Our Curriculum

The CU Denver Prison-Education-Program (PEP) offers stackable certificates that enable students to earn credits and credentials while working toward their BA degree. For new college students we offer a 10-class/30-credit Certificate in Applied Skills for Democracy. For students who have already earned college credits, we offer a 4-class/12-credit Certificate in Strategic Communication and a 4-class/12-credit Certificate in Business Fundamentals. All of our incarcerated students are encouraged, upon their release from prison, to come to campus to continue their educational journeys.

Across our curriculum, we emphasize “High Impact Practices” (HIPS). Based on extensive research into higher education best practices, these pedagogical strategies accelerate student success, increase equity in learning outcomes, and revitalize higher education. While we cannot offer travel study classes or internships to incarcerated learners, we deploy these HIPS in our programming:

First Year Experience classes welcome students to the college setting while establishing norms, expectations, and the work skills that will lead to success.

Writing intensive classes emphasize revising and the process of writing rather than box-checking and grade-seeking behaviors.

Public speaking intensive classes emphasize the roles of performance and presentation in civic life.

Problem-based learning links readings, assignments, and evaluations to real-world problems rooted in communities-of-need and marginalization.

Team-centered learning emphasizes the skills of teamwork, collaboration, and community-building.

Student-led research and creative projects enable students to grow outside the classroom by producing work for public audiences.

The combination of classed detailed below will enable students to pursue academic success and/or career achievement and/or civic leadership. These skills enable students to maximize their agency, to grow as community members, and to thrive as creative and compassionate lifelong learners. In short, we seek to equip students to be ethical and effective citizens within our democracy.

Please note that 9 of the 10 classes included in our Certificate program count toward either the University’s “Core” requirements or additional College of Liberal Arts and Science requirements. This overlap in classes/requirements means that we are: A) providing the skills needed to be successful citizens in our democracy, and B) setting students up for future collegiate success.

We will teach our classes in a hybrid manner, wherein the teacher visits one facility in-person each week while also Zooming in additional students from different facilities.

Each class meets once each week, from 1:00-3:30 pm, specific days to be announced later.

In addition to regularly scheduled class times, each course includes one weekly 60-minute set of Office Hours, wherein students can meet with the teacher either one-on-one or in small groups to address course materials, work on assignments, or do other class-related tutoring and support.