FAQ

The Bachelor of Innovation (BI) is a family of degrees at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. BI students take most of the same major courses as their BS or BA counterparts; the difference lies in the non-major courses. BI students’ non-major courses are split into three categories: an Innovation Core, a Cross Discipline Core, and general education courses.

No. This is a degree in whatever major you choose, e.g. the BI in Chemistry is a degree in chemistry and the BI in Computer Security is a degree in computer security. You will study innovation through the eight classes in the innovation core. 

UCCS as a school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Existing programs in Engineering and Business are accredited by ABET and AACSB respectively. The Bachelor of Innovation (BI) Degree was approved by the Regents of the University of Colorado, and it is fully comparable to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS).

Yes, employers recognize that BI graduates are very employable. Their degrees are accredited like BA and BS degrees but the emphasis on innovation makes our graduates stand out with employers. 

Each BI major takes classes related to their major, Innovation Core, Cross Discipline Core, and general education courses. 

Nearly all of our classes are less than 50. We use team-teaching so this ensures the student-teacher ratio is an ideal 25 or less.  The program is designed to be highly interactive. Our classes are led by faculty experienced in innovation. You will be working in teams with faculty, graduate students, company representatives as well as a range of undergraduate students. 

Yes. All BI programs are designed to be finished in 4 years with either 128 credits or 120 credits.

Yes. You can convert over in the same major. Note, however, that most of the majors have some restrictions on the courses you can take. Your Innovation Core classes could be counted toward other program/college requirements. It may require more than 120/128 credits to graduate depending on the circumstances. The major in Game Design & Development is only available in the BI. Please consult with an advisor as this is highly dependent on the individual situation. 

We hope you will declare your intent when you apply but you can do it almost any time. The earlier the better as this will assist in getting the desired classes and limiting the number of credit hours to complete the degree.

BI students are regular students at UCCS, so they qualify for all the standard benefits including financial aid. 

The campus uses rolling admissions, so it is ongoing. Please be aware of any deadlines for financial aid or any specific programs.

Yes. The entry-level classes such as ENTP 1000 and INOV 1010 are available to all students at UCCS on a space-available basis with any completed prerequisites. BI students will be given preference if class capacity is limited.

Prerequisites should match the requirements for the appropriate college at UCCS. Visit the UCCS admissions page for more details.

Yes. You will need to be proactive and somewhat flexible in scheduling your classes and managing work hours. Our classes typically meet for three hours, one-day each week so this helps with work scheduling.

No. Class work will not be paid but the experiences are very valuable for your resume.  We have found that employers appreciate the variety of “real-world” experiences that BI students obtain through the Teams Classes (INOV 2010/3010/4010). Sometimes students secure paid consulting/work/internships after the semester ends.

This is the best training for your career when graduate.  Working with people is sometimes challenging but we will support you and provide mechanisms to manage the HR component of your coursework.

While the BI family of degrees has been approved by the Regents of the CU system, at the current time the degree family will only be offered at UCCS. 

Some of our courses are offered online. They are listed with an “OL” after their titles (e.g., ENTP 1000-OL1). We are planning to offer more and potentially a new Innovation Degree program in the future.

Please complete a client application.  You can also reach out to us via our contact us page.