The M.A. program in Education and Social Policy addresses the growing demand for professionals who can use up-to-date methods, data, and research results to formulate, implement, and evaluate education policies, ranging from the national No Child Left Behind Act to local or state policies such as New York City's Children First initiative . As the national and international concern with the quality of education grows, local, state and federal education agencies, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations are seeking individuals with the skills and knowledge to help craft education reforms that improve the effectiveness and fairness of educational outcomes.

Based in the social science disciplines of economics and sociology, the program teaches you to use statistics, large datasets, and research designs to analyze education policies for grades kindergarten-12 and higher education.

The curriculum is designed to assure that you master appropriate analytical methods as well as develop knowledge of issues in a specific education policy area, such as higher education, race and class, international education, or K-12 education issues. No previous knowledge of education policy or statistics is required.

The degree is distinguished from other master’s degrees in education policy by its strong emphasis on using quantitative methods to ascertain causal effects of programs and policies. You begin your studies with a first course in statistics and progress through more rigorous analytical courses, including regression and econometrics. The sequence of methods courses culminates in a final directed group research project in which groups produce a professional study of an educational intervention or policy of their choosing.

Throughout the course of study, you gain experience:

• in working with large longitudinal education databases
• with using economic and sociological principles to analyze K-16 education, and
• with principles of management, planning, and policy making in the public and nonprofit sectors, which draw on the expertise of faculty in NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The curriculum places a strong emphasis on understanding the context, purpose, unintended effects, and finally the actual impact of alternative education policies and programs. You will use elective choices, which you’ll choose in consultation with your adviser, to gain knowledge of policy issues.

Graduates are prepared to work in a wide variety of organizations that have a role in policymaking and implementation in the education area, including local, state and federal education departments, foundations, think tanks, and consulting, grant-giving and public-relations departments in selected private organizations.

In addition to the M.A. Program in Education and Social Policy, the Steinhardt School offers students two other options to study education and policy and to prepare for a career in this field.  We encourage you to explore these options further to find the program that best matches your personal interests and career goals.