Leadership

DEAN

Pamela Jansma, Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences

ASSOCIATE DEANS

Richard Allen, Associate Dean for Academic and Strategic Planning; Professor of Psychology
Laura Argys, Associate Dean for Research and Creative Activities; Professor of Economics
Faye Caronan, Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs; Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies
Marjorie Levine-Clark, Associate Dean for Diversity, Outreach and Initiatives; Professor of History
John Swallow, Associate Dean for Student Success; Professor of Biology

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Educational Goals

A CU Denver liberal education combines world-class knowledge in specific disciplines with the comprehensive skills and dispositions that students need for success and that our society needs its citizens to possess. In a world where content knowledge rapidly becomes obsolete and where graduates may have a dozen different jobs, these skills and dispositions are crucial. Employers increasingly look for employees who can think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems. A liberal education may be the most vocational education that today’s student can earn. A liberal arts and sciences education truly is “learning with purpose.”

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides undergraduates at CU Denver with a broad and multilayered education consisting of:

1. In-depth knowledge of the major disciplines of the humanities, natural and physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences that call the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences home.
2. Intellectual and practical skills, including inquiry and analysis, critical thinking, creative thinking, written communication, oral communication, university-level reading, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork, and complex problem solving-practiced at progressively more challenging levels.
3. Personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement (local and global), intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and foundation of skills for lifelong learning.
4. Integrative and applied learning, synthesizing knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines and experiences to address complex, real-world problems in our diverse local, national and global communities.

The mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is to foster academic excellence, to create and impart knowledge critical to a modern society and a global economy, and to ensure the acquisition of skills essential for professional careers and graduate study. Our vision is to enact a new paradigm for a liberal arts education that retains the proven values of a broad education while imparting career-oriented skills throughout the curriculum.

Today’s university graduates need to be critical thinkers who are able to apply knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to unscripted, real-world problems. A College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) education involves mastery of essential learning outcomes, such as creative problem solving, oral and written communication, quantitative literacy, intercultural competence, and ethical reasoning, which provide students with the tools to become lifelong learners who are adaptive and innovative. While establishing a broad foundational education, CLAS gives students the opportunity to dig deeply into disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors, which train them in scholarly fields, traditions, and methods of analysis. This combination of breadth and depth prepares students for our twenty-first century world, which requires flexibility and mobility, as new jobs develop and careers change at an ever-faster pace. CLAS graduates enter a wide variety of occupations and pursue advanced degrees in academia and in professions like law and medicine.

The CLAS curriculum provides rigorous academic programs while offering a number of flexible learning opportunities, such as the Individually Structured Major, to meet our students’ varied needs and objectives. The college draws on our downtown location and makes use of the city’s many resources through student internships, experiential learning programs, and partnerships with Denver businesses and non-profit organizations. CLAS students have excellent opportunities to participate in first-class faculty research, and the college prides itself on its faculty-mentored undergraduate research programs and applied research in the community.

Explore CLAS Undergraduate programs here.

For more information about CLAS, visit our website.

Learn more about CLAS undergraduate academic advising.

Contact Information

CLAS Dean's Office
North Classroom, Suite 5014
Phone: 303-315-7000
Fax: 303-315-7016
Email: clasdeansoffice@ucdenver.edu
Website: https://clas.ucdenver.edu/about-us/deans-office

Mailing Address
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Campus Box 144
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Admissions and Student Success  Information

First time to college applicants whose cumulative GPA and test scores meet or exceed the middle 50 percent range are considered strong candidates for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Visit Undergraduate Admissions information to learn more.

A cumulative GPA of 2.400 or higher is required for transfer applicants; however, applicants with a 2.000 cumulative GPA are considered. Visit Transfer Admissions information to learn more.

Jaimie Carrington

(For Graduate Programs and information please refer to the Graduate catalog.)

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Departments and Programs

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Graduation Requirements

For additional information regarding CU Denver Graduation policies and procedures, please visit the Graduation section of the catalog.

For additional information regarding CLAS Undergraduate academic policies and procedures, please visit the CLAS Policies tab.

