POLS students are ambitious and action-oriented. They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, including teaching, school systems leadership, business, education technology, and government. What they share is a desire to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be effective leaders.
POLS cohorts bring together small, diverse groups of students to widen each other’s view of leadership in various domains of education. Peer learning and support form a key component of the program, modeling the connectivity and collaboration crucial to education leadership. Moreover, POLS students graduate with a network of connections that extends beyond the program year.
Financial Literacy and Career Readiness: Program Design for East Palo Alto Academy Foundation Scholars
Will Paisley
Students from East Palo Alto Academy have fewer resources than students at surrounding South Bay Area high schools, which necessitates the foundation’s work. 95% of their students qualify for free...
The Healing Power of Nature: Increasing Access to East Bay Regional Parks’ Health Benefits for Oakland’s Diverse Residents
Clare McLaughlin and Meg Pantell
The East Bay Regional Park system (EBRP) is an expansive natural space in Oakland, a racially and economically diverse urban community in California. This study interviewed local park visitors to...
Talent Lifecycle Design
Carmen Krefft and Elizabeth Tish
In partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, we developed a repository of skills, behaviors, and dispositions that every staff member should exhibit. This matrix will better...
POLS graduates are well prepared to lead in a wide range of roles and contexts. Alumni work in school and district settings, higher education, education philanthropies, corporate and educational recruiting, and government. Below are a few examples of positions held by POLS alumni.
Assistant Dean of Students, Oberlin College
Native American Liaison, Stanford Undergraduate Admissions Office
Instructor, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Assistant Principal, Noble Network of Charter Schools
Literacy Coordinator, Harlem Children’s Zone
Academic Program Manager, Summit Public Schools
Data Analyst, Boston Public Schools
Assistant Budget and Policy Analyst, State of Oregon
Legislative Assistant, United States Senate
Instructional Design Specialist, Coursera
Program Manager, Reading Partners
Education Analyst, Emerson Collective
The Graduate School of Education’s EdCareers office provides career education and counseling, job listings, career fairs and other resources to GSE students and alumni.
To learn more about requirements for admission, please visit the Application Requirements page.
To learn more about the cost of the program and options for financial support, please visit Financing Your Master’s Degree on the admissions website.
For admissions webinars and to connect with the admission office, see our Connect and Visit page.
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