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.

CE Readmission Form

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.

CE Readmission Form


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.

Fall 2024 Continuting Education Application

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.

Fall 2024 Continuting Education 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.

Fall 2024 Continuing Education 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.