General Information
As one of only 35 U.S. public research institutions in the Association for American Universities (AAU), the University of Colorado Boulder is all about realizing the positive impacts of new knowledge. From offering dozens of exciting programs in a range of academic fields, to serving as one of the world’s most dynamic research and innovation hubs, to working closely through hundreds of public outreach efforts with communities across Colorado and the world, we take pride in helping our students, faculty, staff and partners turn new ideas into productive outcomes that change lives.
Students
With an enrollment of more than 36,000 students, CU Boulder is the largest of the four-campus University of Colorado system. The student population comes from every state in the nation and about 100 foreign countries. Many different ethnic, religious, academic and social backgrounds are represented, fostering the development of a multicultural academic community that enriches each student’s educational experience.
Faculty
CU Boulder has more than 1,200 tenured and tenure-track faculty, with 95% holding doctorates or appropriate terminal degrees. The faculty includes nationally and internationally recognized scholars with many academic honors and awards:
- David Wineland won the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics.
- Several CU Boulder research faculty from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for their contributions to the international report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
- John Hall won the 2005 Nobel Prize in physics.
- Carl Wieman and Eric Cornell won the 2001 Nobel Prize in physics.
- Tom Cech won the 1989 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
- Nine faculty have received MacArthur Fellowships.
- Twenty-six active or retired faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, all of whom are included in the membership of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Fifteen faculty are members of the National Academy of Engineering.
- Nine faculty are members of the National Academy of Education.
Most faculty members, including full professors, teach both undergraduate and graduate classes. Faculty members incorporate their research and creative activities directly into instructional programs. Faculty participate in campus governance through the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Assembly. Students participate through the University of Colorado Student Government (CUSG) and the United Government of Graduate Students (UGGS).
Academic Offerings
The Boulder campus offers approximately 4,300 different courses in approximately 160 distinct fields of study and 238 degree programs across the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional levels. These courses represent a full range of disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences, the physical and biological sciences, the fine and performing arts, and the professions.
Research
CU Boulder is home to more than 2,400 nationally and internationally recognized research faculty who have earned a global reputation for outstanding teaching, research and creative work across more than 160 academic disciplines. While the classroom is the location for most instructional activities, laboratories, seminars and field work also are important features of the undergraduate and graduate experience. Students can become involved in research and creative work as early as their first year.
CU Boulder’s sponsored research portfolio continues to grow. Since fiscal year 2015, CU Boulder has experienced 64 percent growth in research awards. Federal agency funding remains the mainstay of CU research, with 72 percent of awards coming directly from those sources. Five federal agencies are consistently the largest funding sources for CU Boulder awards:
- NASA
- National Science Foundation
- Department of Commerce
- National Institutes of Health
- Department of Defense
CU Boulder remains the No. 1 public university recipient of NASA research awards, and continues to be a national leader in aerospace and space research. Additionally, university researchers are expanding their impact through collaborative projects with industry, other universities, nonprofits and international partners.
CU Boulder’s research institutes and research centers significantly contribute to the university’s research and education missions, as well as the regional economy. Research faculty in academic departments, institutes and centers are continually expanding CU Boulder’s research capabilities and collaborations, resulting in new knowledge, technologies and creative work for the benefit of Colorado, the nation and the world.
Academic: GPA of 3.0 or above on their studies to date
English Language:
– IELTS: 6.5
– TOEFL iBT: 78
– Duolingo English Test: 120
28 August 2023 – 14 December 2023
Available Courses
Introduces modern cosmology to nonscience majors. Covers the Big Bang; the age, size, and structure of the universe; and the origin of the elements and of stars, galaxies, the solar system, and life.
Introduces students to modern information and communication technology, the basic principles of software and programming, the fundamental role of algorithms in modern society, computational reasoning, the major organizations in the information sector and fundamental interactions between humans and information technology. Appropriate for students with limited prior experience with computing.
Provides an introduction to human-centered design and the universal requirements of interactions with data, information and technologies. Studio experiences challenge students to consider the impact that information and computing technology design choices have on a) enabling diverse audiences to access, manipulate and experience information, and b) how differences get encoded by data and technology, ultimately reflecting biases
This course provides a comprehensive overview of public health as well as an in-depth review of specific public health-related topics. Beginning with historical overview, students will explore major public health concepts such as the basic principles of epidemiology, the biomedical basis of disease, social and behavioral determinants of health, and systems thinking. Students will be introduced to the concepts of measuring and evaluating the health of the populations, principles of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, environmental and occupational health, the economics of health, and the role of public health workers in society.
