Educational Policy and Planning
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
Designed For
Working professionals seeking advanced training without pausing their careers. Courses are typically offered in the late afternoon and evening to accommodate full-time professional schedules.
Students benefit from a cohort-based, full-time learning model that fosters collaboration, networking and sustained engagement. The program’s multidisciplinary design integrates theory, research and applied practice, including opportunities for policy and research internships and faculty-mentored research.
Career Objective
Graduates are prepared for careers in education policy analysis, research and leadership across a wide range of sectors, including:
- State and local government.
- Legislative offices.
- Public and private research organizations.
- School districts.
- Community-based organizations.
- Nonprofits and civil and human rights groups.
- Consulting agencies.
The program also provides strong preparation for students who choose to pursue doctoral study in educational policy. Admitted students may work closely with faculty on research aligned with their professional and academic interests.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
December 1
Length of Program: 24 months
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Policy to Impact
Students in the Educational Policy and Planning (EPP) master’s program receive comprehensive training in education policy analysis and research methods, gaining foundational knowledge in education policy implementation, politics and policy, school law and applied policy analysis.
Students develop practical skills in data collection and analysis to solve real-world problems and improve educational outcomes. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches that reflect the complexity of educational systems and the diverse communities they serve.
Key Competencies You Will Gain
Graduates of the program leave with the ability to:
- Develop current and historical understandings of education law, policy and research, with particular attention to marginalized and historically excluded groups.
- Apply social science theoretical frameworks to analyze education policy and institutional decision-making.
- Acquire cutting-edge, interdisciplinary and intersectional knowledge in educational policy and research.
- Critically consume, synthesize and produce education policy research using qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
- Translate research into action through practical experience, including legislative and other internships in education leadership, policy and research.
By combining deep policy knowledge, advanced research skills, and hands-on professional experience, the EPP program equips students to improve educational outcomes and advance equity across local, state and national contexts. Graduates are prepared to lead, analyze and advocate in complex policy environments—or to continue their training through doctoral study in educational policy.
Ph.D. Program Co-coordinator and M.Ed. Coordinator
Sofia Malik
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Jacinda Herrera
Program Overview
Application Requirements
All graduate students are required to apply through the Graduate School website. We strongly encourage you to start this process well in advance of the deadline to allow us time to process your information.
The GRE is no longer required for those applying for admission to the EPP M.Ed. program. If applicants choose to submit GRE scores, they will not be reviewed or considered by the admissions committee.
Your Statement of Purpose should describe:
- Why you are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Policy and Planning (EPP) at UT Austin.
- Any life experiences that have contributed to your decision to apply to pursue an M.Ed. in EPP.
- Any personal experiences, achievements, or accomplishments that would help you contribute to the program and the University’s mission for diversity and inclusiveness.
- Your career aspirations once you complete your degree.
Learn more on our How to Apply page.
Program Requirements
Minimum Total: 36 credit hours
Departmental Core (15 credit hours)
- ELP 384F / EDA 395F Foundations of Educational Policy
- ELP 384M / EDA 395G Policy Implementation Seminar
- ELP 394L / EDA 388L School Law
- ELP 384C / EDA 395M Critical Policy Analysis
- ELP 384V / EDA 395J Poverty and Educational Policy
Research Core (6 credit hours)
- ELP 381C / EDA 381L Ed Research I
- ELP 381D / EDA 381M Ed Research II
Advanced EPP Policy Seminars (6 credit hours)
EPP Policy seminars focus on current education issues such as accountability, race/ethnicity in schools, school choice, and educational equity and opportunity.
- ELP 394K.1 Seminar in Latinx Education
- ELP 394K.2 Market-Based Reforms in Education
- ELP 394K.3 Place, Opportunity, and Education
- ELP 394K.4 Schools and Gentrification
- ELP 394K.6 Language Policy in Education
- ELP 394K.7 Immigration Theory in Education
- ELP 394K.5 Law, Leadership and Discipline Policy
- ELP 394K Accountability & School Reform
- ELP 394K Race and Ethnic Relations in Schools
- ELP 394K Contemporary Education Policy Issues
Internship (3 credit hours)
Students participate in an internship program that provides a unique opportunity to gain real-life policy experience under the supervision of a faculty adviser.
- ELP 383N / EDA 397PGraduate Internship
Out-of-Department Electives (6 credit hours)
Electives can be taken from different departments within the College of Education or other colleges within the UniversityProgram Plan Worksheet
Faculty
Examines collaborative approaches involving community organizations and stakeholders that improve academic achievement and reduce opportunity gaps for students. Also studies chronic absenteeism, the role of high school athletics in school settings, a...
Focuses on school and district leadership, inclusive practices for students with disabilities, and school improvement with an emphasis on improving student achievement and addressing inequities in classrooms, schools, and communities.
Accepting new students
Develops school leaders with the knowledge, skill, and disposition to foster collaborative instructional systems to produce high levels of adult engagement in their unique school environments to assure every student learns well and thrives, with a fo...
Examines principals and school-community engagement/community development and issues of educational equity and opportunity.
Dr. Holme's work explores how structural and systemic factorsparticularly housing policy, and teacher labor marketsshape educational opportunity.
Accepting new students
Examines program evaluation, knowledge mobilizatio, and research use in public school districts. Her work investigates how school leaders navigate socio-political contexts to make evidence-informed decisions, with particular attention to the organiza...
Focuses on identifying factors that hinder or promote the success of children and families from vulnerable and underserved populations.
I study student success for children experiencing poverty. I analyze how school leadership and state policy facilitate student success across the education pipeline.
Gender and Education; Teacher Labor Markets; Neoliberal Education; Mixed-Methods Research; CritQuant; and International Comparative Analysis
Specializes in urban education from a sociological and multicultural perspective, with a focus on minority youth in schools, particularly at the K-12 level.
Examines issues of power and voice in education policy making and implementation processes, with a focus on public school district superintendents and school boards.
Accepting new students
Uses lenses from organizational sociology to study how district leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers implement policy
Additional Information
Let us know what your academic interests are within the College of Education and we’ll be in touch.
