Introduction

Please click here to see School of Education & Human Development information.

The Education and Human Development (EDHD) major focuses on engaging Colorado's rapidly diversifying student and family population. It combines cutting-edge research with real classroom experiences. You'll learn from innovative faculty members who are locally, nationally, and internationally recognized for their research in early childhood education. They will provide you with a robust knowledge base and relevant learning experiences focused on children’s thinking, culturally responsive education, and supporting English language learners. Furthermore, you will learn how to use a range of technology tools you can use in your work with students. You'll engage in powerful classroom experiences and benefit from our rich 20-year history of partnerships with local school districts.

As an Early Childhood Education teaching candidate, we will prepare you to become a highly effective, innovative, and compassionate early childhood teacher skilled in improving student performance and meeting the needs of today's diverse learners in a variety of settings. When you graduate, you will have the skills it takes to be a teacher leader. In fact, CU Denver graduates often go on to acquire positions in educational leadership as their careers progress.

When you enroll as a student in The Partnership for Rural Educator Preparation (T-PREP) at Otero College in La Junta, you will benefit from a highly supportive program with a strong rural focus. T-PREP at Otero College students complete the first half of their program at Otero and earn an Associate of Arts degree. Previous credits earned from other institutions are accepted. Then, you transfer as a T-PREP CU Denver student and take the remaining classes you need to earn a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license with an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. During your time as a CU Denver student, you will enroll in classes that are (a) taught face-to-face in classes taught by CU Denver instructors on the Otero campus in La Junta; (b) in boundary less classrooms using video conferencing technology with other T-PREP students throughout Colorado; or (c) online. All your fieldwork experiences take place in the La Junta region, which eliminates the need to travel to Denver. Finally, all advising and a wide range of supports are provided during all four years of your program, whether you are enrolled as a student at Otero College or CU Denver.

Program Delivery

• This is an on-campus program in La Junta with a variety of delivery options for many of our courses including hybrid, evening, weekend, and online courses.

Declaring This Major

• Click here to go to information about declaring a major.

General Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.

• CU Denver Graduation Requirements
• CU Denver Undergraduate Core Curriculum
• School of Education & Human Development Graduation Requirements
• Click here for information about Academic Policies.

Program Requirements

1. Students must complete a minimum total of 126 semester hours for the EDHD Early Childhood Education Track.

2. Candidates must meet Colorado Department of Education content competency requirements through approved Multiple Measures or by passing the appropriate Praxis exam prior to beginning their final semester of the Professional Year. 

3. Application to the last year of the program, the Professional Year Residency is required. After successfully completing all other Core, major, and elective courses, all students must apply for admission into the Professional Year. Requirements for admission include a 3.0 GPA, positive letters of recommendation, successful evaluations of earlier clinical experiences, and a successful interview. (Students with a lower GPA may be considered under certain conditions. Please visit the SEHD website.)
4. A minimum GPA of 2.0, grade of C or better, is required for all courses applying to EDHD - Early Childhood Education requirements unless otherwise specified.
5. Students must complete and maintain a 3.0 minimum grade point average in Professional Year coursework to complete licensure requirements. Please see an advisor for more information on this requirement.
6. Transfer courses must be approved by faculty and/or advisor to apply to the major.

Students will receive transfer credit for all of the following major requirements:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Major Requirements to Transfer
ECED 1202	Child Guidance and Classroom Community	3
ECED 2000	Early Childhood Education as a Profession	3
ECED 2030	Nutrition, Health, and Safety	3
ECED 2935	Infant & Toddler Field Experience & Seminar 1	3
ECED 3110	Development and Education of Infant and Toddlers	3
ECED 4102	Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Methods and Techniques	3
ECED 4300	Disability and Inclusion in Early Childhood 1	3
or SPED 4030	Understanding (dis)Ability in Contemporary Classrooms
ECED 4040	Leading Early Childhood Programs	3
EDHD 1930	Community Based Field Experience & Seminar	3
HDFR 2110	Child Ecology	3
INTE 2000	Digital Teaching and Learning	3
LCRT 3815	Once Upon a Time: Family Literacies in Culturally Diverse Communities	3
or LCRT 2000	Rebels, Villains, & Superheroes: How Children's Literature Shapes Our Identities
Major Courses Remaining
CLDE 2000	CLDE Foundations 1	3
ECED 4060	Working with Families, Professionals, and Communities	3
EDFN 4010	Social Foundations and Cultural Diversity in Urban Education 1	3
EDHD 2930	Learning & Development Field Experience & Seminar 1	3
LCRT 3720	Introduction to Writing Development and Teaching	3
LCRT 4000	Elementary Literacy Instruction and Assessment in Diverse Classrooms 1	3
MTED 3040	Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 1	3
Professional Year Courses
A minimum grade of B- is required in each professional year course
LCRT 4710	Inclusive Early Literacy Development and Instruction	3
ECED 4200	Observation, Screening and Assessment of Young Children	3
ECED 4650	Dual Language Learners Learning and Development	3
or CLDE 3830	Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching through STEM
MTED 4002	Elementary Mathematics Teaching I 1	3
SCED 4004	Elementary and Middle School Science Methods 1	3
UEDU 4040	Planning for Learning 1	3
UEDU 4050	Capstone: Planning, Instruction & Assessment 1	3
UEDU 4931	Internship & Lrng Comm I 1	2
UEDU 4932	Internship & Lrng Comm II 1	2
UEDU 4933	Internship & Lrng Comm III 1	6
General Electives
Additional required courses from the community college pathway transfer in as electives to reach the required hours for the BA
Total Hours		88

¹ Courses require a grade of B- or better; all other courses require a grade of C or better. Students who do not have a B- or better in the specified courses must consult with their advisors about a plan to retake the course or complete additional work. 

To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.