Faculty

MSCD has nearly 400 full-time faculty. Professors are master teachers, recruited and evaluated for their ability to teach and engage students. All classes are taught by academic instructors. As a culturally diverse team of academicians, 41 percent of full-time faculty are women and 19 percent represent ethnic minorities.

The MSCD faculty is among the most productive in the state. Latest QIS (2001-2002) shows average weekly teaching hours per full-time faculty FTE is 12.6 compared to 8.6 for CSU and 6.4 for UCB.

The college also brings real-world education into the classroom by hiring part-time faculty who work in the Denver metropolitan community and use their expertise and experience in the arts, business, communications, law, politics, the sciences and technology in their teaching.

The Campuses

The Metropolitan State College of Denver is located at the Auraria Higher Education Center, a 127-acre campus in downtown Denver at Speer Boulevard and West Colfax Avenue. The Community College of Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver share the facilities with MSCD.

The campus includes more than one million square feet of space for classrooms, laboratories and offices. Some administrative offices are located in restored Victorian homes in Denver's historic Ninth Street Park located on the Auraria site. The campus also features a child care center, a comprehensive library housing 693,000 volumes, and one of the most unusual student union facilities in the country in the historic Bavarian-style Tivoli Brewery Building. Excellent physical fitness facilities include a block-long physical education/events center with a swimming pool, weight room, game courts, dance studios and event seating for 3,000.

The Auraria Higher Education Center's proximity to downtown Denver enables students and faculty to use the community as a learning laboratory and to connect classroom theory to the cultural, economic, social, and political practices of the city.

The college also has two satellite campus sites operated by the Extended Campus Program. Metro South, located at 5660 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard in Arapahoe County, serves the south, southeast, and southwest metropolitan areas. Metro North, located at 11990 Grant Street in Adams County, serves the north, northeast, and northwest areas. Each site is located 14 miles from the Auraria campus along the I-25 corridor.

A variety of courses are offered during the evenings and on Saturdays on the Auraria campus and at Metro South and Metro North. Twenty-four degree programs can be completed entirely by taking courses scheduled during the evenings and weekends. MSCD offers classes in traditional formats as well as telecourses, online courses and correspondence courses. General information about these programs can be obtained from the Office of Admissions or the Academic Advising Center.

Distance Education Options

MSCD offers several options for distance education: online courses, hybrid courses (online/classroom combination), telecourses, and correspondence courses.

Online education is the fastest growing distance education option at MSCD with over 3500 students registering for one or more online classes during the Spring 2003 semester. MSCD's online courses tend to be small and highly interactive for both instructors and students. A student can complete General Studies online. For information about completing a major, minor, or certificate online, please contact the appropriate academic department. Please check with academic advisors and click here for more specific information about the online learning environment, suggested computer equipment, and other online services that are offered by the College.


2004-2005 ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Click here to view the current Academic Calendar


DEGREES AND PROGRAMS

The Metropolitan State College of Denver is organized into three schools. The schools are listed below with the majors and minors offered by each. The curriculum requirements for each of the programs are described in the Catalog in the special sections prepared by each school. Programs marked with an asterisk (*) do not require completion of a minor.

+Concentration may replace the minor.

Individualized Degree Program

The Individualized Degree Program (IDP) offers the student the opportunity to design her/his own major or minor in collaboration with a faculty mentor and staff advisor. The IDP serves students whose educational goals are not met by other majors/minors described in the MSCD Catalog. Students draw upon courses across the College to develop their degree plans, and pursue a wide range of areas of study. International Studies, Integrated Arts & Sciences, Computer Information Systems Criminalistics, Family Studies, Health and Wellness, and Arts Administration are examples of a few of the areas students have pursued through the IDP. The faculty mentor, the appropriate department chair and the director of the center approve each student's program. All requirements for any bachelor's degree apply. The program is offered through the Center for Individualized Learning (303-556-8342, Central Classroom 106). Click here for more details. Also visit www.mscd.edu/~cil/ for additional information.

