Skip to content

Graduate (Masters or Doctoral) Admissions Process

Before You Begin

Read below carefully: You may need to complete your application with another admissions department.

If you are applying to a medical or health-related program through a school or college on the Anschutz Medical Campus (School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine, or Colorado School of Public Health) please visit our information page and contact your program directly for admission.

If you fall into one of the following categories, you would be considered a domestic student and should work with Graduate Admissions:

U.S. permanent resident status
Undocumented immigrants (DACA, etc.)
Asylee/Refugee

Application Deadlines

Graduate application deadlines vary by program. Please check with your program of interest for specifics.

How to Apply

1

Submit Online Application

{

Be sure to write down the email that you use for your application as well as your password. You can submit the application before you have provided your transcripts and test scores.

Start Your Application

2

Pay Application Fee

{

Graduate students opting to do an ECE or WES evaluation will not be charged the $75 application fee. However, students opting out of the ECE/WES requirement will now need to pay this fee during the application process unless they have an affiliation with a recruitment agency who is currently in contract with CU Denver.

Pay Your Application Fee

1

Transcripts from Institutions Located Outside the United States

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

2

Transcripts from Institutions Located Inside the United States

You must submit complete transcripts for all US post-secondary institutions you have attended directly to your CU Denver graduate admissions office. Check your department’s website for details and contact information.

3

Submit Test Scores

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

Proof of English Language Proficiency

{

You may meet the ELP requirement if you meet ANY of the options listed below. You are required to submit documentation to prove your fluency.

You must provide proof of English language proficiency (ELP) in order to be considered for full admission. Some graduate applicants will be considered for conditional admission if they apply without adequate proof of ELP.

1

English Language Proficiency Tests

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

2

Citizenship Exemption

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

3

Coursework Completion

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

4

CU Denver ESL Academy (Level 5) Graduation

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

Learn More about the ESL Academy

5

Exception for Certain Visa Types

If you are the primary holder of an employment-based US visa (e.g., H-1B), and you have lived in the US for at least one year, you are not required to provide proof of English language proficiency for admission.

Important Follow-up

Depending on the major you are applying to, you may have additional requirements.

{

Depending on the program you are applying to, you will have additional requirements such as letters of recommendation, a resume, and a statement of purpose

Click on the school pages below for admission requirements and deadlines specific to your preferred program.

After reviewing your file, International Admissions may determine that we require additional documents. In this case, you must provide all requested documents in order to complete your application.

Business School Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only)	Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver Business School Graduate Admissions Campus Box 165 PO Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364	University of Colorado Denver Business School 1475 Lawrence St. Denver, Colorado 80202

Contact the Business School

College of Architecture and Planning Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only)	Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning PO Box 173364 Campus Box 126 Denver, CO 80217-3364	University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning 1250 14th Street, Suite 2000 Denver, CO 80202

Contact the College of Architecture and Planning

College of Arts & Media Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only)	Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver International Admissions Campus Box A005/1001 P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364 USA	University of Colorado Denver College of Arts & Media 1150 10th Street, Suite 177 Denver, CO 80204

Contact the College of Arts & Media

Document Retention Policy

All credentials submitted as application materials become the property of the University of Colorado Denver. We will NOT return any academic documents submitted to CU Denver as part of an application or after admission.

If you are unable to comply with this policy, or if this policy causes undue hardship, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu before submitting any documents to CU Denver.

International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement through any of the options below for previous coursework completed.

Options for Previous Coursework Completed to Satisfy Admissions ELP Requirement

Earn a post-secondary bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States.

Earn 12 or more credit hours, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, in a master's or doctoral degree program in the United States.

Earn one of the following credentials:

A post-secondary credential, comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher in one of the countries listed below.
OR
The equivalent of 12 or more credit hours in a master's or doctoral program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in one of the countries listed below.

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

International applicants holding citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver:

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom

Note: This list is based on the United Kingdom government’s list of countries exempt from proving English ability when applying for a UK student visa.

Minimum Score Requirements

Note: The university minimum scores listed below apply to most graduates programs, with the exception of programs in the College of Nursing. Check with your individual program to verify the minimum score required.

	TOEFL iBT	IELTS ACADEMIC	PTE ACADEMIC
Overall Score	79	6.5	58
Reading	8	5.5	42
Listening	7	5.5	42
Speaking	18	5.5	42
Writing	16	5.5	42

DUOLINGO ENGLISH TEST
Overall Score	105
Literacy	85
Conversation	85
Comprehension	85
Production	85

How to Submit Your Scores

Use the information below to submit your scores electronically:

TOEFL	IELTS, PTE, and Duolingo
4875	Search "University of Colorado Denver "

{

Some graduate programs require standardized test scores (such as GRE or GMAT) for admission. If your program requires a test score, you should send your score through the testing agency. We require official scores for an admission decision. Verify the requirement below with your program's school or college.

GRE/GMAT Requirements

School or College	General Testing Requirement
Business School	The GMAT is required for admission; however, the GRE may be substituted. GMAT/GRE waivers are available case-by-case and can be requested while completing the online application. Please note, that not all programs offer the same GMAT/GRE waivers.
College of Architecture & Planning	GRE waiver available with 3.0 GPA
College of Arts & Media	GRE not required for all programs
College of Engineering, Design, and Computing	GRE not required for most MS and MEng programs. Special Notice: the college has temporarily suspended the evaluation of GRE scores for admission decisions through the 2022 application cycle (Fall 2022 - Spring 2023). If you choose to optionally submit them, please send scores officially through ETS using code #4875. A preferred minimum score of 300+.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences	GRE not required for many programs; check your specific program
School of Education & Human Development	GRE not required for all programs
School of Public Affairs	GRE not required for all programs, but recommended for GPA below 3.0

How to Send Your Scores

Use the information below to send your scores electronically.

