOCY 3012	Gender and Development	3
SOCY 3161	Global Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity	3
SPAN 3270	Barcelona: Understanding Local and Immigrant Cultures	3
SPAN 3290	Argentine Culture and History in a Latin American Context	3
WGST 1250	Introduction to World Literature by Women	3
WGST 2100	Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece	3
WGST 2110	Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Rome	3
WGST 2200	Women, Gender, Literature, and the Arts	3
WGST 2290	Philosophy and Gender	3
WGST 2600	Introduction to Global Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies	3
WGST 3012	Gender and Development	3
WGST 3201	Women, Gender & Sexuality in Jewish Texts & Traditions	3
WGST 3208	Women in Nordic Society: Modern States of Welfare	3
WGST 3410	Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East	3
WGST 3510	Gender, Sexuality and Global Health	3
WGST 3520	Gender and Sexuality in Africa	3
WGST 3601	German Women Writers	3
WGST 3650	Gender and Politics in Latin America	3
WGST 3670	Gender, Race, Sexuality and Global Migration	3
WGST 3672	Who Runs the World? Sex, Power, and Gender in Geography	3
WGST 3767	Feminist Fictions	3
WGST 4301	Gender, Race and Immigration in Germany and Europe	3
WGST 4471	Women in 20th-21st Century Russian, East European and Eurasian Cultures	3
WGST 4619	Women in East Asian History	3

Academic Standards 

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences must abide by all policies and procedures as outlined in the university catalog and on the Arts & Sciences' Academic Advising website. Students should refer to these webpages often since policies, procedures and forms may be updated throughout the academic year.

Attendance

Successful work in the College of Arts & Sciences is dependent upon regular attendance in all classes. Students who are unavoidably absent should make arrangements with instructors to make up any work missed. Failure to attend regularly may result in receipt of an "F" in a course. Students who, for illness or other legitimate reason, miss a final examination must notify the instructor no later than the end of the day on which the examination is given. Failure to do so may result in receipt of an F in the course. The instructor determines whether the reason is legitimate and whether to make an accommodation.

Registration and Enrollment

It is the students’ responsibility to enroll each semester in the requisite number of credit hours in accordance with the students’ individual degree plan. To be considered a full-time student, a minimum of 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester is required. Part-time enrollment (less than 12 credit hours) may impact student's financial aid and scholarships, health insurance, on-campus housing and the four-year graduation guarantee. Students must petition to be enrolled in more than 21 credit hours in any given fall or spring semester and in more than 16 credit hours in Summer Session as a whole. Students may enroll in a maximum of 4 credit hours in Maymester, Augmester, or Winter Session.

Sequence of Courses

Students are expected to follow the curriculum outlined by their major department/program. A student, who does earned the required a grade in a course that is prerequisite to another, may not enroll in the succeeding course without approval from the student's major department/program or the instructor of the succeeding course. Students should check the registration system and with the major department/program to ascertain specific prerequisite course grades.

All courses are not necessarily offered each semester. According to college policy, undergraduate courses having an enrollment of fewer than 14 students may be canceled. Students can minimize scheduling problems by closely following the curricular sequence outlined by their major department/program.

Add and Drop Policies

See the Office of the Registrar's website for university add and drop policies and specific deadline dates for a given semester/term.

Late Drop Policy

After the final drop deadline, students must file a detailed college petition to request a late drop from an individual course, which may be approved under the following conditions:

• After the tenth week of class during the fall or spring, of the equivalent during a summer term and before the last day of class in the term, a student may be approved to late drop a class with documentation to verify extenuating circumstances beyond their control or a university error.
• Students who are approved for a late drop of a class will receive a grade of "W" for that class on their transcript.

Students are responsible for being aware of the consequences of a late drop(s), including impacts on financial aid/scholarships, health insurance, on-campus housing eligibility, academic progress towards degree requirements, etc.

Term Withdrawal

Arts & Sciences students may withdraw from all classes for a term through the last day that classes are taught by requesting a withdrawal in the Office of the Registrar. In the event of extenuating circumstances, after the conclusion of the term, students may petition for a retroactive term withdrawal through the Office of Undergraduate Education. For specific withdrawal procedures and university policies, see the Withdrawal section.

