Education Policy & Management

Curriculum

The Education Policy and Management Program (EPM) is designed to prepare graduates to assume challenging policy positions in a variety of governmental, intermediary, non-profit, school and other educational organizations.  The program introduces students to the world of policy and the intergovernmental system that provides “public education” in the United States.  Students grapple with strengths and weaknesses of policy as a tool for school improvement.  They delve into contemporary policy issues utilizing research skills and evidence, political analysis and organizational knowledge.  The EPM program aims to equip graduates to understand, participate in, and ultimately lead complex initiatives involving policy and practice.

For many experienced educators and education activists, the EPM program opens the door to a world of new professional opportunities for influencing policies and practices which ultimately impact schools and the lives of children.  Graduates of the EPM program work in federal, state and local government, national foundations, advocacy organizations, professional associations, policy “think tanks,” school improvement organizations, and in local schools and districts. They fill many, diverse roles, enjoying success as leaders, advocates, policy analysts, consultants, researchers, planners, educators or philanthropists.

Coursework is largely self-designed but requires work in educational policy, research and organizations. Students have access to the full range of courses in the Graduate School of Education, and many opt to take related courses elsewhere in the University, such as in the Kennedy School of Government or the Harvard Business School. The EPM program is a one-year, full time Master's program.

Students thinking about a career as a policy analyst or advisor in a governmental unit, or an organization that conducts studies on behalf of government, will probably want to take at least two courses in policy and, depending on prior grounding in statistics and research methods, two in research and evaluation. Students leaning toward working in a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to schools, or operates at the community level on behalf of children and youth, will probably want to consider taking two or more courses in management. However, students choose the EPM Program for a variety of reasons, and these recommendations may not be equally relevant for everyone. For instance, students who plan to go directly into classroom teaching or return to the classroom will probably have a different course selection strategy. The EPM faculty and staff are available to help students design their course of study at HGSE to make the most of their time here.

Many EPM students participate in HGSE's Internship program, the Field Experience Program.

There are education-related courses offered at the Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government, which may compliment your course of study. To learn more about cross-registration opportunities, please see below under "Cross-Registration."

EPM Requirements and Courses 2008-09:

All EPM students are required to take 5 "A" or "S" classes from HGSE. EPM students are also required to take one (1) HGSE course from each of the required categories below (can be part of the 5 A or S classes); there are no exceptions or substitutions for these classes. Your elective classes can be taken either at HGSE or other Harvard Schools.

Additionally, EPM students are strongly encouraged to take A100: Introduction to Education Policy (fall 2008); A129: Federal Government in the Schools (spring 2009); or A312: Systemic Reform in Urban School Districts and Schools, core courses that are designed to immerse students in the world of contemporary educational policy in the United States. These courses share a common goal, namely, to increase students' understanding of the complexities of educational policy and to assist them in becoming effective leaders and practitioners who inform, shape, and implement education policy.

Remember that students need 32 credits to graduate.
Course List (Note: Students are required to take one course from each list in the three categories below)
* = limited enrollment course; permission of the instructor required  

Policy:
A-024: Politics, Policy-Making, and Political Action in Education * (fall)
A-100: Introduction to Education Policy (fall)
A-106: Social Capital, Schools, and Democracy (fall)
A-112: Students with Disabilities in School (fall)
A-113: Urban Education (fall)
A-114: Schooling and Society (spring)
A-120: Controversies in Federal Education Policy: Can Title 1 Close the Achievement Gap?* (fall)
A-129: The Federal Government in the Schools (spring)
A-139:  Pursuing Teacher Quality: Policy, Research and Practice (fall)
A-210F:  Educating the Courts (spring)
A-327: Charter Schools: Threats or Opportunities for Public Education? (spring)
A-403: History of Urban Education (spring)
AH-400: American Dilemmas: Everyday Struggles over Race and Equality in U.S. Education (fall)
AT-107: Curriculum Controversies (spring)
H-514:  Comparative Perspectives on Immigration and Education Policy (spring)
H-525:  Immigration, Education, and Identities in the United States (spring)

Research and Evaluation:
S-005: Introduction to Educational Research (fall)
S-011: Understanding Today's Educational Testing (fall)
S-012: Empirical Methods: Introduction to Statistics for Research (fall)
S-015: Questionnaire Design: A Practical Guide from Conceptualization to Administration (fall)
S-030A: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis (spring)
S-030B: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis (spring)
S-052: Applied Data Analysis (fall)
S-306: Interdisciplinary Education: Preparing Students for our Contemporary World  (spring)
S-504: Introduction to Qualitative Research  (fall)
S-522: Analyzing Culture: Dialog, Discourse and Theme (fall)
A-162: Portraiture in Social Science (fall)
A-205A: Microeconomics: Policy Tool for Educators (fall)
A-801: Education Policy Analysis and Research in Developing Countries (fall)
AH-125: The Science of Learning, Behavior, and Health: Implications for Social Policy (spring)
AT-113: Educational Effectiveness: Examining Influences on Student Achievement (spring)
T-545: Engagement and Learning: Technologies that Invite and Immerse (spring)

Management:
A-021: Leadership in Organizations * (fall)
A-010H: Financial Strategy and Leadership in High-Performing Nonprofits (spring) (at HKS)
A-018: Strategic Management for Public Purposes (spring) (at HKS)
A-027 Managing Financial Resources in Non-profit Organizations (spring)
A-029: An Introduction to Education Finance and Budgeting (spring)
A-122: The Why, What, and How of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (fall)
A-213: Schools and the Law (fall)
A-312: Systemic Reform in Urban School Districts and Schools (spring)
A-320: Building a Democratic School: Pilots, Charters, and Alternatives to Traditional Schools (spring)
A-326A: School Reform: Curricular and Instructional Leadership (fall)
A-326B: School Reform: Curricular and Instructional Leadership (fall)
A-506: Teachers' Unions and School Improvement (spring)
A-604: Partnering: Leadership Skills for a Networked World (spring)
A-608: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Learning (fall)
A-663: Managing Bureaucracy: Creating the Passion-Driven Organization (fall)
A-804:  Monitoring and Evaluation for Improving Education Systems (spring)
AT-105: New Professional Roles for Teachers (spring)

Cross-Registration

Many HGSE students choose to take courses at other Harvard graduate schools (aka, cross-registering), including the Harvard Business School (HBS), the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), and the Harvard Law School.  Harvard's schools operate on different schedules. Therefore, remain mindful of school's individual calendars and deadlines: start of classes, vacations, and exams.
For more information about cross-registering at other Harvard schools, please visit: https://crossreg.harvard.edu/

HGSE Course Catalog

For more information about HGSE course offerings, view the entire HGSE course catalogue.