Student Information | Apply & Enroll
Get all the information you need to apply and enroll in courses in this section.
If you have questions about the application and enrollment process, schedule an appointment with a CE advisor or email us at ceregistration@colorado.edu.
How to Apply
If you are a prospective degree student and you have questions about your application, please contact the Office of Admissions. If you are a newly admitted degree student, the New Student & Family Programs Office is your go-to resource as you begin your college journey.
If you are a continuing degree student and you enrolled in CU Boulder courses within the past twelve months, you can enroll in Continuing Education courses without completing a separate application.
If more than 12 months have passed since you enrolled in a CU Boulder course but you were previously admitted to a degree program at CU, you should fill out and submit our CE Readmission form. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application.
If more than 12 months have passed since you enrolled in a CU Boulder course but you were previously admitted to a degree program at CU, you should fill out and submit our CE Readmission Form. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application.
If you graduated from CU Boulder and wish to enroll in university courses as a non-degree student, you will be considered a new student. Visit the New Non-Degree Students section for information on how to get started.
If you are new to CU as a non-degree student, complete and submit the Non-Degree Application for Continuing Education.
Note: If you already have a bachelor’s degree and intend to take undergraduate courses, you must choose “Undergraduate” as your status on the application. Otherwise you will be charged the graduate tuition rate and will not be eligible to use the College Opportunity Fund.
If approved, you will receive a student identification number to activate your IdentiKey and search/enroll in courses via Buff Portal.
Non-Degree Application Requirements
You need a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma to enroll in credit courses. If you are under 23 years of age as of September 15 for fall or January 15 for spring, and not officially admitted or enrolled in a CU Boulder degree program, you must submit unofficial copies of either your high school equivalency scores or your high school transcript for review. High school transcripts must include the degree conferral date and must show that you completed your high school degree with at least a 2.0 GPA. Please upload your unofficial documents with your online application. For questions, please email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Residency
You’ll answer questions on your non-degree application regarding your residency that determine how you are classified and what tuition you are charged. Key factors in establishing Colorado residency:
- Domicile in Colorado for 12 consecutive months prior to the start date of the term in which you apply
- Legal ties to Colorado and not other states
- Colorado identification, car and voter registrations, obtained within the timelines listed on the Residency Guidelines page
- Military members, review the CE Veterans Tuition Exception Form in Step 7 on the Non-Degree Veterans page.
- Non-degree students only taking CE Online Credit courses will be charged a single rate regardless of their in-state or out-of-state classification.
International Non-Degree Requirements
The Division of Continuing Education does not issue immigration documents for international guest students and cannot provide immigration advising of any kind. If you plan to enroll in classes as a guest student and you are not a US Citizen or legal permanent resident, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are maintaining your immigration status independent of CU Boulder. If you are studying in the US under an F-1 or J-1 visa and wish to enroll at CU as a guest student, your current school will maintain your I-20 record.
Non-degree applicants who will be living in the U.S. on temporary visas during their CU enrollment and those who will be completing CU coursework from outside of the U.S. are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. Proof of English proficiency may include: TOEFL score of 75 or higher, IELTS score of 6.5 or higher or Duolingo score of 100 or higher.
English proficiency test scores are required unless:
- You have completed at least two years of full-time academic study at a U.S. high school or at a high school in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- You have completed at least one year of full-time academic study at a U.S. college or university or at an institution in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- Your native language is English.
You may upload unofficial copies of your TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores in the Unofficial Test Scores section of your online application. Unofficial high school, college or university transcripts may be uploaded in the Academic History section of the application. Both kinds of documents may also be uploaded on your Application Status Page after application submission. A member of our staff will contact you if any further documentation is needed. If you have questions about the English proficiency requirement, please contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu.
If you are a continuing non-degree student and you have enrolled in a CU Boulder course, you are automatically enabled to enroll in courses through Buff Portal for the next term. If you didn’t enroll in the term that you applied for, your account will be discontinued at the end of the term. You must resubmit an enrollment application through the Division of Continuing Education. If more than 12 months have passed since you were last enrolled as a non-degree student, you must submit an enrollment application.
