Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

School of Education
The Red doors at the front of the education building

Shaping the future of education

Home to some of the top-ranked education programs in the nation

#1 School of Education in the United States

#2 Educational Administration program in the nation

#5 Online Master’s program in Educational Administration and Supervision in the nation

#13 Higher Education Administration program in the nation

The Department

Who We Are and What We Do

Welcome to the UW–Madison Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA), where our courses and research give students a deep understanding of educational organizations, educational policy, and policy systems. We offer PhD programs which specialize in one of three areas: K-12 leadership, higher education, and educational policy analysis and evaluation. Our Master's programs offer degrees in K-12 leadership, higher education, educational policy analysis and evaluation, global higher education and sports leadership.  

No matter which unique strand you choose, when you graduate, you will be an effective leader, prepared to pave the way to better education for all students.

Anjalé (AJ) Welton - Rupple-Bascom Professor of Education, College of Education.

Department Chair

Anjalé (AJ) Welton
Rupple-Bascom Professor of Education

Top-Ranked Programs

UW–Madison’s School of Education and several of its programs are ranked among the very best in the nation. Its Educational Administration program is ranked No. 2 and the Higher Education Administration program is rated No. 13 by U.S. News & World Reports 2024. ELPA contributes to the high rating through world-renowned faculty and research.

Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB)

The mission of Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) is to design, conduct, and disseminate research that informs policymakers, practitioners, and concerned citizens on how to best promote equitable and inclusive learning and work environments in education in general, and higher education in particular.

Dr. Brian A. Burt, Director

Group of scholars talking in a group outside the Red Doors

A Supportive Community

“I was drawn to ELPA because of the quality of the curriculum, the faculty, and the staff. My gratitude toward my ELPA family is immeasurable for making the department feel like home from the first day, and for cultivating and unleashing the Super Genius in me and each and every one of us.” --(Walter Parrish III, PhD Spring 2023)

Professor Xueli Wang with PhD graduates.

Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter

A black graphic with decorative neon yellow circles around the top half to make it appear like numerous light-up signs. At the bottom of the page is a graphic that says #ThisIsELPA. The #ThisIs is in cursive neon yellow font to make it appear as a light-up sign. ELPA is much larger than the first two words and in big white block letters. The statue of Bucky Badger located at the Memorial Union Terrace is artistically woven into the ELPA letters to make it appear in 3D. At the top and center of the page are white letters that read ELPA Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter.

Reflect on the 2023-24 academic year with us as we shine a light on our department’s accomplishments and impact!

Read the newsletter here

ELPA Student Organizations

LEADS

Leadership, Engagement, Advancement, & Development of Students (LEADS) is a student organization devoted to providing opportunities and professional development resources to all graduate students in ELPA. LEADS serves an important and needed function in fostering community and building skills within ELPA. Contact LEADS at leads.elpa@gmail.com.

HESAB

The Higher Education Student Advisory Board (HESAB) provides professional development opportunities and social networking for students in ELPA’s Masters of Higher Education track. This group focuses on providing opportunities for professional growth and connections in higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and across other institutions.

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