Bachelor of Arts in Education and Human Development, Elementary Education (License)

School of Education & Human Development

Overview

Degree: BA Endorsement License

Clasroom Type: Online and on campus classes

Prepares students to become teachers in diverse elementary classrooms with a focus on social justice and equity. Graduates leave the program highly qualified and well-prepared to support and understand the full potential of their students.

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Program Details

Interest Categories: Education & Counseling

Campus: CU Denver Online

What you'll learn

Are you enthusiastic about positively influencing young lives through teaching elementary school? This four-year, 126-credit hour undergraduate BA program prepares students to apply for a Colorado teaching license in Elementary Education, kindergarten to grade six. The program fully integrates the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education endorsement so that you will graduate with both the elementary teaching license and the added endorsement. We offer you access to top faculty, sustained mentoring and advising, highly focused teaching experience in the schools, and a strong emphasis on equity and social justice and engaging Colorado's rapidly diversifying student and family population.

At the University of Colorado Denver, you'll learn from nationally and internationally recognized faculty members who are known for innovation and research. These are your mentors! You'll be surrounded by other committed, innovative and compassionate students who crave a deeper level of preparedness—one that will allow them to give their best to every student, every day.

You may be starting college for the first time, transferring from another institution, or returning to the university setting after years away. Regardless, you'll join a top education school with collaborative teams of dedicated teachers and award-winning faculty who will prepare you for success in any classroom anywhere.

In this pathway you will:

  • Learn to plan assessment-informed instruction for educational excellence and equity for all children from diverse racial, ethnic, language, socio-economic and ability backgrounds.
  • Develop deep understanding of the diverse ways children learn and develop within their families and communities and in schools; and gain skills to bring a relevant and engaging curriculum to your standards-based teaching.
  • Know the disciplines you will teach—math, literacy, science, social studies- as well as the skills for effective classroom organization and management.

Many schools promise a teacher residency with experiential learning under a teacher mentor. Few can deliver one as well-supported and prepared as ours. For more than 25 years, we have been working closely with area schools to create a proven residency program that supports your development as you work with teams of dedicated practicing teachers, teacher leaders and university faculty in the school. Further, because of our urban location and partnerships in rural Colorado across the state as well as our emphasis on teaching in diverse contexts, our graduates are ready to lead and make a difference in any elementary classroom, in any district. Starting in your first year, you'll be placed in a partner school. In your final year, the experience culminates in a full-time student teaching residency so that you can experience life as a teacher.

Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development

The School of Education & Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver attracts students who are passionate about careers in teaching. We match their passion with an education that is rooted in diversity, technology, proven approaches and real-world practice. That's why our graduates are prepared to make immediate and life-long impacts on people, communities and the world.

Employers understand that CU Denver graduates bring extreme value to their teams. Human resource directors, principals and superintendents tell us that CU Denver candidates enter their first year of teaching with the knowledge, skills and confidence of second- and third-year teachers.

Courses

To earn this 126 credit hour BA in Education and Human Development with a teaching license in Elementary Education and endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below. Students should declare their intent to pursue Elementary Education with their academic advisor as early as possible to avoid taking classes that do not count toward the degree or licensure.

Teacher Residency Models:

NxtGEN partners with several school districts ((Denver Public Schools, Jeffco, Mapleton and Aurora Public Schools) and recruits, prepares and supports our next generation of diverse and talented teachers. If you have a passion for urban education and are interested in teaching early childhood, elementary or special education, then NxtGEN may be a great fit.

The program model is an intensive, well-supported four-year approach to creating exceptional educators who have in-depth knowledge, four years of context-specific practice in a district, and a commitment to the schools and children of the district they are placed in.

Benefits of four-year approach in NxtGEN:

  • Paid, year-long, half-time, paraprofessional internships with significant support and coaching from the university during the first three years of the undergraduate program at CU Denver
  • Comprehensive support for students provided by the SEHD Success Center to address the academic, social and emotional needs of diverse, first generation college students
  • Continual integration of coursework and practical classroom experience supported by world-class faculty working alongside master P-12 teachers and leaders in a nationally accredited program that exceeds expectations
  • Multiple recruitment pipelines for local talent with flexible entry including high school graduates, community college transfer students, and current paraprofessional, and
  • Opportunities for additional scholarships.

CU Denver is committed to preparing highly effective, results-focused educators who are deeply invested in student achievement and success and will act with a sense of urgency to support equity in education for all children. Our graduates are champion educators in Colorado with advanced knowledge about state and national trends. They are intellectually equipped to make important decisions based on a thorough understanding of children’s learning, their cultural and community assets, and effective methods of teaching in urban and diverse schools.

If you are interested please apply to your chosen program through undergrad admissions, then fill out the NxtGEN application.

For additional information or help with the application process, please contact us:
NxtGEN@ucdenver.edu
303-315-6300

Sample Courses

Course Catalog

Recommended Completion Time:4 years

Required Credits for Completion:126

Admission Requirements

Our program seeks individuals who wish to teach as a career. We accept  applications from incoming first-year students, current students at CU Denver, students transferring from community colleges or four-year institutions, individuals who are working as paraprofessionals, assistant teachers or developmental intervention assistants.

This program has rolling admissions, applications close per semester as follows:

  • Spring: Dec. 31
  • Summer: May 31
  • Fall: July 31

Application Support

Our friends at TEACH Colorado have free tools and resources to make applying to our program—and becoming a classroom teacher—easier! Create an account today and immediately access:

  • An interactive application checklist to keep you on track.
  • $100 fee reimbursement towards application and testing expenses.
  • 1-on-1 expert advice for any question along the way.
  • How-to guides for eligibility, applications, testing and finances.
  • A chance to win a $1,000 scholarship toward tuition.

Sign up today!

For more information, please contact:

School of Education & Human Development
Office of Recruitment and Outreach
education@ucdenver.edu
303.315.6300

Application​ deadlines

Rolling decision