At Florida State University, it's our goal to provide our students with the highest quality education so that they can take what they've learned and help make the world a better place. That sentiment is even more resounding in the College of Education's Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Our Education Policy and Evaluation Ph.D. program prepare students to impact education policies at the local, state, and federal levels. As stated on our degree program page, the Education Policy and Evaluation program "will train you to develop, implement, analyze and evaluate federal, state and local educational policies. You will investigate avenues such as charter schools, urban education reform, school finance, teacher quality, accountability, diversity, and schooling and the economy, among others."

Selecting the Best Candidates

Our Ph.D. candidates are admitted based on quality GPAs, high GRE test scores, research statements, letters of recommendation, and more. Our College of Education graduates are regularly recognized as top performers in both statewide and national symposiums for education policy and are regular recipients of fellowship and grant money for research projects. You can see the latest awards and accolades for our student body here.

What to Expect After Graduation

Once you graduate with a doctorate degree in Education Policy and Evaluation, you will be ready to have a positive impact on education policies. Instead of being able to direct the learning of a classroom of children, education policy setters are able to change and implement policies that will affect teachers, students, school districts, financial investments, and more. The career opportunities with a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation are endless. You can teach, pursue research opportunities, or act as a policymaker or auditor. According to the program website, "national educational agencies await graduates of our Education Policy & Evaluation programs."

As for income opportunities, the job market is set to grow by 17% by 2020, creating more than 300,000 jobs in the education policy field. According to a study done by Georgetown University's Center on Education in the Workforce, people with a doctorate degree have a median lifetime income of $3,252,000 as of 2009 (source). 

The program website cites an annual median income of an educational policy analyst is just over $52,000, while college professors in education policy make a median annual income of over $62,000. Learn More About Our Education Policy and Evaluation Ph.D. Program