CLAS Graduation Requirements

Communicative Skills

Second Language Requirement

*

Please see the Modern Languages Department website for a complete list of approved testing centers.

CU Denver Second Language Options

Arabic

Chinese

French

German

Latin

Modern Language

Spanish

Humanities

¹

Courses with an ENGL, HIST, HEHM, HUMN, PHIL, or RLST subject code may apply. ETST 2155 African American History and ETST 2357 Asian American & Pacific Islander Cultures may also apply to the CLAS Humanities requirement. RLST 3800 Spirituality and Ecology in Global Societies is approved to apply to either CLAS Humanities or CLAS Behavioral Science, but cannot apply to both areas. 

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Students may not use any lower-division level (1000-2000) introductory English composition course to fulfill this requirement, i.e. ENGL 1010 Writing Workshop, ENGL 1020 Core Composition I, ENGL 2030 Core Composition II.

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Arabic, Chinese, French, German or Spanish culture, literature or film courses may be taught in English or in the associated language. Students may not use a language acquisition course to fulfill this requirement. Please refer to the list of approved courses for additional information.

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CU Denver Core Curriculum Knowledge Area: Humanities 

Arabic Culture/Literature/Film

Chinese Culture/ Literature/ Film

French Culture/ Literature/ Film

German Culture/ Literature/ Film

Spanish Culture/ Literature/ Film

Behavioral Sciences

¹

Courses with ANTH, COMM, or PSYC subject codes may apply. LING 2000 Foundations of Linguistics may also apply to the CLAS Behavioral Sciences requirement. ANTH 1303 Introduction to Biological Anthropology and PSYC 2220 Biological Basis of Behavior are approved to apply to either CLAS Behavioral Sciences or CLAS Natural and Physical Sciences, but cannot apply to both areas. 

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CU Denver Core Curriculum Knowledge Area: Behavioral Sciences 

Social Sciences

¹

Courses with ECON, ETST, GEOG, PBHL, PSCI, or SOCY subject codes may apply. ENVS 1342 Environment, Society and Sustainability, ETST 2000 Introduction to Ethnic Studies and RLST 3800 Spirituality and Ecology in Global Societies may also apply to the CLAS Social Science requirement. GEOG 1202 Introduction to Physical Geography and GEOG 3232 Weather and Climate are approved to apply to either CLAS Social Sciences and the CLAS Natural and Physical Sciences, but cannot apply to both areas. 

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CU Denver Core Curriculum Knowledge Area: Social Sciences

Natural and Physical Sciences, Mathematics 

¹

Courses with BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, MATH, or PHYS may apply as long as at least two lab sciences are completed. ANTH 1303 Introduction to Biological Anthropology and ENVS 1044 Introduction to Environmental Sciences/ENVS 1045 Introduction to Environmental Sciences Laboratory may apply to the CLAS Natural and Physical Sciences requirement as lab courses and GEOG 1202 Introduction to Physical Geography, GEOG 3232 Weather and Climate and PSYC 2220 Biological Basis of Behavior may apply as non-lab courses.

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CU Denver Core Curriculum Knowledge Area: Natural and Physical Sciences, Mathematics

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences 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.

For additional information regarding CLAS policies and procedures, please visit the CLAS Academic Policies website.

Academic Excellence

College Honors

A student who performs superlatively in course work in the college will be awarded a bachelor’s degree accompanied by the statement “with distinction”. To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a CLAS major must have earned a minimum of 45 CU Denver credit hours with standard grades (including failed pass/fail attempts) with a CLAS GPA of at least 3.750. If the student does not qualify using that metric, the first 24 credit hours a student completed at any university, including any CU institution, will be excluded from the calculation, to see if they meet the metric with those grades removed.

Departmental Honors

Departments in the college offer programs through which students can qualify for Latin honors: cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. Determination of the level of honors is made by the department. Detailed information can be obtained from the individual departments.

Dean's List

Every semester, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences publishes a Dean's List, honoring students who demonstrate high scholastic achievement. To be eligible for the Dean's List, students must earn a minimum 3.750 semester grade point average in all CU hours taken during the semester. In addition, students must complete, for letter grades, a minimum of 9 semester hours (6 summer) in structured CLAS courses, excluding independent study, cooperative education, and internships. Term GPAs are not rounded up; therefore, a 3.750 or higher is necessary in order to qualify for the Dean's List.