Accreditations/Approvals
The Metropolitan State College of Denver is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (30 North LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, 1-800-621-7440). Individual academic programs within the following areas are accredited or approved by the following agencies:

*Accreditation
**Approval

Certificates of Completion
Certificate programs provide opportunities to successfully complete a series of five to eight academic credit courses that focus on a particular area of career interest. Each certificate program is designed to stand alone or merge with your degree program major or minor. The certificate title and date of award will appear on your transcript. The certificate program is coordinated by the Office of Academic Affairs, 303-556-3040.

Students must complete each course in the certificate program with a grade of “C” or better. The courses cannot be taken pass/fail.

Certificate Programs

BASIC DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Students are responsible for full knowledge of the provisions and regulations pertaining to their program contained in this Catalog and elsewhere. The final responsibility for completing the requirements for a degree rests with the students and it is recommended that they seek advice. Students should never assume that they have approval to deviate from a stated requirement without a properly signed statement to that effect. Please refer to the Academic Policies and Procedures section in this Catalog.

Requirements for All Bachelor's Degrees
To earn a bachelor of science, a bachelor of arts, or a bachelor of fine arts degree, a student must satisfy the following minimum requirements, plus any others stipulated for the degree for which a student is a candidate. Please refer to the Academic Policies and Procedures section in this Catalog.

• Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher for all course work.
• Complete at least 40 semester hours in upper-division courses (3000- and 4000-level courses).
• Complete all General Studies requirements listed for the degree and major.
• Complete a three-hour Multicultural course requirement.
• Complete a three-hour Senior Experience course requirement. This course must be taken at MSCD.
• Complete one subject major consisting of not less than 30 semester hours. With certain exceptions (see the Degrees and Programs section of this Catalog), complete a minor consisting of at least 18 semester hours. If a student completes two majors, the second major satisfies the minor requirement. Completing two concentrations under one major does not constitute the completion of two majors. Completion of two majors does not result in two degrees or diplomas. Coursework used to meet requirements for one major or minor may not be used to meet requirements for another major or minor. Students may not major and minor in the same discipline and are encouraged to obtain verification from an advisor if uncertainty exists.
• Complete all special requirements of a department and school.
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in all MSCD courses that satisfy the requirements for the major, and for all MSCD courses that satisfy requirements for a minor. Students should check with an advisor for special GPA program requirements.
• File an Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar by the following deadlines: Fall 2004–September 3, 2004; Spring 2005–January 28, 2005; Summer 2005–June 10, 2005.
• Academic residency (classroom credit) requirements:
• Complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of classroom credit at MSCD, including the last 12 semester hours applicable to the degree.
• Complete at least 8 upper-division (3000- and 4000-level courses) semester hours of the major and 3 upper-division semester hours of the minor at MSCD (classroom credit).
• Students should be aware that University of Colorado at Denver pooled courses will not satisfy academic residence requirements at MSCD. To use an MSCD-UCD pooled course for the last 12 hours residency requirement a student must (1) complete a minimum of 30 hours credit at MSCD prior to graduation and (2) obtain permission from the major or minor department prior to taking a pooled course to use it to meet a requirement in the major or minor program.
• Courses taken interinstitutionally at one of the other state colleges will NOT satisfy the academic residence requirements at MSCD.

Credit Limitations:

• No more than 30 semester hours of omnibus-numbered courses may be applied toward graduation requirements.
• No more than 30 semester hours taken by correspondence may be applied toward a bachelor's degree.
• No more than 4 semester hours in human performance and leisure activity or varsity sports courses will be counted toward a bachelor's degree for students who are not majoring in human performance, sport and leisure studies.
• No more than 7 semester hours in music ensemble courses will be counted toward a bachelor's degree for students who are not majoring in music.

