Non-degree: Certificates, Licenses, and Endorsements
If you’re interested in taking one class or a few individual classes, you will apply as a non-degree seeking student, which means you can register for courses but are not enrolled in an official degree program at the CU Denver.
Reasons Why You Might Choose a Non-degree Option
- You need to earn specific prerequisites for a master’s degree or doctoral degree, or for a professional program, such as those in medical school or law school.
- You aren’t ready to apply to a degree program, such as a master’s, but want to learn more about that option.
- You would like to enhance your work experience and/or increase your earning potential by receiving a certificate that shows your expertise in a particular field.
- You want to take individual classes to explore a particular subject.
Course and Certificate Offerings
There are a variety of courses you can take at CU Denver. Visit our Academic Catalog to view a list of all courses, both undergraduate and graduate, that are offered in the current academic year. Courses are listed by the department or program that offers them, so you may need to click on a few links to find the right course for you. If a course has a restriction, it means that it is restricted to a specific population, such as current CU Denver degree-seeking students in a particular major. Professionals who want to advance their careers or learn a new skill can also earn a certificate from CU Denver. Our certificate programs and continuing education classes provide specialized information and can help you stay current with developments in your field.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements depend on whether you are applying for a certificate or to a one-off course.
Non-degree Application Requirements
The Business School and School of Education & Human Development facilitate their own non-degree application process and set their own admission requirements. Please visit their websites for more information. For all other non-degree applicants, please review the following requirements:
How to Apply
- Determine whether you should submit a graduate or undergraduate non-degree application. Our non-degree application depends on your highest-earned degree, not the level of the course you wish to take:
- If you have a bachelor’s degree, then you must submit a graduate non-degree application, even if you are taking an undergraduate-level course.
- If you do not have a bachelor’s degree, you must submit an undergraduate non-degree application, even if you are taking a graduate-level course. Only under rare circumstances can an individual with no bachelor’s degree pursue a graduate-level non-degree option.
- For all CU Denver non-degree options—excluding the Business School and School of Education & Human Development—select Denver non-degree.
- Find your non-degree option and complete the rest of the application, including the Tuition Classification Form, which will ensure you are classified properly as either Resident or Non-Resident for tuition purposes.
- Submit your application.
Application Deadlines
Your application deadline depends on whether you are applying for a certificate or to a one-off course.
Next Steps
*The Business School and School of Education & Human Development facilitate their own non-degree application process, review, and decision release schedule. Please visit their websites for more information. For all other non-degree applicants, please review the following next steps:
- After you submit your non-degree application, including uploading all required materials, you can expect your application to be processed and a decision to be turned around within two to three weeks.
- If you are accepted, you will receive an email to the address you provided that prompts you to view the update to your application status and accept your offer.
- Once you have accepted your offer, our system requires 24 hours to update and record your matriculation. Weekend times may vary.
- After the system has successfully processed your matriculation, you will receive an email titled, “Enroll for Courses." with details on how to set up your new student account and register for classes.
- Visit our Academic Calendar, take note of our registration deadlines, and be sure to register for your courses by the deadline.
- It is possible to apply to a course that begins many months from when you first submitted your application. In this interim period, you may not hear from the Office of Admissions after receiving your “Enroll for Courses” email, or from the instructor until closer to the start of the course. Rest assured that you are still active in our system and know that you can always reach out with any questions.
FAQs
Questions?
First, check the status of your application by logging back into your account.. The list below provides contact information for departments or individuals who can address specific questions. Please make sure you include your full name and applicant ID in all communications.
Contact the Business School (BUS) with questions if you are applying to a BUS course or certificate.
Contact the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) if you are applying to a SEHD course or certificate.
For all other courses or certificates, contact the Office of Admissions with non-degree questions related to:
- A technical issue with your application
- Questions about the status of your non-degree application
- Residency status
Contact International Admissions with non-degree questions related to:
- The English Proficiency Requirement
Document Retention
All credentials submitted as application materials become the property of CU Denver. We will not return any academic documents submitted to CU Denver as part of an application or after admission.
