Continuing Education Catalog

The mission of the Division of Continuing Education is to provide quality, innovative, lifelong learning opportunities to a diverse student population by extending the educational resources of the University of Colorado Boulder. Continuing Education collaborates with departments across campus to offer a variety of evening and online courses for university credit, graduate certificates and degree programs, as well as K-12 STEM programming, English language courses for international students and outreach opportunities for faculty. The Division facilitates non-degree enrollment in main campus classes for visiting and high school students and non-credit enrollment for auditors. (Non-degree refers to students who have not been formally admitted to a CU Boulder degree program; non-credit refers to learners who take courses or enroll in programs that do not offer university credit.) Continuing Education is also involved in the administration of CU Boulder's Summer Session and CU Boulder Online. Only university-approved faculty teach in Continuing Education programs.

ACCESS

The ACCESS (Available Credit Courses for Eligible Special Students) Program, offered in conjunction with many of the university’s academic departments, allows non-degree students to enroll on a space available basis in Boulder main campus undergraduate and graduate credit courses.

Applied Music Program

The Applied Music Program allows students to earn CU credit while receiving private or group music lessons. It also provides an opportunity for graduate students to obtain valuable teaching experience.

CE Evening Credit Program

Offered in conjunction with CU Boulder academic departments, the CE Evening Credit Program provides academic, credit-bearing courses in the evening in a variety of formats including in-person, remote and hybrid in-person/online. With an annual enrollment of approximately 2,000, these affordable smaller-sized classes are provided in a variety of subject areas.

CE Online Credit Program

The CE Online Credit Program offers online versions of approved CU Boulder courses from 35 departments on campus. Online courses offer the same breadth, depth and rigor as on-campus, in-person courses while allowing students more flexibility in how they complete their coursework. Faculty and instructional designers use their expertise in learning technologies to build and enhance innovative digital classroom experiences. Courses range from traditional semester-long courses to shorter intensive terms as well as online flexible courses with date-of-enrollment based start dates.

CU Complete

The goal of CU Complete is to assist former CU Boulder students in the completion of their degrees. Advisors work with each student individually to review degree requirements and offer recommendations, resources and assistance in completing remaining requirements. Scholarships for CU Complete participants are available.

Extraordinary Program

The Extraordinary Program offers CU Boulder academic units the administrative flexibility and support needed to deliver programs focused on serving uniquely defined populations of non-degree, undergraduate and graduate students. Over 350 courses that cannot be offered or administered through existing programs or processes are scheduled annually through this program.

Finish What You Started

The Finish What You Started program, with support from the American Rescue Plan and the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, offers financial assistance and advising and coaching services to undergraduate, in-state students who have taken time off from college coursework, have been economically impacted by the pandemic and have not completed their degrees. Eligible students receive a minimum of $1,500 in scholarships each semester for the duration of the program. The 2025-26 academic year is the final year of the program, so no new applicants will be accepted.

High School ACCESS 

The High School ACCESS program is designed for high school students interested in the challenge of completing college courses at the University of Colorado Boulder. High School ACCESS students earn college credit that becomes part of their permanent academic record and appears on a University of Colorado transcript. Some high schools allow college credit to be applied to high school graduation requirements.

Individualized Instruction

Individualized Instruction provides an opportunity for students to receive credit for university courses by meeting with faculty members outside the regular classroom setting. This option may be used when the student cannot reasonably be expected to enroll in the main campus course.

International English Center

The International English Center (IEC) offers a range of comprehensive English language and culture programs designed for international pre-collegiate, undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals and special groups. Students build and refine their communication skills through engaging classroom instruction, experiential learning, extended practice and cultural activities. Full and part-time programs are available. Programs include Intensive English, Pathway to CU (for conditionally admitted CU Boulder students), Legal English, ESL Credit for graduate students, EducationUSA virtual Academy for international high school students, global professional English, teacher training and customized options for special groups. The IEC is authorized to issue a form I-20 for qualified students seeking to study full-time on an F-1 visa. For some programs, qualified exchange visitors may request a form DS-2019 from the IEC to apply for a J-1 visa.      

Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program

The Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions program is designed for college graduates who are preparing to apply to medical school, dental school or other professional school programs in clinical health care. Our students typically range in age from their 20s to their 40s and beyond. By enrolling in CU Boulder’s rigorous math and science courses, our students complete the prerequisite coursework needed to apply to professional school. Additionally, students work closely with our expert team of dedicated pre-health advisors. Our robust program of pre-health advising and application coaching services are designed to enhance our students’ competitiveness for admission to professional school. Each year, 95-100% of our students who apply to professional school are successful in gaining admission.

We offer two enrollment options:

• An accelerated, one-year Structured Cohort program that features a cohort experience, dedicated tutors and mentors, rigorous full-time academics, and extensive pre-health advising services.

• A flexible, Individually Designed program that allows students to tailor their coursework to their individual needs while offering dedicated mentors and extensive pre-health advising services.

Science Discovery

The mission of Science Discovery is to heighten interest and increase literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by providing hands-on experiences that connect K-12 students, teachers, and the community to current CU science. Annual activities include delivering over 300 classroom programs and STEM workshops throughout Colorado, approximately 120 K-12 summer camps and high school classes on the CU Boulder campus, school year classes for grades K-8, and math enrichment programs at local elementary schools.  Science Discovery also assists CU Boulder faculty in designing Broader Impacts activities for grant proposals. In total, Science Discovery programs annually serve more than 80 CU students and 10,000 K-12 students throughout the state, of whom approximately 40% qualify for free/reduced-cost lunch programs.

Winter Session

Winter Session offers current CU students the opportunity to earn credit toward their degree during a three-week intensive online class over winter break. Students can use winter classes to focus their studies on a particular course or to shorten their time to graduation. Dedicated CU faculty representing various schools and colleges from across the university, and with a passion for online teaching, provide a dynamic learning experience to the CU community during this special session.

Summer Session 

Summer Session offers approximately 750 campus courses and enrolls more than 8,500 students in a relaxed, comfortable learning environment. Many CU Boulder students enroll in Summer Session to accelerate their academic progress or to get back into good academic standing. Students visiting from other colleges, teachers, high school students or others interested in professional development or personal enrichment are also encouraged to enroll. Three, five, eight and 10-week terms are available.

Visit the Summer Session website to learn more about summer at CU Boulder.

Auditing

The auditing program is available to community members who are at least 18 years old and not currently registered as CU students. Auditors are provided the opportunity to explore new areas of interest or expand their knowledge of a specific topic, without earning college credit, by sitting in on lectures or online courses offered by CU Boulder’s world-class faculty.

Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship

The Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) connects CU Boulder scholars with communities across Colorado and beyond through engaged research, teaching and creative work. As the campus’s lead unit for building capacity to undertake engaged scholarship, PACES provides funding, assistance with community partnership development, amplifies CU Boulder’s engaged scholarship story, and elevates opportunities and issues to enhance the work for all.

CU Boulder Online 

CU Boulder Online is an extension of the University of Colorado Boulder administered collaboratively by the Division of Continuing Education and the Office of Academic and Learning Innovation. The online academic programs under the CU Boulder Online umbrella are extensions of CU Boulder's campus programs, vetted and developed by our faculty. CU Boulder Online also brings to market professional development programs that are created in response to industry needs.