For more than 25 years, the University of Colorado, Denver, has been working closely with area schools to create a proven teacher residency program that supports your development by building teams of dedicated education professionals. Further, because of the program’s urban location and partnerships in rural Colorado across the state as well as an emphasis on teaching in diverse contexts, graduates are ready to lead and make a difference in any classroom, in any district. You will get hands-on teaching experience from the beginning of your program in carefully selected partner schools and ultimately experience a full-year student teaching residency so that you can live the life of a teacher.
The TPREP Undergraduate Rural Residency BA program prepares you for a unique career as a rural teacher without leaving your current rural community. Currently available in various rural areas in Colorado, students can remain in their community and begin by attending the local community colleges of Otero College, Trinidad State College, or Northeast Junior College for the first two years and then the last two years, all of the CU Denver coursework is taught locally or online (with the vast majority of classes being delivered locally in face-to-face settings). This residency-style preparation program offers you multiple and deep experiences in the schools starting in freshman year that build toward a final, full-time residency year in one of several rural partner districts. You’ll learn best practices from dedicated teachers, school administrators and award-winning faculty in residency programs perfected and proven over more than 25 years of ongoing work with partner schools. Deep preparation and community connections help our graduates stand out. They are recognized as among the most prepared in the nation to support diverse languages, cultures and abilities in schools. This program can also support part-time or full-time para-educators in local rural partner schools.
Students at University of Colorado Denver have reduced the cost of their program using these methods. Check with University of Colorado Denver to see if you can, too!
Early Childhood Education (Birth-8) Elementary Education (K-6) Mathematics Middle School (6-8) Science (7-12) Special Education (K-12)
Program Semesters/Steps Overview
The first two years, students complete coursework at local community colleges to earn either their Associates of Science or Associates of Applied Science degrees. In their third year, students take coursework at UC Denver as well as learn from in-class experiences and mentors at partner schools. The program culminates in the fourth year with a year-long professional residency.
Program Hallmarks
We work closely with rural partner schools so candidates can engage in hands-on learning in all four years of their program. Hands-on experience includes a year-long residency in senior year, working in teams with other candidates, mentor teachers and university and school leaders throughout their program. As candidates take coursework, they immediately apply what they are learning that same week while co-teaching alongside their mentor teacher with feedback from their T-PREP Residency Coordinator. This highly integrated model enables candidates to constantly engage in learning and practice together. We also work with our partners to support working para-educators to use their job to meet clinical experience requirements.
We believe in the unlimited potential of all children to succeed. Teachers must have the knowledge and skills to uncover and leverage the assets of all children that create the opportunities for them to learn and be successful. Every course and clinical experience integrates the knowledge and skills candidates need in order to work with and youth with diverse economic, racial, cultural, ability and linguistic experiences. All partner schools where candidates complete year-long residency internships serve a diverse student population so that candidates have the ability to apply and practice what they learn in the program. We also offer an added endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (an additional six credits).
The heart of our students’ experience with partner schools is the highly-dedicated practicing teachers who co-teach with and mentor candidates alongside a T-PREP residency coordinator who provides feedback and coaching as candidates progress through the program. Additionally, the T-PREP Coordinator meets bi-weekly with the site professor in an on-site seminar at the school to debrief experiences and connect them back to everything being learned in the program.
With our award-winning faculty and long-standing partnerships, we are consistently focused on continuous improvement and excellence. All our partners and faculty serve on a collaborative council that meets multiple times over the academic year creating consistent cycles of feedback about what is working and what needs to improve in the way we are preparing teachers together. Our program is consistently recognized for excellence as being one of 7 programs nationally highlighted by the Learning Policy Institute for Preparation for Deeper Learning.
Get Started
Own the application process. Start a checklist to put yourself on track to becoming the best teacher you can be.
