Education

We can all agree that education is critical: Successfully educating our next generations is a cornerstone in our success as a society. But what constitutes a “proper” education? We have a huge, decentralized, diverse school system with many stakeholders and many children who need special attention. How do we keep taxes reasonable for families while giving public schools the budgets they need? How do we motivate top-quality teachers while also holding them accountable for their efficacy? How do we make sure no student—regardless of race, socio-economic level, or special needs—gets the short shrift? How do we make sure everyone gets the most educational bang for their buck?

At NYU Wagner, we address these complex and interconnected issues head on—we arm you with the analytical, management, and policy tools you’ll need to tackle whatever comes next. On top of that, studying in NYC is a chance to see, first-hand, a microcosm of all the educational experiments in consideration right now—from charter schools to small, specialized high schools and everything in between—and you’ll have a front-row seat to all of it. And our Institute of Education and Social Policy is exploring these issues in real time, to improve education for children nationwide.

As our society debates and experiments with core educational goals, methods of delivery, and relevant assessments, we need—more than ever—policymakers, program directors, consultants, and analysts who can discern best practices and deliver them. As an NYU Wagner graduate, you’ll be poised to do exactly that. You’ll walk away with a toolkit for the full breadth of careers in educational policy: analyzing policies, running a nonprofit, starting a charter school, or doing something else you don’t even know about—yet. No matter which path you choose, a master’s degree in public policy or in nonprofit management, we promise you this: You’ll have what you need to get things done.