Consecutive Term Withdrawal

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences who withdraw from two fall and spring terms in a row will have a dean's stop placed on their registration. Summer Session is not counted within the context of this policy. Students with a consecutive withdrawal dean's stop will not be permitted to return to CU Boulder before one full academic year has elapsed (not including their last term of withdrawal).

Academic Standing

For information about what constitutes good academic standing at CU Boulder and what type of academic performance could lead to an undergraduate student being placed on academic alert, academic warning, academic suspension or academic dismissal please see the University's Academic Standing page in this catalog. 

Academic Ethics

The College of Arts & Sciences follows the policies and procedures governing acts of academic dishonesty can be found on CU Boulder's Student Conduct & Conflict Resolution website. A university's intellectual reputation depends on the maintenance of the highest standards of intellectual honesty. Commitment to those standards is a responsibility of every student and faculty member at the University of Colorado.

Policy on Grade Appeals

The following shall be the official policy of the academic units of the College, unless an academic unit submits an alternative procedure to the Dean for approval.

When a student believes that a grade has been improperly assigned, and discussions between the instructor and the student have not led to any resolution of the problem:

1. The student shall have the option of making a formal written appeal to the Department Chair. The appeal must specify the remedy desired by the student, and it must be submitted within 45 days of the end of the academic term in which the course was taken.
2. The Chair or designee will meet (together or separately) with the student and with the faculty member who taught the course. If the Chair/designee is unable to broker a solution mutually acceptable to both student and instructor, then:
3. The Chair shall appoint an ad hoc Grade Appeals Committee, which will review the dispute. This Committee shall consist of at least three impartial faculty members competent in the subject matter of the course in question. The Chair will provide the Committee with the student’s appeal and a written response from the faculty member.
4. Within 45 days, the Committee will submit a report and recommendation to the Chair, and the Chair will recommend to the instructor either (1) that the originally assigned grade stand; or (2) that a new grade be assigned.
5. In cases where a change of grade is recommended and the instructor does not wish to accept the recommendation of their colleagues, the Chair shall forward the written materials associated with the appeal to the Arts and Sciences’ Dean's Office.

6. At the Dean’s office, a Grade Appeals Advisory Committee (GAAC), made up of one faculty member from each of the three divisions, serves as a reviewing body for departmental grade appeal committees’ procedures and decisions. The committee looks at the case with a focus on the initial student appeal request and at the processes used by the departmental appeal committee. In an effort to honor the disciplinary home of the course in question, the GAAC looks primarily at whether or not the departmental appeal committee took into appropriate consideration the facts presented by the student and course instructor, and made a determination that was fair, compassionate and aligned with the educational mission of the department and university. The GAAC makes recommendations to the Associate Dean for Student Success, who will make the final decision as the designee of the Dean. There is no appeal of the decision of the Dean or designee. 

Policy on Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade of "I" is given at the discretion of the course instructor only when a student has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of a course and, for reasons beyond the student's control, is prevented from completing all work for the course within the term. Incomplete grades must be requested by the student and should not be awarded by the instructor for non-attendance. (In the case of non-attendance, the instructor should award the student the grade[s] earned.) If an incomplete grade is given, the instructor is required to document the reasons/grounds for the awarding of the incomplete grade, the specific work and conditions for completion of the course and the time frame within which the coursework must be completed. The maximum time the instructor can allow for the completion of the coursework and subsequent award of a course grade is one year from the end of the term the course was taken. After one year, if no final grade is awarded, the "I" grade will change to the grade of "F." A copy of a departmental Incomplete Agreement signed by the student and instructor and accompanied by documentation of the extenuating circumstances that resulted in the awarding of an incomplete should be filed with the instructor's department office, and a copy should be given to the student. (No copy of this agreement needs to be sent to the Arts & Sciences’ Dean's Office.)

Policy on Exceptions to Academic Rules and Policies

The College of Arts & Sciences does not waive degree requirements or excuse students from completing degree requirements. Petitions for exceptions to the College of Arts & Sciences academic rules and policies stated in this catalog may be submitted to the Appeals Committee on Academic Rules and Policies (ACARP). Such petitions will be considered only if they meet all three of the following conditions:

1. The student must document that they have made every effort to fulfill the policy or requirement as defined and must demonstrate that no other options exist for fulfilling the requirement as defined in this catalog.
2. The student must document the compelling reasons beyond their control that are preventing them from fulfilling the policy or meeting the requirement as defined in the catalog.
3. The student must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the faculty committee that they have fulfilled or will fulfill the intent of the policy or the requirement through an appropriate alternative.

