Master's in Educational Policy
(ISIS code: AT2)

Program of Study
Students enrolled in our Educational Policy program can meet all the requirements of a master’s degree in only one year of full-time study over the course of three semesters—summer, fall, and spring. The 30-credit-hour program consists of the following required and elective courses:
*required courses

Educational Policy Core Courses (6 credits)
• *EDU 413: Contemporary Issues in Educational Policy (3 credits)
• *ED 439: Policy Analysis in Education (3 credits)

Educational Foundation and Policy Electives (9-12 credits)
Choose at least three of the following courses:
• EDU 464: State and Federal Education Policy (3 credits)
• ED 421: Reform in Public Schools (3 credits)
• ED 412: Sociology of Education
• EDU 411: Education Finance Issues in K-12 School Systems (3 credits)
• ED 411: Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
• ED 461: The Politics of Education (3 credits)

Other Electives (6-9 credits)
Choose two or three more courses (as needed to reach a total of 30 credits) from the previous list as well as the vast array of courses offered at the Warner School of Education and the University of Rochester at large.

Research Methods
• *ED 406: Master’s Research Methods (3 credits)

*Master’s Project (3 credits)
The master’s project provides an opportunity for students to develop a well-organized report or essay on a significant topic in the field of education policy. The master’s project includes the following options:

• Master’s Essay
Students will write an essay that identifies and analyzes a significant issue or problem in contemporary U.S. education policy. The essay requires that students review the relevant research as they discuss the policy problem and argue for a particular policy solution, using conceptual arguments or empirical evidence. The implications for policy, research, and practice should be clearly stated.

• Field Research Project
Students will address a specific educational policy issue or problem by undertaking a field-based research project. Students will first identify a policy issue, ground the issue through a review of the literature, and then design and conduct a study. The field-based project requires students to prepare a final report in which they will identify the policy issue under examination, review the relevant literature, detail the study methods employed, analyze the findings, and state the implications for policy, research, and practice.

Download the Master's in Educational Policy Brochure (pdf).

Go to Educational Leadership Department Course Listings.