Non-Degree Application Requirements
You need a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma to enroll in credit courses. If you are under 23 years of age as of September 15 for fall or January 15 for spring, and not officially admitted or enrolled in a CU Boulder degree program, you must submit unofficial copies of either your high school equivalency scores or your high school transcript for review. High school transcripts must include the degree conferral date and must show that you completed your high school degree with at least a 2.0 GPA. Please upload your unofficial documents with your online application. For questions, please email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Residency
You’ll answer questions on your non-degree application regarding your residency that determine how you are classified and what tuition you are charged. Key factors in establishing Colorado residency:
- Domicile in Colorado for 12 consecutive months prior to the start date of the term in which you apply
- Legal ties to Colorado and not other states
- Colorado identification, car and voter registrations, obtained within the timelines listed on the Residency Guidelines page
- Military members, review the CE Veterans Tuition Exception Form in Step 7 on the Non-Degree Veterans page.
- Non-degree students only taking CE Online Credit courses will be charged a single rate regardless of their in-state or out-of-state classification.
International Non-Degree Requirements
The Division of Continuing Education does not issue immigration documents for international guest students and cannot provide immigration advising of any kind. If you plan to enroll in classes as a guest student and you are not a US Citizen or legal permanent resident, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are maintaining your immigration status independent of CU Boulder. If you are studying in the US under an F-1 or J-1 visa and wish to enroll at CU as a guest student, your current school will maintain your I-20 record.
Non-degree applicants who will be living in the U.S. on temporary visas during their CU enrollment and those who will be completing CU coursework from outside of the U.S. are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. Proof of English proficiency may include: TOEFL score of 75 or higher, IELTS score of 6.5 or higher or Duolingo score of 100 or higher.
English proficiency test scores are required unless:
- You have completed at least two years of full-time academic study at a U.S. high school or at a high school in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- You have completed at least one year of full-time academic study at a U.S. college or university or at an institution in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- Your native language is English.
You may upload unofficial copies of your TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores in the Unofficial Test Scores section of your online application. Unofficial high school, college or university transcripts may be uploaded in the Academic History section of the application. Both kinds of documents may also be uploaded on your Application Status Page after application submission. A member of our staff will contact you if any further documentation is needed. If you have questions about the English proficiency requirement, please contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu.
If you didn’t enroll in the term that you applied for, your account will be discontinued at the end of the term. You must resubmit an enrollment application through the Division of Continuing Education.
If more than 12 months have passed since you were enrolled as a non-degree student at CU Boulder, you must submit the enrollment application.
Non-Degree Application Requirements
You need a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma to enroll in credit courses. If you are under 23 years of age as of September 15 for fall or January 15 for spring, and not officially admitted or enrolled in a CU Boulder degree program, you must submit unofficial copies of either your high school equivalency scores or your high school transcript for review. High school transcripts must include the degree conferral date and must show that you completed your high school degree with at least a 2.0 GPA. Please upload your unofficial documents with your online application. For questions, please email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Residency
You’ll answer questions on your non-degree application regarding your residency that determine how you are classified and what tuition you are charged. Key factors in establishing Colorado residency:
- Domicile in Colorado for 12 consecutive months prior to the start date of the term in which you apply
- Legal ties to Colorado and not other states
- Colorado identification, car and voter registrations, obtained within the timelines listed on the Residency Guidelines page
- Military members, review the CE Veterans Tuition Exception Form in Step 7 on the Non-Degree Veterans page.
- Non-degree students only taking CE Online Credit courses will be charged a single rate regardless of their in-state or out-of-state classification.
International Non-Degree Requirements
The Division of Continuing Education does not issue immigration documents for international guest students and cannot provide immigration advising of any kind. If you plan to enroll in classes as a guest student and you are not a US Citizen or legal permanent resident, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are maintaining your immigration status independent of CU Boulder. If you are studying in the US under an F-1 or J-1 visa and wish to enroll at CU as a guest student, your current school will maintain your I-20 record.
Non-degree applicants who will be living in the U.S. on temporary visas during their CU enrollment and those who will be completing CU coursework from outside of the U.S. are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. Proof of English proficiency may include: TOEFL score of 75 or higher, IELTS score of 6.5 or higher or Duolingo score of 100 or higher.
English proficiency test scores are required unless:
- You have completed at least two years of full-time academic study at a U.S. high school or at a high school in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- You have completed at least one year of full-time academic study at a U.S. college or university or at an institution in a country where English is the native language (e.g., Australia, U.K.). Must have received a minimum GPA 2.0 and unofficial transcript is required.
- Your native language is English.
