51´«Ã½

Who We Are

We are a nationally recognized innovator in educationÌýandÌýknown for our sharedÌýcommitments to democracy, diversity, equity, andÌýjustice.

Our faculty are respected researchers and excellent teachers with strong connections to the community and a dedication to our students. Our students and graduates are teachers and leaders in the classroom and in their communities. Together, our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters aim to transform education and communities.

What We Do

Our mission in the School of Education at the University of Colorado 51´«Ã½ aims to center democracy, diversity, equity, and justice as the heart of educational research and practice. With that guiding vision, the work of our faculty, researchers, staff, and students contributes to evidence-based policy and practice, and we strive to engage with our colleagues in schools and communities to make a transformative difference in our schools and society. Our graduates are engaged and informed educators, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders.Ìý

We offer cutting-edge, engaging teacher preparation, innovative undergraduate programs,Ìýand Colorado's top-ranked graduate education in multipleÌýprogram areas:ÌýEducational Foundations, Policy & Practice, Equity, BilingualismÌý& Biliteracy, Learning Sciences & Human Development, Literacy Studies,ÌýResearch, Evaluation & Methodology,ÌýSTEM Education, and Teacher Learning, Research, and Practice.

Why Join Us?

We live in complex and challenging times. We continually strive as a school of education to stand together with our wonderfully diverse community, teach for equity and justice, create safe and affirming spaces, and serve as a resource for and partner to our university, schools, teachers, alumni, policymakers, and community at large.

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#1

Best College TownÌýin America.Ìý
American Institute for Economic Research 2017

Ìý

Top 8th

percentile for faculty scholarly productivity among U.S. colleges &Ìýschools of education.
Academic Analytics

Ìý

Top 20

amongÌýpublic graduate schools of education nationwide.Ìý
US News & World Report

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13,000+

alumni across the U.S. includingÌý67% in Colorado and 10% active donors.

Historical winter scene of campus, 1957

School of Education building and students, 1958

1874

The territorial legislative body, anticipating statehood, drafted a law about the proposedÌýuniversity. WhileÌýthe legislators recommended departments in classical, philosophical, physical sciences, and law, a department dedicated to teacher preparation, the Normal School, was theÌýonly mandatedÌýuniversity-level department, suggesting the state and region has long-held strong concerns for preparing educated, strong teachers.

1876

CU 51´«Ã½ established

1877

Colorado’s General Assembly passed laws that required that the university set up a Normal School specifically for the preparation of teachers.

1897

The establishment of the Department of Psychology and Education

1906

The Board of Regents approved issuing a special certificate of proficiency in teaching to students in the College of Liberal Arts who had completed specified work in education and 1908 the board also authorized the College of Education, then as a division of the College of Liberal Arts

1909

The state legislature passed House Bill Number 423, which established criteria for state licensure to teach for university graduates who had passed specified education studies

1953

The College of Education moved to the new Hellems Annex building, theÌýhome for the School of Education for more than 50 years.

1959

The College of Education was designated as the School of Education

1982

To emphasizeÌýsubject-matter knowledge of future teachers, CU 51´«Ã½ became the first institution in Colorado to sunsetÌýits bachelor's degree in education;Ìýthis required students seeking elementary or secondary education licensure to have a bachelor of arts degree in another field.

1986

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education directed the transfer of graduate degrees in administration to the CU Denver campus. The faculty, together with the campus administration, took the opportunity to build the school as a center of excellence in the profession of teaching and in research relevant to educational policy. These changes are regarded as a turning point that forged the school's identity and propelled it into the top tier of educational research institutions in the nation.

2017

CU 51´«Ã½ undergraduates began enrollment into two new School of Education bachelor's degree programs—the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and the Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Community Engagement. The new majors were strategically designed to build on the school's strengths and offer important new pathways for students interested in serving high-needs communities and working with youth.

2020

The CU 51´«Ã½ÌýSchool of Education moves into a new campus home in the Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca Education Building (formerly theÌýFleming Building) as part of a two-phase renovation project and fundraising intiative that is ongoing.