Welcome to the Politics & Education program
The Politics and Education program prepares students for careers as education policy leaders at the local, state and national levels, or to pursue advanced work in doctoral programs in education policy, political science, or public policy. Graduates of this program secure positions as policy advisors and researchers for government agencies, foundations and various private agencies committed to looking at and developing policies for the field of education.
Schools represent a powerful instrument for shaping the development of future generations of citizens and workers as well as an important source of jobs and investment in many communities. Coursework focuses on how societies handle conflicting visions of what schools should and should not be doing, and what specific changes in political and governance processes might facilitate better decision-making and policy implementation.
Politics and Education Virtual Information Session
Fall 2023 webinar for prospective students that premiered on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 8:15 pm. Come hear about our program from faculty, students, and staff!
Choose Your Degree
M.A. in Politics & Education
The 33-credit M.A. program includes coursework in political science and general foundation courses in education in addition to study in qualitative and quantitative research methods. Students choose a concentration to focus on a set of political debates in education or a particular political arena in consultation with an assigned advisor.
Ed.M. in Politics & Education
The 60-credit Ed.M. program includes advanced coursework in political science and general foundation courses in education in addition to study in qualitative and quantitative research methods. Students choose a concentration to focus on a set of political debates in education or a particular political arena in consultation with an assigned advisor.
Ph.D. in Politics & Education
The 75-credit Ph.D. program prepares students to conduct original and rigorous research relating to education policy and the political conditions that facilitate its adoption, implementation, and sustainability. Graduates of this program secure positions as professors within political science, public policy, and education departments at various types of four year institutions; as researchers in think tanks and private research organizations; and in government agencies with research and policy missions.
Congratulations Graduates 2024!
Student & Alumni Profiles
Previously working with her Diné community, state congressional representative, and in non-profit environmental organizations, Kianna seeks to find an understanding of Native identity within US political spheres. She has explored this through psychological research at the University of Michigan, examining the political discrepancies between tribal communities and the US government. Moreover, she uses her social media platform to teach about Indigenous issues and amplify pressing issues facing communities around the world.
Motivated by the matriarchs within her family, she hopes to improve education policy for Native American students and preserve Diné teachings by integrating them into her graduate school education, future research, and professional career in politics and teaching. In Fall 2023, Kianna will also be a research assistant for the Teachers College Center for Educational Equity and serve as an Arthur Zankel "Youth Historians in Harlem" Fellow.
Research Associate on the State Fiscal Policy Team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Washington D.C.
Iris came to Teacher College after completing her undergraduate degree in Political Science with minors in Asian American Studies and Education Studies at the University of California Los Angeles. The Politics and Education program offered opportunities for Iris to gain quantitative analysis skills and delve deeper into the issues of school choice and privatization.
Iris enjoyed connecting with the broader TC community. She was a Community Assistant with the Office of Residential Services and served in TC’s Student Senate for 1.5 years, first as a Student Resources Senator, then going on to chair the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and represented student interests at President Bailey’s Committee for Community & Diversity during the fall of 2021. Iris was awarded the 2022 Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award from the Provost.
Partway through the Politics and Education program, Iris began working as a Research Associate on the State Fiscal Policy Team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). CBPP advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone — regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ZIP code, immigration status, or disability status — has the resources they need to thrive. She has written on state child tax credits, earned income tax credits, K-12 unfinished learning, immigrant-inclusive policies, grocery sales taxes, and spending State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan of 2021.
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Admissions Information
Application Requirements
- Master of Arts
- Master of Education
- Doctor of Philosophy