The Master’s in Public Education Management is designed for high-performing, dedicated mid-career professionals working in large urban school systems across the country. The 14-month, tuition-free program fosters the skills, knowledge and perspectives for outstanding leaders in mid-level leadership positions to deepen and strengthen their impact on schools, students, and communities.
Students in the Master’s program continue to work full-time in their roles in eligible urban school systems, including school districts, charter management organizations, and state education agencies. By continuing to serve their school systems full time for the duration of the program, students are able to directly apply their learning to their work, benefitting their organizations and the students they serve.
For school systems, having an employee in the Master’s program at TBC at Yale SOM is not only a way to invest in a specific individual’s development and build internal talent pipelines – it also means the school system gains from their new perspectives, applied learning, and growing network of other education leaders across the country. Hear the reflections of three senior leaders about what their organizations gained from having a staff member in the Master’s in Public Education Management.
What to Expect
Master’s Program Calendar and Schedule
Students travel to the Yale SOM campus in New Haven for five one-week sessions throughout the 14-month period of the program (from July through August of the following year). Throughout the program, students engage in monthly virtual sessions and independent work that bridges their in-person experiences. Students are expected to continue meeting the obligations of their professional roles, as well as the requirements of the program.
What is the program calendar for the 2025-26 cohort?
Virtual Orientation: May 29, 2025
Residence 1: July 14-18, 2025
Residence 2: October 20-24, 2025
Residence 3: February 23-27, 2026
Residence 4: June 1-5, 2026
Residence 5: August 3-7, 2026
Virtual Sessions: Monthly, day-long virtual sessions (exact dates to be shared with students at a later date)
Independent Capstone Project
The final requirement for successful completion of the program is an independent capstone project, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to apply new learning from the TBM coursework to drive improved and more equitable outcomes within the student’s school system.
Capstone projects are an opportunity for students to tackle a persistent challenge or bring new solutions to bear that ultimately benefit schools and students, with the benefit of structures and supports along the way, including a capstone adviser, faculty consultation, peer consultancy, and more. Students are asked to work with their manager to define a project that will be meaningful for the school system, in addition to meeting the requirements of the project.
Previous capstone projects have included:
- Ensuring that students with disabilities have access to career and technical education (CTE), and that special education and CTE teams are collaborating to support students with their post-secondary plans.
- Developing an innovative staffing and leadership structure to provide greater support to under-enrolled schools while remaining budget-neutral.
- Creating a network-wide school operations dashboard to ensure clarity and aligned expectations on key metrics for operations staff, and school and network leaders.
Learn more about the Master’s program curriculum →
Eligibility Requirements
The Master’s program is open to mid-career public education professionals working in large, urban K-12 school system central and network offices who are committed to excellence and equity.
Participants in the program must work in central or network office-based roles that impact multiple schools, located in large, urban K-12 school systems. Participants must supervise at least one direct report, and/or hold a role with significant time spent coordinating cross-organization projects.
Eligible school districts serve at least 15,000 students drawn primarily from historically underserved communities. Eligible public charter organizations operate a minimum of five school sites and are located in areas that would otherwise qualify under the district size eligibility requirements.
School systems must give permission for their employee to join the Master’s program. Applicants must complete the Supervisor & Organization Acknowledgement Form during the admissions process, including the signature of the applicant’s supervisor and an individual who can make a commitment on behalf of the organization that the applicant may participate if selected. Typically, the applicant has reviewed the program dates, both in-person and virtual, with their school system to ensure they are able to attend.
Learn more about eligibility requirements and our admissions process →
Program Costs
The Master’s in Public Education Management is a tuition-free program, covering programmatic costs and room and board while students are on campus. School systems have no additional cost required for team members who are admitted. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel to and from the Yale School of Management campus in New Haven, CT for the five on-campus program weeks, and some school systems choose to support this cost.
For More Information
Find more information about the benefits to organizations of the Master’s in Public Education Management and what to expect in our Frequently Asked Questions for School Systems.
Nominate a Candidate
To nominate an eligible candidate from your school system for the Master’s in Public Education Management, please submit our nomination form. The Broad Center will reach out to them directly to share more information about the program and our admissions process.