Graduate Advising

Reach out to an advisor if you need any help with the following:

• Advising and course planning
• Specializations
• Study abroad
• Program changes
• Graduation assistance

The graduate advising office is happy to help you with questions related to academic advice. Concerns regarding careers, tuition assistance, financial aid, scholarship assistance, immigration/visa regulations, and internship advising should be directed to the appropriate campus department. We will gladly refer you to the correct department if you have any of these concerns.

Use the forms below to make special requests. For questions regarding submitting a form or to submit a completed form, please email grad.advising@ucdenver.edu.

• Petition - to request approval to alter degree requirements or request approval for transfer credit
• Schedule Adjustment Form - utilized when the UCD Access portal will not allow a course action (drop, add, overload, section change, etc.)
• Late Add Form - to request to add a course after the first week of class until census date (see academic calendar for specific dates)
• Late Withdrawal Petition - to request to drop a course after the 10th week through the last week of class (see academic calendar for specific dates)
• Independent Study Form - to request approval to add an independent study as a part of your degree; should be combined with a petition form to get approval for where the independent study fits in your degree plan

Advising Resources

• How to Search and Register for Classes
• To declare or change your specialization, please email us at grad.advising@ucdenver.edu with your name, student ID, and specialization chosen OR complete this specialization confirmation form.

Campus Resources

• Academic Calendar
• Course Catalog
• University Policies and Academic Standards
• Business Career Connections – career coaching, major exploration, resume building, interview tips, LinkedIn profile building, networking, job opportunities, and professional development training
• Experiential Learning Center – offers resources for internships, undergraduate research, and other professional development experiences
• Registrar's Office – help with transcripts and official records
• Learning Resources Center – various forms of tutoring, additional support outside of class for historically difficult classes, academic development workshops, English language services, study groups
• Counseling Center – CU Denver students receive counseling sessions at no cost as part of student fees. The center offers group sessions, workshops, professional presentations, a relaxation room, and more.
• Bursar's Office – for questions on tuition and fees, past payment holds, and the payment schedule
• Writing Center – Assist students of all levels and in all disciplines on any type of written work.
• Financial Aid and Scholarships Office
• International Student and Scholar Services
• Veteran and Military Services
• Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (CARE) Team - The Campus Assessment, Response & Evaluation (CARE) Team was created to address the health and safety needs of students and the campus community.
• Disability Resources & Services - The Office of Disability Resources and Services envisions an educational environment that is inclusive and embodies the equality of opportunity.  Accordingly, the office is dedicated to the full participation of students with disabilities in the university environment.
• Office of Equity - The Office of Equity's stated mission is to strive to stop, prevent, and remedy discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, and any related retaliation; provide education, training, and outreach; design policies and procedures to make our campus safer and more inclusive; and ensure all individuals are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Below are the current MBA and MS degree plans, which are subject to change. Your degree plan follows the program requirements in place at time of admission. Degree plans are provided for reference. We encourage you to meet with an advisor before self-advising with these plans.

For our dual-degree plans, please contact the advising team at grad.advising@ucdenver.edu.

MBA degree plans

• Professional MBA (including all specializations)

• MBA in Health Administration

MS degree plans

Accounting

• Guidebook

Information Systems

• Guidebook

As a new student, it is important that you review the following information about next steps about setting up your student email and student account in UCD Access.

Student Email and UCD Access

Visit the following links to set up your student account, UCD Access, and your student email. You will use UCD Access to register for classes, check your degree progress, update your address, check grades, and more.

Canvas

CU Denver uses Canvas as the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Instructors post assignments, activities, and grades in Canvas while students can use Canvas to complete coursework and collaborate with their classmates.

We strongly recommend that you watch our Canvas Tutorial video, available at this link, prior to starting your first semester. You can also review Canvas Student Guide which includes how-to information.  

Canvas has created mobile apps for iOS and Android that allow you to access your schedule, discussions, announcements, and more. To download, search the Google Play Store or the Apple Store for the “Canvas Student” app.