Student Bill of Rights

The General Assembly implemented the Student Bill of Rights (C.R.S. 23-1-125) to assure that students enrolled in public institutions of higher education have the following rights:

1. Students should be able to complete their baccalaureate programs in no more than one hundred twenty credit hours unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission;
2. A student can sign a four-year graduation agreement that formalizes a plan for that student to obtain a degree in four years, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission. Students interested in signing a four-year agreement must be admitted to MSCD by July 1, must work with the Advising Center during July, and register for 15 credits approved by the Advising Center by July 30. Students should go to the Advising Center for details.
3. Students have a right to clear and concise information concerning which courses must be completed successfully to complete their degrees;
4. Students have a right to know which courses are transferable among the state public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education;
5. Students, upon successful completion of core general education courses should have those courses satisfy the core course requirements of all Colorado public institutions of higher education;
6. Students have a right to know if courses from one or more public higher education institutions satisfy the students' degree requirements;
7. A student's credit for the completion of the core requirements and core courses shall not expire for ten years from the date of initial enrollment and shall be transferable.
   

Requirements for a Second Degree
For an additional bachelor's degree, students must comply with the following:

• The first bachelor's degree must be recognized by MSCD.
• General Studies will be considered complete unless deficiencies exist according to the major department.
• Students must complete all requirements for a new major with a minimum of eight MSCD classroom upper-division semester hours in the major department.
• Students do not need to complete a minor unless specifically required by the major department for the contemplated degree.
• Students must satisfy the Multicultural and Senior Experience course requirements for the second degree.
• Students must spend at least two additional semesters in residence.
• Students must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of MSCD classroom credit after the awarding of the previous degree.
• Credit limitations for a bachelor's degree also apply to the second degree.
• An Application for Graduation must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline stipulated on MSCD's Academic Calendar

MSCD students should be able to:

• Write and speak with clarity;
• Read and listen critically;
• Draw conclusions from quantitative data;
• Recognize faulty reasoning;
• Organize ideas; and
• Communicate with experts in other disciplines and learn from them.

MSCD students should:

• Have an open attitude toward different approaches to problems
• Have an informed awareness of the principle human achievements in history, arts and letters, society, and science, and
• Be introduced to the basic methods, knowledge, problems or attitudes characteristic of a field.

• Only approved courses may be used to satisfy the General Studies requirements. Click here for a listing of these courses. Approved courses are also indicated by course in the Course Descriptions section of this Catalog. General College Requirements brochures contain all approved general studies, multicultural and senior experience courses. The brochure is updated two times per year and is available from academic departments, the Academic Advising Center (CN 104) and Academic Affairs (CN 318).
• General Studies courses need not be counted toward General Studies requirements. They may be taken as electives or to satisfy requirements in the major or degree program.
• Departments or programs may specify, by prefix and number, some General Studies courses in addition to courses required for the major or a professional credential. Check with your departmental advisor.

ADMISSIONS

Admission Requirements
The College uses two categories for classifying applicants: those who are 19 years old and younger and those who are 20 or older. Based on the College's modified open admission system, each category has its own admission requirements and procedures.

Students maintain the status of continuing student while absent from the College for no more than three consecutive semesters. Students who have not attended Metro for three consecutive semesters need to submit an application as re-admit students. For more information, see Admission of Previously Enrolled Students.

Application Deadline
To find out the application deadline for your intended term of enrollment, please click here. For the best possible selection of courses, students are advised to apply early.

Applicants 19 Years Old or Younger
Applicants who are 19 years or younger on September 15 for either the summer semester or the fall semester, or February 15 for the spring semester, will be classified as traditional applicants. They will be considered for admission using the requirements described below.

Freshmen (first-time college students):

