This is a named option in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis PhD.
There are three departments in the University that focus on educational policy-related issues.
In ELPA (Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis) the Department’s emphasis is on conducting educational policy research and analysis with a goal of advancing the achievement of all students through effective policy design, development, implementation and evaluation of educational policies and programs. Students develop a knowledge base that includes a strong foundation in research methods (both quantitative and qualitative), and an ability to conduct sophisticated educational policy research and analysis grounded in understandings of the educational policy and governance system in the US and the issues and challenges facing educational leaders embedded in school, university, community/technical college, or adult learning contexts. Recent graduates of the program are faculty members at research universities, researchers in research centers and consulting firms, policy analysts for non-profit organizations, university administrators, a university president, and policy analysts at the federal and state levels.
The La Follette School of Public Affairs provides education in public management and policy analysis, as well as in public policy and global governance. Faculty in the School are experts in social policy, health and aging, energy and the environment, international trade and development, and public management. The education provided focuses on gaining quantitative, policy analysis, and public management skills. Students may take elective courses in specific substantive policy areas that are of interest to them. Many La Follette students have an interest in education policy and choose to take courses in ELPA.
A third department, Educational Policy Studies, takes a multi-disciplinary approach (sociology, philosophy, anthropology, history) to the study of educational policy and practice. Students may focus on US or international issues. Students often choose to focus on educational inequality.
If you are interested in policy analysis as it relates to broad social policy issues including, but not limited to education, we recommend the LaFollette MPA or MIPA programs. You would be trained in the tools necessary to analyze and design social policy, and could take courses in our department and Educational Policy Studies.
If you were interested specifically in educational leadership and policy as a focus for your study (not the broader social policy issues), and intended to work in schools or in school-related policy, particularly in the U.S., we would recommend our department. If you were interested in a more theoretical understanding of educational policy systems and wanted to take a particular disciplinary focus, and a mix of international and US contexts, we would recommend Educational Policy Studies.
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | The program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | The program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency). |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Ph.D. applicants are required to upload the following items to the online application.
1. Essay statement. Each applicant must submit a "Reasons for Study" essay. As you prepare your responses, we invite you to review the information on our website to review the program literature, to talk with our alumni and current students, and to interact with members of the faculty and staff. Ph.D. applicants should address the following in an essay that does not exceed three pages (single or double spaced.)
- What are your primary career goals and professional gaps you have identified as important for your intellectual and professional advancement over the next 5-10 years?
- In what ways will these professional gaps be addressed through a doctoral program at UW-Madison?
- Describe at least one research topic and/or project you plan to work on during your doctoral program.
- As you will note, we are interested in developing and maintaining a diverse and engaged learning community. Please identify any unique or special contributions you will bring to this community.
A "Strong" essay is characterized by:
- A clear, through, well-organized essay that expresses ideas in a detailed and engaging manner.
- Addresses all components of the instructions.
- Paragraphs signal the divisions of thought and sentences flow with ideas in a logical sequence.
- No (or very few) noticeable errors in composition.
- The articulation of clear scholarly interests that are consistent with the department's mission and that may expand knowledge within the field.
A "Satisfactory" essay is characterized by:
- A detailed, well-organized essay.
- Addresses all components of the instructions.
- Paragraphs signal the major divisions of thought and sequence.
- Few errors in composition.
- The articulation of scholarly interests that are consistent with the department's mission.
A "Weak" essay is characterized by:
- A well-organized but insufficiently detailed essay.
- Addresses some, but not all, of the components of the instructions.
- Paragraphs do not contain main topics.
- A distracting number of errors in composition or spelling (i.e., more than two or three per page).
- No articulation of scholarly interests.
2. Unofficial transcripts. Official transcripts will be requested prior to Graduate School admission.
3. Resume or CV.
4. Three letters of recommendation. We require recommendations from three (3) people who are qualified to evaluate the academic and professional competence of the applicants. When completing the online application, submit the names and emails of those requesting recommendation from; recommendations are sent electronically to your application.
5. Supporting document if required. Applicants who earned an undergraduate GPA below 3.00 or a graduate GPA below 3.5 should provide additional explanation/documentation to support their admission. In statement, explain why GPA does not accurately reflect high potential to serve in leadership roles.