Students who qualify for the CLAS Dean's List will receive notification via email from the CLAS Advising Office approximately 4-6 weeks after the end of the semester.

Outstanding Undergraduate

Every Commencement (Summer/Fall and Spring) the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes up to two graduating students (one BA and one BS) by awarding them "Outstanding Undergraduate." This award is merit based. Candidates will submit a written application, including letters of recommendation. Finalists will be interviewed by members of the Academic Standards Committee.

To be eligible, students must:

1. Apply for graduation on or before census date of the term they are graduating.
2. Have a 3.80 or higher cumulative CU GPA. Cumulative GPAs are not rounded up.
3. Have a total of 60 credits or more from CU Denver at the end of the semester that they are scheduled to graduate (Fall/Summer and Spring).

Requirements

The Major

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science majors in CLAS require a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework in the major discipline (subject code). Interdisciplinary and individually structured majors may have exceptions. Minimum GPA and allowable grades: 2.0 minimum major GPA, with all courses earning C- or higher grades. More restrictive credit hour, minimum grade and minimum GPA requirements for CLAS majors may be enforced. Students should consult catalog entries for their CLAS program to learn about program specific requirements.

The Minor

Minors require a minimum of 15 semester hours (may be interdisciplinary). A minimum of six upper division semester hours are required (may be interdisciplinary). Minors require a minimum of nine semester hours in residence. Minimum GPA and allowable grades: 2.0 minimum minor GPA, with all courses earning C- or higher grades. More restrictive credit hour, minimum grade and minimum GPA requirements for CLAS minors may be enforced. Students should consult catalog entries for their CLAS program to learn about program specific requirements.

The Certificate

Undergraduate certificates require a minimum of 12 semester hours (may be interdisciplinary). A minimum of six upper division semester hours are required. Because a certificate is a CU certification of a student’s specialized knowledge in an advanced subject matter, all courses in a certificate program are expected to be taken in in residence at CU Denver. No transfer courses may be applied to CLAS certificate program requirements. Minimum GPA and allowable grades: 2.0 minimum certificate GPA, with all courses earning C- or higher grades. More restrictive credit hour, minimum grade and minimum GPA requirements for CLAS certificate may be enforced. Students should consult catalog entries for their CLAS program to learn about program specific requirements.

Upper-Division Requirements

A minimum of 45 credit hours of upper-division level (3000-level or higher) coursework must be completed. A minimum of 16 upper division semester hours are required in the major discipline. Interdisciplinary and individually structured majors may have exceptions to the 16 credit minimum in the major discipline. Additional upper division level credit requirements for CLAS majors, minors and certificates may be enforced. Students should consult catalog entries for their CLAS program to learn about program specific requirements.

College Minimum Grade

Undergraduate students enrolled in CLAS major, minor or certificate programs must earn a minimum grade of C- or higher in all courses that count toward their major, minor or certificate (required and elective courses). If the major/minor/certificate program wishes to require a higher grade for certain types of courses, like discipline specific capstone experiences/ senior seminars, etc., those courses need to be taken in residence from CLAS faculty/enrolled at CU Denver. If the CLAS major/minor/certificate program requires students to take ancillary courses (courses that are not taught by the major/minor/certificate program), the program may not impose higher minimum course grades for those ancillary courses. Major/minor/certificate faculty advisors reserve the right to make substitutions to in residence requirements when appropriate.

CLAS Residence Requirements

Undergraduate CLAS majors must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours with letter grades, in residence. Courses taking using pass/fail grading will not apply to the CLAS residency requirement. In residence is defined as credit hours taken from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences subject codes, taught by CLAS faculty, while enrolled at CU Denver. Additional residence requirements for CLAS majors, minors and certificates may be enforced. Students should consult catalog entries for their CLAS program to learn about program specific requirements.

Internships

Undergraduate students may seek credit from an employment experience that contains academic content and is sponsored by a CLAS faculty member. Internships are helpful for career exploration early in a student’s academic career or for job experience after developing academic content in the major.

Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in a minimum of 15 credit hours of CU Denver course work. A maximum of 12 credit hours of internship credit per semester and 12 credit hours overall can be applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation. There may also be limits on the number of credits permitted to take during a semester or total for a specific course ID. Undergraduate students should contact the Experiential Learning Center for details about the internship contract and faculty sponsorship requirements.

Independent Study

Independent studies are faculty-mentored, individually structured courses or research or creative projects designed and scheduled outside of the standard course grid. Independent study allows for investigations beyond the structured curriculum and classroom and exploration of content material that closely relates to faculty and student interest. However, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences does not guarantee that credit earned through an independent study will count toward graduation requirements or be accepted as transfer credits. A maximum of 12 semester hours of independent study coursework can apply toward the 120 semester hour graduation requirement. This includes Directed Research.

The CU Denver campus requires manual registration using a Special Processing Form for students participating in independent study. This form constitutes the course syllabus agreement between faculty and student. The Special Processing Form requires

1. project title,
2. short, detailed project description, including texts and practical application of skills, and
3. explicit performance or grading criteria.

The faculty should separately negotiate a schedule of meetings and deadlines with the student. The form is reviewed and approved by a CLAS Associate Dean/Assistant Dean prior to student registration.

The College faculty developed the following requirements relating to student and faculty participation in independent study. Faculty seeking to waive or modify any of the policies below should work with the appropriate CLAS Associate Dean/Assistant Dean.

Student Requirements

• Enrollment as a CLAS student or, if enrolled in another major/minor, school/college, or institution, signed authorization on the Special Processing Form by the advisor/chair/dean of the originating school/college or institution prior to review by the CLAS associate or assistant dean.
• Graduate student status for 5840 (or higher), junior or senior status for 4840, sophomore status for 2840.
• Minimum GPA of 2.5 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduate students.
• Submission of the Special Processing Form prior to the third week of a regular semester. After the third week, a petition to add is required. Summer and intensive sessions will have different deadlines.

Faculty Requirements

• CLAS tenured, tenure-track, Clinical Teaching Track, Senior Instructor, or Instructor rank.
• CLAS graduate faculty status for faculty sponsoring graduate independent study.
• Direct, not indirect, supervision by the designated CLAS faculty member.
• For instructor-rank faculty, approval by the department chair, though all untenured faculty should limit the number of independent studies and are advised to consult with the chair before taking them on.

Project Requirements

• CLAS discipline or directly discipline related content, though may be interdisciplinary.
• Unique or individually executed project content for each student.
• Not available as, or part of, a structured course offered during the same term.
• 3 student participation hours per week for each credit hour requested. Note: 4:1 ratio in summer.

Physical Education

A maximum of eight semester hours of Physical Education can apply toward the 120 semester hour graduation requirement.

Special Grading Options

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. 

Courses used to satisfy CLAS graduation requirements may be taken as P+/P/F or S/U, except to fulfill the Communicative Skills, Second Language Proficiency, major, minor or certificate requirements. In addition to CU Denver policies covering the P+/P/F or S/U grading option (see the Records and Registration Grading System page of this catalog). CLAS students must adhere to the following college P+/P/F or S/U grading policies:

1.    Courses used to complete a student’s major, minor and certificate may not be taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading.

2.    Courses required to demonstrate proficiency may not be taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading, including the second semester of the CLAS Second Language Proficiency requirement.

3.    Courses used to satisfy the CU Denver Core Curriculum Intellectual Competencies (English Composition and Mathematics requirements) may not be taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading.

4.    Courses in the Knowledge Area section of the CU Denver Core Curriculum may be taken on a P+/P/F or S/U basis.

CLAS requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of courses with letter grades. No more than six hours P+/P/F or S/U are allowed in any one semester. A maximum of 16 credit hours may be taken P+/P/F or S/U and counted toward an undergraduate degree.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver or other regionally accredited institutions may earn an additional bachelor’s degree through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provided that:

1. the major for the additional bachelor’s degree is distinctly different from the major(s) of the previous degree(s);
2. all university graduation requirements are met;
3. all College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduation requirements are met; and
4. all major requirements are met.

