Welcome to the Department of Educational Policy & Community Studies




The Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies provides students with a deeper understanding of urban educational issues with a focus on the historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural context of communities, schools, and society.




Goals are to help students, including non-traditional students:

• To work effectively in community development and education fields;
• To gain the credentials they need to advance in professional positions;
• To pursue graduate work.

Students, past and present are employed by charities, hospitals, schools, community-based organizations, and local government units in metropolitan Milwaukee and other urban cities.

The Department Offers:

• An undergraduate degree in Community Education
• A master's degree in Cultural Foundations of Education, and
• A Ph.D. in Urban Education with a specialization in Social Foundations of Education

as well as certifications in Alternative Education and, Community Organizing.

In the Community Education program, students focus on a broad range of areas, including: child care, youth work, urban education, alternative education/at risk students, community‑based organizations: policy and leadership, and community organizing.

In our MS and Ph.D. programs, students examine a wide range of issues, including race relations, urban education, community change, and the history, sociology, anthropology and philosophy of urban education.

Courses are offered on evenings, weekends, off‑campus, and online. Our classes are small, offering an opportunity to learn with a diverse group of peers.