Undergraduate FAQ
Graduate FAQ
We encourage all students interested in one of our undergraduate programs to meet with an IRIS advisor (Team Black!) or schedule an appointment with the Program Coordinator for your desired teaching level (elementary, secondary, etc.) as soon as possible. Our courses follow a very specific progression and culminate in a full time student teaching internship during the final semester.
An application to the Center for Teacher Education is required before taking any 300 or 400 level classes. Most students apply to the program at the end of their sophomore year, but this varies by program. Learn more about the undergraduate applications process at our Program Application page.
- Early Childhood Special Education (Birth through age 8)
- Elementary (K - 6th grade)
- Secondary (7 - 12th grade)
- Content areas in Math, Social Studies, English, Science, and Spanish
- K-12:
- Content areas in Art, Music, and Physical Education
Visit our undergraduate programs page to learn more about the programs we offer.
Yes, there are tests required on the path to becoming a teacher. There is the Praxis CORE Writing exam that is required for admission to the program, and there is also content-specific testing for each discipline. Our Admission Testing and Licensure Testing pages contain specifics on what tests you need and how to register for them.
The Praxis CORE will be completed and passed before you start any 300 level courses.
The licensure (content) tests will be taken before you begin pre-internship and will be passed by the time you start internship.
Our intensive Initial Teacher Licensure Graduate Program is available in elementary, secondary or K-12 Physical Education licensure to students holding a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. The intensive cohort begins each year in May and runs for 12 months. Some students may have leveling courses to complete prior to their admission into the intensive ITL program. Learn more at our ITL Program page.
Teachers with a current Colorado teaching license (Bachelor's but no Master's Degree):
- Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure (EDLD): MAEd and Principal Licensure (36 credits)
- Exceptional Learner/Special Education (EDSE): MAEd and SPED endorsement (36 credits)
Teachers with a current Colorado teaching license (Have a Master's Degree):
- Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure: Graduate Certificate and Principal Endorsement (24 credits)
- Exceptional Learner/Special Education: Graduate Certificate and SPED Endorsement (24 credits)
The EDLD and EDSE programs both require that the candidate have a current Colorado teaching license. International students are generally not eligible for these programs, but please contact CTE with specific questions.
You are not a teacher but hold a Bachelor's degree OR you are a teacher and just want the Master's degree without added endorsements:
- MAEd Teaching and Leadership (30 credits)
Our Graduate programs are designed to work with a teacher's schedule, so the short answer is YES! All of the programs have intensive summer classes (both in-person and online) and fall/spring classes are either fully online or held in-person on weekends.
The Initial Teacher Licensure program is a bit different because there is a student teaching compenent that places the student in a classroom setting. The fall semester is 3 full days per week in the classroom placement, while the spring semester is 5 full days in the classroom placement. For this reason, working is not generally recommended during the ITL program unless you have a very alternative work schedule.
Yes, but a student can only transfer 9 credits and the classes cannot be from a finished degree or be a core class.
The Teacher Education graduate programs are built for Colorado classroom teachers, and accommodate a working teacher's schedule. Therefore, Teacher Ed graduate programs often require students to hold a professional Colorado teaching license and/or may not meet F1 visa requirements as courses are offered online or in blended formats.
The MAEd Teaching and Leadership Program (EDTL) is the best option for international students due to the lack of a student teaching placement or internship, which both require a Colorado field-placement background check or a Colorado teaching license.
Please see the International Graduate Students Admission site for more information.
In short, no. None of our programs are entirely online, but many are designed to fit with a teacher's schedule by offering a hybrid model.
The coursework for the ITL Elementary program is now offered primarily online, and may accommodate placement for student teaching throughout Colorado. Field hours are completed in-person at an area school. Students must hold a bachelor's degree to be eligible for the ITL program.
Our Leadership and Exceptional Learner graduate programs are delivered in a mix of online and blended course offerings, which are geared to strike a balance between accommodating professional working schedules, providing in-person instruction, and facilitating cohort and network building. These programs are not fully online.
General Teacher Education FAQs
There is a full webpage dedicated to undergraduate and graduate tuition rates HERE.
Please note that there are limited scholarships or financial assiatnace aside from loans that are available to graduate-level students. Visit our Scholarships page for more information on our Scholarships and Aid Opportunities webpage.
The CDE provides a variety of statistical information on school district, including average teacher salary information. See https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/staffcurrent.