Admissions

•  Undergraduate Student Admission
•  Freshman Admission
•  Undergraduate Transfer Student Admission
•  Non-Degree Seeking Student Admission
•  International Student Admission
•  Readmission
•  Graduate Student Admission

The Office of Admissions provides services in undergraduate and graduate recruitment, admissions counseling, and application processing.

Office of Admissions
Cragmor Hall, Room 008
Phone: (719) 255-3084 or 1(800) 990-UCCS (8227) ext 3084
Fax: (719) 255-3018
Email: ugapp@uccs.edu
www.uccs.edu/futurestudents/admissions.html

For Admission to the Graduate School see the Graduate School section and the individual colleges/schools sections of this Catalog for more specific admission requirements. For areas of interest visit https://www.uccs.edu/graduateschool/.

Admission Standards for Undergraduate Students

The University of Colorado seeks to identify undergraduate applicants having a high probability of successful completion of their academic program. Admission is based on evaluation of many criteria; among the most important are the following:

• General level of academic performance before admission to the university, as indicated by the evaluation of work taken at other educational institutions.
• Evidence of scholarly ability and accomplishment, as indicated by completed courses, GPA and scores on accepted tests of scholastic aptitude and achievement.
• Motivation and potential for academic growth and ability to work in an academic community, as indicated by trends in the student’s record, by letters of recommendation from teachers and others qualified to comment on the student, by accomplishments outside academic work, and by other relevant evidence.
• A student who is granted admission or readmission must reflect, in a moral and ethical sense, a personal background acceptable to the university. The University of Colorado reserves the right to deny admission to applicants whose total credentials reflect an inability to assume the obligations of performance and behavior deemed essential and relevant to any of its lawful missions, processes, and functions as an educational institution.

Admission to UCCS does not guarantee eligibility for future intra-university transfer into the colleges of business, engineering or nursing/health sciences.

Application

1. Apply online at www.uccs.edu/apply and select the application that fits you best at the bottom of the page.
2. Follow the instructions for completing the application and ensure that all required documents are delivered by the deadline dates published in the UCCS online Registration Handbook for the semester of application.

Credentials

To be considered for admission, applicants must submit complete and official credentials, such as transcripts, test scores, or other documents as required by the desired program of study. An “official credential” is one received directly from the issuing institution via a third party common carrier. Students may not disregard any part of their previous educational background. Failure to submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended will be cause for canceling the admission process or dismissing the student. All credentials presented for admission to UCCS become the property of the university and may not be returned to the applicant.

Notification

As soon as possible after the Office of Admissions receives all required credentials, students will be notified of their admission status. If qualified, the student will receive notification of eligibility for admission. Admission eligibility to the University of Colorado does not constitute a guarantee of enrollment in any specific course.

1(800) 990-UCCS (8227) ext 3084 or (719) 255-3084

Freshmen may apply to the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences; the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; the College of Education; the College of Business and Administration; the College of Engineering and Applied Science; and the School of Public Affairs in the fall, spring, or summer terms. 

Test Optional Admissions Criteria for High School Graduates

(Includes satisfaction of the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) Higher Education Admissions Recommendation (HEAR) courses)

***Applicants with the above ACT/SAT minimums may be eligible for admission with lower GPA’s upon review of academic rigor and strength of curriculum.***

School Code= ACT: 0535/SAT: 4874

Students admitted to UCCS into the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences as “Business Intent” or “Engineering Intent” students are required to meet the College of Business intra-university transfer requirements  within two semesters of enrolling at UCCS or the College of Engineering intra-university transfer requirements  within three semesters of enrolling at UCCS in order to progress into those respective colleges’ majors. Students not meeting business or engineering intra-university transfer requirements within the allotted time for each college become ineligible for future admission into that respective college and will be advised into another degree program at the University. Acceptance to Nursing is highly competitive. Preference is given to those who meet these criteria; however, not all qualified applicants can be accepted.

Higher Education Admission Recommendations

Students planning to attend a four-year college or university in Colorado should complete the following classes in order to fulfill the Higher Education Admission Recommendations (HEAR). HEAR is one factor of many that public four-year institutions consider in the admission decision process. Visit the CDHE Admission webpage to learn about all admission review factors.

Meeting HEAR does not guarantee admission to a four-year public institution. Additionally, colleges, universities and certain academic programs may have additional admission factors.

