Academic catalog
The rules of study at Berkshire University in one place: degrees, credit hours, admission, assessment, grading and graduation.
Edition 2026.1 Published October 2026
The University
Berkshire University is a private online university for working adults, founded in 2015.
- Legal nameBerkshire University LLC, a limited liability company formed in the State of Colorado, United States, in 2015.
- Address620 Jessup St, Brighton, CO 80601, USA
- MissionTo give working adults a rigorous and flexible route to a university degree, by assessing what they already know and teaching what they still need.
- Mode of studyAll courses are delivered online. There are no campus requirements.
- AccreditationThe University's position is set out in its quality and accreditation statement, which every applicant confirms they have read before enrolling.
Degrees offered
| Degree | Requirement | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 120 credit hours | 40 courses of 3 credit hours, including a graduation project |
| Master's | 36 credit hours | 12 courses of 3 credit hours, including an applied project drawn from the workplace |
| Doctorate | 54 credit hours | 12 courses of 3 credit hours, and an applied research project of 18 credit hours |
A program opens for enrolment only when its curriculum and courses are in place on the learning platform.
Credit hours
- One credit hourAbout 45 hours of learning in total: lessons, practice, workplace tasks and independent work.
- A course3 credit hours, about 135 hours of learning, organised in units.
- A unitShort lessons with checks, a practical tool, a case, an example of failure, practice situations and a task carried out in the student's own workplace.
When a course is met through assessed experience, its credit hours are unchanged. What changes is how the learning is shown: through a test of what the student already knows.
Admission
There are no entrance exams and no fixed intake dates. Applications open program by program, and none is open yet.
- Bachelor'sA secondary school certificate or its equivalent, and documented work experience in the field.
- Master'sA bachelor's degree or its equivalent, and professional experience related to the program.
- DoctorateA master's degree or its equivalent, and senior professional or research experience.
- DocumentsCV, passport or national ID, previous certificates, proof of work experience, and training certificates if any.
- IdentityThe name on every University document is the name in the applicant's passport or national ID.
- Transfer creditCourses passed at another recognised institution may count toward a degree, within the limit set in the transfer credit policy.
Assessment of prior learning
- Unit of assessmentThe course. Experience is assessed course by course against the published learning outcomes of each course.
- MethodA test for each claimed course, taken online after an identity check, together with a review of the student's evidence.
- ResultThe test result is the grade recorded for the course. The minimum to earn a course by assessment is 70%.
- LimitIn a bachelor's program, at most 28 of the 40 courses (70%) may be met through assessment. At least 12 courses are studied with the University.
- Graduation projectAlways completed with the University. It is not open to assessment.
- RecordsEvery decision is recorded with its evidence, and a sample of decisions is audited every month.
Grading
| Grade | Score | Grade points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90 to 100 | 4.0 |
| B | 80 to 89 | 3.0 |
| C | 70 to 79 | 2.0 |
| D | 60 to 69 | 1.0 |
- Passing a studied course60% or above.
- Passing an experience test70% or above.
- Below the minimumRecorded as "not yet mastered". The student may try again, or study the course. Only earned grades appear on a transcript.
- Grade point averageThe average of grade points across all courses, weighted by credit hours, on a 4.0 scale.
Graduation requirements
- Every course in the program has an earned grade.
- The cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or above.
- The graduation project has been completed and passed.
- The student's identity and admission documents have been verified.
A graduate receives a degree certificate and a transcript of courses, credit hours and grades. Each document carries a number and a verification code that can be checked on this site.
Colleges and programs
Nine colleges and eighty-five programs. B is a bachelor's degree, M a master's degree and D a doctorate.
No program is open for enrolment yet. Every other program and level is in preparation, and opens when its curriculum and courses are in place on the learning platform.
Degrees in law, nursing, psychology and engineering are academic degrees. A licence to practise a profession is granted by the professional authority in each country, not by a university degree alone.
Student services
- Academic advisingEach student has an advisor who knows their study plan and follows their progress.
- Student portalRegistration details, study plan, grades and documents in one account.
- Coaching feedbackAn AI study assistant comments on practice work. It takes no part in graded assessments.
- DocumentsCertificates and transcripts, with notarization and apostille on request.
- AccommodationsStudents who need adjustments to study or to sit an assessment may request them. See the accessibility policy.
- Learning resourcesEverything a course requires is inside the course. See learning resources and the technical requirements for online study.
- In fullEvery service, and who to ask for each one, is on the student services page.
Fees and policies
- Application fee$120, paid once.
- Course fee$240 per course for a bachelor's degree, $590 for a master's degree and $790 for a doctorate, paid one course at a time. Tuition and fees.
- PoliciesAssessment, grading, academic integrity, appeals and complaints, equal opportunity and accessibility are in the University policies. The privacy policy, the refund policy, the complaints and appeals procedure and the terms of use of this site have their own pages.
- QualityHow standards are set, checked and recorded is described under quality assurance.
- This catalogEach edition carries a number and a date. The edition in force on the day a student enrols is the one attached to their enrolment agreement.