Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity, Early Childhood Education
School of Education & Human Development
Overview
Degree: EdD
Classroom Type: Fully Online
CU Denver’s EdD, with a concentration in early childhood education, is designed to prepare professionals to become leaders and advocates in early childhood and early childhood special education in inclusive, culturally, and linguistically diverse early childhood contexts. Graduates are prepared to work in leadership positions in national, state and local government, in personnel preparation, and to lead early childhood direct service organizations.
Application​ deadlines
December 15, 2025
Program Details
Interest Categories: Education & Counseling
Campus: CU Denver
The Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity with a concentration in early childhood education (ECE) is designed for those who are passionate about the quality of life of young children—infants to age eight and their families. They advocate for better work lives for early childhood education teachers. Those in the program aim to join leadership discussions to examine systemic inequities in the lives of young children and to transform early childhood systems and the contexts where young children grow and learn.
Graduates can work collaboratively to research, examine and explore opportunities leading to solutions of problems of practice across the early childhood landscape including childcare, schools, community program environments, university teaching, and at the policy level.
The EdD concentration will prepare you to:
- Understand complex and contemporary issues, systems and practices in inclusive ECE
- Study and apply critical theories to current, historical, and sociopolitical realities of marginalized children, families and communities while also exploring a variety of research frameworks that align to individual interests and potential research areas.
- Develop leadership and advocacy skills to promote positive changes in the lives of children, families, organizations and communities
- Develop and demonstrate academic writing and collaboration skills to build practical leadership and research knowledge, and systematic inquiry methods centered in the education of diverse young children and their families.
- Apply a critical theoretical lens to the generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice, culminating the program with a Doctoral Research Project (DRP). The DRP is a scholarly endeavor that examines a complex problem of practice using contemporary and applied theoretical frameworks and methodologies to understand and promote positive experiences of young children and families.
Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development
This program provides an environment and curriculum that prepares students for a career as an ECE leader. Graduates will be keenly aware of the complexities and unique opportunities of early childhood and early childhood special education.The School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) is recognized for preparing leaders of distinction who value lifelong learning and socially just solutions to current educational challenges. Additionally, SEHD is counted among U.S. News & World Report's “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top education schools in the country.
Courses
This is a 54-credit program comprising three years of coursework (44 credit hours) and upon completion of coursework, students are required to complete a Doctoral Research Project (10 credit hours). Students complete the program in approximately four years.
Cohort-based program: Admitted students will join a cohort format and take courses together with their cohort.
A new cohort begins every other summer beginning Summer 2026. Students who are not able to start the program in their initial term of admission will need to apply for the next cohort. We are currently accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year.
We offer fully online courses with synchronous and asynchronous classes and seminars each semester in 8-week and 16-week formats.
The curriculum includes the following elements:
- 12 credit hours in EdD core courses within equity, leadership and learning core areas (four 3-credit courses)
- 9 credit hours in the research core (three 3-credit courses)
- 18 credit hours in concentration area courses (six 3-credit courses)
- 5 credit hours of doctoral research preparation seminars and 10 hours the completion of a doctoral research project
Sample Courses
- EDFN 7410 - Power and Privilege: The Social Construction of Difference 3 credits
- ECED 7000 - Early Childhood Education and Care Today Practices, Policies, and Key Issues 3 credits
- ECED 7200 - Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education 3 credits
Recommended Completion Time:4 years
Required Credits for Completion:54
Admission Requirements
The Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity, Early Childhood Education will be admitting students for Summer 2026.
Application Opens: July 1, 2025
Application Deadline: December 15, 2025
The EdD in Leadership for Educational Equity, Early Childhood Education concentration, is a four-year program, designed for working professionals, with the following application requirements:
- Minimum requirements for ECE concentration:
- Master's degree in education or related field from an accredited university.
- Attend one information session during the fall 2025 semester (strongly recommended)
- Resume/CV
- Written Statement of Purpose that includes the following information in no more than 3-5 pages:
- A brief summary of your educational and leadership experiences, including your values related to leadership and equity in early childhood or early childhood special education. Specifically, write about your interest and commitment to expanding your expertise and research knowledge as the foundation for advocacy for transformative change.
- A brief summary of your current professional role and responsibilities, and future career goals.
- Your purpose in pursuing the EdD, intentions for applying the research skills and knowledge gained from the degree. If you have plans or ideas around your topic for research within the program, please describe them.
- Also share any of the CU Denver early childhood faculty research that you know about, have read or would like to learn more about.
- Finally, please describe how you plan to make time and space to successfully engage in a doctoral program over the course of four years.
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can best speak to your leadership, professional accomplishments, academic skills, and career goals. We recommend letters from faculty in your master’s program and/or professional colleagues who can speak to your work ethic, academic aptitude, communication, collaboration, and academic/professional goals.
- One Academic/Research-based Writing Sample Please include one writing sample of your academic and/or professional writing that showcases your ability to organize ideas and articulate a position on an early childhood issue or opportunity. If you do not currently have an academic writing sample/paper, you may write a short research report, brief, white paper, or project report (5 pages maximum) on a topic of interest.
- Transcripts (official or unofficial) from all post-secondary institutions attended where 12 or more credits are earned.
After the initial review of application materials, faculty will inform eligible applicants if they have been moved on to the second round of review including a virtual interview with early childhood faculty.
Register for an application support session
For more information, email education@ucdenver.edu or call 303.315.6300.