Graduate Teacher Education

Where future leaders learn from the best.

Are you considering obtaining a teaching licensure at the graduate or postbac level through CU Denver? We have two great one-year options for you to explore.


MAT + Teaching Licensure

Graduate Teacher Licensure

If you want a gradual introduction to classroom teaching alongside skilled mentor teachers, this is the right path for you. The MAT + Teaching Licensure incorporates an opportunity to earn an advanced degree with Colorado teacher credential requirements and take courses with top faculty members and peers. The experience provides extended clinical internships at local schools where you take on increasing responsibility in the classroom.


Explore our MAT offerings below!

ASPIRE to Teach™

Alternative Licensure Program

Our ASPIRE alternative licensure program is a quick start program that allows you to start earning a salary right away as the teacher of record in a classroom. This program does not culminate in an MA, but it is lower in cost, fully online, and flexible. While you teach full time, teaching modules are completed around your schedule and our amazing ASPIRE faculty support and coach you in regular one-on-one online sessions. After completing the ASPIRE program you can complete a masters degree. Part of your ASPIRE program will transfer in.

Learn more about ASPIRE


MAT + Teaching License

A master teacher is made, not born.

If you feel a passion to teach and are driven to make a positive impact on students’ lives, this is the program that lets you launch your new career in as little as a year while delivering a level of preparation that puts you ahead. Learning from dedicated teachers and award-winning faculty in a residency program perfected and proven through 25 years of ongoing work with partner schools make our program – and our graduates – stand out.

Why should I choose this option?

This MAT + teaching license program is a full-time program. Candidates progress as a member of a cohort that begins in either summer or fall. The teacher licensure coursework combines on-campus learning with in-school experiences.

Our residencies deliver deeper learning because we've been working with our partner schools for over 25 years.

Our graduates' level of preparedness is equivalent to that of a more experienced and confident teacher. That's because at CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development, you don't just learn from anyone, you learn from the best. Further, because of our urban location and emphasis on teaching in diverse contexts, our graduates are ready to lead – and make a difference – in any classroom.

As one of the top education schools in the country, we're proud to help people like you become teachers.

You'll be surrounded by other committed, talented students who are determined to make a positive impact in the classroom. They are drawn to our program because they want a deeper level of preparedness –one that will allow them to give their best to every student, every day.

Launch your new teaching career quickly.

Our program offers different start times and program lengths in order to accommodate your personal obligations. In fact, it's possible to complete our program in as little as one year.

I love helping my students explore real-world scientific questions to develop their thinking around scientific topics. It’s all about inquiry! Whether we’re learning to embrace the advantages of wind power, participating in NASA’s Student Involvement Program or tracking recycling and energy conservation efforts at our school, I like to create hands-on, cooperative science learning environments that help my students think in new ways. - Chantel Astler, MA + Teacher Licensure and recipient of the 2012 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
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