Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice

Overview

Both concentrations engage students in a critical examination of the relations among education, society, culture and government, with special emphases on issues of equity along lines of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual diversity, (dis)ability, and intersections of these.

The Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice program of the University of Colorado at Boulder stresses analysis of educational theory, policy, and practice by drawing on the humanities and the social sciences. Its foundation is critical scholarship, which examines educational institutions within broad social, political, cultural, legal, and economic contexts in the United States. Program faculty members offer courses in social, cultural, historical, legal and philosophical foundations of education; in policy analysis; and in evaluation. Additional related courses are available in other programs within the School of Education and in other departments of the university.

EFPP has designed its master's program as a flexible program with a relatively small size to encourage strong and enduring relationships among students and faculty. All master's program concentrations are designed to prepare graduates for diverse roles as educators, advocates or policy analysts in schools, government agencies, think tanks, policy organizations, community organizations or institutions of higher education. This program also prepares graduates to pursue doctoral work.

Community-Based Change Concentration

Students will pursue a course of study to develop expertise in policy analysis, research methods, and program evaluation, as well as specific areas of inquiry such as contemporary school reforms and partnerships between schools and communities. This strand of the EFPP MA program is specifically geared toward educators, non-profit leaders, parents, and other community members who wish to gain skills and knowledge that will assist them in becoming powerful advocates for high-quality, equitable education.

Evaluation and Policy Analysis Concentration

Students will pursue a course of study to develop expertise in policy analysis, research methods, and program evaluation, as well as specific areas of inquiry such as the process of school reform and the development of more equitable education policies. The program is designed to prepare evaluators and policy analysts for careers in academic institutions and agencies at the state and federal levels. Graduates will be able to analyze, recommend, and evaluate public policies.