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  • Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Human Development, Early Childhood Policy

Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Human Development, Early Childhood Policy

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Program Overview
Student Testimonials
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Program Overview

Prepares candidates to be leaders, policymakers, policy advisors and analysts, faculty members, and researchers. Graduates will shape, direct, implement and evaluate early childhood services, infrastructure, and policy and contribute to the scholarly knowledge that undergirds the discipline.

CU Denver

Office of Recruitment & Outreach

Questions? Email or call us.

Email:

education@ucdenver.edu

Phone:

303-315-6300

Given its unprecedented growth over the past five decades, the early childhood field has focused most of its efforts on program expansion and on the provision of high-quality services for young children. Although there is increasing attention to enhancing equity, most work in the field concentrates on practice improvement. Typically, this is pedagogical in nature, either for children or by the workforce. CU Denver’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a concentration in Early Childhood Policy tilts this focus. The program suggests that without specialized attention to policy, it is difficult for the field to achieve quality, equity, and scale. The concentration holds institutional and system reform as its units of change.

Students in this concentration will 

  • Prepare for leadership positions in government, private sector, and public sector organizations. These positions require individuals who can create systemic, institutional, and equity infused ECE policy change.

  • Prepare for positions in higher education and policy-focused research think-tanks. Students will advance the scholarship in the field.

  • Learn policy theories and existing ECE policy research. This is done with the goal to shape, direct, implement and evaluate early childhood services, infrastructure, and policy for the future.

  • Contribute to new research efforts. Focus on creating more equitable outcomes and new understandings of complex ECE policy issues.
  • Benefit from close mentorship by national faculty leaders in ECE policy.
  • Culminate the program with a dissertation that contributes to the knowledge base in the field of early childhood policy.

  • Enter a dynamic field with burgeoning research about the critical years in children's brain development, learning, and health.

Program of Study 

The core course rotation begins every fall. Students complete a plan of study that includes at least 48 semester credits of coursework. Additionally, there are 27-semester credits of dissertation. PhD coursework is intensive and substantive. The curriculum requires significant writing, analysis, and critique of theory and professional literature. All students in the Early Childhood Policy concentration take 12 credits in foundational courses. This is coupled with 3 credits in professional seminars, 18 credits in research methods courses. On top of this, students will take 15 credits in concentration area courses (including two electives). Students will also complete a research apprenticeship and higher education teaching practicum or equivalent experience.

The curriculum includes a combination of on-campus, hybrid, remote, and online courses each semester. 

Every student must be available to attend on-campus courses each semester.

Program Description

Given its unprecedented growth over the past five decades, the early childhood field has focused most of its efforts on program expansion and on the provision of high-quality services for young children. Although there is increasing attention to enhancing equity, most work in the field concentrates on practice improvement. Typically, this is pedagogical in nature, either for children or by the workforce. CU Denver’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a concentration in Early Childhood Policy tilts this focus. The program suggests that without specialized attention to policy, it is difficult for the field to achieve quality, equity, and scale. The concentration holds institutional and system reform as its units of change.

Students in this concentration will 

  • Prepare for leadership positions in government, private sector, and public sector organizations. These positions require individuals who can create systemic, institutional, and equity infused ECE policy change.

  • Prepare for positions in higher education and policy-focused research think-tanks. Students will advance the scholarship in the field.

  • Learn policy theories and existing ECE policy research. This is done with the goal to shape, direct, implement and evaluate early childhood services, infrastructure, and policy for the future.

  • Contribute to new research efforts. Focus on creating more equitable outcomes and new understandings of complex ECE policy issues.
  • Benefit from close mentorship by national faculty leaders in ECE policy.
  • Culminate the program with a dissertation that contributes to the knowledge base in the field of early childhood policy.

  • Enter a dynamic field with burgeoning research about the critical years in children's brain development, learning, and health.

Program of Study 

The core course rotation begins every fall. Students complete a plan of study that includes at least 48 semester credits of coursework. Additionally, there are 27-semester credits of dissertation. PhD coursework is intensive and substantive. The curriculum requires significant writing, analysis, and critique of theory and professional literature. All students in the Early Childhood Policy concentration take 12 credits in foundational courses. This is coupled with 3 credits in professional seminars, 18 credits in research methods courses. On top of this, students will take 15 credits in concentration area courses (including two electives). Students will also complete a research apprenticeship and higher education teaching practicum or equivalent experience.

The curriculum includes a combination of on-campus, hybrid, remote, and online courses each semester. 

Every student must be available to attend on-campus courses each semester.

Program Features

Apply by January 1 to start in August.

Application Deadline

Fall

Starting Semester

Typically, students are admitted to this program through funds associated with scholarships, internships, funded grant projects, teaching assistant opportunities.

Funding

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Learn more about the program and apply

Student Testimonials

Shields_Lindsay
My experience as a doctoral student in CU Denver’s PhD in early childhood policy has been deeply rewarding. I have a lot of confidence that this program is setting me up well to advance as a scholar in this field thanks to the combination of rigorous coursework and opportunities for practical experiences that I have had. As a graduate research assistant on a large, federally funded study, I have had a chance to participate in the application of the theory and research methodology that I am learning about in my coursework while also getting to visit a wide variety of early childhood centers, observe classrooms, and assess children. I also feel a great sense of support thanks to my advisor and program features like monthly Pro Seminar classes. These classes have helped demystify the doctoral program and they are making some of the more daunting steps in the process feel much more manageable. It is thanks to this support and the experiences that I have had so far that I am excited to continue to pursue my doctorate and become a scholar in the field of early childhood policy.

Lindsay Shields

PhD in Education and Human Development, Early Childhood Policy (2024)

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Frequently Asked Questions

The financial support we provide our PhD students is often tied to federal and state funding decisions, in association with individual concentration areas. Support may include tuition and fees for up to 18 credit hours per year, and a stipend for the requisite 20 hours per week of research involvement. Students typically find funding through scholarships, internships, funded grant projects, teaching assistant opportunities and/or a mix thereof. This varies related to funding and funding availability. Students can elect to self-pay and thus, self-support.

Four to eight years.

75

Apply by January 1 to start in the fall.

Admission Information

Application Process

CU Denver

CU Denver

Student Commons Building

1201 Larimer Street

Denver, CO 80204


(303) 315-5969

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