You may upload unofficial copies of your TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores in the Unofficial Test Scores section of your online application. Unofficial high school, college or university transcripts may be uploaded in the Academic History section of the application. Both kinds of documents may also be uploaded on your Application Status Page after application submission. A member of our staff will contact you if any further documentation is needed. If you have questions about the English proficiency requirement, please contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Before applying, talk to your parent/guardian and your high school counselor about your interest in the High School ACCESS program. When you are ready, be sure to follow the specific application process outlined on the High School ACCESS program page.
If you are interested in auditing classes at CU Boulder, visit the Auditors program page for information on how to apply and enroll.
Buff Portal and IdentiKey
Buff Portal is the online student campus portal and an important tool. It gives you access to credit course enrollment, your CU student email account, campus announcements, semester schedule, tuition bill, book lists, clicker registration, Canvas and your final grades. Learn more about Buff Portal.
You’ll need an IdentiKey, or a unique username, to log in to and access Buff Portal. An IdentiKey allows you to register for CU courses and provides you with access to online services and campus computing facilities. Use your student identification number to activate your IdentiKey at identikey.colorado.edu. It can take up to 15 minutes for our system to recognize your credentials. A social security number (SSN) or CU-assigned PIN is required for account activation. You will receive an additional email containing your PIN if we do not have your SSN on file. Contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT) 303-735-4357 or oithelp@colorado.edu for tech support.
After you have activated your IdentiKey, you will be prompted to enroll in Duo multi-factor authentication. Duo is part of the university’s ongoing effort to secure personal and financial data on campus, and is required when logging into campus services like Buff Portal.
If you have questions, contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu or 303-492-5148.
Consenting to Do Business Electronically
When you log in to Buff Portal for the first time, you’ll be asked to consent to conduct business electronically at CU Boulder. If you don’t consent, you’ll lose access to the student portal and instead receive information about how to conduct your official university business offline.
If you have questions, contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu or 303-492-5148.
How to Enroll
Eligibility to Enroll in Credit Courses
Course Restrictions and Requisites
Some courses at CU—including mathematics, engineering, language and all graduate-level courses—may be restricted. Proof of completed requisites or departmental permission may be required to enroll. If you believe you meet the requisite from an outside university or have additional questions about requisite approvals, please connect with a CE academic advisor by scheduling an appointment or emailing ceadvise@colorado.edu.
Holds and Academic Status
A hold on your account (financial, academic, student conduct, etc.) may prevent you from being eligible to enroll. Students should contact a Continuing Education academic advisor with questions about academic probation/suspension/dismissal from the Boulder campus. More about probation and suspension.
If you are a prospective degree student and you have questions about your application, please contact the Office of Admissions. If you are a newly admitted degree student, the New Student & Family Programs Office is your go-to resource as you begin your college journey.
If you are a continuing degree student and you enrolled in CU Boulder courses within the past twelve months, you can enroll in Continuing Education courses without completing a separate application. You can enroll in Continuing Education courses through Buff Portal.
You can find more information about how to add a course in Buff Portal and enrollment dates on the Registrar's Add a Class page.
If you are enrolling in Continuing Education courses while on Academic Suspension, you must submit a Course Request Form to enroll.
If you have enrollment questions, talk to a CE academic advisor or email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
If more than 12 months have passed since you enrolled in a CU Boulder course but you were previously admitted to a degree program at CU, you should fill out and submit our CE Readmission Form. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application.
After you have successfully readmitted to CU Boulder, you will be able to search for and enroll in Continuing Education courses through Buff Portal.
You can find more information about how to add a course in Buff Portal and enrollment dates on the Registrar's Add a Class page.
If you graduated from CU Boulder and wish to enroll in university courses as a non-degree student, you will be considered a new student. Visit the New Non-Degree Student section under How to Enroll for information on how to get started. If you applied for graduation, but your degree has not yet posted, you can enroll in the upcoming semester(s) through Buff Portal. This will not delay your graduation. Your record will convert to non-degree once your degree posts.
If you have enrollment questions, talk to a CE academic advisor or email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
If you are a new non-degree student at CU Boulder, please ensure you have followed the New Non-Degree application instructions in the How to Apply section before you try to enroll in courses.
After you receive an email with your student identification number and activate your IdentiKey, you will be able to search for and enroll in courses through Buff Portal.
You can find more information about how to add a course in Buff Portal and enrollment dates on the Registrar's Add a Class page.
