University of Colorado

university-of-colorado

Degrees and Programs at The University of Colorado- The Boulder Campus

The University of Colorado appears in our ranking of 30 Great Colleges With An Increasing Student Population.

Although the University of Colorado has several campuses, people talking about the school are usually speaking of the Boulder, Colorado, campus. Degrees differ somewhat between campuses, and the medical training is housed at the Anschutz Medical Center.

CU Boulder has more than 74 traditional undergraduate degrees including 61 majors in 22 fields of study. Among the many degree fields available are humanities, social sciences, psychology, theater, music, and many other areas of study. The Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design area, for instance, has an undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication. The graduate degree in this field is a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication -Design, and the doctoral degree is a Ph.D. in Media Research and Design. The Aerospace Engineering programs at CU can also be earned as an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, as a Professional Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering Science or a PhD. in this discipline. The school offers a graduate certificate in Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation Systems and in Remote Sensing.

Another popular area of study at the University of Colorado at Boulder is law. Degrees in this discipline include a Master of Science in Law. This program includes 28 credits of legal training that can be completed in a year of full-time study. It gives the graduate a foundation in legal studies just short of the J.D. degree and prepares them for work on legal corporate issues that do not require lawyers.

The university offers more than 28 degrees and certificates that are completely online as well as many that are hybrids (offered in a combination of traditional and online courses.) The Guide to Online Schools ranks the school as fifth in Colorado for best value in online education. Among the many programs available from the University of Colorado online are the Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and more.

There are also several online graduate degrees including the Master of Science in Finance and Risk Management, Master of Science in Information Systems and the Master of Science in Nurse Leadership. Doctoral degrees available online are the Doctor of Nurse Practitioner, the Doctor of Pharmacy and the Ph.D. in Nursing, MS-to-Ph.D.

About The University of Colorado

This public research university was founded in 1876 along with the Colorado School of Mines at Golden and the Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins. Originally, Boulder and Canon City vied for the school. The latter lost and, as a consolation prize, the Colorado State Prison was built there. In 1965 The University of Colorado added a campus in Colorado Springs, and they built the Denver campus in 1973. The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center was created in 2006.

The University of Colorado consists of nine colleges and schools, of which the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest. There are several innovative programs at the school; one of these is the Residential Academic Program ( RAP) which provides themed curriculum in the residence halls. CU has 3,900 courses in more than 150 fields of study and awards about 7,000 degrees annually.

The University of Colorado Accreditation Details

The University of Colorado is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools of the Higher Learning Commission. Special accreditations for many of the university’s programs and departments are provided by other accrediting bodies. These are:

  • American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
  • American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
  • Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
  • National Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
  • Accrediting Commission for Midwifery Education
  • American Physical Therapy Association
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • National Association of Schools of Music

The University of Colorado Application Requirements

Freshman students should apply through the Common Application online. This form requires a 250-to-650-word essay chosen from a specified list of subjects. Additionally, applicants must complete a CU Boulder writing supplement essay. One letter of recommendation is required. Students must also arrange for their high schools to send their official transcripts to the university, along with transcripts of any college-level work completed. The official scores from the SAT or the ACT must also be submitted. There is a non-refundable $50 application fee.

Those applying as graduate students should apply online as well. They can apply using their unofficial transcripts of undergraduate work, and if they are accepted at the school, they must submit the official transcripts. Graduate applicants need three-to-four letters of recommendation and must submit the official test scores of any tests such as GRE or GMAT or other documentation required by the department housing their majors. There is a $60 non-refundable application fee for graduate students.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate students applying at the University of Colorado have a tuition guarantee that is good for four years from the date of acceptance. In 2018, the university eliminated all course and program fees to make the programs more affordable. The estimated cost-of-attendance for undergraduates is $28,750 for two semesters of attendance. This includes room-and-board and tuition, but students should also budget for personal expenses and other unforeseen circumstances. That cost varies by program; business majors, for example, will pay an average of $34,054, and English majors will be charged $32,206.

The cost of the average graduate degree for two semesters is $15,046. The cost of graduate degrees varies by program as well. A Business Ph.D. costs $19,942 for the same two semesters. An MBA costs $29,518. Students in the Law JD program will pay $33,636.

Students needing assistance to pay for their degrees should first complete the FAFSA form. When they receive their awards letters, they will have a better idea of how much will remain for them to pay, and they can apply for other assistance. Colorado funds the College Opportunity Fund, the Colorado Graduate Grant, The Colorado Student Fee Grant, and The Colorado College Responsibility Grant among others. CU sponsors the CU Boulder Grant, the CU Promise grant and the CU Donor Grant along with many other merit-and-needs-based scholarships and grants. The school has athletics scholarships and awards assistance based on academic majors and activities as well. Private “outside” scholarships are also available. People often create memorial grants, service organizations fund opportunities, and even corporate bodies have money earmarked for students in their industries.

Students who exhaust all their grant and scholarship money can apply for student loans or take part-time employment to make up the difference. Work-study programs offer a great opportunity to make money while gaining invaluable experience. Most students will graduate with some student debt, but with good planning they can keep their degree programs at the University of Colorado within reach.

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