The successful completion (grade “C” or better) of a college-level course while in high school will satisfy HEAR for the relevant subject area. For example, if a high school student earns a “C” or higher in ENG 121: English Composition, the English area in HEAR will be considered as satisfied. Note: satisfying HEAR does NOT mean satsifying your high school’s graduation requirements - your school district may have additional requirements.

*Two units of ESL English may count for HEAR recommendations when combined with two units of successfully completed college preparatory English.
**College-preparatory ESL mathematics/science courses that include content and academic rigor/level comparable to other acceptable courses may satisfy HEAR recommendations.
***American Sign Language (ASL) courses can count toward the Word/Foreign Language recommendation.
****Acceptable Academic Electives include additional courses in English, mathematics, natural/physical sciences and social sciences, foreign languages, art, music, journalism, drama, computer science, honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses, and appropriate CTE courses.

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education does not review individual high school courses to determine whether or not they meet Colorado’s Higher Education Admissions Recommendations. Because local school districts in Colorado oversee their high school curricula and colleges and universities establish their own entrance standards, it is their discretion to determine what coursework meets HEAR.

GPA and Test Score Ranges of Admitted First-Time Freshmen

In addition to the UCCS admission requirements by specific college listed above, general GPA and standardized test score ranges from the Colorado Dept. of Higher Education (CDHE) can serve as a reference to general university admissibility listed below, as well as additional information here: https://cdhe.colorado.gov/students/preparing-for-college/admissions-eligibility.

Advanced Placement Program (AP)

The university participates in the high school Advanced Placement program of the College Board. Official scores must be sent to the university directly from the College Board. Students receiving scores of 3, 4, or 5 on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are generally granted college credit. See the chart below for details.

All colleges accept AP credits but apply them differently depending on the student’s degree program. Please contact an advisor in Academic Advising for test score interpretation.

AP exam equivalency decisions are made based on when the exam was taken, not when the student matriculates to UCCS. However, the equivalencies listed below are only available to students entering UCCS in summer 2016 and later, and the exams must have been taken within the previous ten years. See your academic advisor if you matriculated to UCCS prior to summer 2016 for equivalency information.

AP exams marked with an * are eligible for GT-Pathways inclusion

AP Note: Courses beginning with a departmental prefix but ending in “999TC” carry general departmental credit but do not have an exact equivalency.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

The university participates in the International Baccalaureate program of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Official scores must be sent to the university directly from IBO. Students receiving scores of 4, or above, on International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations are generally granted college credit. See the chart below for details.

All colleges accept IB credits but apply them differently depending on the student’s degree program. Please contact an advisor in Academic Advising for test score interpretation.

IB exam equivalency decisions are made based on when the exam was taken, not when the student matriculates to UCCS. However, the equivalencies listed below are only available to students entering UCCS in summer 2016 and later, and the exams must have been taken within the previous ten years. See your academic advisor if you matriculated to UCCS prior to summer 2016 for equivalency information.

IB exams marked with an * are eligible for GT-Pathways inclusion.

Note 1: Courses beginning with a departmental prefix but ending in “999TC” carry general departmental credit but do not have an exact equivalency.
Note 2: Courses carrying the XFCR course prefix carry credit, but do not have a relative department or exact equivalency.
Note 3: The XXXX prefix for Language equivalencies will be matched with the appropriate language department upon application of credit.
Note 4: The chart above lists the most common IB exams received at UCCS. Other exams also are accepted, but are not in the chart. Contact your academic Advisor for more details.
Note 5: Some equivalencies can change after this catalog is published. Please visit the Credit-By-Exam website for the most up-to-date course equivalencies.

Additional Sources of Credit-By-Exam

UCCS accepts additional sources of credit-by-exam in the form of A-Level exams and specific Great Books programs. Please visit the Credit-By-Exam website for more information.

Applicants Without Approved High School Graduation

An applicant who has not graduated from high school must submit satisfactory scores on the General Educational Development Test (GED) or the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) or the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) and a Certificate of Equivalency from any state department of education, and SAT or ACT entrance examination scores. The minimum SAT score is 1000 (prior to March) or 1070 (after March 2016). The minimum ACT score is 20. Each applicant will be considered on an individual basis.

Students Not Granted Admission

An applicant who is not granted admission as an entering freshman may wish to consider a transfer to the university after one or two years of study elsewhere (see transfer requirements section). In the best interest of students pursuing educational goals for which they lack some academic preparation, the Letters, Arts and Sciences/Campus Admissions committee often recommends that such applicants complete at least one full year of college level coursework at a regionally accredited college. The personal attention and the appropriate courses there will prepare the student for an eventual successful experience at the University of Colorado.

