Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (ELPS)
Lead for a better future. Our Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (ELPS) program gives you the tools to tackle challenges at all levels within an educational system, whether you are an aspiring principal, district leader or policymaker.
Build critical skills through intensive academic and field-based experiences. You will benefit from cutting-edge content and clinical/practice-based/in-context/practical experiences that integrate leadership, systems and design thinking, policy, and research. Our programs (CERT/M.A., Ed.D. and Ph.D.), faculty and clinical experiences will empower you to think like an entrepreneur and build leadership capacity for continuous improvement and demonstrable results that impact all students and communities.
A unique component of our program is our focus on transformative and turnaround leadership, which is at the core of our degree programs. As an ELPS student, you will learn how to unleash and leverage self, communities and resources to change the status quo to ensure equitable outcomes for every student.
Our Programs
Certificate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (CO Principal Licensure)
Pursue licensure as a school principal in Colorado. Online, hybrid, and on-campus options are available. Earn your Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (ELPS) graduate certificate in as little as 12 months!
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Master of Arts in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Pursue licensure as a school principal in Colorado and develop your ability to be a transformative leader.
Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Develop advanced research skills and expertise in educational leadership and policy.
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Develop research skills and expertise to address significant problems of practice in educational leadership and policy.
NOTE: The University of Denver has not yet determined whether the above programs meets licensure requirements in a state other than Colorado or in any U.S. protectorates. For students seeking licensure in a state other than Colorado, students should contact the state’s Board of Education to determine whether the program meets licensure requirements.
Nationally Recognized
The ELPS program at the University of Denver is one of the best of the country.
- In 2021, the ELPS program was ranked 25th by U.S. News and World report for top Education Administration programs in the nation.
- In 2016, U.S. News and World Report ranked the ELPS program one of the top 20 Educational Administration and Supervision programs in the nation.
- In 2015, the Colorado Department of Education approved the ELPS M.A. program as a Turnaround Leadership Development Program.
- In 2014, the University Council of Educational Administration awarded the ELPS program the Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation Program Award.