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Program Details

Graduate Program: Education Policy (MA)

General Information

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Program/Degree
Education Policy (MA)  
Program Description

The Master of Arts in Educational Policy, offered by the Education Policy Studies and Practice Department in the College of Education, will provide students with an understanding of education policymaking history and process, and develop their skills to analyze data and inform policies. There are numerous opportunities for students who possess the background in education policy that range from Research and Evaluation Analysts in school districts to Directors of Research for policy centers in the state, as well as K-12 and university settings. The program will provide anyone interested in education policy with the necessary background to engage in the policymaking process: classroom teachers, school leaders, university personnel, community members, and those interested in continuing their studies in a doctoral program.

 

The program offers courses flexibly (e.g., evenings, online, hybrid) that will include research methods, critical topics in education policy, as well as the opportunity to take various elective courses that might include a focus on language policy, privatization and education reform, law, and/or public policy, among other areas of interest.

 

The 30-credit hour program prepares students to critically evaluate:

  • the utility and limitations of education research findings in informing policy;
  • the basic legal, political, and practical linkages between federal, state, and local enactment of education policy;
  • current scholarship, policy debates, and implementation efforts around market-based approaches to educational reform

 

In your final semester, you will carry out a research project in consultation with your advisor or engage in a legislative internship to deepen the knowledge you have accumulated during your studies.

 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

Educational Policy Studies and Practice

The Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice (EPSP) includes Educational Leadership & Policy and the Center for the Study of Higher Education. The EPSP department combines the PK-12 focus with postsecondary education to create a P-20 perspective that taps into the dominant discourse of education and policymakers today.

EPSP prepares graduate students at the doctorate and master's levels. Graduate programs in HED include Ph.D. and M.A. degrees. Graduate programs in EDLP include an Ed.D., Ph.D., M.A. and M.Ed. The M.A. degree has a focus on policy. The M.Ed. degree is a standards-driven curriculum leading to both a degree and state certification for the principalship.

The Educational Leadership, M.Ed., program is designed for aspiring educational leaders who are seeking administrative certification. This cohort-based, 36-unit program can lead to principal certification in the state of Arizona and can be completed within two years. The cohort concept has been used successfully by the University of Arizona Educational Leadership Program for several years. In this model, students develop formal and informal relationships with other students that support their journey to successful completion of an advanced degree. It also provides a solid foundation for leaders considering doctoral work at the elementary and secondary levels. In fact, some of the core courses may be applied toward the doctoral program in educational leadership.

The traditional M.Ed. course sequence consists of two courses each fall semester and two courses each spring semester. There are also four courses offered in the summer of the first year of participation in the program.  Courses are held in the evenings once per week and are generally offered on the university campus.  Off-campus locations may also be utilized at times.

Courses in the program are delivered in a variety of formats, including completely online, hybrid (meaning a combination of in-person and online classes), and in-person. Core coursework of the program includes classes like EDL 560 (Foundations of Educational Leadership: Theory, Research & Practice), EDL 561 (The Principalship), and EDL 562 (Arizona Education Law).

Both the Center for the Study of Higher Education (HED) and Educational Leadership & Policy (EDLP) maintain their core functions and curriculum, consistent with professional career paths and state standards for certification leading to licensure. However, the combined unit more broadly facilitates and encourages research, instructional, and service and outreach initiatives consistent with a policy development and analysis focus.

 
College

College of Education

 
Campuses where offered

Arizona Global Direct - Online

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

Arizona Online - Online

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Erika Marie Lopez
520-621-7313
Graduate Program Coordinator
Erika Marie Lopez
520-621-7313
Director of Graduate Studies
Keiron D Bailey
520-621-1652
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Megan Jia Mcnulty-Luoma
520-626-9962
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least a 3.0
  • Completed application through GradAPP
  • A writing sample
  • A personal statement
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Resume
 
Standardized Tests

Required test(s):

TOEFL or IELTS (international applicants only)
Minimum TOEFL: 79
Minimum IELTS: minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area below a 6

The University of Arizona institution code is 4832.

 
Funding Opportunities
The Academic Unit has not provided this information. 
Admissions Deadlines

We are currently not accepting applications for this program.

 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

30 

Core Coursework Requirements

Required Core (9 credit hours)

  • EDL 522 (3) Critically Evaluating Education Policy Research
  • EDL 587 (3) State and Local Education Policy
  • EDL 558 (3) Market-Based Educational Reforms

Applied Project (3 credit hours)
EDL 599 (3) Applied Project

 
Elective Coursework

Electives (18)

Students may take courses from the following list in consultation with their advisor:

  • EDL 562 Law and education
  • TLS 504 Language and culture in education
  • TLS 595e Anthropology and education
  • TLS 640 Multicultural education and social justice
  • TLS 641 Immigration and education
  • TLS 642 Oral traditions across societies
  • TLS 795c Language planning and education
  • PA 504 Public and Policy Economics
  • PA 506 Bureaucracy, Politics, and Policy
  • PA 507 Conflict Management in the Public Sector
  • PA 509 Strategic Planning, Public Policy and Political Decision Making
  • PA 510 Nonprofits in the Policy Process
  • PA 512 Local government
  • PA 520 Advocacy Strategies & Community Participation
  • PA 524 Federalism, Democracy and Decentralization
  • PA 562 The Political Economy of U.S. Immigration Policy
  • PA 595G Public policy
  • LAW 656D Education Law
  • LAW 514 The state and Social Policy
  • LAW 527 International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples
  • LAW 550A Native American Law and Policy
  • LAW 553 Introduction to Immigration Law and Policy
  • LAW 583 Law, Politics, and Inequality
  • LAW 596h Law, Psychology and Policy
  • LAW 631D - Rebuilding Native Nations: An Introduction 
  • LAW 631L - Constitutions of Indigenous Nations
  • LAW 631M - Comparative Legal Systems & Their Role in Nation Building
  • LAW 631N - Exploring Data for Nation Building: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance  
  • LAW 631K - The Evidence for Native Nation Building   
  • LAW 631O - Creating Indigenous Entrepreneurs   
  • LAW 656B - Comparative Indigenous Governance
  • LAW 656F - Cultural Property of Indigenous Peoples 
  • LAW 579A - Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Under International Law
  • LAW 656A - Intergovernmental Relations 
  • LAW 525 - Native Economic Development 
  • LAW 631J - Making Change Happen
 
Additional Requirements

None.

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate 100%
Med. Time-to-degree (years) n/a
 
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male 30%
Enrollment Percent Female 70%
Enrollment Percent International 0%
Enrollment Percent URM 40%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2020.
  • Median Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2015-2019) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program. This measure uses the methodology established in the 2011 Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs by the National Research Council.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/EDPLCMA
Last revised 08 Feb 2022
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