Student ID

You will need your class schedule and a voucher obtained from the Lynx Center (Student Commons Building Suite 1107), along with a photo ID. Bring these items to the Tivoli Station bookstore in the Tivoli Student Union to receive your student ID and RTD college pass.

Text Books

To obtain textbook information, visit the Tivoli Station website, or check the "Course Books" tab in UCD Access, closer to the start of the term. You may purchase books from any vendor.

Degree Plan and Degree Audit

After you are admitted to the Business School, you will receive an email from the Graduate Advising Team. The email includes your official degree plan, which identifies your degree requirements. If you have questions about your degree plan, please contact grad.advising@ucdenver.edu for more information. To schedule an in-person or phone appointment with us, call the front desk at 303-315-8110.

We recommend you check your degree audit regularly to track your progress in your program. The degree audit can be found in UCD Access in the middle of the tool bar. Dual degree program requirements are not accurately tracked in degree audit. Please refer to your degree plan and/or contact grad.advising@ucdenver.edu for assistance.

Academic and Billing Calendars

The Academic Calendar outlines semester start/end dates, add/drop deadlines, graduation deadlines, holidays, etc. The Billing Calendar outlines important dates regarding your bill. You are responsible for following the calendars, so please make sure to check these each semester.

In fall and spring semesters, 8-week courses may be offered. These courses follow different academic and billing calendars. Please contact grad.advising@ucdenver.edu for assistance.

Registering for Classes

Each term, you are assigned a specific enrollment date and time. You cannot register until on or after your enrollment date and time. In UCD Access, from the “Student Center”, see the box entitled “Enrollment Dates” to determine your enrollment date and time. Register as soon as you can to avoid waitlists. Online classes fill quickly. 

• How to Search and Register for Classes

For every term, check the “holds” section of your UCD Access to ensure that you can register for future terms. A hold will prevent you from registering.

You may enroll in on-campus, hybrid or online classes, based on class format offerings. Hybrid classes blend both traditional classroom instruction and online learning. Typically, half of the class is on campus and the other half is online. In UCD Access, hybrid sections are identified with an “H” (e.g. H01, H02) and online sections with an “E” (e.g. E01, E02).

Visit the Registrar’s website for additional information regarding registration, waitlists, etc.

Reminders

• Students have five years to complete a single degree, or seven years to complete a dual degree.
• Some electives may only be offered once a year. Consider blending core and elective classes in the same term. In general, summer course offerings are limited and are accelerated (8 weeks instead of 16 weeks). People take less classes during summer than in the fall or spring semester.
• Early in your program, be strategic about taking classes that are prerequisites for downstream classes in your degree. Use UCD Access and your degree plan to strategize. If you have not met a prerequisite or corequisite requirement for a class you plan to take, UCD Access will not allow you to register for that particular class.
• You may request to substitute a more advanced level class for a core requirement if you have completed significant coursework in that subject area with at least a “B” average. Submit an online petition, found at this link, to request a substitution.
• A petition is required to alter any degree requirements. Petitions should be submitted as early as possible and allow up to two weeks for processing.
• If you have been granted a class substitution, waiver, or transfer credit for a class that is a prerequisite or corequisite of a class you plan to take, email grad.advising@ucdenver.edu for registration permission. Otherwise, UCD Access will not allow you to register. Include your name and student ID number, as well as class prefix, number and section.
• University policies and academic standards apply to all students and include information on academic ethics, attendance regulations, prerequisites, course numbering, appeal procedure, grade appeal procedure, general grading policies, and more.

Regardless of whether or not you are walking at commencement, you must apply for your graduation online in UCD Access while registering for your final semester of classes.

Process of Applying for Graduation

Step 1: Specialization form Those with a specialization must complete this form to confirm your specialization with the Graduate Advising team.

Step 2: Fill out an application to graduate Log into UCD Access and fill out application. Dual degrees must submit an application for each degree.

