Graduate Non-Degree Application for CU Denver: Admissions Requirements and Process

Who is a non-degree graduate student?

A "non-degree student" is a student who registers for courses but who is not enrolled in an official degree program at the University of Colorado Denver Downtown Campus.  Non-degree students may be interested in taking classes to fulfill pre-requisites, taking classes as a part of a certificate program, or for their own enrichment. Any student who has already received a bachelor’s degree or higher must fill out the application for a graduate non-degree student, even if they only want to take undergraduate level classes.

In order to be considered a non-degree student, an applicant must fill out an application, submit their $50 application (or $75 for International Students), and fill out their tuition classification form.

If you are interested in the Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) programs, which encompasses all extended studies courses and professional development workshops held on or off campus. We call this branch of university services Continuing and Professional Education, but you may still hear it referred to as extended studies (or "D2") from time to time, please visit this website for more information on CPE programs.

Please note: If you intend on applying to any of our Certificate or Master Degree Programs, no more than 12 credits of non-degree coursework with a B- or better will be applied to your program if accepted.

Where are non-degree programs offered?

Classes are offered at the Denver Downtown campus, unless otherwise noted. If you are interested, please read these instructions on how to apply to take classes at the Anschutz Medical Campus. If you’re interested in taking course offerings from CU Denver please continue to follow the instructions below.

Residency Status

Residency status will be determined during the application process. It is important to complete all dates and information requested on the Tuition Classification Form to ensure you are classified properly as either Resident or Non-Resident for tuition purposes.

How to establish residency.

Residency information for active duty military, or dependents of active duty military.

Tuition and Costs

Click Here for Tuition Rates

• An application fee ($50 for domestic applicants, $75 for international applicants) is charged to apply for non-degree status. If more than 3 consecutive semesters has elapsed since taking courses in non-degree status, the student must reapply and repay the non-degree application fee.
  
• Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid, student loans, scholarships or tuition assistance.
• Non-degree students may use an employee tuition waiver if eligible. See waiver rules and instructions. Waiver students are not allowed to enroll in courses until the first day of classes. Employees may be disqualified for current and future participation in the tuition waiver program if enrollment occurs prior to first day of classes. It is also not allowable to enroll before the first day of classes and then drop the class and re-enroll on the first day of classes under the tuition waiver benefit.

Deadlines for Applying as a Non-Degree Student

The opening/closing dates are below:

Term	Applications Open	Applications Close
Fall 2023	January 1, 2023	August 15, 2023
Spring 2024	August 1, 2023	January 15, 2023
Summer 2024	January 1, 2024	June 1, 2024
Fall 2024	January 1, 2024	August 15, 2024

FAQs

How long does it take before I can sign up for my classes?  Applicants are usually matriculated within 10-14 business days after all materials have been received.  To determine when you can register for a certain term, please check the Registrar’s website for a list of dates of when to sign up for classes.

What classes do I take if I’m trying to fulfill requirements towards a certificate, other classes, etc?  Please contact the department offering the certificate for further information.

I submitted my application for CPE, what are the next steps?  Please refer to the CPE website for more information.

I saw that there is a hold on my account, how do I remove it?  If you are finding there is a hold on your account, you can check what the hold is for in your Access Portal.  You can check this by clicking on the “Alert” button in the right hand corner of your portal.  The “Alert” section will tell you what the hold is for and which department to contact.

I saw there is something blocking me from the class I want to take, how do I get around this?  If you have already gotten instructor and department permission to take the class, first follow up with the department to see if this request has been processed.  If it has, you’ll want to follow up with the Registrar’s deposit.

I’m an employee, is the process different for me?  Anyone receiving a tuition benefit waiver will follow the same processes as any other student. Please refer to the Employee Services website for more information.