Alert: The Plaza Building will remain closed through Jan. 1, 2025.

Learn More

Graduate (Masters or Doctoral) Admissions Process

Before You Begin

Read below carefully: You may need to complete your application with another admissions department.

If you are applying to a medical or health-related program through a school or college on the Anschutz Medical Campus (School of Medicine, College of NursingSkaggs School of PharmacySchool of Dental Medicine, or  Colorado School of Public Health) please visit our information page and contact your program directly for admission. 

If you fall into one of the following categories, you would be considered a domestic student and should work with Graduate Admissions:

  • U.S. permanent resident status
  • Undocumented immigrants (DACA, etc.)
  • Asylee/Refugee

Application Deadlines

Graduate application deadlines vary by program. Please check with your program of interest for specifics.

How to Apply

1

Submit Online Application

{

Be sure to write down the email that you use for your application as well as your password. You can submit the application before you have provided your transcripts and test scores.

Start Your Application
2

Pay Application Fee

{

Graduate students opting to do an ECE or WES evaluation will not be charged the $75 application fee. However, students opting out of the ECE/WES requirement will now need to pay this fee during the application process unless they have an affiliation with a recruitment agency who is currently in contract with CU Denver.

Pay Your Application Fee
1

Transcripts from Institutions Located Outside the United States

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND
2

Transcripts from Institutions Located Inside the United States

You must submit complete transcripts for all US post-secondary institutions you have attended directly to your CU Denver graduate admissions office. Check your department’s website for details and contact information.
3

Submit Test Scores

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND

Proof of English Language Proficiency

{
You may meet the ELP requirement if you meet ANY of the options listed below. You are required to submit documentation to prove your fluency. 

You must provide proof of English language proficiency (ELP) in order to be considered for full admission. Some graduate applicants will be considered for conditional admission if they apply without adequate proof of ELP. 

1

English Language Proficiency Tests

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND
2

Citizenship Exemption

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND
3

Coursework Completion

EDIT THIS CONTENT ON THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS PAGE BELOW THE CHECKLIST-PHASES WIDGET.
DO NOT EDIT IN CHECKLIST BACKEND
4

CU Denver ESL Academy (Level 5) Graduation

International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement for any program of study at CU Denver by successfully completing every class in level 5 at CU Denver’s ESL Academy.

Learn More about the ESL Academy
5

Exception for Certain Visa Types

If you are the primary holder of an employment-based US visa (e.g., H-1B), and you have lived in the US for at least one year, you are not required to provide proof of English language proficiency for admission.

Important Follow-up

Depending on the major you are applying to, you may have additional requirements.
{

Depending on the program you are applying to, you will have additional requirements such as letters of recommendation, a resume, and a statement of purpose

Click on the school pages below for admission requirements and deadlines specific to your preferred program.

After reviewing your file, International Admissions may determine that we require additional documents. In this case, you must provide all requested documents in order to complete your application. 

Business School Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only)Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver
Business School Graduate Admissions
Campus Box 165​ PO Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364​
University of Colorado Denver
Business School
1475 Lawrence St.
Denver, Colorado 80202

Contact the Business School

College of Architecture and Planning Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only) Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver
College of Architecture and Planning
PO Box 173364 Campus Box 126
Denver, CO 80217-3364
University of Colorado Denver
College of Architecture and Planning
1250 14th Street, Suite 2000
Denver, CO 80202

Contact the College of Architecture and Planning

College of Arts & Media Mailing Information

Regular Mail (USPS Only) Courier Service (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.)
University of Colorado Denver
International Admissions
Campus Box A005/1001 P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364
USA
University of Colorado Denver
College of Arts & Media
1150 10th Street, Suite 177
Denver, CO 80204

Contact the College of Arts & Media

Document Retention Policy

All credentials submitted as application materials become the property of the University of Colorado Denver. We will NOT return any academic documents submitted to CU Denver as part of an application or after admission.

If you are unable to comply with this policy, or if this policy causes undue hardship, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu before submitting any documents to CU Denver.

 

International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement through any of the options below for previous coursework completed.

 

Options for Previous Coursework Completed to Satisfy Admissions ELP Requirement
Earn a post-secondary bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States.
Earn 12 or more credit hours, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, in a master's or doctoral degree program in the United States.

Earn one of the following credentials:

  • A post-secondary credential, comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher in one of the countries listed below.
    OR
  • The equivalent of 12 or more credit hours in a master's or doctoral program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in one of the countries listed below.

