Program Overview

Master of Science in Educational Policy and Leadership

Overview

The Master of Science in Educational Policy and Leadership program provides students with a strong foundation in organizational theory and analytic decision making related to learning contexts across the lifespan. The program prepares students for domestic or international educational leadership and policy analyst roles, and can also serve as a stepping stone for further study in a doctoral program.

Program of Study

Core Courses

• Introduction to Organizational Leadership
• Introduction to Social Analysis
• Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership (approved course in statistics, or a course in another subject if the departmental research methods exam is passed)

Concentration Courses

• Three courses in the student's area of interest

Support Discipline Courses

• Two courses in subjects such as philosophy, economics, sociology, psychology, or political science

Electives

• Three courses related to the program

Research Course

• Seminar in Education Policy and Leadership
• Master's Thesis in Educational Administration

Areas of Concentration

• Educational Policy: Obtain a working knowledge of different philosophical approaches to policy adoption and implementation, and learn how to lead policy initiatives in government agencies, analyze policy for research and advocacy organizations, and succeed in faculty positions.
• Global and Comparative Educational Policy: Dive into the global education policy making process from early proposals to implementation, including stages of policy adoption, monitoring, and evaluation. Alumni with this concentration are working with foreign ministries of education and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and UNESCO.
• School Leadership: This concentration prepares students to step into leadership positions in preschools, elementary schools, secondary schools, and university appointments in the area of school leadership.

Admissions Requirements

Deadlines

• Fall: Rolling
• Spring: Rolling
• Summer: Rolling

Required Application Materials

• Transcripts from all schools attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• Supplemental documents

Statement of Goals

• A one- to two-page statement discussing what the applicant has to offer the program and what they wish to get out of the program. It should include a brief description of the applicant's field of interest, related background, desired area of study, and research emphasis or career goals.

Educational Leadership Essay

• Please type one essay of no more than 800 words from among the three possible topics:
  1. Summarize the leadership activities in which you have been involved in recent years and explain how these experiences reflect your vision of and capacity for leadership.
  2. Identify a problem or challenge in a school, school-related organization, or your professional life generally and write an analysis in which you assess the issues(s), describe effective strategies for addressing the issue(s), and make clear the implications for the exercise of effective leadership in the situation.
  3. Describe a problem of educational policy decision-making, policy content, or policy implementation, and explain how a deeper understanding of policy or the policy process could improve the situation.

Student Learning Objectives

• Graduates are prepared to enter (a) early to mid-career administrative posts in higher education institutions or education or training units in other organizations or agencies or (b) early career policy analysis posts in education departments, professional associations, or policy research firms or centers.
• Graduates are prepared to draw from, and critically apply, information from the relevant knowledge and skill base.

Careers and Advisement

• The Pathways Into Education (PIE) Center is the central office on campus serving undergraduate, graduate, and prospective students interested in pursuing careers in education and programs leading to teacher certification.

Supplemental Degree Programs

• Graduate students can typically request a supplemental degree in one or more subordinate degrees without needing to go through the full admissions process again.
• Supplemental programs available with this degree:
  • Africana Studies CGS
  • Community College Leadership CGS
  • Demography CGS
  • International Education Management CGS
  • Teacher Leadership CGS