Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) at the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin!

We believe that leadership is most powerful when it is rooted in justice, humility and a deep commitment to community. As one of the nation’s leading graduate programs, we are dedicated to studying and transforming public schools, postsecondary institutions and education policy. We invite you to join us in our shared mission to build and sustain a more equitable and dynamic future for education.

At UT, we believe that what starts here changes the world, and that sentiment is at the heart of everything we do. This vision is possible through bold leadership, policies that focus on historically marginalized communities, and scholarship that bridges ideas with real-world practices and ground-level change. We believe advancing educational justice demands both courage and humility: the courage to challenge inequities, and the humility to learn and evolve alongside the people we serve.

Our primary goal is to prepare mission-driven researchers and leaders who think critically, work collaboratively and act with integrity. We are proud to develop innovative scholars and practitioners who lead with both courage and compassion to expand opportunities and improve outcomes for all learners. Our faculty, students, staff and partners engage in groundbreaking research and transformative practice guided by a simple yet compelling question, What can we do better tomorrow than we did today? Together, we have the power to reshape policies, advance practices and redefine leadership in the state of Texas, across the country and around the world.

We invite prospective students to explore our graduate programs and our strong tradition of cultivating scholars, policy leaders and practitioners committed to equity and continuous improvement.

Our programs are anchored in the College of Education’s three signature impact areas:

• Advancing equity and eliminating disparities in education
• Thriving through transitions
• Attending to place and context

Within these impact areas, our research addresses urgent and systemic challenges, including:

• School Leadership
• Addressing disparities in K-12 and Post-secondary Outcomes
• Policy and Reform Research

Graduates of ELP are prepared to navigate complex policy initiatives, lead across multiple organizational settings, and redefine education through a relentless focus on the common good.

We are glad you are here, and we look forward to imagining and building a brighter educational future—together.

Sarah Woulfin, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy