Business School
Business School Admissions Information
Applicants whose cumulative GPA and SAT/ACT test scores meet or exceed the middle 50 percent range are considered strong candidates for admission to the Business School. Please note: Submitting test scores is optional and will not negatively impact your application.
To be considered for transfer admissions, applicants must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and have completed 24 or more college credits. For transfer students who have less than 24 college credits, high school GPA and or ACT/SAT. Please note: Submitting test scores is optional and will not negatively impact your application.
(For Graduate Programs and information please refer to the Graduate catalog.)
Business School Departments and Programs
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Accounting, BS in Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship, BS in Business Administration
- Finance, BS in Business Administration
- Financial Management, BS in Business Administration
- General Business, BS in Business Administration
- Human Resources Management, BS in Business Administration
- Information and Cybersecurity Management, BS in Business Administration
- Information Systems, BS in Business Administration
- International Business, BS in Business Administration
- Management, BS in Business Administration
- Marketing, BS in Business Administration
- Risk Management and Insurance, BS in Business Administration
- Sports Business, BS in Business Administration
Minors
- Business Analytics Minor
- Business Fundamentals Minor
- Entrepreneurship Minor
- Finance Minor
- Information Systems Minor
- Risk Management and Insurance Minor
Certificates
Business School Graduation Requirements
For additional information regarding Graduation policies and procedures, please visit the Graduation section of the catalog.
In addition to the campus core, the following requirements must be met:
Required Courses
The following courses are required prerequisites for courses in the business core and may count toward the campus core as well. Please see an advisor for more details:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 2012 | Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2022 | Principles of Economics: Microeconomics | 3 |
| MATH 1060 | Finite Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
The following courses are graduation requirements for all business students:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 2050 | Professional Presentations | 3 |
| ENGL 3170 | Business Writing | 3 |
| Business General Credit - Experiential Learning 2 | 3 | |
| UNIV 1110 | College Success 3 | 1 |
| Total Hours | 10 | |
- 1
Other higher level math classes may apply in place of this requirement. Check with an advisor for more information.
- 2
Business students must earn 3 semester hours of credit in an approved Experiential Learning course: study abroad, internship, or 1 of 3 project-based courses.
- 3
Only required for incoming first-term freshmen students. May be substituted with BUSN 1100.
Business Core
Specific grades are required for the business core courses in order to meet prerequisites and qualify for graduation. Prerequisites are listed within the course description. Students should meet with their advisor for recommendations on which courses to take first.
The following courses require a C- or higher:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 2200 | Financial Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| ACCT 2220 | Managerial Accounting and Professional Issues | 3 |
| BANA 2010 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| BANA 3000 | Operations Management | 3 |
| BLAW 3050 | Business Law and Ethics | 3 |
| BUSN 2110 | Cultivating Emotional Intelligence | 1 |
| BUSN 3110 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| ISMG 2050 | Business Problem Solving Tools | 3 |
| ISMG 3000 | Technology In Business 1 | 3 |
| MGMT 3000 | Managing Individuals and Teams | 3 |
| MKTG 3000 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| MGMT 4500 | Business Policy and Strategic Management 2 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
- 1
Note: Students in the Accounting or Financial Management majors or Accounting or Financial Management with specializations in Information Systems are required to complete ACCT 4054 Accounting Information Systems instead of ISMG 3000 Technology In Business.
- 2
This is a capstone course and must be completed in your last semester and only after the 33 credit hours of business core listed above are completed.
The following course requires a C or higher:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FNCE 3000 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
International Studies
Choose one of the following courses: (a specific course may be required for some majors)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| International Accounting | ||
| International Financial Management 1 | ||
| Environments of International Business | ||
| International Marketing | ||
| Global Risk Management | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
- 1
Students in the Finance Major, Financial Management Major, and Financial Management with Information Systems Specialization Major are required to complete this course specifically.
Other courses in international business may be offered periodically that satisfy the international studies requirement.
Major
Business students must complete the prescribed courses in a major at CU Denver/ complete all requirements associated with your individual major. Transfer courses are not permitted to apply in the major.
The majors include:
- Accounting Major - BS in Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship Major - BS in Business Administration
- Finance Major - BS in Business Administration
- Financial Management Major - BS in Business Administration
- Human Resources Management Major - BS in Business Administration
- Information Systems Major (specializations available in Accounting, Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Management, and Marketing) - BS in Business Administration
- International Business Major - BS in Business Administration
- Management Major - BS in Business Administration
- Marketing Major - BS in Business Administration
- Risk Management and Insurance Major - BS in Business Administration
- Sports Business Major - BS in Business Administration
The specific requirements of these majors are described in subsequent sections.
Experiential Learning
Business students must earn 3 semester hours of credit in an approved Experiential Learning course. This can be satisfied by completing: an Internship; ENTP 3900 Real Life Entrepreneurship: The Founder's Journey, MGMT 4900 Project Management and Practice/ISMG 4900 Project Management and Practice; or completing an approved Study Abroad business course. Students completing the RISK program must take RISK 3949 Experiential Learning in RMI Industry.
Students may petition to waive the experiential learning requirement based on documented full time work experience of one year or more related to their chosen major.
General Electives
General electives are credits needed in addition to your specific degree requirements in order for you to reach the minimum 120 credits needed for graduation. The amount of electives needed varies from student to student, so always check with your advisor to confirm how many you need.
You are welcome to take courses from any area, business or non-business, and any level, lower or upper division. Generally, to be acceptable, electives must be college level, not repetitious of other work applied toward the degree, and academic as opposed to vocational or technical.
If you have a lot of general electives to complete, you may want to consider adding a second business major or a non-business minor. Talk to your advisor about how a minor or second major could fit into your degree plan.
Independent Study
Junior or senior business students desiring to work beyond regular course coverage may take variable credit courses (1-3 semester hours) as electives under the direction of an instructor who approves the project, but the student must have the appropriate approval before registering. A maximum of 6 semester hours may be applied toward degree requirements. An independent study request form must be signed by the student, the instructor, the program director and the Assistant Dean.
Internship
A maximum of 6 semester hours of approved independent study, internships, experimental studies, choir, band and/or music lessons, art lessons may be applied.
Pass/Fail
Students may select the P+/P/F grading option for some courses. In addition to Downtown Campus policies covering the P+/P/F grading option (see the Academic Policy section of this catalog), Business School students must adhere to the following grading policies. The following categories of coursework may not be taken on a P+/P/F or S/U basis:
- Courses used to complete Business Core, a student’s major, business minor, specializations, and/or certificate requirements.
- Courses required to demonstrate proficiency (includes the first two semesters of foreign language and regional expertise coursework.)
- Courses used to satisfy Business School graduation requirements. (COMM 2050 Professional Presentations, ECON 2012 Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics, ECON 2022 Principles of Economics: Microeconomics, ENGL 3170 Business Writing, and MGMT 4900 Project Management and Practice/ISMG 4900 Project Management and Practice. Exception: an internship must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.)
GPA Requirement
To graduate, a student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all university courses as well as a minimum college GPA of 2.0 for all business courses taken at CU Denver. All graded attempts are calculated in the cumulative and Business GPAs.
Upper Division
All students receiving a BS degree in business must take at least 45 upper-division semester hours.
Residency Requirement
At least 30 semester hours of business courses (including the business major courses) must be completed as a CU Denver student. The 30 hours for residence must include MGMT 4500 Business Policy and Strategic Management.
Business School Foreign Language Hours Proficiency
The Business School’s foreign language requirement or regional expertise requires that students demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency in one foreign language or culture.
This requirement is met through the completion of one of the following:
- a second-year (Level II) high school course with a minimum grade of C-
- a second-semester-level college course (1020) with a minimum grade of C-
- satisfactory proficiency testing, including taking and passing a proficiency exam
- completion of three regional expertise courses
*High school courses will not apply toward degree credit; however, they will serve to satisfy the foreign language requirement. Students may need additional electives to make up this credit - check with an advisor.
Students choosing the regional expertise requirement with one year of high school foreign language or one semester of college-level work can satisfy the requirement by completing a minimum of 6 semester hours of course work from an approved list that relates to the politics, arts, history, culture or economy of any region of the world other than North America.
Courses used in the expertise area must meet the Business School guidelines and can be chosen from the list specified by the Business School. Students should contact their business advisor if they have questions. The advisors can be reached by emailing undergrad.advising@ucdenver.edu or calling 303-315-8110 to schedule an appointment.
Applying for Graduation
A senior audit is completed on all students who have completed 90 or more semester hours. Students must file an undergraduate candidacy form prior to registering for their final semester. Failure to do so will delay graduation.
Students must complete the online intent to graduate form on their student portal when they register for their last semester.
Academic Honors
Students who demonstrate superior scholarship are given special recognition at graduation. Students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.500-3.649 at the University of Colorado to be considered for cum laude, achieve a cumulative GPA 3.650-3.749 at the University of Colorado to be considered for magna cum laude, and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.750 or higher at the University of Colorado to be considered for summa cum laude.
Petitioning for Exceptions to Standing Academic Policy
Students should contact a staff advisor in the Business School’s programs office (undergraduates call 303-315-8110) for appeal and petition procedures pertaining to rules and regulations of the school.
Business School Policies
For additional information regarding policies and procedures, please visit the Records and Registration section and the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog.
Explanation of Course Numbers
The course numbering system used at CU Denver identifies the class standing required for enrollment. Students are expected to take 1000-level courses in their freshman year, 2000-level courses in their sophomore year, 3000-level courses in their junior year and 4000-level courses in their senior year. Courses at the 5000 and 6000 level are restricted to master’s-level business students, and courses at the 7000 level are restricted to PhD students.
Independent Study
Junior or senior business students desiring to work beyond regular course coverage may take variable credit courses (1-3 semester hours) as non-business electives under the direction of an instructor who approves the project, but the student must have the appropriate approval before registering. A maximum of 6 semester hours may be applied toward degree requirements. A Special Processing form must be signed by the student, the instructor, the program director and the director of advising and admissions.
Internships
Internships are included in the experiential learning requirement of the undergraduate business program. To be eligible to enroll in an internship for experiential learning credit, the undergraduate student must meet the following grade and course work requirements:
- the student must be in good standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.750, and a GPA in the area of emphasis of at least 2.000
- the student must have completed (a) all required lower-division course work and (b) at least 21 semester hours of the business core courses
Graduate students must be admitted to the Business School, be in good standing with at least a 3.000 GPA and have completed 15 semester hours of graduate work on the Denver Campus.
Interested students should contact the Experiential Learning Center (303-315-7318) for further details about the program.
How to Declare or Change a Major or Minor
Business students must complete the prescribed major courses, all of which must be taken at CU Denver. Major core sections range from 18-36 credit hours. Business students are advised to select a major prior to completing the business core, and are encouraged to declare a major by the time they have accumulated 60 to 75 credit hours. The courses in the major core are completed in the junior and senior years after completing the required prerequisites.
The majors offered include Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Risk Management and Insurance, and Sports Business. The specific requirements for these majors are described in subsequent sections.
Students who want to transfer to the Business School from another college or school of the University of Colorado Denver must formally apply for an intra-university transfer (IUT) to the Business School. To apply for an intra-university transfer, students must submit an intra-university transfer (IUT) form and transcripts from the University of Colorado to the business program coordinator. Intra-university transfer forms are available from the Office of the Registrar or the Business School Advising Office. Transcripts can be ordered via the Office of the Registrar. The transcript must include the student’s most recent semester at the university. Students with previous course work from other institutions are also required to submit a copy of their transfer credit evaluations (advanced standings). Additional information about IUTs can be found here.
Adding a Course
Students may add courses to their original schedule through the census date (first 12 days of the fall or spring semester, first eight days of summer session). Instructor approval may be required to add a course after the first week of classes. In some cases, instructors do not allow students to add their course if the student fails to attend the first week of classes. In addition, instructors may ask that a student be administratively dropped from the course for failure to attend the first week of classes.