High School Dual Enrollment

High school juniors and seniors with proven academic abilities may be admitted for one term at a time with approval from the admissions office at the direction of the admission director. Credit for courses taken may subsequently be applied toward a university degree program. For more information and application instructions, contact the Office of Admissions.

1-800-990-UCCS (8227) ext 3084
(719) 255-3084

To be considered for admission, transfer students must be eligible to return to all collegiate institutions attended; they may not disregard any part of a previous collegiate record. Failure to advise the university of all institutions previously attended may be sufficient cause for rejection or dismissal.

Transcripts must be sent directly to the University of Colorado from each issuing institution. All documents submitted become the property of the University of Colorado.

General Academic Requirements

Students with less than 24 credit hours to transfer will be reviewed per freshman admission requirements. Please see the Freshman Admission section above.

Transfer students must meet a minimum GPA requirement, which varies according to the hours of collegiate work completed, the type of institution in which the coursework was taken, and the specific program to which the student applies. Please refer to the Transfer Admission Requirements chart below for details.

Work in progress at the time of application cannot be considered in computing the cumulative average. As there are some schools and colleges at UCCS which require a higher grade point average for transfer, students are urged to investigate specific requirements.

Community College Transfer Students

Students who successfully complete a state guaranteed general education course will receive transfer credits applied to graduation requirements in all majors unless a specific statewide Articulation Agreement exists. Currently Colorado has several approved statewide articulation agreements in business, engineering, elementary teacher education, and nursing. Information about the state guaranteed transfer program and articulation agreements is available on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website at http://highered.colorado.gov/dhedefault.html.

UCCS will honor the transfer of an associate of arts (AA) degree and the associate of science (AS) degree earned at a Colorado public institution that offers AA or AS degrees. A student who earns an AA or AS with a grade of “C” or better in all courses will transfer with junior standing into any Letters, Arts and Sciences (LAS) degree program offered by UCCS. The credits earned in the associate degree program will apply at minimum to 35 credits. Because all LAS degrees are designed to be completed in 120 credit hours, a transfer student can complete a four-year degree in the same time as a native student (i.e. 120 hours.)

UCCS will evaluate credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and alternate sources of credit following its standard policy.

Transfer Guides

Guides to assist students in their transfer from Colorado community colleges are available for student use at transfer.uccs.edu.

Transfer of College Level Credit

Transfer credit evaluation is made only after a student is admitted as a degree student. New transfer students will be advised about requirements remaining and completed when they attend one of the mandatory New Student Orientations.

College credit is transferable to UCCS according to the following stipulations:

1. Credit must have been earned at a college or university with regional accreditation at the time the courses were completed.
2. Only courses in which a grade of C- or better has been attained will be accepted for transfer at this institution. Grades of pass, satisfactory, honors, etc., are also accepted for transfer. However, a limitation is placed on the number of pass hours accepted toward a degree by each school and college.
3. Credit is not transferable from career, vocational, or technical curricula.
4. Credit will be granted only for course work appropriate to the curricula at UCCS.
5. Remedial or sub-college level courses are not transferable.
6. A maximum of 72 hours may be transferred from a two-year or community college.
7. A maximum of 90 semester hours of transfer credit may be counted toward graduation. Individual schools and colleges determine which courses and hours will apply toward the degree.
8. Individual schools and colleges reserve the right to accept or deny credit earned while the student is under scholastic suspension.
9. A maximum of 60 semester hours of extension credit (including no more than 30 semester hours of correspondence) may be counted toward an undergraduate degree.
10. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is evaluated upon receipt of an official score report from the College Board for AP or from the International Baccalaureate Organization for IB. See AP and IB information above for applicable topics and necessary scores to earn credit. Credit is not granted for an AP or IB score if the student has completed a college course which is equivalent to the course for which he/she would receive AP or IB credit.
11. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST credit for approved subject examinations may only be granted if the courses are acceptable to the student’s school or college. All colleges accept CLEP and DSST credits but apply them differently depending on the student’s degree program. Please contact an advisor in Academic Advising for test score interpretation. A maximum of 30 semester hours may be counted toward a degree. Credit is not granted for a CLEP or DSST score if the student has completed a college course which is equivalent to the course for which the student would receive CLEP or DSST credit.

12. The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that each student using education benefits submits an official transcript of their military training to the school.  Credit for military training is evaluated through the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs by submitting a Military Transfer Credit Evaluation form.

13. Admission to the University of Colorado does not guarantee eligibility for future transfer into other programs, colleges, or schools within the university.