English proficiency requirements are required for international applicants. Test scores should be submitted to institution code 1846.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students are able to complete a program with minimal disruptions to careers and other commitments.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 75 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 51 out of 75 credits must be completed in graduate-level coursework; courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university's Course Guide.(https://registrar.wisc.edu/course-search-enroll/). |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. |
| Other Grade Requirements | The Graduate School requires that students maintain a graduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for all graduate courses (excluding research) to receive a degree. Grades of Incomplete are considered to be unsatisfactory if they are not removed during the next enrolled semester. |
| Assessments and Examinations | Doctoral students are required to take a comprehensive preliminary/oral examination after they have cleared their record of all Incomplete and Progress grades (other than research and thesis). Deposit of the doctoral dissertation in the Graduate School is required. |
| Language Requirements | None. |
| Doctoral Minor / Breadth Requirements | Doctoral students must complete a doctoral minor. See below for more information about the Minor requirement. |
Required Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to the Field | 6 | |
| These introductory courses lay the foundational framework for work in the department. The Doctoral Inquiry class, ELPA 810, is taken during the first semester of course work, and is required for all incoming Ph.D. students regardless of their area of interest. Students are strongly encouraged to take the second introductory course at the beginning of their studies as well. | ||
| Doctoral Inquiry in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis | ||
| Critical Issues in Educational Policy | ||
| Core Knowledge | 12 | |
| The department believes that students in educational administration should be familiar with four program areas of knowledge: (1) Organizations and Planning; (2) Program and Instructional Leadership and Management; (3) Politics, Policy and Finance; and (4) Learning and Diversity. | ||
| Knowledge in each of these areas is focused on providing a theoretical and empirical research knowledge base to facilitate improvements in teaching and learning in educational organizations. Students should take one course from each program area. Students who have taken similar courses at other institutions and are transferring credits for those courses should take an advanced or related ELPA course in each area identified through consultation with their advisor. | ||
| Organizations and Planning (SELECT 1 COURSE) | ||
| Knowledge of classic and emerging theoretical approaches to organizations; Understanding and interpreting organizational experience; Decision making; Planning and evaluation; Key relationships between organizations and their environments. | ||
| Organizational Theory and Behavior in Education | ||
| Theory and Practice of Educational Planning | ||
| Program and Instructional Leadership and Management (SELECT 1 COURSE) | ||
| Leadership theory; Effective leadership; Functional, symbolic, political, and human aspects of leadership; Leading change; Conflict resolution; Empowerment; Sharing leadership; Motivation of self and others; Ethical and moral dimensions of leadership. | ||
| Governance and Administration of Colleges and Universities | ||
| School-Level Leadership | ||
| Instructional Leadership and Teacher Capacity | ||
| Politics, Policy and Finance (SELECT 1 COURSE) | ||
| Educational governance; Operating within a political environment; Understanding and interpreting political context; Principles of design and implementation of educational policies; Sources of revenues; Effective expenditure of educational dollars; Equity and adequacy issues. | ||
| Financing Postsecondary Education | ||
| Resource Allocation for Equity and Social Justice | ||
| Public School Law | ||
| Legal Aspects of Higher Education | ||
| The Politics of Education | ||
| Learning and Diversity (SELECT 1 COURSE) | ||
| Addressing the diverse learning needs of students; Professional development; Managing academic program, curriculum and instruction to promote student learning; Administering learning and co-curricular activities to reflect students’ common and distinct experiential base. | ||
| Leadership for Equity and Diversity | ||
| Administration of Student Services in Higher Education | ||
| Professional Development and Organizational Learning | ||
| Academic Programs in Colleges and Universities | ||
| Diversity and Inequality in Higher Education | ||
| Program Depth | 9 | |
| The department believes that students should have depth in at least one of the four program areas: (1) Organizations and Planning; (2) Program and Instructional Leadership and Management; (3) Politics, Policy and Finance; OR (4) Learning and Diversity. Therefore, the department requires that students in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis select 1 of the 4 domains and take at least 3 ADDITIONAL courses in that program area. | ||
| If courses from other departments are permitted in one of the depth areas, at least one of the three additional courses must be an ELPA course. | ||
| Organizations and Planning | ||
| Organizational Theory and Behavior in Education | ||
| Theory and Practice of Educational Planning | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Seminar in Organizational Behavior and Design | ||
| Sociology of Organizations | ||
| Sustainable Approaches to System Improvement | ||
| Program and Instructional Leadership and Management | ||
| Governance and Administration of Colleges and Universities | ||
| Staff Personnel Systems in Education | ||
| Technology and School Leadership | ||
| School-Level Leadership | ||
| The School Superintendency | ||
| Instructional Leadership and Teacher Capacity | ||
| Professional Development and Organizational Learning | ||
| Race, Class and Educational Inequality | ||
