Announcement: CU Denver is Celebrating 50 Years
Whether you’re an alumnus, current student, member of the faculty and staff, donor, or neighbor, you’re a valuable part of the CU Denver community. Help us celebrate the last 50 years and a future that works for all.
Learn More
Explore CU Denver Programs
Use the search tool below to discover degree and certificate programs offered by CU Denver. If you are unable to find a program that is right for you, please contact Admissions or a school or college for more information.
Program Overview
Prepares district leaders for future-ready schools. Equipped with a focus on diversity and social justice and the skills and knowledge to develop a vision for a successful school, graduates pursue careers as elementary, middle, or high school principals and administrators to realize change at school and community levels.
What you'll learn
You’re dedicated to making a difference and ensuring your students succeed. You step up when leadership roles arise and are ready to take your passion for learning and leading to the next step. The University of Colorado Denver’s MA in Leadership for Educational Organizations (LEO-MA) degree with principal licensure is the program for you. With CU Denver’s excellent reputation and our expert and supportive faculty, you’ll start a path to a fulfilling career as an elementary, middle or high school principal or administrator where you’ll realize change at school and community levels. You’ll learn how to encourage diversity and social justice, develop a vision for a successful school and attain the real-world knowledge necessary to help you apply it.
CU Denver will prepare you with the wide breadth of knowledge necessary to create a school learning environment that is cooperative, safe and welcoming. You will learn how to:
- Collaborate across communities and stakeholder groups
- Become well-versed in current educational issues and how to overcome them, and
- Gain awareness of the legal, financial and political dimensions of schools and school districts.
You’ll learn all of this with a focus on equity and social justice, ensuring that all students have equal opportunities for an excellent education.
Choose CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development
You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a school principal. We have a name that is recognized for preparing leaders of excellence who value equal opportunities in education. Additionally, CU Denver’s School of Education and Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top education schools in the country.
Cohorts
Learning with a cohort gives you the ability to customize your learning experience. Our cohorts are tailored to match your needs and future professional goals. We believe you will be best prepared for this demanding career with personalized instructional development with practitioners and leaders with a proven track record of success.
Typically, cohorts comprise 25 principal candidates who move through the four-semester principal licensure program together. We look for applicants to have a teaching or special services license plus a minimum of three years post-licensure experience. We welcome applicants from all districts into our principal licensure cohorts. However, we partner with metro-area districts to prepare leaders specifically for their schools.
Please review all options and specific semester starting dates below to find the best cohort option for your circumstances and career goals.
Upcoming Cohorts
Spring 2023
Boulder Valley School District
- Application Deadline November 15, 2022
Jefferson County School District
- Application Deadline November 15, 2022
- Meets Thursdays, 4:30pm to 9:00pm, January 2023 through May 2024
Summer 2023
Distance Learning #25 Cohort
- Remote four-semester cohort with synchronous virtual Zoom meetings at pre-scheduled meeting times
- Three daytime virtual meetings in Summer 2023 (6/7-6/9)
- Two weekends in Fall 2023 (Friday evening and Saturday daytime, 9/8 & 9/9 plus 12/1 and 12/2)
- Two weekends in Spring 2024 (Friday evening and Saturday daytime, 2/2 & 2/3 plus 4/12 & 4/13)
- One Friday daytime in Summer 2024 (7/12)
Program Description
What you'll learn
You’re dedicated to making a difference and ensuring your students succeed. You step up when leadership roles arise and are ready to take your passion for learning and leading to the next step. The University of Colorado Denver’s MA in Leadership for Educational Organizations (LEO-MA) degree with principal licensure is the program for you. With CU Denver’s excellent reputation and our expert and supportive faculty, you’ll start a path to a fulfilling career as an elementary, middle or high school principal or administrator where you’ll realize change at school and community levels. You’ll learn how to encourage diversity and social justice, develop a vision for a successful school and attain the real-world knowledge necessary to help you apply it.
CU Denver will prepare you with the wide breadth of knowledge necessary to create a school learning environment that is cooperative, safe and welcoming. You will learn how to:
- Collaborate across communities and stakeholder groups
- Become well-versed in current educational issues and how to overcome them, and
- Gain awareness of the legal, financial and political dimensions of schools and school districts.
You’ll learn all of this with a focus on equity and social justice, ensuring that all students have equal opportunities for an excellent education.
Choose CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development
You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a school principal. We have a name that is recognized for preparing leaders of excellence who value equal opportunities in education. Additionally, CU Denver’s School of Education and Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top education schools in the country.
Cohorts
Learning with a cohort gives you the ability to customize your learning experience. Our cohorts are tailored to match your needs and future professional goals. We believe you will be best prepared for this demanding career with personalized instructional development with practitioners and leaders with a proven track record of success.
Typically, cohorts comprise 25 principal candidates who move through the four-semester principal licensure program together. We look for applicants to have a teaching or special services license plus a minimum of three years post-licensure experience. We welcome applicants from all districts into our principal licensure cohorts. However, we partner with metro-area districts to prepare leaders specifically for their schools.
Please review all options and specific semester starting dates below to find the best cohort option for your circumstances and career goals.
Upcoming Cohorts
Spring 2023
Boulder Valley School District
- Application Deadline November 15, 2022
Jefferson County School District
- Application Deadline November 15, 2022
- Meets Thursdays, 4:30pm to 9:00pm, January 2023 through May 2024
Summer 2023
Distance Learning #25 Cohort
- Remote four-semester cohort with synchronous virtual Zoom meetings at pre-scheduled meeting times
- Three daytime virtual meetings in Summer 2023 (6/7-6/9)
- Two weekends in Fall 2023 (Friday evening and Saturday daytime, 9/8 & 9/9 plus 12/1 and 12/2)
- Two weekends in Spring 2024 (Friday evening and Saturday daytime, 2/2 & 2/3 plus 4/12 & 4/13)
- One Friday daytime in Summer 2024 (7/12)
CU Denver graduates earn more, build community, and make connections. Take the first step toward your future and join an inclusive community of learners while gaining the skills of tomorrow, today.