Course Credit Limitations
The school will accept:
- a maximum of 6 semester hours of the theory of physical education, theory of recreation and/or theory of dance
- a maximum of 6 semester hours of approved independent study, internships, experimental studies, choir, band and/or music lessons, art lessons
- a maximum of 12 semester hours of advanced ROTC, providing the student is enrolled in the program and completes the total program.
The school will not accept:
- activity physical education classes, recreation, workshops, orientations, dance, teaching methods, practicums and courses reviewing basic skills in computers, English composition, mathematics and chemistry.
Administrative Drop Policy
The school reserves the right to administratively drop students who are incorrectly enrolled in business courses. Instructors also may recommend that students who fail to meet expected course attendance or course prerequisites be dropped from the course. Generally, students who are administratively dropped will not receive tuition refunds.
In some cases, failure to attend the first week of classes may result in an administrative drop from that course.
Note: Students who never attend class are not automatically dropped from the course. The student is responsible for dropping courses and failure to do so will result in a tuition charge for the class and an F grade.
Student Complaint/Appeal Process
Students must follow the process below.
- Discuss concerns with the faculty member.
- If the issue is not resolved after a conversation with the faculty member, discuss concerns with the Discipline Director.
- If the issue is not resolved after a conversation with the Discipline Director, discuss concerns with the Associate Dean.
The Discipline Director and Associate Dean will evaluate the student complaint to see if the faculty or staff member behaved in accordance with Business School and University policies and will communicate any decisions related to the complaint to both the student and faculty/staff member involved.
If the student complaint is related to grading, the Associate Dean or Discipline Director will not offer opinions with respect to the qualitative assessment of a student’s work but may consider whether the procedures used to determine a grade were consistent with the syllabus and written amendments to the syllabus. No passing grade will be changed after one year. Requests for grade adjustments/appeals must be made in the semester immediately following the semester in which the disputed grade was earned.
Students may reach out to the advising office to determine the names and contact information of the appropriate Discipline Directors and/or Associate Dean by emailing undergrad.advising@ucdenver.edu or grad.advising@ucdenver.edu.
Special Grading Options
Only internships, independent studies and nonbusiness elective courses may be taken for a grade of S/U or P+/P/F. Required business and nonbusiness courses (including the campus core) may not be taken as S/U or P+/P/F. A maximum of 6 hours of S/U and P+/P/F credits may be applied toward the business degree. Courses taken in excess of the maximum will not be applied toward degree requirements. P+/P/F determination must be made within the posted deadlines and may not be rescinded (unless approved by the undergraduate committee).
Note: Effective Summer 2023 courses that were previously graded on the basis of Pass/Fail (P/F) are now graded with Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). This is based on faculty approval of APS 1025 in May 2022. Students still have the option to use the P+ grading system (P+/P/F) by student selection for elective courses up to the maximum allowed by their program.
No Credit
Pass-Fail or No Credit (Audit). With the exception of internships, experiential learning and travel study courses, the Business School does not permit the election of pass-fail grading for any business course required for the student’s degree. Students are not allowed to audit business courses.
Incomplete Grades
The only incomplete grade given in the school is I. An I grade is assigned only when documented circumstances clearly beyond the student’s control prevent completion of course requirements (exams, papers, etc.). Students must sign a contract outlining how they will make up the missing work with the instructor giving the I. Students need not register for the course a second time. All I grades must be made up within the contract period (which may not exceed one year), or the I will automatically be changed to the grade of F. The student is responsible for contacting the instructor to schedule the completion of the coursework.
Holds
Enrollment in business classes is limited to students who have been admitted to business degree programs and to other students as described in the separate undergraduate and graduate policy sections. The course registration criteria are designed to meet a number of objectives:
- to serve students in other colleges who have business-related education objectives or requirements
- to serve non-degree students who have specific career or education goals
- to assure access to business courses for students admitted into a business degree program
Refer to the student portal each term for course availability and prerequisites.
Attendance Policy
Students are required to attend classes, including online classes, on a regular basis. Absences must be arranged with the instructor and must conform with university and instructor policies on attendance.