| Governance and Administration of Colleges and Universities | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics Administration | ||
| Data-Based Decision-Making for Educational Leadership | ||
| Politics, Policy, and Finance | ||
| Community, Opportunity, and Justice | ||
| Financing Postsecondary Education | ||
| Resource Allocation for Equity and Social Justice | ||
| Public School Law | ||
| Legal Aspects of Higher Education | ||
| Legal Foundations of Special Education and Pupil Services | ||
| The Politics of Education | ||
| Seminar in Educational Law | ||
| Seminar in Educational Finance | ||
| Seminar in the Politics of Education | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Problems in Educational Policy | ||
| Issues in Educational Policy Analysis | ||
| Economic Theory-Microeconomics Sequence | ||
| Economic Theory-Macroeconomics Sequence | ||
| Theory of Public Finance and Fiscal Policy | ||
| Theory of Public Finance and Fiscal Policy | ||
| Workshop in Public Affairs | ||
| Public Program Evaluation | ||
| Policy-Making Process | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs | ||
| Microeconomic Policy Analysis | ||
| Benefit-Cost Analysis | ||
| Federal Budget and Tax Policy and Administration | ||
| State and Local Government Finance | ||
| Learning and Diversity | ||
| Evaluating and Supporting Quality Classroom Teaching | ||
| Leadership for Equity and Diversity | ||
| Administration of Student Services in Higher Education | ||
| Leadership for Inclusive Schooling | ||
| Professional Development and Organizational Learning | ||
| Race, Class and Educational Inequality | ||
| Academic Programs in Colleges and Universities | ||
| Ideas of the University: Images of Higher Learning for the 21st Century | ||
| Minority-Serving Institutions of Higher Education | ||
| Internationalization of Higher Education | ||
| Diversity and Inequality in Higher Education | ||
| Assessment in Higher Education | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Elementary School Curriculum | ||
| Curriculum Planning | ||
| Introduction to Learning Sciences I | ||
| Electives | 15 | |
| Students may take any five courses inside or outside of the Department, to provide depth or breadth to program focus. Students are reminded that their programs must include at least 39 credits taken from ELPA. Note that electives are separate from minor/supporting coursework. | ||
| Minor/Supporting Coursework | 12 | |
| The minor is a rational, unified set of courses taken outside of the department which have a clearly articulated theme or focus which allows the student to develop knowledge in a related area of study. Students may either pursue an option A (departmental minor in a SINGLE department outside of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis) or an option B-distributed (courses in two or more departments outside of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis) minor. The Option A minor requires a minimum of 9 credits; the Option B, 12 credits. Students interested in an Option A minor should initiate contact and seek approval from the minor department. Students electing the Option A minor must complete an additional 3 credits of course work outside of the department in order to satisfy the supporting coursework requirement for the department. At least two courses (6 credits) must be completed during or after the semester in which the student is admitted to the Ph.D. program. | ||
| Research Methods and Design | 12 | |
| Students must complete a sequence of courses in research methods and design, focusing on either quantitative or qualitative methods. Students choosing to focus on quantitative methods should take two statistical methods courses and one qualitative methods course. Students choosing to focus on qualitative methods should take two qualitative methods courses and one statistical methods course. After the methods requirement has been met, all students should take the research design course (ELPA 825). Substitutions for ELPA 825 are not allowed. | ||
| Quantitative Methods | ||
| Introduction to Quantitative Inquiry in Education | ||
| Data Management for Education Policy Analysis | ||
| Surveys and Other Quantitative Data Collection Strategies | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Statistical Methods Applied to Education I | ||
| Statistical Methods Applied to Education II | ||
| Statistics for Sociologists I | ||
| Statistics for Sociologists II | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Accelerated Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Qualitative Methods | ||
| Introduction to Qualitative Research | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods in Education: Field Methods I | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods in Education: Field Methods II | ||
| Field Research Designs & Methodologies in Educational Administratn | ||
| Special Topics Seminar in Educational Leadership | ||
| Methods of Qualitative Research | ||
| Introduction to Narrative Inquiry | ||
| Discourse Analysis | ||
| Research Design | ||
| Advanced Research Methods in Educational Administration | ||
| Thesis | 9 | |
| Students are required to complete a minimum of nine credits of research/thesis and/or independent reading. While nine credits is the minimum required, there is no maximum. | ||
| Research or Thesis | ||
| Independent Reading | ||
| Total Credits | 75 | |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 36 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned ten years or more prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
No credits from a UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to count toward the degree.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 15 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison special student. If necessary to meet the Graduate School minimum graduate credit requirements for the degree, special student coursework may have to be converted to graduate credits. Once converted, students are assessed the difference in tuition between special and graduate tuition. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements. More information here.