Students who believe that their circumstances meet the conditions to submit a petition must first consult with their academic advisor. If the advisor offers options for meeting the requirement or policy as defined here, the student must pursue those options and should not submit a petition. Usually ACARP only accepts petitions from students who are in their final year at CU Boulder.

The ACARP petitions should be filed with the College of Arts & Sciences’ Office of Academic and Curricular Affairs.

Academic Excellence

Arts & Sciences Honors Program

The Arts & Sciences Honors Program provides a community for highly motivated and academically engaged undergraduate students and offers opportunities for intellectual engagement through Honors courses, academic-inspired events and honors thesis research and creative work. It is an enrichment program for Arts & Sciences students who want to add something extra to their experience at the University of Colorado Boulder at no extra cost. The Honors Program awards Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude) to graduating seniors in the College of Arts & Sciences who have successfully written and defended honors theses. Honors-qualified students are eligible to take Honors Program courses and attend Honors Community events. The Honors Program also sponsors the Honors Journal, a student-run publication which publishes works from all academic disciplines represented on the CU Boulder campus, and offers the certificate in Interdisciplinary Honors Studies, which allows undergraduate students to develop skills in interdisciplinary theory and practice that they can draw on to address social problems. 

Honors Residential Academic Program

The Honors Residential Academic Program (HRAP), located in Smith Hall, is an inclusive, challenging and supportive co-educational living-learning community open to honors-qualified Arts & Sciences students. By becoming part of the Honors RAP community, students are surrounded with other bright, highly motivated students, enjoy small seminar-style classes and have the opportunity to work closely with Honors faculty. Through its classes and its extra-curricular activities, Honors RAP integrates the diverse disciplines of the College of Arts &Sciences with the opportunities and challenges of real-world experiences. In short, offer the best educational experience possible to qualified CU undergraduates.

Incoming first-year honors-qualified students receive a Welcome Letter from the A&S Honors Program inviting them to participate in Honors. Being in the Arts & Sciences Honors Program qualifies students to join the A&S Honors RAP; a separate Honors RAP qualification is not required. Honors-qualified students are not guaranteed a space in the Honors RAP. Housing applications and assignments are a product of the Housing Office. Applications are processed as described on Housing's website, according to the date of the completed Housing application.

For more information about program requirements and to access the application, visit the Honors RAP website

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences are eligible to earn Latin honors at graduation—cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. The Arts & Sciences Honors Council confers Latin honors award based on several criteria, including the quality of original scholarly and creative work. Latin Honors are not conferred on a graduate simply by virtue of high grades. To pursue Latin honors, students intending to pursue honors register with the Honors Program by the deadlines published on the Honors Program website. Interested students should consult the the Honors Program website or visit their office in Norlin Library.

Graduation with Distinction

Students will graduate "With Distinction" if they have completed at least 30 credit hours with a letter grade at the University of Colorado Boulder and have a grade point average of 3.750 or higher for all coursework completed at the University of Colorado. The average includes all grades except P, S or U. Students graduating "With Distinction" receive a medal from the Dean's Office to wear at graduation. 

Dean's List

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences who have completed at least 12 credit hours of CU Boulder coursework for a letter grade in any single semester with a term GPA of 3.750 or better are included on the dean's list and receive a notation on their transcript and a letter from the dean. Coursework completed with grades of P, S or U are not considered completed for a letter grade and will not be counted toward dean’s list eligibility. CU Boulder students who are pursuing a double degree in more than one school or college at CU Boulder are eligible for the Dean's list only in their primary college not in their secondary college.

Phi Beta Kappa

All upper-division students in the College of Arts & Sciences whose undergraduate academic records are outstanding are eligible for election to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. The CU Boulder chapter was established in 1904. Membership in this distinguished honors society recognizes superlative scholastic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences and at CU is only open to Arts & Sciences students. Students are notified by mail of their nomination; students do not apply for Phi Beta Kappa membership.