Course Repeat Policy
A failed course (grade of F) may be repeated; however, the F will be included in the GPA and will appear on the transcript. Students must earn at least a C grade in required business core courses. Core business courses must be repeated if the student earns less than a C grade.
Credit Age and Applicability Policy
For students newly admitted to the Business School and former students readmitted to the school after an absence of three semesters, applicable credits (business core and major core) up to eight years old will be counted toward business degree requirements. Courses more than eight years old will not count automatically, but can be evaluated individually for their current relevance to the degree program through a petition process with the dean’s office. Approval for courses older than 8 years is not guaranteed so students may be required to update their knowledge by taking additional courses when past courses are outdated. Refer to the campus policy on age of applicable credits for CU Denver Core requirements and general electives.
***For questions, please contact your advisor.
Academic Integrity And Discipline Policies
CU Denver Campus Policy 7050, Academic Integrity, defines academic misconduct and sets forth a uniform process for handling allegations of student academic misconduct at CU Denver. As members of the CU Denver community, students are expected to know, understand, and comply with the standards of the University and to accept the responsibility to maintain the highest standards of intellectual honesty and ethical conduct in completing all forms of academic work at the university. In particular, students must refrain from academic misconduct, defined in the policy as
- a student’s use of unauthorized assistance with intent to deceive an instructor or other person who is assigned to evaluate the student’s work in meeting course and degree requirements, or
- actions that interfere with the ability of the instructor to fairly judge the work of the student or other students.
Academic integrity standards assist in promoting an academically sound, fair, and respectful community. CU Denver views the Academic Integrity process set forth in this policy as a learning experience that can result in growth and personal understanding of one’s responsibilities and privileges within both the CU Denver community and the greater community. All students must adhere to these standards. Students who allegedly violate these standards and commit academic misconduct will be subject to the procedures described in this policy. Academic dishonesty is academic in nature, and students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor for details of the campus policy and procedures centered on the academic integrity policy.
Forms of Academic Dishonesty (Refer to Campus Policy 7050 for more detailed definition)
Students are expected to know, understand and comply with the ethical standards of the university. Academic dishonesty is defined as a student’s use of unauthorized assistance with intent to deceive an instructor or other such people who may be assigned to evaluate the student’s work in meeting course and degree requirements. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to the following:
- Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another person’s distinctive ideas or words without acknowledgment. The incorporation of another person’s work into one’s own requires appropriate identification, regardless of the means of appropriation. - Cheating
Cheating involves the possession, communication or use of information, materials, notes, study aids or other devices not authorized by the instructor in an academic exercise or communication with another person during such an exercise for the purpose of obtaining or providing unauthorized information or materials. - Fabrication and Falsification
Fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information, i.e., creating results not obtained in a study or laboratory experiment. Falsification, on the other hand, involves the deliberate alteration or changing of results to suit one’s needs in an experiment or other academic or creative exercises. - Multiple Submissions
This is the submission of academic work for which academic credit has already been earned, when such submission is made without instructor authorization. - Misuse of Academic Materials
The misuse of academic materials includes but is not limited to the following: stealing or destroying library or reference materials, computer programs, another student’s notes or materials or illegitimate possession of examination materials, forgery, falsification of university documents. - Complicity in Academic Dishonesty
Complicity involves knowingly allowing or contributing to another’s academic misconduct.
School/College Specific Policy
BUSINESS SCHOOL
Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, illegitimate possession and disposition of examinations, alteration, forgery, falsification of official records and similar acts or any attempt to engage in such acts are grounds for suspension or expulsion from the university. In particular, students are advised that plagiarism consists of any act involving the offering of the work of someone else as the student’s own. It is recommended that students consult with the instructors as to the proper preparation of reports, papers, etc., to avoid this and similar offenses. Also, actions that disrupt the administrative process, such as misrepresentation of credentials or academic status, other forms of deception or verbal abuse of university staff are grounds for suspension or probation. All discovered acts of dishonesty must be referred to the campus Student Conduct and Community Standards.