What you'll learn

University of Colorado Denver's Doctor of Education (EdD) concentration in science education prepares students to become highly knowledgeable about the field of science education, think critically about the nature of science and advocate for science education from a largely research-oriented and equity-based lens. Become a leader for change in school contexts.

Research conducted by our students includes dissertations-in-practice on topics such as science teaching, curriculum development, assessment, program evaluation, informal science education and environmental science education.

Students in this concentration will:

• Participate in a program designed for leaders of school improvement, reform and educational equity
• Learn with your peers in a cohort-based 3 or 5 year plan to graduation
• Engage with award-winning faculty, national grantmaking organizations like the National Science Foundation and our district-partners, on identified problems of practice and policy
• Become data savvy for strategic planning and decision-making
• Experience addressing real problems through a dissertation-in-practice

Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development

You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a leader who understands the value, complexities and unique opportunities of science education. The university and school are recognized for preparing leaders of distinction who value educational excellence and social justice. Additionally, CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report's “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top education schools in the country.

CU Denver's Doctor of Education (EdD) concentration in science education prepares students to become highly knowledgeable about the field of science education, think critically about the nature of science and advocate for science education from a largely research-oriented and equity-based lens. Become a leader for change in school contexts.

Courses

The 54-credit program begins each summer.

The curriculum includes:

• 18 hours in EdD core courses:
• Six credit hours equity core (two three-credit courses)
• Six credit hours leadership and organizational performance core (two three-credit courses)
• Six credit hours learning core (two three-credit courses)
• Nine hours in the research core (three three-credit courses)
• 12 hours in one of seven Concentration Areas (four three-credit hour blocks)
• 15 hours in completion of a culminating Doctoral Research Project (includes one hour of mandatory design workshop experiences, second fall semester)

All courses and experiences strive to expose students to context-specific best practices, interdisciplinary connections, and applied research in an environment that stresses the application of theory to practice. Course assignments focus on problem-solving experiences.

The EdD program has been designed to enable students to complete program requirements in three years, or five years for those taking one class per semester.