• The College will admit students who meet state requirements for the College as established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).Click here for details.
• Applicants who do not meet the stated admission requirements will be considered on an individual basis that includes a careful review of all credentials, including letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
• Applicants must request that the following information be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions from the high school or testing agency before an admissions decision can be made:
  • ACT or SAT test results;
  • official high school transcript with GPA and class rank
• This information may be submitted at the end of the sixth, seventh, or eighth semester of high school, but no later than four weeks before the expected term of enrollment. An official, final transcript with date of graduation is required no later than the fourth week of the term of enrollment. Students should request the transcript and verify that the high school transcript with date of graduation has been mailed by the high school and has been received by the Office of Admissions.
• Applicants who have submitted a complete application by the deadline and who have a 76 index (see chart) or higher, will be admitted. Students who have between a 65 and 75 index will be considered on an individual basis. Students who have a 64 index or lower will be denied admission and will be encouraged to enroll in a community college.
• Applicants who have not graduated from high school but have passed and received the Colorado General Educational Development (GED) certificate or its equivalent will be accepted. ACT or SAT test results are not required with a GED. Official GED certificates must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions by the issuing agency before an applicant can be accepted.
• If your admissions file has not been completed at least one month before classes begin and if your index score is between 65 and 75, you cannot be considered for the upcoming term. Rather, you will be considered for admission for the next term. It is also strongly recommended that a personal statement be submitted along with the application for admission if you fall into this category.

• Applicants with 30 or more transferable semester hours completed with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be offered admission. Students with fewer than 30 hours will be considered on an individual basis, based on high school GPA, ACT or SAT scores and college work completed.
• Applicants who have less than a cumulative 2.0 grade point average from all colleges and universities attended will be considered on an individual basis that includes a careful review of all credentials, including letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
• Applicants must request that the following information be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions from the high school, testing agency and/or college or university:
  • ACT or SAT test results
  • High school transcript with GPA and class rank
  • Transcript from each college or university attended or currently attending
• These credentials should be received at least four weeks prior to the first day of classes. All required credentials must be received before a final admission decision can be made.
• If your admissions file has not been completed at least one month before classes begin, and if your college GPA is below a 2.0, you cannot be considered for the upcoming term. Rather, you will be considered for admission for the next term. It is also strongly recommended that a personal statement be submitted along with the application for admission if you fall into this category.

• Applicants will be admitted to the college upon indicating on the application for admission that they have graduated from high school or that they have passed and received a Colorado General Educational Development (GED) certificate or the equivalent. A GED issued through the military will be considered on an individual basis.
• By signing the application for admission, degree-seeking applicants are certifying that they will request either a high school transcript with date of graduation or GED test scores be sent to the Office of Admissions. Degree-seeking students will not be permitted to register for a second semester until this credential is received.
• The ACT or SAT is not required for admission but is highly recommended for advising purposes.

• Applicants will be admitted to the college, regardless of their cumulative college GPA, if they indicate on their application for admission that they have graduated from high school or that they have received a Colorado General Educational Development (GED) certificate or its equivalent.
• By signing the application for admission, degree-seeking applicants are certifying that they will request that either a high school transcript with date of graduation or GED test scores be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. In place of these credentials, college transcripts showing completion of 30 or more semester credit hours with grades of “C” or better will be accepted. College transfer students should request to have college transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions for transfer credit purposes. Degree-seeking applicants are required to have all college and university transcripts on file to receive a complete transfer evaluation.
• The ACT or SAT is not required for admission but is highly recommended for advising purposes.

• Applications can be submitted online or are available from The Metropolitan State College of Denver, Office of Admissions, Campus Box 16, P.O. Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217-3362, 303-556-3058.
• A $25 nonrefundable application fee ($40 for international applicants) is required with the application for admission. Readmit applicants are not required to submit an application fee.
• Submit a completed application and application fee directly to the Office of Admissions. The application and all required credentials (see Admission Requirements) should be received at least a month prior to the first day of classes.
• It is the student's responsibility to request that all required credentials be mailed directly from the issuing institution or agency to the Office of Admissions. Hand-carried documents will not be accepted.
• Although an applicant's record may be summarized on one transcript, an official transcript from each institution attended is required.
• The application for admission and all credentials received by the College will be kept on file for three semesters after the semester for which the student was accepted. After that time the file will no longer be maintained for students who do not enroll. Applicants wishing to attend MSCD after this time period must begin the admission process again.

