How Courses Work

Female student studying outside a building

You can enroll in individual courses or specializations — a series of courses designed to help you master a specific skill — to earn Course and Specialization Certificates. Complete courses at your own pace.

Non-Credit Offerings

If you are interested in our non-credit offerings:

  • Sign up for an account on , the online platform where you will access and complete your courses. If you are a student, faculty, or staff member at the University of Colorado, .
  • Browse our course offeringsto find and select courses to enroll in.
  • Click on a course card to enroll and start learning.
  • Pay the course fee to unlock the full course, including graded assignments, to earn a Course or Specialization Certificate.

For Credit & Degree Program Offerings

If you are interested in our for-credit and degree program offerings:

  • Search our course offeringsby selecting “for credit” from the search options.
  • Click on a course card to learn more about the program and how to enroll.

Transitioning from Non-Credit to For-Credit Programs

You may upgrade from non-credit to for-credit during any open enrollment window with the following steps:

  1. Click the Enroll Now button during an open enrollment period and select your student type.
  1. New students Activation:
  • Complete the CU Boulder Student Account Creation form.
  • Check your email and activate your IdentiKey.
  • Access your CU email.
  1. Enroll in courses and pay tuition via .
  1. New Student Onboarding Steps
  • Link your CU email to your Coursera account.
  • Complete your program’s mandatory non-credit Student Onboarding Course on Coursera. You cannot access for-credit content until this free 3–5-hour course is completed.
  1. Access your course(s) starting after the for-credit session starts.
  • Previously completed assignments will be automatically applied to your for-credit experience.
  • You will also need to complete additional material in the for-credit version, typically a final exam or project.
  1. Complete your course(s) before the 8-week session ends.
  • Meet all session deadlines posted on the session calendar, including scheduling proctored exams, submitting peer-reviewed assignments, and completing all coursework.
  • You must complete the password quiz (or equivalent) to unlock restricted content and earn CU Boulder credit.

You may upgrade from non-credit to for-credit during any open enrollment window with the following steps:

  1. Click the Enroll Now button during an open enrollment period and select your student type.
  2. Enroll in courses and pay tuition via .
  3. Access your course(s) starting after the for-credit session starts.
  • Previously completed assignments will be automatically applied to your for-credit experience.
  • You will also need to complete additional material in the for-credit version, typically a final exam or project.

4. Complete your course(s) before the 8-week session ends.

  • Meet all session deadlines posted on the session calendar, including scheduling proctored exams, submitting peer-reviewed assignments, and completing all coursework.
  • You must complete the password quiz (or equivalent) to unlock restricted content and earn CU Boulder credit.

Please note that if you start a non-credit course within the same month that you upgrade to the for-credit version, you will not receive a refund for the monthly subscription associated with the non-credit course. The monthly subscription fee is paid to Coursera, not to the .