Note: Students who earned a previous bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado and plan on returning to earn an additional bachelor’s degree must reapply for admission to the university. This rule applies to second bachelor's degrees only. Students pursuing double majors must complete requirements for both majors at the time of graduation, in order to earn a double major. 

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.

Transfer Credit Information

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The use of CLEP subject examinations toward major, minor or certificate requirements is subject to evaluation by the undergraduate major, minor or certificate advisor in the department or program, when an exact equivalency has not been determined, and is treated in a similar way as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or transfer credit. To receive academic credit from CLEP, students must present official test results to the Denver Campus Office of Admissions. A maximum of 30 hours of CLEP credit can apply toward the 120 semester hour graduation requirement.

Additional information about AP, IB and CLEP exams can be found on the Records and Registration Transfer Credit page of this catalog. 

Transfer Credit Level Determination

The general rule for determining transfer credit is that the level of credit awarded for a transfer course (lower-division or upper-division) will be determined by the level of the course at the sending/transfer institution. If the institution of origin listed the course as 1000 (or 100) or 2000 (or 200), or if the numbering system otherwise indicates lower-division credit, then it automatically will receive lower-division credit for fulfilling college requirements. If the institution of origin listed the course as 3000 (or 300) or 4000 (or 400), or if the number system otherwise indicates upper-division credit, then it will automatically will receive upper-division credit for fulfilling college requirements. 

This rule will apply in all cases other than those where course- or student-specific exceptions have been made as described below. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis in instances where the sending institution does not use a four-level course numbering system or otherwise indicate lower-and upper-division credit distinctions.

Academic units retain the authority to determine whether an individual transfer course (taken at either upper or lower division) will count as fulfilling an upper-division major requirement. It is possible for a lower-division transfer course to fulfill an upper-division major requirement in the major but not count toward the 45 upper-division hours required by CLAS. These decisions will be made by the appropriate department chair or undergraduate major advisor. The academic unit that owns the course prefix for the substituted course holds the authority to make these transfer determinations, even in cases where the substituted course fulfills a major requirement for a separate academic unit.

Transfer Course Evaluation Process

Transfer course evaluations are completed for a variety of student populations, including: prospective students, newly admitted students, or current students looking to take a course away from the University of Colorado Denver. This is a regular practice that CLAS offers to foster the student’s transition to the University and ultimately their degree progression. The evaluation of transfer courses follows the guidelines set forth by University of Colorado Denver (Transferring Undergraduate Credit policy 7006), Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. Questions about the transfer evaluation process should be directed to clas.transfer@ucdenver.edu.

Each CLAS department/program has established the criteria they use to determine if/how a course is acceptable for transfer to the University of Colorado Denver. This includes a review of the level, scope, content, expected learning outcomes and academic rigor of the transfer course when making an evaluation decision. The decision to not award credit for a transfer course is based on policies set forth by the institution, State and accreditation commission. Transfer evaluation decisions CANNOT solely be based on the type of institution or teaching modality (e.g., for-profit. online institutions or online courses).

At time of admission to the University of Colorado Denver, transfer courses can be entered onto a student's record with one of the following notations:  

