After almost a decade in academic advising and selective admissions, Tamara Minott is currently a full-time PhD student in the Higher and Postsecondary Education program at NYU. She completed the MA in Education and Social Policy program to learn more about policies affecting students in the K-16 pipeline. She plans to use her experience in academic advising and admissions to influence her research interests which include increasing access to higher education for marginalized groups.
How have the skills you learned in the EDSP program helped you in your current role?
The Education and Social Policy program encouraged me to consider the experience and trajectories of students in the K-16 system from a policy perspective. As we are moving towards being a data-reliant society, having a strong quantitative skill base is essential for being able to interpret and articulate information to formulate just policies. This program required those skills be honed and applied.
What have you been doing since you left the program?
Since completing the EDSP program I have enrolled full-time as a Steinhardt Fellow in the Higher & Postsecondary Education Ph.D. program. I am currently in my first year with plans to graduate in 2021. I hope to become a faculty member whose research focuses on improving college success rates of marginalized groups and influences effective policy reform.
Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share with prospective students?
I would encourage prospective students to consider the benefits of the curriculum of the EDSP program. The statistical requirements are essential to any potential analyst or policy work and make a solid base for an Ed.D. or Ph.D. program.