"Student Center" > "All Student Functions"
Under Academics, click drop-down menu and "Apply for Graduation."
Note that honors does not apply to graduate students, so you can ignore that checkbox.

Step 3: Update your contact information Update your contact information in UCD Access to stay in touch with events, news, and fellow alumni after graduation.

"Student Center" > "All Student Functions"
"Profile" > "Emails"
In the bottom right hand corner, click "Add an Email Address."

Commencement Ceremony

We do not know how commencement will be celebrated for Summer and Fall 2020. We will update you here as soon as we learn more.

The Business School was honored to celebrate our Spring 2020 graduates with a virtual commencement ceremony. The Class of 2020 can watch messages from Dean Gary Colbert, the Board of Advisors, the Business School Alumni Network, your advisors, and your faculty members from each discipline.

How many courses should I take in a semester?

The Business School has divided the 16-week fall and spring semesters in half to offer courses in 8-week sessions. You do not need to enroll in both 8-week sessions. You can enroll in the first or second 8-week session, or both, depending on your personal and professional commitments during that time.

If you work full-time, we recommend taking only one course in an 8-week session. If you do not work and personal commitments are minimal, you can consider increasing your course load to two courses in an 8-week session.

Unlike fall and spring semesters, the summer semester is a single 8-week session, so the above course load recommendation is the same.

How long will it take me to complete my degree if I take two courses in fall and spring and one course in summer?
The MBA is a 15-course program, so it will take you three years to earn the degree if you take five courses each year. A 10-course MS program will take at least two years following the same pattern. Please be aware that summer course options may be limited or not available. Additional time will be necessary if prerequisite coursework is required.

What is a full-time course load?
The Business School does not monitor your enrollment for full or part-time status. You determine the pace at which you want to go through your program. If you work full-time, the average course load is one or two courses in fall and spring terms, one in the summer (pending availability).

If you are not working, you may take three or four courses in the fall and spring terms, two in the summer (pending availability). Keep in mind, this pace would require a significant amount of coursework each week throughout the semester.

If you are receiving tuition assistance, full or part-time status is determined and monitored by the entity providing the funding such as financial aid, or Veteran’s Affairs (e.g. GI Bill). Please contact the respective office for enrollment requirements.

If you are an international student, please make sure to consult with the International Student & Scholar Services office for your enrollment requirements.

If I wish to modify my degree plan to do an internship, independent study, transfer coursework, substitute courses, or other changes, how do I do that?
The process may vary depending on the type of modification. Contact an advisor at grad.advising@ucdenver.edu for specific instructions.

How do I submit a petition?
Petitions can be submitted online at this link. Once a decision on your petition has been made, your advisor will email you to let you know if your request has been approved or denied. Please be aware, it can take 5-10 business days to receive a decision on your petition request.

What are the requirements to transfer coursework?

Graduate transfer courses must meet the following requirements.

• Taken within the last five years
• Received a grade of "B" or better
• From an AACSB accredited business program
• Cannot have counted towards a previous degree
• Must be a graduate-level course

Transfer courses meeting the above requirements must be petitioned with the course syllabus. The petition and syllabus can be submitted online at this link to graduate advising for processing and review by the program director. There is a limit to the number of transfer credits accepted. These limits are listed below in semester hours (quarter hours are transferred at a rate of 0.67 semester hours = 1.0 quarter-hour).

• MBA allows up to 12 semester hours
• MS allows up to 9 semester hours, except for MS Business Analytics which allows up to 6 semester hours
• Dual (MBA/MS) 18 semester hours (9 MBA & 9 MS per the discretion of program director)
• Dual (MS/MS) cannot exceed 30% of the total number of hours
• For MBA, 21 credits can be accepted from other University of Colorado campuses. For MS excluding MS Business Analytics, up to 15 credits can be accepted from these other campuses.

Official transcripts are required to complete the transfer process. Please check with an advisor on the status of your transcripts. If you have not yet taken the course that you wish to transfer, you should petition for approval in advance.

