Education Policy (M.P.P.)

Dive deep into policy decision-making and how those decisions influence today’s educational systems in a nationally recognized, top-ranked program that fosters knowledge of the social, economic, political, and historical contexts for education policy and practice.

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Master's in Education Policy Program Overview

Peabody's M.P.P. degree program follows a cohort-based model that enables you to share a common interest in education policy and form strong connections with fellow students. It is unique in its policy focus specifically on education, but the degree (compared to the M.Ed. degree) signals analytical and policy-analysis skills that are in high demand on the job market. An M.P.P. carries a high value within organizations that are thinking about large-scale changes.

Choose among three tracks that allow you to tailor your classes to meet your specific interests. These tracks provide an in-depth look at K-12 education policy, higher education policy, or quantitative analysis in education.

Joint degree programs are also available with both Vanderbilt Law School and the Owen Graduate School of Management.

 

Careers in Education Policy

Of job-seeking graduates, 92% were employed or attending graduate school within four months of graduation. Recent education policy career placements:

  • Associate Legislative Research Analyst, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Director of Policy, Texas Aspires, Austin, Texas
  • Director of School Partnerships, OneGoal, New York, New York
  • K-12 Data and Policy Analyst, Education Trust, Washington, D.C.
  • National Policy Associate, Centerstone, Nashville, Tennessee
  • School Governance Liaison, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Vice President of Policy, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Nashville, Tennessee
  • #1

    Best Education Policy Program, U.S. News & World Report 2025

Info Session

  • Nov. 13, 2025

    7:00 p.m. (CST)

    Education Policy Info Session

    If you've identified an interest in Peabody's Education Policy M.P.P. program, we invite you to join us for a program information session taking place Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. CT. Dr. Jennifer Russell, Program Director, will discuss the program's structure and curriculum, career outcomes, application requirements and timeline, and will end the webinar with a Q&A with current students to discuss the Peabody and Ed Policy student experience. We encourage you to register to attend!

    Education Policy is a campus-based program, and its Quantitative Methods track is STEM-designated.

    Register Now

Laura Moore

"My Peabody degree prepared me to be a critical consumer of research and data to inform the initiatives that we lead."

Laura Moore
M.P.P, Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO at Obama Foundation

Explore education policy, leadership and administration, and the right path for you.

M.P.P. Program Facts

Program Director: Jennifer Russell
Program Coordinator: Kashiri Favors
Admission Term: Fall
Credit Hours: 36

Application Deadlines

  • Priority Decision 1

    January 3*

  • Priority Decision 2

    February 3

  • Rolling Decision

    After February 3

*For more information on application dates and requirements, and the benefits of Priority Decision, see the How to Apply page.

Request Information

M.P.P. Program Program Curriculum

The master's in Education Policy includes a sequence of core requirements and a suite of courses in research and data analysis. You will take specialized courses, based on your interests, plus a field-based practicum in which you'll address a meaningful policy problem.

The M.P.P. is a two-year program of study with a policy core, broad foundations, policy making, research methods and data analysis, and elective courses to build a concentration that aligns with your chosen career path. You can accelerate and complete the program within one year by enrolling in online and summer course offerings. 

Concentrations in Education Policy

  • K-12 Policy
  • Higher Education Policy
  • Quantitative Methods in Education Policy

Coursework

  • Courses by Specialization

    K-12 POLICY OR HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY CONCENTRATION

    Education Policy Core: 12 hours

    • EDP 6110 Politics and Policymaking
    • EDP 6120 Education Policy and School Reform*
    • EDP 6130 American Educational History and Policy*
    • EDP 6140 Economics of Education

    *Students specializing in Higher Education Policy may substitute a Higher Education Policy course with advisor approval.

     

    Required Methods and Data Analysis:  9 hours

    • LPO 7860 Research Design and Data Analysis I
    • LPO 7870 Research Design and Data Analysis II
    • EDP 7880 Education Policy and Program Evaluation

     

    Practicum and Policy Writing: 3 hours

    • EDP 7950 Practicum in Education Policy

     

    Policy Electives: 12 hours

    The following represents a sample list of elective courses. You'll work with your advisor to identify courses that best align with your intellectual and professional goals. Transfer hours can be applied only toward elective credit.

    • EDP 6210 Teacher Policy
    • EDP 6220 Urban Education and Social Policy
    • EDP 7500 Education Law
    • LPO 7200 Grants Policy and Administration
    • HEA 6010 College and University Management
    • HEA 6300 Postsecondary Access and Opportunity
    • HEA 6310 College and University Finance
    • IEPM 6120 International Issues in K-12 Policy Reform
    • IEPM 6130 Comparative Issues in Higher Ed. Policy**
    • ELP 8210 Resource Allocation and Deployment (Ed.D.)**
    • ELP 8220 Ed. Accountability and Assessment (Ed.D.)**
    • HLP 8220 Public Policy and Higher Education (Ed.D.)

    ** Ed.D.-level weekend courses. Students must secure advisor and instructor approval before enrolling in Ed.D. courses.

     

    QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN EDUCATION POLICY CONCENTRATION

    Education Policy Core: 12 hours

    • EDP 6110 Politics and Policymaking
    • EDP 6120 Education Policy and School Reform
    • EDP 6130 American Educational History and Policy
    • EDP 6140 Economics of Education

     

    Required Methods and Data Analysis: 15 hours

    • LPO 8810 Research Design/Methods of Education Policy
    • PSY GS 8861 Statistical Inference
    • LPO 8851 Regression I
    • LPO 7810 Causal Inference
    • LPO 8852 Regression II

     

    Practicum: 0 hours

    • EDP 7950 Practicum in Education Policy

     

    Policy Electives: 9 hours

    The following represents a sample list of elective courses. You'll work with your advisor to identify courses that best align with your intellectual and professional goals. Transfer hours can be applied only toward elective credit.

    • EDP 6210 Teacher Policy
    • EDP 6220 Urban Education and Social Policy
    • EDP 7500 Education Law
    • LPO 7200 Grants Policy and Administration
    • HEA 6010 College and University Management
    • HEA 6300 Postsecondary Access and Opportunity
    • HEA 6310 College and University Finance
    • IEPM 6120 International Issues in K-12 Policy Reform
    • IEPM 6130 Comparative Issues in Higher Ed. Policy**
    • ELP 8210 Resource Allocation and Deployment (Ed.D.)**
    • ELP 8220 Ed. Accountability and Assessment (Ed.D.)**
    • HLP 8220 Public Policy and Higher Education (Ed.D.)

    ** Ed.D.-level weekend courses. Students must secure adviser and instructor approval before enrolling in Ed.D. courses.

Selected Faculty Research

Joanne Golann

Joanne Golann

Associate Professor of Public Policy and Eduction,
Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations

Trained as a sociologist and an ethnographer, Professor Golann seeks to understand how culture shapes educational policy and practice. Based on 18 months of fieldwork inside a high-performing "no-excuses" charter school, her book, Scripting the Moves: Class, Control, and Urban School Reform (Princeton University Press, 2021), considers what it takes-and what it costs-to equalize opportunities for low-income students of color.

Matthew Shaw

Matthew Shaw

Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education

Professor Shaw is a sociologist of law whose research focuses on educational institutions and the students, educators, and communities who engage with them. His current projects are on laws which shape the experiences of undocumented youth as they transition from high school to college, Title IX as directive on educational institutions, and funding challenges experienced by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Education Policy (M.P.P.)

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