If you have enrollment questions, talk to a CE academic advisor or email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Obtaining Requisite Approval
If the course you wish to enroll into has prerequisites in the Registration Restriction area of a course on the CU Boulder Class Search, a CE academic advisor must manually review your transcripts from other institutions for enrollment eligibility. Outside coursework is not articulated on your student account, even if you attached transcripts to your non-degree application,
After you apply, plan ahead:
- Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor or email ceadvise@colorado.edu for a transcript review
- If prior coursework is approved by an advisor as eligible for a prerequisite, the advisor will place a class permission for you to self-enroll; or, they will direct you to complete the Course Request Form and attach approval. If you haven't had your transcripts manually reviewed and approved, you will receive a prerequisite error message when enrolling.
- For more detailed information on requisite approvals, please visit our Getting Started page.
Vaccination Requirements for Non-Degree Students
All non-degree students residing in the state of Colorado must meet the campus vaccination requirements.
Non-degree students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of two (2) doses each of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. If you have previously submitted these during an earlier term, you do NOT need to resubmit.
Learn more about the vaccination requirements and submission for non-degree students on the Health & Wellness Requirements Page.
If you have questions about these requirements, please contact us at ceadvise@colorado.edu.
If you are a continuing non-degree student and you enrolled in CU Boulder courses within the past twelve months, you can enroll in Continuing Education courses without completing a separate application. You can enroll in Continuing Education courses through Buff Portal.
You can find more information about how to add a course in Buff Portal and enrollment dates on the Registrar's Add a Class page.
If you have enrollment questions, talk to a CE academic advisor or email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Obtaining Requisite Approval
If the course you wish to enroll into has prerequisites in the Registration Restriction area of a course on the CU Boulder Class Search, a CE academic advisor must manually review your transcripts from other institutions for enrollment eligibility. Outside coursework is not articulated on your student account, even if you attached transcripts to your non-degree application,
After you apply, plan ahead:
- Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor or email ceadvise@colorado.edu for a transcript review
- If prior coursework is approved by an advisor as eligible for a prerequisite, the advisor will place a class permission for you to self-enroll; or, they will direct you to complete the Course Request Form and attach approval. If you haven't had your transcripts manually reviewed and approved, you will receive a prerequisite error message when enrolling.
- For more detailed information about requisite approvals, please visit our Getting Started page.
Vaccination Requirements for Non-Degree Students
All non-degree students residing in the state of Colorado must meet the campus vaccination requirements.
Non-degree students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of two (2) doses each of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. If you have previously submitted these during an earlier term, you do NOT need to resubmit.
Learn more about the vaccination requirements and submission for non-degree students on the Health & Wellness Requirements Page.
If you have questions about these requirements, please contact us at ceadvise@colorado.edu.
If you are a former non-degree student at CU Boulder, please ensure you have followed the Former Non-Degree application instructions in the How to Apply section before you try to enroll in courses.
Once you have submitted an enrollment application and it’s been processed, you will be able to search for and enroll in courses through Buff Portal.
You can find more information about how to add a course in Buff Portal and enrollment dates on the Registrar's Add a Class page.
If you have enrollment questions, talk to a CE academic advisor or email ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Obtaining Requisite Approval
If the course you wish to enroll into has prerequisites in the Registration Restriction area of a course on the CU Boulder Class Search, a CE academic advisor must manually review your transcripts from other institutions for enrollment eligibility. Outside coursework is not articulated on your student account, even if you attached transcripts to your non-degree application,
After you apply, plan ahead:
- Schedule an appointment with an academic advisor or email ceadvise@colorado.edu for a transcript review
- If prior coursework is approved by an advisor as eligible for a prerequisite, the advisor will place a class permission for you to self-enroll; or, they will direct you to complete the Course Request Form and attach approval. If you haven't had your transcripts manually reviewed and approved, you will receive a prerequisite error message when enrolling.
- For more detailed information about requisite approvals, please visit our Getting Started page.
Vaccination Requirements for Non-Degree Students
All non-degree students residing in the state of Colorado must meet the campus vaccination requirements.
Non-degree students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of two (2) doses each of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. If you have previously submitted these during an earlier term, you do NOT need to resubmit.
Learn more about the vaccination requirements and submission for non-degree students on the Health & Wellness Requirements Page.
If you have questions about these requirements, please contact us at ceadvise@colorado.edu.
To learn more about taking CU Boulder courses for credit as a high school student, including application and enrollment information, visit our High School ACCESS program page.
To learn more about auditing a CU Boulder course including application and enrollment information, visit our Auditors program page.