Admissions

In order to apply for the Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Have a minimum accumulated GPA of 3.0 in your existing bachelor’s degree. Applicants with significant life experience but a lower GPA will be considered.
• Meet the math requirements.
• Complete and submit all application materials by the specified application deadline. We do not offer late acceptance or extensions.
• International students must meet a minimum standard of English proficiency.

You are required to fulfill one of the following:

• Completion of AP Calculus or Calculus 1 with a minimum C- grade.
• Completion of the self-paced ALEKS Prep for Calculus with Limits course.
  • For this option, visit the ALEKS website and sign up for the course using the class code: URCTP-JKV3U. You will be required to purchase an access code to take the course.
  • Additional ALEKS Information:
    • The cost is approximately $30, and you will be granted 6 weeks of access to complete the self-paced course.
    • After purchasing access, you will be given an “Initial Knowledge Check.” This will determine the percentage of the course content in which you are already proficient. As you progress through modules, you will periodically be given “Progress Checks.” Your performance in this or any other ALEKS check in no way impacts your application.
    • Once you achieve 90% tested knowledge, you will receive a certificate of completion via email. This signifies that you have met the math prerequisite of our program. Our admissions team has access to these certificates and will review them as part of the admissions process.

    IMPORTANT: Applications that fail to meet the math prerequisite will not be considered. If you are unsure, please reach out to our office via the request information form and we will be more than happy to discuss this with you. It is very important that you do not assume you have met it, check your transcript or make sure you have completed 90% of ALEKS.

    In addition to our general admission requirements, all international applicants are also required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. Applicants are evaluated based on their overall application.

    Visit the CU Boulder English Proficiency Requirements page to view the most up-to-date English proficiency requirements, as set by CU Boulder Admissions.

    Also, please be aware the Applied Computer Science Post-Baccalaureate program adheres to the US Mountain Time Zone and our servers are housed in Boulder, Colorado. We welcome students from around the world, however, please be aware this may result in some additional work in relation to deadlines and/or software accessibility. Flexibility will be at the discretion of the instructor.

    We encourage applicants from all different backgrounds to apply to our program. Even if you are new to the field of computer science, there are several ways to express your interest in your personal essay (250-1,000 words):

    • Share a recent experience that led to your interest in CS
    • Outline your goals upon completion of our program
    • Touch on ways you would apply your new knowledge in your professional and/or personal life

    We recognize the incredible potential of services like ChatGPT in our industry and society. However, we ask that you use your own words to outline why you are interested in pursuing a degree in computer science. We ask a minimum of 250 words, and that you provide specific examples of your recent experience with CS. Every essay is reviewed by our team and it does impact your application.

    Transfer Credit

    New students are eligible to transfer credits from CU Boulder and outside institutions.

    All Credits

    • Must be equivalent to classes from our curriculum. Credits not equivalent to these courses, or computer science courses outside of our curriculum, are not eligible to be transferred
    • Must have been passed with a C- or better
    • Must have been taken within the past 10 years
    • Must provide an official transcript to be eligible to receive credit

    CU Credits

    You may transfer a maximum of fifteen (15) eligible credit hours from CU Boulder or CU Continuing Education before matriculating into the program.

    Outside Institution Credits

    You may transfer a maximum of nine (9) eligible credit hours from an outside institution and must have been issued by an accredited institution.

    Furthermore, it is highly encouraged that transfer credits are completed prior to applying to the program. (Example, completed by Fall 2023 if applying for Summer 2024) Failure to do so may result in a delay of matriculation into the program.

    You may also combine CU Boulder and other university transfer credits, however, you may not exceed more than 15 credits total.

    Eligibility

    As part of the admissions process, the Office of Admissions will officially evaluate your credits approximately 2 weeks after acceptance into the program. All possible transferable credit will be transferred and reflected in your transfer credit report in your student portal. How these transferable courses apply to your specific degree will require a conversation with your academic advisor and can be viewed in your degree audit.

    To determine if your credits are eligible to be transferred, please review the CU Admissions guidelines. Their office handles all transfer credit eligibility.

    Courses taken over 10 years ago may not be transferred to the program.