The Policy, Leadership, and Organizational Studies (PLOS) cluster brings together an interdisciplinary community committed to transforming TK-12 and higher education systems to better serve marginalized and historically underserved populations. Faculty and students examine and reimagine educational institutions through policy analysis, organizational studies, and social justice leadership, using sociocultural, historical, economic, political, and critical race frameworks. Through rigorous methodological training and two concentrations—TK-12 and higher education—students develop expertise in policy implementation, organizational dynamics, and leadership practices while building a strong sense of community. The cluster also engages globally, collaborating with scholars across continents to build international communities of practice that deepen shared learning and reflection on educational transformation.
Key Intellectual Areas
The Policy, Leadership, and Organizational Studies (PLOS) cluster is an interdisciplinary group that advances research and thought leadership about how to support and transform TK-12 and higher education organizations to better serve society, especially for those who have been marginalized and historically underserved.
We seek to observe, critique, and reimagine TK-12 and postsecondary institutions with a focus on policies and policy implementation, historical, economic, and political dynamics, organizational development, and social justice leadership by conducting research within schools, colleges and universities, policy intermediaries, state and local governments, and external organizations that influence educational systems. Using a variety of methodological approaches, faculty and students in the cluster apply sociocultural, historical, economic, critical race, political, and transformative approaches and frameworks to evaluate policies, understand organizational dynamics, surface political tensions, and dissect system leadership and governance practices in an effort to create and support equitable education systems.
Academic master’s (M.A.) and doctoral students learn qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, political, critical, and organizational theories, and empirical findings on education policy and implementation. The one-year (24 units) M.A. program is ideal for those interested in pursuing doctoral study in education or other social science disciplines. Both programs prepare students for careers in education research, policy, or advocacy, and for working in school districts, state education agencies, and education nonprofits.
An M.A. program within PLOS is the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education (CSSE), which is designed for students interested in examining the intersection of athletics and academics and the ways in which institutionalized sport both conflicts with and complements the educational missions of American K-12 and post-secondary schools. Students also engage in projects that evaluate the policies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), legal rulings such as Alston and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and in research related to the motivation and achievement of student athletes at the secondary and intercollegiate levels of competition.
There are two strands within PLOS including (a) TK-12 and (b) higher education, with a shared required capstone course and a set of electives that students can choose from (including electives in other clusters). Both M.A. and Ph.D. students are also required to take one policy/politics course and one organization/leadership course. Students will take courses together creating a cohort feel that will support their sense of belonging and community within the BSE.
While developing leaders in the United States, faculty and students also collaborate with scholars from different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia), actively engaging with practice oriented international projects while exploring ways to construct “International Communities of Practice” among scholars in order to share and reflect on our signature practices. Our international research opens a space where both faculty and students share and reflect their experiences in distinct parts of the world.
We seek to observe, critique, and reimagine TK-12 and postsecondary institutions with a focus on policies and policy implementation, historical, economic, and political dynamics, organizational development, and social justice leadership by conducting research within schools, colleges and universities, policy intermediaries, state and local governments, and external organizations that influence educational systems. Using a variety of methodological approaches, faculty and students in the cluster apply sociocultural, historical, economic, critical race, political, and transformative approaches and frameworks to evaluate policies, understand organizational dynamics, surface political tensions, and dissect system leadership and governance practices in an effort to create and support equitable education systems.
Academic master’s (M.A.) and doctoral students learn qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, political, critical, and organizational theories, and empirical findings on education policy and implementation. The one-year (24 units) M.A. program is ideal for those interested in pursuing doctoral study in education or other social science disciplines. Both programs prepare students for careers in education research, policy, or advocacy, and for working in school districts, state education agencies, and education nonprofits.
An M.A. program within PLOS is the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education (CSSE), which is designed for students interested in examining the intersection of athletics and academics and the ways in which institutionalized sport both conflicts with and complements the educational missions of American K-12 and post-secondary schools. Students also engage in projects that evaluate the policies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), legal rulings such as Alston and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and in research related to the motivation and achievement of student athletes at the secondary and intercollegiate levels of competition.
There are two strands within PLOS including (a) TK-12 and (b) higher education, with a shared required capstone course and a set of electives that students can choose from (including electives in other clusters). Both M.A. and Ph.D. students are also required to take one policy/politics course and one organization/leadership course. Students will take courses together creating a cohort feel that will support their sense of belonging and community within the BSE.
While developing leaders in the United States, faculty and students also collaborate with scholars from different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia), actively engaging with practice oriented international projects while exploring ways to construct “International Communities of Practice” among scholars in order to share and reflect on our signature practices. Our international research opens a space where both faculty and students share and reflect their experiences in distinct parts of the world.
Student Learning and Experience
The cluster has gatherings between students and faculty every semester to build community (e.g., coffee break, dinner). Students participate in professional development courses with core faculty as we intentionally discuss grants, research writing, conference attendance, and internships. There are also opportunities to join research labs (e.g., Higher Education Action Research for Transformation (HEART) Lab). We are also actively engaged in school-wide committees and councils that advance the school’s efforts to ensure equity and build community and belonging. Our faculty are active in professional associations including Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institutions; American Educational Research Association (AERA); Association for Institutional Research; Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management; Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE); Association for Education Finance and Policy; National Education Finance Academy; Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness; Sociology of Education Association; and University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA); and support student involvement and participation.
Our cluster is organized around two defined strands. One is a higher education strand that seeks to train future scholars and campus leaders in the field of higher education. The higher education concentration is designed for students who want to study colleges and universities through a critical, interdisciplinary lens, examining how historical, social, political, and economic forces shape postsecondary institutions and the experiences of the students who move through them.
Students in the higher education concentration will learn about:
The second strand is focused on TK-12 policy and leadership and emphasizes training future scholars, education researchers, policy analysts, and organizational leaders interested in various policy and administrative issues in education. The TK-12 concentration is designed for students who want to study various dimensions of education policy, organization, and leadership—examining policy effects and implementation, organizational behavior and transformation, leadership and administrative theories, and human development.
Students in the TK-12 concentration will learn about:
Our cluster is organized around two defined strands. One is a higher education strand that seeks to train future scholars and campus leaders in the field of higher education. The higher education concentration is designed for students who want to study colleges and universities through a critical, interdisciplinary lens, examining how historical, social, political, and economic forces shape postsecondary institutions and the experiences of the students who move through them.
Students in the higher education concentration will learn about:
- The structures and systems that shape opportunity in postsecondary education
- How students navigate and make meaning of their college experiences
- The role of policy, governance, and legislation in shaping access and equity
- The broader higher education ecosystem, including community colleges and state systems
The second strand is focused on TK-12 policy and leadership and emphasizes training future scholars, education researchers, policy analysts, and organizational leaders interested in various policy and administrative issues in education. The TK-12 concentration is designed for students who want to study various dimensions of education policy, organization, and leadership—examining policy effects and implementation, organizational behavior and transformation, leadership and administrative theories, and human development.
Students in the TK-12 concentration will learn about:
- Policy landscape, policy effects, and policy implementation dynamics
- Organizational theories to understand organizational behavior, culture, change, and environment
- Quantitative and qualitative research methods to interrogate policies
- Applications of theories and insights into TK-12 settings