• Direct Equivalency - the transfer course has been deemed equivalent to a specific University of Colorado Denver course and will apply to the student’s degree requirements in the same manner. The only exception is if the transfer course was taken a lower-division level and is equated to an upper-division course (as described in the Transfer Credit Level Determination section of this page).
• DEPT_999AE - AE is defined as Already Evaluated. The course has been evaluated and is acceptable for transfer to the University of Colorado Denver. However, the course was not deemed equivalent to a University of Colorado Denver specific course. Students are welcome to request a re-evaluation of a transfer course that receives this evaluation by submitting the CLAS Transfer Course Evaluation Form. Please note a detailed syllabus from the term the course was taken is required for a re-evaluation of a transfer course with this type of evaluation already being awarded.
• XDEN_999AE – XDEN is the most generic transfer prefix. Coupled with _999AE, this means the transfer course was determined to be acceptable for transfer based on CU Denver transfer policy, but the course did not align with a specific department, program, college, or school.
• DEPT_999TC - TC is defined as Tentative Credit. The transfer course has not yet been evaluated by the University of Colorado Denver to determine if/how the course is accepted for transfer. A course ending with 999TC is not guaranteed to transfer and be awarded credit by the University of Colorado Denver until the evaluation of the course is completed. In addition, a course ending in 999TC will not apply to CLAS graduation, major or minor requirements until the evaluation is complete and the course is deemed a direct equivalent or ends in 999AE. Students are encouraged to request an evaluation of their courses ending in TC, that fall under CLAS disciplines, by submitting the CLAS Transfer Course Evaluation Form. A syllabus is recommended for all evaluation requests, but is not required for courses taken at an institution in the United States. A syllabus is required for ALL course taken at an international institution – the syllabus should be provided in the native language and an English translation (from the term course was taken). If possible, the syllabus should include: details about the textbook, course description/objectives, outline of topics covered, graded coursework.
• XDEN_999TC - XDEN is the most generic transfer prefix. Coupled with _999TC, this means the course needs to be evaluated to determine which discipline is the best match. This course could be evaluated under a specific department/program or be listed under a specific college or school, such as CLAS.

All transfer course evaluation request for courses that fall under a CLAS discipline/subject code need to be submitted by completing the CLAS Transfer Course Evaluation Form. Transfer courses that do not fall under a CLAS discipline/subject code can’t be evaluated by CLAS and must be evaluated by the college/school the course content falls within. 

The timeline for a transfer evaluation to be completed varies depending on the type of course, the department/program completing the evaluation, and the time of the year the request is received. Please know that we will strive have the evaluations completed in as timely of a manner as possible, but request that you allow a minimum of 21 business days for most evaluations to be completed.

Guidelines for Transfer Application

• CLAS Humanities, excludes lower division level English transfer courses that mention the following topics in the title: writing (unless course description details that the course is in criticism or theory), composition, rhetoric, theory (unless literary theory), research (unless related to literature or literary studies), editing, grammar, rhetoric (unless course description details that the course is in criticism or theory), workshop. The University of Colorado Denver English faculty will review and evaluate syllabi when necessary. CLAS Humanities also excludes language acquisition courses.
• For other CLAS graduation requirement areas, transfer courses must come from one of the identified subject codes for each area. For any outliers, the course must be taken from a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and must be submitted by completing the CLAS Transfer Course Evaluation Form.

Administrative Policies

Incomplete Grade

When a student has special circumstances that make it impossible to complete course assignments, faculty members may choose to award an incomplete grade. All incomplete courses are assigned a grade of Incomplete (“I”). Incomplete grades are not awarded for poor academic performance or as a way of extending assignment deadlines. A CLAS course completion agreement form documenting assignments to be completed as well as the agreed upon due dates is required when faculty and student agree on an incomplete grade. Both parties should keep copies of this agreement and a copy should be retained in the department office or with a designated party such as the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. Faculty are not required to award an Incomplete. 

To be eligible for an incomplete grade, students must:

• Have participated in the class for a significant proportion of the term
• Have successfully completed a significant proportion of the course assignments
• Have special circumstances (verification may be required) that preclude the student from attending class and/or completing graded assignments
• Make arrangements to complete missing assignments with the original instructor by a mutually agreed upon date but within one calendar year. These, as well as assignments and grades completed up to the point that the incomplete is awarded, should be documented on the course completion agreement.

After the agreed upon date or maximum of a calendar year, the “I” reverts to an "F" grade on the student’s transcript if the instructor fails to submit a change of record request to report the earned grade. Any request to allow a grade change after the one-year period must be petitioned to the CLAS Academic Standards Committee.

In order to be on the graduation lists, a student must resolve all incomplete grades before the last day of classes in the semester in which they intend to graduate.

Students should not re-enroll in a course in which they have an incomplete. Re-enrollment in a course in which a student has an “I” could result in a loss of tuition and an "F" grade on the student’s transcript for the original course. A student with an “I” does not need to be enrolled in any course or earning any credits to complete the incomplete work. Completing an “I”  does not require any additional tuition payment.

