Educational Administration and Policy: Program Overview
This degree specialization is housed within the Educational Studies program, which fosters links among students and faculty in a number of specializations sharing a commitment to the integration of theory and research on teaching, learning, and educational access in P-12 settings. Studies in Educational Administration and Policy can be pursued at both the Master's and Doctoral level. At both levels, students are engaged in the study of instructional leadership, organization theory, administrative leadership, and the design and evaluation of educational policies at all levels of governance. Courses address issues of school effectiveness, organizational design and leadership, school governance, and educational policy making, including issues of school finance. Students benefit from working with faculty who are actively engaged in funded research projects that focus on, for example, instructional improvement, national reading policy, and an understanding of how the social and psychological dimensions of schools influence educational practices and outcomes for students. Graduates of the Educational Administration and Policy program can be found at all levels of the public and private education sector. Current graduates are school principals and superintendents, university professors of educational administration, and researchers and policy analysts at educational research organizations, foundations, and government agencies.
One of the hallmarks of Educational Administration and Policy at the University of Michigan is the programmatic flexibility offered to students. Students may take courses across the School of Education and across the University to build a coherent and substantive program of study that meets their needs and interests. Students regularly benefit from the ability to take graduate courses from, for example, the Schools of Business, Law, Public Policy (Ford School), Social Work and the departments of history, political science, psychology, and sociology. Students also benefit from the presence of the world famous Institute for Social Research (ISR), which offers summer courses on survey research and statistics.
The School of Education offers Educational Administration and Policy degrees at both the Master's and Doctoral levels.
The Doctoral program in Educational Administration and Policy
The Doctoral Program in Educational Administration and Policy prepares individuals for careers as researchers, policy leaders, or university professors in the field of education. As a doctoral student at the University of Michigan, you will take courses offered by leading scholars in a variety of fields of study both inside and outside the School of Education. This course work—which is tailored to student needs and interests—will provide you with a critical perspective on important educational issues, develop your understanding of how schools can be organized and managed, deepen your understanding of education policy and governance, and prepare you to engage in primary research on pressing problems of educational improvement.
The program is intensive and designed for resident students.
Although there is a great deal of flexibility within the program,
the core
requirements include a small set of courses in educational administration
and policy, a structured sequence of research courses required
by the Educational Studies program, and a set of courses in a
discipline or disciplines outside the School Education (typically
in one of
the social science departments or professional schools on campus).
To get a better understanding of these requirements, see the
program planning
sheet for this degree program
. In addition
to completing course work, students work closely with program
faculty
on research projects or as teaching assistants.
It is also worth noting that, as a unit within Michigan's Educational Studies Program, the Education Administration PhD program is a national partner in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of teaching.
Core Knowledge and Skills in Educational Studies
In addition to the coursework and practica that constitute each of the various degree specializations within Educational Studies (see descriptions elsewhere on our website), all students in the M.A. and Ph.D. specializations take a set of foundational courses as a cohort. This cohort experience serves to create a shared knowledge base that bonds students into a community of professionals who work together to build understanding and to develop useful skills.
The Ph.D. Core Curriculum
Students in all doctoral degree specializations within the Educational Studies program share as a cohort four core courses that provide a common foundation for more specialized study. A team of faculty and doctoral students developed the plan for this core curriculum under the auspices of the Carnegie Foundation Initiative on the Doctorate, a multi-university effort to reform doctoral education.
EDUC 790, Social Foundations of Schooling
This course offers an integrated study of the social, philosophical, historical, and curricular bases of education through an examination of a small number of issues and themes of lasting importance in educational studies.EDUC 791, Foundations of Teaching and Learning
In this course, students investigate the intersection of teaching, learning, and subject matter knowledge. This course supports understanding of basic theories of learning and development, and the role of psychological and educational theory in the design of curriculum, the conduct of teaching, and the assessment of learning.EDUC 792, Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education
This course surveys qualitative methods of inquiry as they are currently used in the study of the contexts, processes, and effects of education.EDUC 793, Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods in Education
This course provides an introduction to quantitative reasoning and the use of statistical procedures in the analysis of data regarding educational outcomes.In addition to these four core courses, all doctoral students participate in a shared professional development proseminar during each of their first two years.
EDUC 898, Professional Issues in Education
The purpose of the first-year proseminar is to help new doctoral students settle into the “hidden curriculum” of a doctoral program, and to support the development of a disciplined perception of the practices of educational leadership and scholarship. Through conversations with visiting faculty, students have the opportunity to engage in the shared language and work of the community of educational leaders and researchers. The second-year proseminar continues this agenda, with specific time devoted to issues related to the various doctoral degree specializations.
What else would you like to learn about the Doctoral program?
I would like to see a list of faculty and their research interests.
Send an e-mail to inquire about the doctoral program.
I would like to see a list of recent graduates.
I would like to see a list of Doctoral degree requirements.
The Master's program in Educational Administration and Policy
The masters program in Educational Administration and Policy provides students with firm grounding in organizational theory, instructional leadership, school administration, and education finance, law, and policy. Other core courses examine education reform and research. Graduates of the masters program in Educational Administration and Policy are employed as principals and superintendents in public and private school systems. Other M.A. graduates have chosen to continue their professional education by enrolling in doctoral programs in Educational Administration at U-M or elsewhere; others yet have taken positions of leadership as researchers and policy analysts at educational research organizations, foundations, and government agencies.
Required courses for the program are generally scheduled to
begin at 4:00 p.m. so that students with full-time careers (e.g.,
k-12
teachers) can enroll and take courses on a part-time basis.
The program of study for this degree is 30 credit hours (view
the
planning sheet for this degree). Preparation of a
thesis is optional, and there is no general examination at the
conclusion
of course work. Most full-time students complete the degree
in a year and one-half, while others have taken two academic
years.
It is also possible to complete the degree in one academic
year by enrolling for courses during the spring and summer sessions,
in addition to taking four courses in each of the fall and
winter
terms. However relevant graduate course offerings can be difficult
to find during the spring and summer terms.
Admission to the Educational Administration and Policy M.A. program is structured so that students may begin the program in either the Fall or the Winter. See "Admissions" for the admissions deadlines.
New Dual Masters Degree in Business and Education
Students interested in the M.A. in Educational Administration and Policy may wish to also consider the School of Education's new dual degree program offered in collaboration with the University of Michigan Business School. The program leads to both the M.A. and the M.B.A. See the EDMBA program for more information.
Core Knowledge and Skills in Educational Studies
In addition to the coursework and practica that constitute each of the various degree specializations within Educational Studies (see descriptions elsewhere on our website), all students in the M.A. and Ph.D. specializations take a set of foundational courses as a cohort. This cohort experience serves to create a shared knowledge base that bonds students into a community of professionals who work together to build understanding and to develop useful skills.
The M.A. Core Curriculum
Students in all Master’s degree specializations within the Educational Studies program share two core courses that provide a common foundation for more specialized study.
EDUC 649, Foundational Perspectives on Educational Reform
This course provides an opportunity for students to examine selected contemporary reform efforts in education from historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives. The aim of this course is to assist the career educator in developing a broader and deeper understanding of the tensions between ideas and practice in dynamic social environments.
EDUC 695, Research and Educational Practice
This course provides an overview of research methods used in educational inquiry. Through this course, students acquire the tools that enable them to be critical consumers of research and to use action research in their own practice.
What else would you like to learn about the Master’s program?
I would like to see a list of faculty and their research interests.
Send an e-mail to inquire about the Master's program.
I would like to see a list of Master's degree course requirements.