Probation
The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, from the major department responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies. An advisor generally serves as the thesis advisor. In many cases, an advisor is assigned to incoming students. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor.
To ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, the Graduate School expects them to meet with their advisor on a regular basis.
A committee often accomplishes advising for the students in the early stages of their studies.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
15 credits
Time Constraints
Doctoral degree students who have been absent for ten or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence. Individual programs may count the coursework students completed prior to their absence for meeting program requirements; that coursework may not count toward Graduate School credit requirements.
A candidate for a doctoral degree who fails to take the final oral examination and deposit the dissertation within five years after passing the preliminary examination may by require to take another preliminary examination and to be admitted to candidacy a second time.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Any student who feels that they have been treated unfairly by a faculty or staff member has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing of the grievance, following these grievance procedures. The complaint may concern course grades, classroom treatment, program admission, or other issues. To insure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect both the rights of the student and the person at whom the complaint is addressed, the procedures below are used in the School of Education.
The person whom the complaint is directed against must be an employee of the School of Education. Any student or potential student may use these procedures unless the complaint is covered by other campus rules or contracts. The following steps are available within the School of Education when a student has a grievance:
- The student should first talk with the person against whom the grievance is directed. Most issues can be settled at this level. If the complaint is directed against a teaching assistant, and the student is not satisfied, the next step would be to talk to the TA's supervisor, who is usually the course professor. If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, the student may continue to step 2.
- If the complaint does not involve an academic department, the procedure outlined in Step 4 below should be followed. If the complaint involves an academic department, the student should contact the chair of the department. The chair will attempt to resolve the problem informally. If this cannot be done to the student's satisfaction, the student may submit the grievance to the chair in writing. This must be done within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
- On receipt of a written complaint, the chair will refer the matter to a departmental committee, which will obtain a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed. This response shall be shared with the person filing the grievance. The chair will provide a timely written decision to the student on the action taken by the committee.
- If either party is not satisfied with the decision of the department, they have five working days from receipt of the decision to contact the dean's office (at the number below), indicating the intention to appeal. If the complaint does not involve an academic department in the school, the student must contact the dean's office within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
- In either case, there will be an attempt to resolve the issue informally by the associate dean. If this cannot be done, the complaint can be filed in writing with the dean's office. This must be done within 10 working days of the time the appealing party was notified that informal resolution was unsuccessful.
- On receipt of such a written complaint, the associate dean will convene a subcommittee of the school's Equity & Diversity Committee. This subcommittee may ask for additional information from the parties involved and may hold a hearing at which both parties will be asked to speak separately. The subcommittee will then make a written recommendation to the dean of the School of Education who will render a decision. Unless a longer time is negotiated, this written decision shall be made within 20 working days from the date when the grievance was filed with the dean's office.
Questions about these procedures can be directed to the School of Education Dean's Office, 377 Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall, 608-262-1763.
State law contains additional provisions regarding discrimination and harassment. Wisconsin Statutes 36.12 reads, in part: "No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions or center because of the student's race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status." In addition, UW–System prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. Students have the right to file discrimination and harassment complaints with the Office of Compliance, 361 Bascom Hall, 608-265-6018, uwcomplianceoffice@wisc.edu.
Other
n/a
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