• Submit a completed application for admission; and check the re-admission box on the top of the application under Application Status. No application fee is required for readmission
• Ensure that the application and any required credentials are received at least a month prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which admission is sought.
• Submit transcripts from institutions attended since last attending MSCD (if degree-seeking). If the student was not previously degree-seeking then the student must submit transcripts from all institutions attended.

• Be currently enrolled in a Colorado high school as a junior or senior
• Demonstrated ability to do college-level work as measured on assessment test scores

To apply for admission through the SEE program, the student must submit the following documents:

• Statewide Agreement Between Colorado School District and a Colorado College High School Concurrent Enrollment Form which includes student, parental, school district, and college administrator signatures.
  
• A completed MSCD admission application with the required $25 application fee

• A completed MSCD admission application with the required $25 application fee
• ACT or SAT scores. If a student has not taken an ACT or SAT test, the assessment tests will be required to enter the program.
• Statewide Agreement Between Colorado School District and a Colorado College High School Concurrent Enrollment Form which includes student, parental, school district, and college administrator signatures.

• Credit must have been earned at an institution of higher education holding full regional accreditation.
• Grades earned must be a "C-" or better. Courses with "D," "F" or similar grades will not be accepted in transfer. Also, courses graded with C.E.U.'s (Continuing Education Units) will not be accepted for transfer. A summary of transfer credit from each institution will be indicated on the MSCD academic record. Neither transfer course grades nor previous grade point averages will be indicated or affect the MSCD grade point average.
• Course content must be similar to those courses offered at MSCD.
• Students who have earned an A.A. or A.S. degree will receive junior standing at MSCD, provided all courses included in the degree carry a grade of "C-" or better and, based on the course-by-course evaluation, otherwise meet minimum MSCD transfer credit standards. Students may need to complete additional MSCD lower-division requirements.
• Applicants having completed the Colorado community college core curriculum, as certified on their community college transcript, are considered to have satisfied Metropolitan State College of Denver's minimum General Studies requirements. However, additional specific lower-division courses may be required for certain degree programs.
• Once transfer credits are evaluated, the total number of these credits applicable to a degree will not be reduced unless the student repeats already-awarded transfer credit at MSCD, or interrupts MSCD enrollment for three or more consecutive semesters and readmits to the College under more restrictive transfer credit evaluation policies.
• In accordance with policies established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to address student disputes regarding students transferring between Colorado public institutions, MSCD has instituted procedures for resolving transfer credit disputes. Questions regarding these procedures may be directed to Cristina Martinez in the Office of Admissions at 303-556- 3984.
  

• Weekly visits to local community colleges in the Denver Metro area
• Visits to other Colorado community colleges once or twice annually
• Preliminary transcript evaluation
• Transfer student scholarships
• Referral assistance to academic departments

ENROLLMENT

New Student Orientation
New Student Orientation offers a mandatory orientation program for all first-time college students and transfer students under 20. Transfer students 20 and older, as well as parents and non-degree seeking students, are strongly encouraged to attend orientation sessions. The year-round sessions cater to the specific needs of first-time college students, transfer students, women, and parents of traditional age freshmen. Sessions are scheduled on different days and at various times to accommodate the needs of our diverse commuter populations. Orientation sessions cover a variety of topics including degree planning, academic concerns, students' rights and responsibilities, student support programs, commuter issues and an opportunity to ask and discuss individual questions. Students are provided with a packet of valuable information which includes a catalog, student handbook, general requirements brochure and critical information from many of the student support programs and services. Orientation is invaluable in laying a solid foundation for students' future academic success. Approximately 4,000 students and parents are served by this program each year. For further information see New Student Orientation or call 303-556-6931.

• Must comply with all Metro State policies, procedures and deadlines when registering for, withdrawing from or dropping UCD pooled courses
  
• May not be placed on a wait list for any UCD pooled course

• Complete a UCD admission application.
• Register and pay for UCD courses at UCD.
• Request that official transcripts from UCD be sent to Metro State at the end of the semester.

• Consult with their academic advisor at Metro State to determine transferability of courses.
• Consult with Metro State's Financial Aid Office if receiving aid.