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

 

 

International applicants holding citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver:

  • Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom

Note: This list is based on the United Kingdom government’s list of countries exempt from proving English ability when applying for a UK student visa.

Minimum Score Requirements

Note: The university minimum scores listed below apply to most graduates programs, with the exception of programs in the College of Nursing Check with your individual program to verify the minimum score required.

 TOEFL iBTIELTS ACADEMICPTE ACADEMIC
Overall Score 796.558
Reading 85.542
Listening 75.542
Speaking 185.542
Writing 165.542
DUOLINGO ENGLISH TEST
Overall Score105
Literacy85
Conversation85
Comprehension85
Production85

How to Submit Your Scores

Use the information below to submit your scores electronically:

TOEFLIELTS, PTE, and Duolingo

4875

Search "University of Colorado Denver "

{

Some graduate programs require standardized test scores (such as GRE or GMAT) for admission. If your program requires a test score, you should send your score through the testing agency. We require official scores for an admission decision. Verify the requirement below with your program's school or college.

GRE/GMAT Requirements

School or CollegeGeneral Testing Requirement

Business School

The GMAT is required for admission; however, the GRE may be substituted. GMAT/GRE waivers are available case-by-case and can be requested while completing the online application. Please note, that not all programs offer the same GMAT/GRE waivers. 

College of Architecture & PlanningGRE waiver available with 3.0 GPA
College of Arts & MediaGRE not required for all programs
College of Engineering, Design, and ComputingGRE not required for most MS and MEng programs.

Special Notice: the college has temporarily suspended the evaluation of GRE scores for admission decisions through the 2022 application cycle (Fall 2022 - Spring 2023). If you choose to optionally submit them, please send scores officially through ETS using code #4875. A preferred minimum score of 300+.

College of Liberal Arts & SciencesGRE not required for many programs; check your specific program
School of Education & Human DevelopmentGRE not required for all programs
School of Public AffairsGRE not required for all programs, but recommended for GPA below 3.0

 

How to Send Your Scores

Use the information below to send your scores electronically.

TOEFL & GREIELTS, PTE, Duolingo and GMAT

4875

Search "University of Colorado Denver"

International Credential Evaluation Requirement

An International Credential Evaluation Report is required for any applicant who attended one or more academic institution(s) located outside the United States. All international credentials from academic institution(s) located outside the United States will need to be verified for authenticity and evaluated by CU Denver or an external evaluation provider (ECE or WES).

If you are applying for CU Denver programs, you have two options to choose from:

  1. CU Denver In-House Evaluation
  2. External Evaluation (ECE or WES course by course only)

If you are applying for CU Anschutz medical programs, you must provide an external evaluation report (ECE or WES course by course only).

Please carefully read through each of the options below. 

In-House International Credential Evaluation by CU Denver International Admissions

[Content A Replaced]

External Credential Evaluation by WES/ECE

[Replaced B Content]

Document Requirements

Post-Secondary Transcripts
{

You are required to submit complete transcripts from ALL post-secondary/schools you have attended even if you did not graduate from the school. 

Indian applicants: Please be sure to submit all mark sheets and a degree/provisional certificate issued by the university, not an affiliated institution or college.

Read everything under "Important Information" below

Notice: International Admissions reserves the right to deny an application or rescind an application decision where the applicant fails to disclose educational work performed. Reasonable attempts to obtain missing academic records must be documented and verified for a conditional admission decision to proceed. View our frequently asked questions or contact us for more information. We are here to help!

Important Information

ECE or WES must authenticate and submit a credential report directly to CU Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Please note that a course-by-course evaluation from ECE or WES is required as part of the application and admission review process for Anschutz Medical Campus programs. To ensure timely processing of your application, please submit the evaluation report prior to the application deadline.

Do not submit transcripts from foreign (non-US) institutions to CU Denver. Instead, you must provide an international credential evaluation report from  Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or  World Education Services (WES). You will send your transcripts to the evaluation provider of your choice, and the provider will send their evaluation report to CU Denver.

After you submit your application, we will send you an email with a link to the specific landing pages where you can order your report for CU Denver’s use.

ECE or WES will charge you for this service. The cost is $163 to $208, depending on your chosen service, plus delivery fees. Scholarships are available to cover part of this cost. See email from International Admissions. If you have questions about the international credential evaluation, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu

 

Discover More


CMS Login