TOEFL & GRE	IELTS, PTE, Duolingo and GMAT
4875	Search "University of Colorado Denver"

International Credential Evaluation Requirement

An International Credential Evaluation Report is required for any applicant who attended one or more academic institution(s) located outside the United States. All international credentials from academic institution(s) located outside the United States will need to be verified for authenticity and evaluated by CU Denver or an external evaluation provider (ECE or WES).

If you are applying for CU Denver programs, you have two options to choose from:

CU Denver In-House Evaluation
External Evaluation (ECE or WES course by course only)

If you are applying for CU Anschutz medical programs, you must provide an external evaluation report (ECE or WES course by course only).

Please carefully read through each of the options below.

In-House International Credential Evaluation by CU Denver International Admissions
External Credential Evaluation by WES/ECE

In-House International Credential Evaluation by CU Denver International Admissions

[Content A Replaced]

External Credential Evaluation by WES/ECE

[Replaced B Content]

Document Requirements

Post-Secondary Transcripts

{

You are required to submit complete transcripts from ALL post-secondary/schools you have attended – even if you did not graduate from the school.

Indian applicants: Please be sure to submit all mark sheets and a degree/provisional certificate issued by the university, not an affiliated institution or college.

Read everything under "Important Information" below

Notice: International Admissions reserves the right to deny an application or rescind an application decision where the applicant fails to disclose educational work performed. Reasonable attempts to obtain missing academic records must be documented and verified for a conditional admission decision to proceed. View our frequently asked questions or contact us for more information. We are here to help!

Important Information

If your transcript was issued in a language other than English, you must also provide a certified English translation of the transcript.

CU Denver does not have a preferred translation provider; we recommend that you use an ATA member company.

International Admissions will evaluate your transcript during the application process. You only need to provide a translation. You will need to provide both the original language transcript and a translation if they are not issued in English.

Electronically:

Electronic submission is the preferred method of document submission.

Documents can be submitted through the following methods:

Upload directly to application portal while completing online application (preferred method for unofficial documents)
Electronic delivery services such as Parchment, Naviance, eScrip-Safe or SPEEDE/National Student Clearing House (preferred method for official US transcripts)
Email - International Admissions has a special inbox for application documentation: intldocuments@ucdenver.edu

Please do not submit unnecessary documents to intldocuments@ucdenver.edu. These will slow application processing.

All prospect, applicant, and admitted student inquiries should otherwise be directed to the intladmissions@ucdenver.edu email address.

Guidelines for Sending Documents to International Admissions

Send

Do Not Send

Academic documents (transcripts/marksheets, certificates of completion/diplomas)
Translations of academic documents if not in English
Academic and English examination results (WAEC scratch cards, IELTS & TOEFL Exam reports, etc.)

Financial Documentation for immigration/I-20 purposes. These documents should be submitted with the Immigration Clearance Form (ICF) after admission
Passport copies
Academic documents from lower secondary and elementary school
Duolingo English Test Reports (Must be sent officially through the Duolingo website to the University of Colorado Denver.)
Professional certifications
Extracurricular, athletic, and work experience documentation

Mail:

Regular Mail	Courier Service (DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver International Admissions Campus Box 141 PO Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA	University of Colorado Denver International Admissions 1201 Larimer Street, Suite 1119 Denver, CO 80204, USA

Unofficial or Official transcripts can be submitted for admission consideration. However, your school/college requires an official transcript at the time of application. We encourage you to submit an official transcript at the time of application.

If the school you attended is located INSIDE THE UNITED STATES:

You are required to submit an OFFICIAL transcript.

If the school you attended is located OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES:

If you have an OFFICIAL transcript available, you are required to submit it.
If you only have an UNOFFICIAL transcript, you are required to submit it.

All credentials submitted as application materials become the property of the University of Colorado Denver. We will NOT return any academic documents submitted to CU Denver as part of an application or after admission.

If you are unable to comply with this policy, or if this policy causes undue hardship, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu before submitting any documents to CU Denver.

*Please note that these evaluations are the property of CU Denver and will be for internal use only.

ECE or WES to authenticate and provide a credential evaluation report directly to CU Denver. You do not need to provide an external evaluation of your transcript. However, International Admissions will continue to accept evaluations completed by WES or ECE for the Fall 2024 application cycle.

Do not submit transcripts from foreign (non-US) institutions to CU Denver. Instead, you must provide an international credential evaluation report from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). You will send your transcripts to the evaluation provider of your choice, and the provider will send their evaluation report to CU Denver.

After you submit your application, we will send you an email with a link to the specific landing pages where you can order your report for CU Denver’s use.

ECE or WES will charge you for this service. The cost is $163 to $208, depending on your chosen service, plus delivery fees. Scholarships are available to cover part of this cost. See email from International Admissions. If you have questions about the international credential evaluation, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu.

International Admissions

CU Denver

Student Commons Building

1201 Larimer Street

STE 1119

Campus Box A005/1001

Denver, CO 80204

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Google+ Weibo

Search