How much homework should I expect?

For 16-week courses, the estimated amount is 10 hours of homework per course per week, not including class time. For 8-week courses, the estimated amount is 20-25 hours of homework per course per week, not including class time.

What are my resources for knowing which courses will be offered in a specific term?
Students can use the Class Search tool in UCDAccess to look up current, future, and past courses. Past schedules help predict possible course options for future semesters but are subject to change. An advisor can also assist you in finding courses.

Where can I find feedback from other students regarding instructors and courses?
We recommend referencing the Faculty Course Questionnaire results.

Do I need to declare a specialization right away?
Most programs do not require a specialization. If you decide to declare a specialization, for planning purposes, it is helpful to declare earlier rather than later. A specialization is required in only the MS in Finance and Risk Management program. The specialization you choose will be documented on your final transcript, but not on your diploma.

How do I declare my specialization?

Please complete this form to declare your specialization.

How do I find my textbooks?
Close to the start of each term, we recommend visiting Tivoli Station Bookstore to search for your book list by course. You may also check the Course Books tab in the student portal. Additional resources for finding books include the course syllabus in Canvas or contacting your professor.

In what order should I take my courses?
Some courses may only be offered once a year, so we recommend blending core and elective classes in the same term. When planning courses, please be mindful of corequisite and prerequisite requirements. Please refer to your Welcome Email for program-specific information as applicable. 

What is a prerequisite? What is a corequisite?
A prerequisite is a course that must be completed prior to enrolling in a class. A corequisite is a course that may be completed prior or concurrently. All course prerequisites and corequisites must be met in order to enroll. Prerequisites and corequisites are enforced by the registration system.

Prerequisites and corequisites can be found in the registration or class search functions in UCDAccess by clicking on the section link of the course and looking in either the “Enrollment Requirements” or “Description” box.

Why can’t I register?
There could be many reasons why you are unable to register. We recommend considering the following.

• Check your assigned registration date and time in UCDAccess.
• If you were waived from a prerequisite or corequisite, approved for a substitution of a core course, or transferred credit for a core course, you may need permission to enroll. Please contact grad.advising@ucdenver.edu to request permission to enroll. Make sure to include your student ID number, course, and section number (i.e. ACCT 6442, section 001). 
• Check the “holds” box in UCDAccess to see if you have a hold on your account. If so, click on the hold to find out the appropriate course of action.
• If this is an extended studies course (ENTP, RISK, or CMDT), you must register for the extended studies section. Please see the class notes for specific instructions.

Am I required to take summer courses?
Taking courses in summer is not required by the Business School. If you decide to take courses in summer, please keep in mind that summer course offerings can be limited or may not be available. 

Am I required to meet with an academic advisor?

Newly admitted MS Accounting students are required to meet with an advisor before enrolling in their first term. For all other graduate business programs, meeting with an advisor is recommended but not required.

How do I schedule an appointment with an advisor?
You can schedule an appointment with an advisor by following instructions found at the top of this page or by calling 303-315-8110. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday and can be in person, Zoom, or over the phone.

How can I contact an advisor via email?
For assistance via email, you may contact anyone in the graduate advising team through their individual email. You can also email our general address, grad.advising@ucdenver.edu, which is monitored daily by the advising team. We strive to return emails within one to three business days. During peak advising times, priority is given to registration and enrollment needs.

In what format are classes taught?
The Business School offers online (instruction through computer only), and hybrid (combination of campus and online) classes. Keep in mind that not all courses will be available in both formats. Many courses might have only one format option in a given semester.

If you are an international student, you will need to enroll in at least one campus or hybrid class each fall or spring semester, depending on your visa type. If you have questions, please check with International Student Scholar Services (ISSS).

My question isn’t about my degree requirements. Can advisors still help?
Yes! While we will not be able to address content in areas outside of graduate business academic advising, we can connect you to the appropriate university resource such as Financial Aid, Registrar, Bursar, International Student Scholar Services, and other offices.