Public Policy, Educational Leadership and Policy Concentration, Ph.D.

The Ph.D. in Public Policy with a Concentration in Educational Leadership and Policy is a partnership between the Policy, Planning and Management Program within the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service and the Educational Leadership Program within the School of Education and Human Development under the College of Management and Human Service. It is a post-master’s 45 credit hour cohort program designed for experienced educational leaders who are employed throughout the duration of the program. The program integrates courses in public policy, educational policy and leadership, and dissertation research. Through the program, educational leaders develop the policy and research skills to influence educational policy and practice.

Core public policy courses in the Ph.D. are complemented with training in education leadership and policy provided by the USM School of Education and Human Development (SEHD). The concentration in educational leadership and policy encompasses a range of educational policy and leadership topics and issues. In addition, the program benefits from SEHD’s Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE), which is also the home of the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI). Students have the opportunity to participate in the Center’s research and use that policy research as cases for learning.