Course Repeat Policy

Students may re-register for any course. Both (all) courses remain on the transcript and both (all) grades are used to calculate the student’s GPA. Course credit toward graduation is counted only once for a typical course no matter how many times the course is repeated. Some types of courses (e.g. Directed Research, Internships, Independent Studies, Special Topics, etc.) may be repeatable for applicable credit within a certain range of total credit hours. Special Topics courses may be repeatable for applicable credit within a certain range of total credits hours, as long as each topic is unique and different. See course descriptions for the max semester hours applicable from each course.

Administrative Add Policy

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may provide permission to a student or may add a student to a class with student and instructor permission through Census, provided the room has capacity for that student and all prerequisites have been met, or explicit exception to a prerequisite has been granted and no other circumstances are preventing the student from being eligible, i.e. course overload, time conflict or holds that prevent normal addition of a class and require additional approvals. After Census, a student must petition and obtain permission from the appropriate assistant/associate dean for this to occur, according to deadlines posted in the academic calendar.

Administrative Switch Policy

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may grant an administrative switch from one section of a course to another section of the same course or from one course to another course, with the approval of the appropriate assistant/associate dean, waiving the $100 drop fee, if a student has enrolled in a section of a course in error or can demonstrate circumstances beyond their control and can no longer attend the original section of the course.

Administrative Drop Policy

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to administratively drop a student from a course if they have not met all system enforced prerequisites or met the attendance policies as stated in course syllabi, with the approval of the appropriate assistant/associate dean. The student will be notified that an administrative drop will occur prior to that action taking place. All administrative drops must occur prior to Census so that students do not receive a W on the transcript and are not held financially responsible for full tuition, though there may be fees incurred that students are financially responsible for paying. In the case of an administrative error, students may petition to drop a course through their CLAS advisor. If approved students will be dropped from the course, will not receive a W on the transcript and will receive a tuition refund.

Retroactive Drop/Withdrawal

In the event of circumstances that preclude a student from successfully completing a class, it is the student’s responsibility to carry out drop procedures before the end of the semester. It is against normal college policy to allow a student to drop after the completion of the semester for which grades are already posted. Students who must stop attending one or more of the classes in which they are enrolled for a term, but who fail to properly drop, may be eligible for a retroactive drop or withdrawal. Courses must have occurred no more than seven years prior to the date of the retroactive drop/withdrawal petition to be eligible.

It is the responsibility of the student seeking a retroactive drop/withdrawal to submit a complete written petition. Detailed instructions can be obtained from the CLAS Academic Advising Office.

Declaring or Changing a Major or Minor

A complete list of undergraduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is available on the CLAS Departments and Programs page.

CLAS students with a declared CLAS program intending to declare or change a CLAS major or minor should complete the CLAS Major/Minor Declaration Form available through the CLAS Advising Office in North Classroom (NC) 1030. CLAS students with a declared CLAS program may also initiate their request to declare or change a CLAS major or minor with their assigned CLAS Academic Advisor.

Degree seeking students on the Denver Campus may change colleges or schools within the university provided they are accepted by the college or school to which they wish to transfer. Intra-university transfer (IUT) forms may be obtained from the student’s school or college or from the Office of the Registrar. Decisions on intra-university transfers are made by the college or school to which the student wishes to transfer. Transfer deadlines for all programs are August 1 for Fall semester, December 1 for Spring semester, and May 1 for Summer semester sessions.

CLAS also offers pre-health career tracks/courses of study for students intending to pursue a health profession. Students with a pre-health track/course of study should work with a Health Professions Advisor – located in North Classroom (NC) 3002 – to discuss pathways to their intended health career. Students with a pre-health career track/course of study intending to complete an undergraduate degree must declare a major to graduate.

CLAS Undeclared Majors should work with Success Advisors in the Center for Undergraduate Exploration & Advising (CUE&A) to create a plan to declare their intended major as early as possible in their undergraduate career. CUE&A is located in Student Commons 1113. Undeclared Majors intending to declare a CLAS major or minor must complete the CLAS Major/Minor Declaration Form available through the CLAS Advising Office in North Classroom (NC) 1030.