All coursework is evaluated on the semester hour basis, i.e., 1 quarter hour equals 2/3 semester hour.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

All colleges accept CLEP credits but apply them differently depending on the student’s degree program. Please contact an advisor in Academic Advising for score interpretation. 

College Level Exam Program (CLEP) exam equivalency decisions are made based on when the exam was taken, not when the student matriculates to UCCS.

Note: Courses ending in “999TC” indicate that departmental credit is given, but that there is no direct equivalent course at UCCS.

DSST

All colleges at UCCS accept DSST exam credits per the table below. Applicability may vary by college. Please contact an advisor in Academic Advising for score interpretation and degree applicability.

DSST exam equivalency decisions are made based on when the exam was taken, not when the student matriculates to UCCS.

_{Note: Courses ending in “999TC” indicate that department credit is given, but that there is no direct equivalent course at UCCS. Courses that begin with XFCR are granted general elective credit, but do not confer departmental credit.}

Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure

State guaranteed courses under the State Guarantee General Education (gtPATHWAYS) policy will transfer to any four-year institution in Colorado to satisfy general education requirements. Other nonguaranteed courses are evaluated individually and within 30 days of date of admission. The procedure for appealing a decision involving the acceptance of coursework from a Colorado community college for credit toward a degree is as follows:

1. Students must file an appeal within 15 days of receiving their transcript evaluation by writing the office responsible for transfer evaluations at UCCS. The student should complete and return a petition form to Academic Advising, Main Hall, 2nd floor. The form will be forwarded to the appropriate authority within the college. The decisions made in the transcript evaluation will be binding if the student fails to file an appeal within this time frame.
2. UCCS will respond within 30 days in writing to the student appeal.
3. If the dispute cannot be resolved between the student and UCCS personnel within 30 days, the student may appeal in writing to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. The student has 15 days from receipt of the written UCCS notification to file an appeal.

Information concerning the appeal process is available at Academic Advising, Main Hall, 2nd floor.

Transfer Admission Requirements

Students who have completed fewer than 24 transferable semester hours in college work must meet freshman admission standards. 

*** Students not meeting criteria for assured admission will be considered for admission based on a holistic review of the applicant’s academic record.
*** Acceptance to Nursing is highly competitive. Preference is given to those who meet these criteria; however, not all qualified applicants can be accepted.

Student Bill of Rights

Transfer students should be cognizant of the Bill of Rights implemented by the Colorado General Assembly regarding their higher education.

The non-degree seeking student designation has been established to meet the needs of those students who wish to take university courses but who do not presently intend to work toward a degree at the University of Colorado. Permission to register for specific courses is contingent upon the availability of space. Non-degree students may have difficulty obtaining course space due to class enrollment limits and because degree students may have a higher priority in certain departments.

Non-degree students enrolled during the academic year (fall, spring and summer terms) must be 20 years of age or older by the start of the term of application, must have a 2.0 GPA in all college work attempted, and must be in good standing at all collegiate institutions attended.

A non-degree student who is not a high school graduate must submit GED scores and a high school equivalency certificate issued by a state department of education at the time of application.

Non-degree students may take courses on a pass/fail basis; however, such credit will be counted as part of the total pass/fail credit allowed by the various schools and colleges should the student change to degree status.

Continuation as a non-degree student is contingent upon maintaining an overall grade point average of 2.0 upon completion of 12 or more semester hours.

Non-degree students may not register concurrently on more than one campus of the university.

A student who already holds a baccalaureate degree who wishes to take graduate level courses but does not wish to earn an advanced degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs should apply directly to the Office of Admissions as a non-degree student through the Online Graduate School Application.

Teacher Certification Renewal Courses

Certified teachers with baccalaureates who seek only a renewal of the certificate currently held and who do not require institutional endorsement or recommendation may qualify for the university-wide non-degree student classification as outlined above.

Persons with baccalaureates who seek initial teacher certification must apply for and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program separately and meet the requirements of the College of Education. For information on the deadlines for admission to the program, non-degree students should consult the College of Education.

Applying Non-degree Student Credits Toward Degree

Non-degree students may apply for admission to an undergraduate degree program by submitting an undergraduate admissions application, complete academic credentials, and the application fee. Accepted degree applicants may transfer a maximum of 12 semester hours taken as a non-degree student at this university to an undergraduate degree program with the approval of the appropriate academic dean’s office.

