Nondegree Admissions and Enrollment

Providing a Foundation for Academic and Professional Fulfillment

Do you want to explore the University of Colorado College of Nursing before applying for formal admission? Would you like to complete a course for professional development, or possibly transfer into a degree program? If so, nondegree admission might be right for you.

We cater to busy professionals and distance learners, so you can earn a graduate certificate at your pace and develop knowledge and skills for your practice. When you take courses as a nondegree student, you will have access to our Health Sciences Library and Anschutz Medical Campus Bookstore, to name a few of our many resources. You can build contacts, as you will be in classes with currently admitted students, and meet some of our amazing and talented faculty. You can become acquainted with Canvas, our Learning Management System, or explore the state of the art Anschutz Medical Campus, while you add academic credit-bearing courses to your transcript. Whatever your motivation for taking courses as a nondegree student, our dedicated staff will help you along your journey.​

Nondegree students on the Anschutz Medical Campus register in one of three schools/colleges depending on the course they wish to take. It is important to follow the correct instructions and complete the appropriate application for the nondegree course(s) that you want. The information on this website applies to nursing courses only.

Note: If you are interested in coursework in public health (biostatistics or epidemiology), you must apply through the public health nondegree application. If you are interested in coursework within the biomedical basic sciences, you must apply through the graduate school basic sciences nondegree application.

Extended Studies courses are open to anyone who

  • would like to take a graduate-level nursing course to improve their knowledge or skill-set.
  • has applied, but does not start during the current semester.
  • would like to attempt a graduate-level certificate.
  • would like to take a course to transfer into a degree program.
  • is a CU degree student who needs to take a non-degree course (which is not offered through their current program).

Degree Implications

Enrollment as a nondegree student does not guarantee admission into University of Colorado degree programs.

CU College of Nursing graduate degree programs allow up to 12 credits to be transferred toward that degree. It is the responsibility of the student to transfer credits earned as a nondegree student into a program after acceptance.

Financial Implications

Nondegree students are subject to different billing, registration, withdrawal, and incomplete deadlines than degree-seeking students. Current deadlines are posted online under Tuition Rate and Important Dates.

Nondegree students are not eligible for financial aid. Please select Course Lists and Catalogs/Course offerings for more detailed information.

Technology Requirements and Computer Skills

Please refer to the CU Online Technical Requirements to check your computer hardware, software, and internet service compliance. Additionally, you will need the following basic computer skills to function comfortably in an online course:

  • Use a mouse
  • Locate, open, and close files
  • Copy and paste text from one document to another
  • Have basic word processing skills
  • Send and receive e-mails with file attachments
  • Have two or more windows open and toggle or switch between two open applications
  • Be able to work or "buddy" with someone to improve your skills and complete group assignments
  • Review tutorials on your own computer, or seek assistance from local library resources or computer courses.

Our current Course Offering list is for the upcoming semester only, but you can find the complete CU College of Nursing list of offerings for the last three semesters under Course Schedules.

Prerequisites and Permissions

The four core courses for a nursing Master's degree require only a baccalaureate degree in Nursing. These courses can be taken in any order, and at least one of them will be offered each semester. they are:

  • NURS 6​009 - Theory Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3 Credits)
  • NURS 6070 - Policy and Politics (3 Credits)
  • NURS 6109 - Applied Evidence Based Practice (3 Credits)
  • NURS 6286 - Foundations Informatics (3 Credits)

Permission to take a class does not guarantee that the program will accept credits taken as a nondegree into your desired program, so we highly recommend you consult with an advisor to verify transferability.

All other graduate-level courses for nondegree enrollment require a baccalaureate degree in Nursing.

Doctoral-level courses for nondegree enrollment require a master of science degree or permission from the instructor and the program director.

All graduate-level certificates require program permission. Nondegree students should check the certificate pages (See Graduate Certificates) for contact and other information.

You can apply and request enrollment online by electronically signing the secure form.

Click Here to Apply Now

You will receive a confirmation email that we received your application after submission. If you do not receive such notice, please contact us. If for any reason electronic submission does not work, please email us at CON.ExtendedStudies@ucdenver.edu​.

Form Processing

We highly suggest that you submit your form as soon as possible. However, Graduate Certificate applications will be accepted as late as one week before the first day of classes, and requests as late as the first week of classes, subject to instructor permission.

We determine a requestor’s eligibility to take the requested courses once a completed form has been received. Enrollment requests are processed as soon as possible in the order they were received. We will manually admit you as a Non-Degree student for the requested term. If we determine there is space in the course you requested, we will send you an email with registration instructions.

What to Expect After Submission?

Approximately two to three weeks before the term begins, if space is available in your requested course, you will receive instructions on how to register for classes (see "Attend" tab).

This confirmation email will include the following:

  1. Your University of Colorado Student Identification Number (SID)
  2. Instructions on how to claim your university account. Once you are enrolled, all communication will be sent to you CU Anschutz email account. 
  3. Instructions on how to self-register online
  4. A five-digit class number for each course you requested
  5. Instructions for accessing the Canvas Learning Management System

You are responsible for reading and following all of the registration materials sent via e-mail. If you do not receive a confirmation letter at least one week prior to class, then it is your responsibility to notify us at CON.ExtendedStudies@ucdenver.edu​. If you register for courses, you are responsible for all course expenses. 

Current Term Information

Please see "Tuition Rate and Important Dates".

Please note: There are no refunds after 5 p.m. on Friday, the last day of drop/add period. After that time students become 100% academically and financially responsible for any courses in which they are enrolled.

Prepare for Classes

Following the instructions included in your confirmation letter, you will need to do the following before the start of classes:

  1. Claim your University account or reset your password
  2. Self-register online
  3. For online and on-campus classes, familiarize yourself with the learning management system, Canvas.
  4. For on-campus classes, allow yourself enough time to find your classroom and get in your seat at least 10 minutes early. 
  5. Buy assigned books
  6. Request a student badge
  7. Clinical courses; we will notify you if you need to fulfill clinical requirements

Instructions are included in your confirmation e-mail along with contact information for support.​​​​​

Tuition Rate

The 2020-2021 Tuition Rate for Extended Studies is $711 per credit hour plus fees.

Fees

Please see the complete list of fees. There is no application fee for applying as a nondegree student.

If you are a CU employee, please see the terms and conditions available for using your Employee Tuition Benefit.

Billing

The Bursar's Office will send a notice to your university e-mail which will let you know when your bill is ready. See Resources for online bill pay instructions.

If you have a third party paying toward your bill you need to call the Bursar's line for Third Party Sponsored Students at 303-556-5286.

Any student with an outstanding balance will not be allowed to register, receive a copy of their graduate certificate, or receive a copy of their transcripts.

Getting out of a Class

Students who wish to drop a class must do so online in their student portal before 5 p.m. on the drop/add deadline (see "Tuition Rate and Important Dates" at left for current term deadlines).

If you do not properly drop a class online, you are 100 % academically and financially responsible for the course and all associated tuition and fees. Selected courses have additional cancellation and refund requirements.

No refunds are issued after 5 p.m. on the last day of the drop/add period. Read our full policy for further details.

A full refund is issued when the College of Nursing cancels a class.​​​​​​​​​​​​