Transform educational systems through the MA in Education Policy. This 30-credit program bridges research and critical analysis with equity-centered practice to address complex challenges. Drawing on expertise across multiple disciplines, you'll learn to analyze policies, develop evidence-based solutions, and lead meaningful change across K-12 and higher education.
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Degree Details
Official Degree Title
MA in Education Policy
Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
30
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline
The MA in Education Policy at NYU Steinhardt offers a high-impact, 30-credit pathway to professional leadership. Bridging disciplinary boundaries, the program draws on world-class expertise from education, psychology, applied statistics, leadership, and public administration across four collaborative departments. You’ll gain a broad conceptual foundation in policy while developing the analytical tools required to drive real-world change.
You'll develop the skills to:
- Analyze policy and evidence: Evaluate what works, and for whom, within specific contexts.
- Leverage data-driven decision-making: Use research and rigorous analytics to design evidence-based solutions.
- Advance equity and access: Unpack the systems driving educational inequality and apply an equity-centered lens to policy and practice across K-12 and higher education.
- Lead for systemic impact: Mobilize cross-organizational and community networks to convert research and innovative ideas into meaningful action.
You will emerge as an innovative leader prepared to engage critically with research, drive organizational change, and foster impactful collaboration for all learners.
As a student, you'll engage with a curriculum designed for immediate impact and real-world application. You’ll take foundational courses that explore the sociological and political roots of educational systems. You'll benefit from participation in the school-wide Education Policy Group, connecting with faculty and peers involved in research and practice in domestic and international contexts.
Your experience culminates in a specialized path tailored to your professional goals: a professional internship or an applied research project. In the internship track, you might develop policy briefs or advocacy plans for community-based organizations or international NGOs, participating in a weekly seminar to discuss and process your fieldwork. Alternatively, the research capstone allows you to design and carry out original studies addressing pressing policy issues, under faculty supervision. This blend of theory and practice ensures you leave with a professional platform and a network in the education sector.
Success for our graduates means holding leadership and analyst roles where policy meets practice. You'll be prepared for positions such as Policy Analyst, Program Officer, Research Associate, or Advocacy Director. Our graduates are recruited by a diverse range of organizations, including child and youth advocacy groups, policy think tanks, government agencies, and international NGOs. You'll leave with the ability to use data for evidence-based decision-making, craft persuasive policy recommendations, and lead in multicultural environments.
Whether your focus is school-based planning or educational reform in another part of the world, you'll possess the credentials to advocate effectively for equity and justice. The program’s rigorous training also serves as a gateway to doctoral study, providing the methodological foundations and professional networks necessary for large-scale social impact.
Areas of Study
Select an area of study below to see how you can tailor your MA in Education Policy to your goals and interests.
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Transform schools and community organizations from the ground up. This track equips you with the strategic advocacy, organizational insights, and multicultural leadership skills needed to mobilize communities, challenge systemic barriers, and champion lasting, meaningful change.
Core courses include:
- Advocacy and Education
- Organizational Theory, Culture and Practice
- Critical Multiculturalism in Schools: Theory and Practice
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Step into the center of higher education governance, finance, and policy. You will analyze the forces driving colleges and universities today and design research-backed strategies to expand access, lower financial barriers, and drive institutional equity.
Core courses include:
- Foundations of Higher Education
- How Colleges Work
- Politics of Higher Education
- Higher Education Finance and Public Policy
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Explore how individuals grow, adapt, and thrive across the lifespan. By blending psychological frameworks with real-world social applications, you will learn to design and evaluate powerful interventions that elevate individuals and strengthen whole communities.
Core courses include:
- Survey of Developmental Psychology
- Intervention and Social Change
- Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Intermediate Quantitative Methods: General Linear Model
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Master the advanced statistical tools, econometrics, and big-data analytics top decision-makers rely on. This high-impact track prepares you to analyze complex educational policies and generate the rigorous, evidence-based insights needed to shape effective policy.
Core courses include:
- Large Databases in Applied Research
- Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Multiple Regression and Introduction to Econometrics
- Intermediate Quantitative Methods: General Linear Model
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Your goals are unique; your curriculum can be, too. Partner directly with expert faculty and advisors to build a custom course sequence aligned with your personal passions, professional vision, and long-term career aspirations.
Opportunities
Program Benefits for International Students
If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization.
Questions
If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact ed.policy@nyu.edu.
Take the Next Step
Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.