Return to: School of Education & Human Development  

Lawrence Street Center, 701
Campus Box 106
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364
Telephone: 303-315-6300
Fax: 303-315-6311
E-mail: education@ucdenver.edu
Website:  www.ucdenver.edu/education

Please click on any of the following to go right to that information:

• Graduate Programs
• Admissions Requirements

Urban Community Teacher Education Licensure Program Overview

The Urban Community Teacher Education program prepares educators who are culturally affirming and responsive, collaborate closely with families and communities, and have the knowledge and skills to create engaging, relevant, and rigorous classroom communities where all students can achieve and grow.  We work alongside our P-12 partner educators throughout the UCD Professional Development School Network comprised of over 20 urban schools across 6 districts in the Denver metro region. Through these internships UCTE students live the life of a teacher for an entire academic year while enrolled in the program. Ultimately our goal is that all teacher candidates-whether their emphasis is elementary, secondary, or special education– have the unique knowledge and skills to positively impact urban and diverse schools and act with a sense of urgency to support equity in education for all children. The Urban Community Teacher Education Program is a nationally accredited program that exceeds expectations.

Education Pathways

The graduate teacher education program at CU Denver is designed to allow individuals with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree to seek a master’s degree along with an initial Colorado provisional teacher’s license in the following areas:

• Elementary Education (K-6) (43 semester hours)
• Secondary Education (7-12) (36 semester hours)
  • English
  • mathematics
  • science (general science, biology, earth science, physics, chemistry)
  • social studies
  • foreign language (Spanish, French)
• Special Education Generalist (Ages 5-21) (57 semester hours)
• Dual General Education/Special Education (60-67 semester hours)

Program Distinctions

Program Structure

The UCTE program admits teacher candidates in cohort groups that begin either in the summer or fall. The cohort model provides a unique learning community for candidates and engenders significant support for success. The program includes full time 1 - 1.5 year licensure plans for regular education and a 1.5 - 2 year full time option for initial special education and dual special education. Students enroll in course work at the university and clinical internships in one of CU Denver’s professional development schools throughout the program. By enrolling in several courses and internships together, elementary, secondary, and special education teacher candidates are well prepared to support K-12 students with a wide range of diverse needs. 

Once teacher candidates complete the licensure portion of the program, they are eligible to begin teaching.  We work with candidates on an individual basis to finish the master’s degree in their choice of specialization (see MA Options below).  

Professional Development Schools

While in the licensure portion of the program, teacher candidates intern in a professional development school for an entire academic year, gradually beginning with two days a week early on and increasing over time to five days per week by the end of the program.  University courses are closely integrated with the sequence of clinical internship experiences providing teacher candidates with multiple opportunities to engage in the authentic work of teachers.  Teacher candidates co-teach closely with practicing teachers in the school and gradually assume full responsibility for teaching by the end of the program. Elementary teacher candidates generally spend an entire academic year in a single partner elementary school, whereas secondary teacher candidates spend their internships in one of the partner middle schools and one of the partner high schools.  Special education teacher candidates complete internships at multiple levels, P-12 due to the wide-span of their license that enables them to support students with special needs ages 5-21.  The schools are located in several Denver metropolitan districts serving large populations of low-income and/or minority students, as well as a sizeable number of students for whom English is a second language and students with special needs. Each school is supported by a site professor from the university one day per week and by a master teacher, called a site coordinator, who supports teacher candidates through their academic year of internships.

Assessment

Both the coursework and the internship experiences have been created to align with the Colorado Teacher Quality Standards, as well as frameworks for culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and Universal Design for Learning.  Students in all programs engage in a common set of learning opportunities and internship assessments. They also engage in Program Level Assessments at different stages of the program.   Colorado mandates that all teacher education programs be “performance based” in order to recommend candidates completing the program for licensure; thus all candidates in the Urban Community Teacher Education program must demonstrate proficiency in both the university-based coursework and their internships.

Programs of Study

Due to the complex nature of teacher preparation that is governed by state and national accreditation and legislative mandates that can change from year to year, please see current programs of study in the teacher education handbook.

Master’s Degree Options

The UCTE program views teacher education as an ongoing developmental process linking preservice, induction, and ongoing professional growth experiences. Upon completion of the licensure portion of the program, beginning teachers can continue working toward their master’s degree (an additional 18-38 semester hours) in specific programs in the School of Education and Human Development or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences during their first or second year of teaching.  These include MAs in Special Education, Educational Psychology or Curriculum and Instruction with emphases in areas such as STEM, Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education, Literacy and Social Studies. This ensures that CU Denver’s new teachers are provided with continuing support from the university early in their career. 

Requirements for Admission

The program has two windows for admissions each spring: Summer admission deadline is February 15; Fall admission deadline is April 15.

Urban Community Teacher Education Information Sessions

All prospective teacher candidates are strongly encouraged to attend an information session before applying to the program. Information sessions are held once a month lasting approximately 60-90 minutes.  An advisor will be available to review prospective students’ transcript and provide pre-admission advising. To more effectively facilitate this process, please bring copies of all transcripts with you. A calendar of upcoming information sessions can be viewed on the CU Denver website. Go to www.ucdenver.edu/education  to reserve a space under the menu item “Admissions.”

Urban Community Teacher Education Program Requirements

• Applicants to the urban community teacher education program must hold at least a bachelor’s degree with a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.75 for admission.
• Candidates with a GPA less than 2.75 are required to take the GRE, with a combined score of 150 each on the verbal and quantitative sections; or the Miller Analogies Test, with an average score of 400-600, before consideration for admittance.
• Verification of passing official scores for PLACE or PRAXIS II content exam specific to their licensure area.  Consult the Colorado Department of Education website for specific testing information.
• All elementary education candidates must have a liberal arts major or equivalent content courses that provide a broad background of knowledge. *
• All secondary education candidates must have a major or major equivalent of at least 24 semester hours in their desired teaching field. *
• A complete application which can be obtained online at www.ucdenver.edu/education

*This is determined through transcript evaluations through the School of Education & Human Development.