Choosing the right graduate program can be a difficult decision. It’s essential to know that the career prospects post-graduation will be worth the time and money spent on a degree program. And, ideally, it would be enjoyable (albeit challenging) too.
Foggy as the future may seem, it is possible to feel confident in your decision on which graduate program to pursue. From looking at other graduates and what they’re doing now, to learning more about the required coursework, you can decide whether a program is a good fit for your passions and career goals.
With all that in mind, is the Master in Public Policy (M.P.P.) in Education Policy the right choice for you? Let’s dive in.
What is an M.P.P. Degree in Education Policy?
The M.P.P. allows graduates to influence today’s educational landscape at the policy level. It equips students not only with the analytical tools they need to evaluate, reform and create effective policies, but also the social, historical, political and economic contexts relevant to education today.
This degree is unusual in the policy sphere for its specific focus on education, and it’s unusual in the education sphere for its strong focus on analysis. Getting your M.P.P. signals to future employers that you have the tools at your disposal to analyze potential change in their institutions, whether big and small, as well as a deep knowledge of the broader context necessary to inform their decision-making.
Many graduates go on to become policy analysts and research analysts in education institutions. However, an M.P.P. will serve you in nearly any educational setting, from the finance office in a higher education institution to a nonprofit advocating for K–12 policy reform.
What Should You Know Before Pursuing an M.P.P. Degree
Before you commit to an M.P.P. program, it’s important to consider what you personally are seeking in your career—from your passions to what sort of job you envision for your future.
What Are Your Career Goals?
Often, it’s best to start with your ultimate goal and work backward. Are you aiming for a particular job? A certain are within higher education? Do you hope to end up working with research and data?
Some graduates of M.P.P. in education policy programs go on to become policy analysts and directors of policy at various institutions; others have found jobs as research analysts; still others have gone on to work in particular areas, such as a university Title IX office.
What is Your Education Timeline?
Typically, an M.P.P. program will require two years and 36 credit hours. Depending on the university, some students may continue with their studies to complete an Ed.D. in a related field.
Graduates of the program are competitive candidates in the job market, with many having positions in the field upon graduation.
What Types of Education Policy Are You Interested In?
Is there a particular area of policy that ignites your passion? Or a population that you most hope to serve?
Some graduates choose to focus on influencing policy to promote equity. For example, one graduate might concentrate their work on improving educational opportunities and outcomes in low-income communities of color. Another may focus on opening doors for undocumented youth.
What Concentrations Are You Interested In?
The M.P.P. in Education Policy at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development allows students to choose from one of three concentrations: K–12 policy, higher education policy or quantitative methods in education policy.
Depending on your answers to what interests you most or whom you hope to help, one of those three may stand out in particular. Quantitative methods will equip you particularly for research; K–12 policy will serve you if you hope to make an impact on public education, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for underserved populations. The higher education policy concentration will qualify graduates for a number of higher education administration jobs.
The M.P.P. Program at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College: Helping You Change Educational Policy
The M.P.P. program at Peabody College has a track record of success: 92% of job-seeking graduates were employed within four months of graduation.
Take it from graduate Laura Moore, Chief of Staff in the Office of the CEO at the Obama Foundation:
“My Peabody degree prepared me to be a critical consumer of research and data to inform the initiatives that we lead.”
Students may also pursue a joint degree program with both Vanderbilt Law School and the Owen Graduate School of Management.
With courses like Politics and Policymaking, American Educational History and Policy, Education Law, and Urban Education and Social Policy, students graduate well-prepared to make a difference in their chosen area.
You can make a difference in education. Get started today.