Non-degree students desiring to pursue a graduate degree at the university are encouraged to submit the complete graduate application and supporting credentials as soon as possible. Students may be allowed to transfer up to 12 semester hours of credit taken as a non-degree student at this university to apply toward a master’s degree provided the transfer is recommended and approved by the program to which the student is applying. The use of more than 12 credits must be approved by the Graduate School.

The Graduate School of Business and Administration does not allow students to register for graduate level business classes until they are officially admitted to the MBA program. Students are advised to contact the specific college/school in which they wish to enroll as a graduate student, for further details on the transfer of non-degree student credits. See also transfer of non-degree student credit hours in the individual college/school sections of this Catalog.

For continuation as a non-degree student see “Eligibility to Return” in Academic Policies, Registration, and Records .

Undergraduate Student Admission Information

Applications and required credentials should be filed no later than May 1 for fall, December 1 for spring, and May 1 for summer for priority consideration.
Call 1(800) 990-UCCS (8227) or (719) 255-3084. 

1. Applicants not meeting these criteria are considered on an individual basis. Requirements for individual schools and colleges may vary or exceed the stated minimum.
2. Transcripts must be sent directly to the University of Colorado from each issuing institution. All documents submitted become the property of the University.
3. Any applicant who did not graduate from a high school must submit GED scores and a State Equivalency Certificate in addition to other required credentials.
4. Additional credentials may be required in individual cases.

International Admission General Requirements

International applications with supporting documentation are forwarded to the appropriate admission committee for review and subsequent admission determination. Admission decisions are based upon consideration of successful completion of applicable coursework, grades within such coursework, and a competitive overall grade point average. At a minimum, freshman applicants must submit a high school transcript that includes at least the final three years of coursework taken. Additionally, any applicant who has attended any post-secondary college or university must forward those official transcripts for consideration as well.  

Graduate students should check with their program of interest to see if a course-course foreign evaluation is a required application material.

Course-by-course foreign transcript evaluations by any NACES or AICE member is required for all applicants with foreign transcripts who wish to receive transfer credits at UCCS.

All degree-seeking students for whom English is not their first language will be required to show proof of English proficiency. Proficiency can be demonstrated through TOEFL (iBT), IELTS, PTE, KITE, Duolingo or completion of UCCS approved English Language Programs.

Graduate students should check the Graduate School English Proficiency Requirments. 

Students who have not graduated from UCCS and have not been enrolled for more than 3 semesters are eligible for readmission as long as they (1) left the university in academic, disciplinary and financial good standing, and (2) have not enrolled at any other institution since leaving UCCS, or (3) have enrolled elsewhere and have a minimum 2.0 GPA on course work attempted since leaving UCCS. Such students should submit the Transfer and Returning Student Application as well as transcripts from any institutions attended since leaving UCCS, if applicable.
Students who have not graduated nor formally withdrawn from the university, and have been enrolled at UCCS within the past 3 semesters, and are in good standing with the university are considered active students and are eligible to re-enroll without being readmitted.

Students initially entering UCCS as a part of a specific academic program cohort requiring uninterrupted semesters of enrollment should consult their academic department for any additional guidance which may be needed before leaving.

A student who was previously admitted to a graduate program, did not complete the degree, is no longer eligible to register at the University, and now wishes to return to school must do the following:

1.  Clarify status with the program to determine eligibility to return and pursue the same degree.

2.  If the program does not uniformly require a new application, then the program shall submit the appropriate change form to reactivate the student. A program may require a new application to be submitted and reviewed for the student to be readmitted to the program. In this situation, a new application fee is required.

3. Student may be held responsible for any curricular changes that have occurred in the program since they were last enrolled.

4. Any coursework that is more than 6 years old for master’s degrees and 9 years old for doctorates at the semester of degree conferral will need to be validated to be used towards the degree. Departments may have shorter timelines for work needing validation.

A student applying to a doctoral program from a master’s program in the same department,  should submit an application for the doctoral program and pay the application fee.

A student in a doctoral program who gets a master’s degree along the way does not need to submit a new application or pay an application fee.

Graduate program admission decisions are administered through the specific colleges/schools of interest after all the required documents have been received by the Office of Admissions. Minimum graduate student admission requirements are established by the Graduate School and the respective graduate departments. For complete information on the program, contact the departmental program or see the Graduate School  section of this Catalog, or visit the Graduate School webpage. Students may also contact the Graduate School for general questions. Program information can be obtained directly from the departments.

Graduate School                              
Cragmor Hall, room 110
(719) 255-3417     
gradinfo@uccs.edu

Office of Admissions
Cragmor Hall, room 008
ugapp@uccs.edu