Focuses on the basic anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of nutrition. Topics include weight management, the role of diet and lifestyle in disease prevention, specific nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, nutrition standards and guidelines, sports nutrition recommendations, agricultural practices, and food policy issues.
Develops students’ skills in evaluating arguments and other aspects of critical thinking, focusing on the ways people reason and attempt to justify their beliefs. Activities may include modeling arguments, detecting common fallacies, examining the use (and misuse) of scientific evidence, and learning the basics of symbolic logic. Formerly titled “Introductory Logic.”
Examines contemporary ethical issues concerning the use, misuse, and development of information technologies, with particular focus on the consequences such changes may have on the lives of individuals and on the shape of societies. Topics may include hacking and cyber crime; artificial intelligence; robotics and automation technologies, such as drones and self driving cars; mass surveillance; use of personal information by corporate, law enforcement, and media interests; as well as gaming and virtual reality.
Introduces students to sentential logic, the logic of quantification and some of the basic concepts and results of metalogic (interpretations, validity and soundness).
Prepares students for critical practices in contemporary media cultures in a global context. Explores the diversity of media practices, including narrative and non-narrative forms, emphasizing aesthetics and visual studies. In lectures and recitations students will explore video, sound, the internet and other multi-media platforms of expression.
Examines culture in the form of discourse, symbols, and texts transmitted through the media. Explores the relationship between such mediated culture and social myth and ideology.
Emphasizes interrelations among levels and branches of government, formal and informal institutions, processes, and behavior.
Explores the concepts of culture and gender from an anthropological perspective, using films and other media, as well as written texts. By analyzing media about other ways of life, students will learn the basic concepts of cultural anthropology and be able to apply them to any society. In addition, students will learn to think critically about documentary and ethnographic media.
Documents the numerous ways in which observational astronomy and cosmology have been features of ancient cultures. Includes naked eye astronomy, archaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, concepts of time, calendrics, cosmogony, and cosmology.
Surveys the image of American Indians in American (especially Hollywood) film with an emphasis on “revisionist,” or “breakthrough” films. It follows the creation of “the Hollywood Indian” from early literature to contemporary motion pictures. Films are analyzed within historical, social, and artistic contexts, and examined in terms of the impact their images have exerted upon American society at large, as well as Native communities. Near the end of the course we will look at what happens when Native Americans write, direct, and act in their own independent films
Learn communication skills to be a better group member and enhance group effectiveness in a variety of professional and civic contexts. Practice group communication skills through an innovative group project and online simulation. Focuses on topics such as group development & socialization, decision making, conflict management, technology & virtual group work, difference & diversity, planning & coordination, leadership & management, and ethics.
This course explores the conjunctions of literature and environments: natural, built, and/or virtual. Students consider literary confrontations with issues such as ecological crises, climate change, human impact on the planet, technics and indigeneity, nonhuman animals and inhuman agencies, future natures, and environmental justice. Readings may include novels, non-fiction, short fiction, poems, graphic novels, and more.
Introduces a comparative framework for recognizing and understanding the diversity of the world’s societies and cultures. Units explore both local scale issues such as economic growth, inequality, political conflict, ethnic and racial dynamics, and climate change impacts, as well as broader scale trends associated with globalization, international development, migration, and the historical legacies of colonialism and imperialism.
Surveys the distinctly American art form of jazz music from its origins to the present, including the various traditions, practices, historical events and people most important to its evolution
Examines historical and contemporary issues in American arts and visual culture, emphasizing issues of race, gender, class, crosscultural
interactions, diversity of artistic traditions, and the global position of the United States in the modern world. We will focus on key monuments, objects, artists, and concepts relevant to the American context and impactful across geopolitical borders, ethnic groups, and genders.
Examines interactions between societies and their natural and built environments through the lens of inequality. Describes how environmental problems vary along, are shaped by, and exacerbate disparities along lines of race, socioeconomic status, and other forms of social status. Also examines collective efforts to address social and environmental problems.