Glossary of Terms

A university representative that can help guide you through decision-making and answer questions. There are many types of advisors including:

• Academic
• Faculty
• Career
• Financial aid
• International
• Study abroad

The unit of measurement for college credit. For each credit hour earned, you will spend approximately 50 minutes per week in class. Most core classes are three credit hours. Most degrees require 120 credit hours to graduate, however, some require more. You will also hear credit hours referred to as “hours” or “credits.” 

Your classification as a student is based on completed credit hours. Class level is determined by the following credit-hour breakdown:

• ​First-Year: 0-29 completed semester hours
• Sophomore: 30-59 completed semester hours
• Junior: 60-89 completed semester hours
• Senior: 90-120 completed semester hours

An individual degree-granting unit within the university.

At CU Denver, we have seven undergraduate school and colleges:

• Architecture and Planning
• Arts and Media
• Business
• Education and Human Development
• Engineering and Applied Science
• Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Public Affairs

​All are part of the University of Colorado Denver, and regardless of what school or college you have been admitted to, you are a CU Denver student. 

A course that must be completed concurrently, in the same semester, with another course. Some schools and colleges may allow you to complete corequisites before enrolling in a concurrent course.

Dropping one or more courses – but not all – within a specific term. When you withdraw from a course, you earn a grade of “W,” reflected on your transcript, which does not affect your GPA.

The set of general education requirements all students must complete. These classes help make you a well-rounded student and citizen. The Core includes classes in:

• ​English
• Math
• Arts
• Humanities
• Behavioral Science
• Social Science
• Biological and Physical Sciences
• Cultural Diversity
• International Perspectives

Classes you choose to take in addition to CORE, school or college, and major requirements.

To be a full time undergraduate student, you must be registered for at least 12 credits. Part time enrollment is anything below 12 credits. Full time/part time status does not relate to how many days per week you come to campus for classes. Full time/part time status is defined differently for graduate students.

An average on a 4.0 scale calculated based on your grades and the number of credits you have attempted. Different types of GPA include cumulative (total), semester/term, and major.

An alert placed on your student account that requires action. Typically, holds prevent you from completing specific functions in the student portal, like registration.

Based on extenuating circumstances, you can choose to request an incomplete grade for a course and make arrangements with the course instructor to complete any remaining assignments or exams. A grade of “I” is reflected on your transcript until you complete the course. There are guidelines to be eligible for an incomplete grade, as well as consequences for not completing a course, so be sure to see your advisor.

An academic experience created collaboratively with a faculty member. You and a faculty member would decide the work to be produced, the hours you’ll dedicate to the study, the outcomes for the experience, and the credits you’ll earn for the study.

A class component, in addition to lecture and mostly for biological and physical science courses, which involves direct application of concepts and information through activities, experiments, and observations.

A class component during which an instructor presents course content.

Introductory level survey courses designed for freshmen and sophomores.

As a component of a degree, the area of study chosen by a student to be their main focus in college. The number of classes required for a major varies. 

An optional course of study that allows you to take several classes as an introduction to a specific subject or discipline area. Minors require significantly fewer credits than majors and are not required at CU Denver.

A class component, in addition to lecture, which involves supplemental discussion of course content.

Advanced academic courses designed for juniors and seniors. ​