IEC Student Handbook: Academic Programs
All IEC students requiring immigration paperwork must be able to provide proof of financial support. Students interested in studying at the IEC must be at least 18 years of age. However, the IEC grants exceptions to students who are 17 years of age and have completed high school.
Each session, listening and speaking, reading, and writing instructors assign students a proficiency score for each language skill as a means to identify a student’s readiness for academic work in English. To provide proficiency scores, the IEC uses a system called the Common European Framework (CEFR) that is used widely in Europe and in other countries around the world. Please see the appendix for a detailed explanation of these scores.
Students receive a grade for each course they take. GPA (Grade Point Average) is the average of all the students’ grades. The table below shows how grades are calculated on a 4.0 scale
| Letter Grade | Points | Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 94-100% | Excellent control of student learning outcomes demonstrated through full command of the academic material; coursework completed. |
| A- | 3.7 | 90-93% | |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87-89% | Good control of the student learning outcomes demonstrated through solid command of the academic material; coursework completed. |
| B | 3.0 | 83-86% | |
| B- | 2.7 | 80-82% | |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77-79% | Satisfactory control of student learning outcomes demonstrated through an adequate command of the academic material; a majority of coursework completed. |
| C | 2.0 | 73-76% | |
| C- | 1.7 | 70-72% | * lowest grade to pass |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67-69% | Insufficient control of student learning outcomes, but shows progress; a majority of coursework completed. |
| D | 1.0 | 60-66% | |
| F | 0.0 | 0-59% | Unsatisfactory control of student learning outcomes and/or coursework is incomplete. |
When leaving the IEC, students may request a Certificate of Attendance that shows the total number of weeks the student was enrolled at the IEC. For students to receive this Certificate, all financial obligations must be settled. Students should request a Certificate at the IEC front office.
Official transcripts
IEC students can request official paper and/or electronic transcripts, including non-credit transcripts at the Office of the Registrar. Students should be sure to select non-credit transcripts for most of the IEC Programs.
Unofficial transcripts
IEC students can obtain unofficial transcripts by logging into Buff Portal:
• On the "Student" tab under "Academics/Schedule," select the "My Academics/View Unofficial Transcript" link on the right-hand side of the page.
• Next, under "My Academics" select the "View my unofficial transcript" link.
• On the next screen, leave "Home Institution" as CU Boulder. Click the arrow in the Select Transcript Type box and choose "Non-Credit Career," then click on the "View Unofficial Transcript" button. You should then see a PDF version of your unofficial noncredit transcript.
Students applying to universities throughout the U.S. are typically required to submit at least one letter of recommendation along with their application and academic transcript. We encourage IEC students to get letters of recommendations from instructors and/or academic advisors from their home country. These letters must be in English. However, if this is not possible, IEC faculty members can write letters of recommendation as well. Please follow these tips when asking for a letter of recommendation:
• Choose a faculty member who will be able to write you a good recommendation.
• Ask the faculty member at least two weeks before you need to submit your letter of recommendation.
• Be sure the faculty member knows your deadline.
• Provide the faculty member with the name of the University and the Academic Program you are applying to, as well as the semester you intend to begin your studies.